NBME practice exams

[marlow]

Hey everyone,

From the NBME site:
"The Practice Sessions use the same sample test materials that are available for download on the USMLE CD-ROM and the USMLE website. NO NEW SAMPLE TEST MATERIALS ARE PRESENTED AT PRACTICE SESSIONS."

What is the difference between the NBME practice exams and the practice questions that are on the CD that you get when you register for Step 1? I haven't signed up for the practice exams yet and I just found out that if I decide to take them, I would have to sign up for them as soon as possible... meaning today!... didn't know that it involved waiting for the yellow slip to come in the mail in 2-3 weeks.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Janders]

The way I understand it (could be wrong) is:

There are 150 questions on a CD that will be mailed to you. These are the same questions you will see if you go to a prometric site for a practice exam.

There are 2 other "practice" exams ($45 each) on the NBME site. You take these online. They are 200q each. These ARE NOT the same questions as the aforementioned 150. You do not take these as practice at the prometric site.

 

[marlow]

The way I understand it (could be wrong) is:

There are 150 questions on a CD that will be mailed to you. These are the same questions you will see if you go to a prometric site for a practice exam.

There are 2 other "practice" exams ($45 each) on the NBME site. You take these online. They are 200q each. These ARE NOT the same questions as the aforementioned 150. You do not take these as practice at the prometric site.

Thanks. Something is really screwy with my computer or maybe the SDN server, but I can't see updated posts. I had to search for my name to get to this post. Sorry for the double posting... I'll get rid of that right now.

 

[Dramkinola]

I HIGHLY recommend the NBME online practice blocks.
Qbank is not at all like the real exam. It's good for reviewing material and building stamina, but if you want to see REAL exam questions (as these are retired questions), I tell everyone I now to spend the 40 bucks and take one of the 40 dollar question sets.
AND ALSO... take it in Practice mode. If you take it in Test/Timed mode, then the second your hour is over, the block is closed.
Order it in Practice mode, but take it timed yourself.
There are no correct answers or explanations given afterwards.
So after taking the block in the prescribed time, do NOT press end.
Go back and write all the topics you were confused over. So you can look them over. Then end that block and start the next one. I think there are 3-4 blocks per test... I can't remember.
Good Luck...

 

[marlow]

Thanks for sharing the great advice Dramkinola

 

[cremasteric]

Thanks for the great advice Dramkinola!

 

[RLMD]

If you take them in practice mode, do you still get a score and feedback?

 

[HiddenTruth]

If you take them in practice mode, do you still get a score and feedback?

yes!

 

[DroolyAndPookie]

Hi! I was just wondering if the 150 questions that ppl get off the CD can be found on the NBME website and if so how?
Thanks!

 

[marlow]

Drooly, I think this is it.

 

[Nylund727]

What is the test that you can take at the Prometric center (the one that you have to wait 2-3 weeks for a yellow slip in the mail)?? I'm glad you asked this question because I have been wondering the same thing!!

 

[marlow]

What is the test that you can take at the Prometric center (the one that you have to wait 2-3 weeks for a yellow slip in the mail)?? I'm glad you asked this question because I have been wondering the same thing!!

Quoting Janders:
"There are 150 questions on a CD that will be mailed to you. These are the same questions you will see if you go to a prometric site for a practice exam.

There are 2 other "practice" exams ($45 each) on the NBME site. You take these online. They are 200q each. These ARE NOT the same questions as the aforementioned 150. You do not take these as practice at the prometric site."

I haven't downloaded them yet, but the link that I posted sends you to the site where you can download the 150 questions.

As for the 2 practice tests, my confusion was two-fold: I didn't know about the yellow slip, and then when I found out I thought I would have to empty out the rest of my funds before I could get the yellow slip (didn't we pay for step 1 before we got that frightening orange colored slip?). But I was pleasantly surprised. You simply have to give your confirmation number and some other info to get the yellow slip-- no payment has to be made at that time.

 

[Nylund727]

Okay, I'm sorry....I'm a little slow. Please tell me if I am understanding this correctly!

The yellow slip is what you get IF you want to take the 150 question practice test at the Prometric center. This costs money (I can't remember how much).

If you want to take the 150 questions online, you can do so for free (and don't have to wait for the yellow slip). Are these the "released items" that Kaplan has the answers for on their website?

