Interpretation Of Xxxxxxxx

[ziffy 850]

CAN ANYONE EXPLAIN WHAT THE NUMBER OF XXXXX'S MEAN ON THE SCORE BREAKDOWN? are they the amount of questions-I'm usually pretty good at this stuff, but I can't seem to understand it.

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[Idiopathic]

Its just a graphical representation of how you scored in an individual subject. They felt it would be better than giving you more numbers to look at: lots of X's is a better performance than fewer X's

 

[goldengate]

lots of X's is a better performance than fewer X's

CAN ANYONE EXPLAIN WHAT THE NUMBER OF XXXXX'S MEAN ON THE SCORE BREAKDOWN? are they the amount of questions

No to both. If you read the explanation on the bottom of the performance profile, it says "The width of a performance band reflects the precision of measurement: narrower bands (fewer Xs) indicate greater precision."

 

[ziffy 850]

I DID read that, but what does greater precision mean? In other words, I'm assuming (perhaps erroneously) that if there were 10 questions and I got 10 correct, that I would get ONE LITTLE x in the higher range, but if there were 20 questions and I got 10 correct, depending on how everybody else did, I would get lots of x's in whatever range. I'm just not sure.

I'm asking this question because I did not do well (at all) in step 1 and am trying to figure out my weaknesses. The x's were all over the map. Some long-some short, etc

 

[dynx]

I DID read that, but what does greater precision mean? In other words, I'm assuming (perhaps erroneously) that if there were 10 questions and I got 10 correct, that I would get ONE LITTLE x in the higher range, but if there were 20 questions and I got 10 correct, depending on how everybody else did, I would get lots of x's in whatever range. I'm just not sure.

I'm asking this question because I did not do well (at all) in step 1 and am trying to figure out my weaknesses. The x's were all over the map. Some long-some short, etc

As a prev. poster said "no to both". The bands are sort of like standard error bars...they could just as easily be solid lines. The number of Xs means nothing other than as a way to mark the width of the bar, its purely graphical. However, the length of the bar (number of Xs) would be smaller if you had a larger number of questions since with a larger N they could more precisely gauge where you fell in relation to your peers in that field.

 

[Idiopathic]

did they change what this looks like? mine on step 1 (three years ago) looked like this:

Subject A: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX[XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Subject B: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX[XXXXXXX
Subject C: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX[XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Subject D: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX[XXXXXXXXXXXX
Subject E: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX[XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

didnt it??? ( the [ is supposed to represent some 'cutoff') I thought the X's were just performance.

or am I thinking of something else (maybe this is what my COMLEX looked like)

 

[goldengate]

did they change what this looks like? mine on step 1 (three years ago) looked like this:

Subject A: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX[XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Subject B: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX[XXXXXXX
Subject C: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX[XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Subject D: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX[XXXXXXXXXXXX
Subject E: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX[XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

didnt it??? ( the [ is supposed to represent some 'cutoff') I thought the X's were just performance.

Correct, they are performance bands. If your profile looked like that, there was a lot of overlap btw subjects and therefore your "performance in the associated areas should be interpreted as similar". In other words, no statistically significant diff.

 

[Shah_Patel_PT]

No to both. If you read the explanation on the bottom of the performance profile, it says "The width of a performance band reflects the precision of measurement: narrower bands (fewer Xs) indicate greater precision."

Yes very true!! When the bands are narrow....means more precision....and means that more Q were tested on that topic than others (n value is higher).

 

[Idiopathic]

in reality, all my lines were full up with X's...i felt it correlated with my score so I never really considered what it meant

 

[Dr.MISHKA D.O.]

I wouldn't know about X's all mine were a tiny star at the far edge of the scale. OH SNAP. (That's right I said it, mine is bigger than yours what ya gonna do? )

Hey, Idio you never wrote me back what up?

Did you hear that OSUCOM had the highest overall average on the step 2 ck this year - don't you think you and I had something to do with that? And yet, blanks at award banquet (despite the fact we both matched to top notch allo residencies) , and our former study buddy with average scores and osteo FM residency- "student of the year." Hmmmmm. Politics are so sad.

Write me back fool. Keep your head up.

The Mish