The NBME practice questions cost $45 each and you can do them online. These are different questions from the 150. No yellow slip required.

Are the NBME questions the "retired questions" that people keep referring to?

Thanks!

 

[Janders]

The yellow slip is what you get IF you want to take the 150 question practice test at the Prometric center. This costs money (I can't remember how much).

Correct!

If you want to take the 150 questions online, you can do so for free (and don't have to wait for the yellow slip). Are these the "released items" that Kaplan has the answers for on their website?

Yes!

The NBME practice questions cost $45 each and you can do them online. These are different questions from the 150. No yellow slip required.

si senor(ita)!

Are the NBME questions the "retired questions" that people keep referring to?

I'm not sure. I think both the 150 questions and the NBME practice tests (2x200) are all retired questions, but I have no proof.

 

[marlow]

I'm so sorry Janders, but this thread has proven to me that I lack reading comprehension skills.

You said yes to: "the NBME practice questions cost $45 each and you can do them online. These are different questions from the 150. No yellow slip required."

1. I thought the $45 NBME exams were completed at the Prometric center and not online.
2. I thought that the $45 exams required a yellow slip.

I know you must be frustrated by fools like me. Please be as blunt as possible. In fact, feel free to throw virtual objects in my direction if need be. Thanks for your time.

 

[Janders]

I'm so sorry Janders, but this thread has proven to me that I lack reading comprehension skills.

You said yes to: "the NBME practice questions cost $45 each and you can do them online. These are different questions from the 150. No yellow slip required."

1. I thought the $45 NBME exams were completed at the Prometric center and not online.
2. I thought that the $45 exams required a yellow slip.

I know you must be frustrated by fools like me. Please be as blunt as possible. In fact, feel free to throw virtual objects in my direction if need be. Thanks for your time.

I like your name! Conrad is one of my favorites...

The NBME practice tests I was refering to are more precisely called the "Comprehensive Basic Science Self Accessment" Exams. They are $45, you can take them on your own computer. I took the first one on my laptop at my local Panera. You don't need a yellow slip or any ID to take this, just a credit card. Here is the website to purchase these assessment exams:
http://www.nbme.org/programs/sas.asp



Now the Prometric exams... I haven't taken one, and don't plan on it, but here is what i found on another website:
"If you have already received your scheduling permit for a computer-based Step, you can schedule a practice session for this Step at a Prometric test center. You must pay a fee to Prometric for this service. You should know that the practice materials used for the practice sessions at Prometric test centers are the same materials included on the USMLE CD. No new material will be presented during the Prometric practice sessions.

If you would like to take a practice session at a Prometric test center, you must register for the practice session to obtain a practice session scheduling permit. You can register for a practice session on the USMLE web site. Information on the fee for the practice sessions is also available at this site. If you do not have access to the Internet, you can call ECFMG at (215) 386-5900 for assistance."

The website for this is www.usmle.org, I'm not sure exactly where on it... I would look but the connection I am on hates their page and navigates through it very slowly.

Hope that was helpful!

 

[marlow]

Thank you for the clarification. I took up a great deal of your time, and I apologize. You now have the right to return to studying.

Funny... I had a friend from high school that went by J Anderson...

 

[Janders]

Thank you for the clarification. I took up a great deal of your time, and I apologize. You now have the right to return to studying.

Funny... I had a friend from high school that went by J Anderson...

Nono, I should thank you for helping me avoid micro for 5 minutes. I love this webprep guy's accent, but too many bugs in one day!!

 

[calipaww]

hey quick question have people heard the released free items are indicative of the real thing or easier or what ? whats a good range to be after taking the released items?

 

[xaelia]

I HIGHLY recommend the NBME online practice blocks.
Qbank is not at all like the real exam. It's good for reviewing material and building stamina, but if you want to see REAL exam questions (as these are retired questions), I tell everyone I now to spend the 40 bucks and take one of the 40 dollar question sets.
AND ALSO... take it in Practice mode. If you take it in Test/Timed mode, then the second your hour is over, the block is closed.
Order it in Practice mode, but take it timed yourself.
There are no correct answers or explanations given afterwards.
So after taking the block in the prescribed time, do NOT press end.
Go back and write all the topics you were confused over. So you can look them over. Then end that block and start the next one. I think there are 3-4 blocks per test... I can't remember.
Good Luck...

I do want to add one note to the NBME practice exam discussion: don't take them for their "predict your score" utility. Take them far enough ahead of your test date that you can use your performance profile to focus your studying.

 

[gbv]

ok--this will probably sound silly...what is the "USMLE CD" that is being referred to? When do we get this, or is this just something I've forgotten about...

 

[Dramkinola]

ok--this will probably sound silly...what is the "USMLE CD" that is being referred to? When do we get this, or is this just something I've forgotten about...

It's the CD that you get around the time that your orange card arrives...

 

[ntxawmx]

I do want to add one note to the NBME practice exam discussion: don't take them for their "predict your score" utility. Take them far enough ahead of your test date that you can use your performance profile to focus your studying.

Good point above... But for those who are taking the exam sooner rather than later... I got 430 on Form 1 and 500 on Form 2. Anyone get the sense that Form 1 was more difficult? Or should I worry?

 

[JMD]

Our school had us take a 200 question NBME released exam (paper) at the end of our second year classes to assess our weak points. I'm assuming that this test is probably the same as one of the two NBME practice question sets you can buy online, but I am not sure.

Anyone else take a practice test through your school and was it the same as either of the online ones??? I'll probably pay the $45 anyways, but just curious.

 

[HiddenTruth]

Our school had us take a 200 question NBME released exam (paper) at the end of our second year classes to assess our weak points. I'm assuming that this test is probably the same as one of the two NBME practice question sets you can buy online, but I am not sure.

Anyone else take a practice test through your school and was it the same as either of the online ones??? I'll probably pay the $45 anyways, but just curious.

they're different.

 

[JMD]

Ok, so I just realized that you only get access to 1 of the NBME exams for $45 (I thought you got both).

Any suggestions on one seeming "better" than the other. I guess it probably doesn't matter, but I vaguely remember someone posting that form B was a better correlate for the real thing.

 

[xaelia]

Good point above... But for those who are taking the exam sooner rather than later... I got 430 on Form 1 and 500 on Form 2. Anyone get the sense that Form 1 was more difficult? Or should I worry?

Funny, I felt like Form 2 was more difficult - or at least had more "I have no idea at all" questions on it. Or maybe I was just more demoralized by my ignorance since I'd been through everything once by the time I did Form 2 and figured I should be smarter.

 

[ntxawmx]

Funny, I felt like Form 2 was more difficult - or at least had more "I have no idea at all" questions on it. Or maybe I was just more demoralized by my ignorance since I'd been through everything once by the time I did Form 2 and figured I should be smarter.

Well, that may be true... Remember... 500 is only the mean so I didn't even beat the mean!

Good luck!

 

[j-snake]

So, I just finished taking form 2 and as I was taking it I got very discouraged because the questions were a lot harder than I thought they would be and I didn't think that I was getting any right. I was freaking out because I have to take the real thing in three days, I felt totally unprepared. But the score came back with a 550, which correlates to a 230. So I guess that it is just supposed to feel hard but, in the end, it is all relative. Now at least I know not to get too discouraged during the real thing and worry for the next three weeks that I failed as I wait to get my score back.

 

[saiyagirl]

hmm....i never got any CD mailed to me. what gives?

 

[JMD]

hmm....i never got any CD mailed to me. what gives?

Me niether.

 

[Dramkinola]

For those who didn't get a CD, you can find the same questions on the USMLE website...
http://www.usmle.org/Orientation/menu.htm

 

[gbv]

after you send off for one of the NBME tests (say by money order) how long does it take for processing and then giving you access to the exams?

 

[Arnold Chiari]

what is the deal with that question on the first exam where they ask about delta G. How is that fair game, that is such an MCAT question. Anyone know which choice was right?

 

[omarsaleh66]

The answer is Y. It is pretty easy to make Y. And it's hard for Y to go to Z.

later

Omar

 

[Arnold Chiari]

The answer is Y. It is pretty easy to make Y. And it's hard for Y to go to Z.

later

Omar

yea, thats what I put, but what about W? since w to z has a positive delta G, and comes before wouldn't W accumulate and the reaction stop; or does very negative value of the other delta Gs drive the reaction forward?

I know this is basic, but I just dont remeber.

Since you knew that what about...

1) What can a man expect 4 weeks after vasectomy?
2) What do you do when you see a victim of elderly abuse? (law says only have to report child abuse, so do you confront the family or notify social services?)
3) town lists accidents for 2 years, but question asks about 1 year incidence, do you divide the 2 year incidence by 2; or say can't be determined?
4) question #6 on 2nd portion re chemo resistance what is it?
5) CFTR works how? with cAMP, with Ca2+? howwwwwwwwww?
6) doctor misses breast cancer and gets sued why? missed cancer, or poor communication?

 

[Samoa]

#6--for testing purposes, the answer to this kind of question is ALWAYS poor communication. And it's probably true, but I don't want to get into that argument today.

 

[omarsaleh66]

yea, thats what I put, but what about W? since w to z has a positive delta G, and comes before wouldn't W accumulate and the reaction stop; or does very negative value of the other delta Gs drive the reaction forward?

I know this is basic, but I just dont remeber.

Since you knew that what about...

1) What can a man expect 4 weeks after vasectomy?
2) What do you do when you see a victim of elderly abuse? (law says only have to report child abuse, so do you confront the family or notify social services?)
3) town lists accidents for 2 years, but question asks about 1 year incidence, do you divide the 2 year incidence by 2; or say can't be determined?
4) question #6 on 2nd portion re chemo resistance what is it?
5) CFTR works how? with cAMP, with Ca2+? howwwwwwwwww?
6) doctor misses breast cancer and gets sued why? missed cancer, or poor communication?

W cant work cuz the small + delta G will make it easier for W to go to X. But Y has a huge + delta G so there's no way its going to Z.

Not sure about these, so use at ur own discretion
1) there will still be sperm for few weeks
2) u gotta report elder abuse so u notify social services
3) cant be determined
4)I dont know what u are talking about here, it this from NBME 2 or NBME 1? I f I am thinking what u are thinking, i think i put "pumps out the drug"
5) cAMP - this how i remember it, when u get cholera, the cAMP is overactivated so this channel continually pumps out chloride. water follows choride so u get diarrhea. Cystic fibrosis patients dont suffer from cholera.
6) poor comunnication - this question is supposed to teach us that u are less likely to get sued if u communicate well with the patient.

 

[Arnold Chiari]

W cant work cuz the small + delta G will make it easier for W to go to X. But Y has a huge + delta G so there's no way its going to Z.

Not sure about these, so use at ur own discretion
1) there will still be sperm for few weeks
2) u gotta report elder abuse so u notify social services
3) cant be determined
4)I dont know what u are talking about here, it this from NBME 2 or NBME 1? I f I am thinking what u are thinking, i think i put "pumps out the drug"
5) cAMP - this how i remember it, when u get cholera, the cAMP is overactivated so this channel continually pumps out chloride. water follows choride so u get diarrhea. Cystic fibrosis patients dont suffer from cholera.
6) poor comunnication - this question is supposed to teach us that u are less likely to get sued if u communicate well with the patient.

nice, thanx a lot

 

[C-GAR]

How closely do the NBME practice tests correlate with the real thing? I don't know if I can trust my predicted score (I would be extremely happy if I am close to what it gave me). Also, are those questions a little easier than the real thing, because they are much more doable than Q-bank.

Thanks!

 

[Dramkinola]

I HIGHLY recommend the NBME online practice blocks.
Qbank is not at all like the real exam. It's good for reviewing material and building stamina, but if you want to see REAL exam questions (as these are retired questions), I tell everyone I know to spend the 40 bucks and take one of the 40 dollar question sets.

From earlier in the thread...

 

[JMD]

I just did the 150 released questions at Prometric and all it tells you at the end is the % correct. Any idea how this percentage relates to a USMLE score??

I know it only 150 questions and I'm not asking if it will correlate with my real Step 1 score, just curious what percentages correlate to in USMLE-style scoring.

What percentage correct on the real thing equals, lets say, a 220?

 

[DroolyAndPookie]

Drooly, I think this is it.

Thank you so much!

 

[Nathan Steed]

Sorry to beat a dead horse, but isn't the answer Z? Because all the reactions are additive, you just add them up. You cancel the ones that appear on both sides of the equation and then you get the final reaction. If you add all the numbers you will get a negative number.

Bottom line: What they want to know is if you know that several reactions can be additive.

I might be wrong so please respond.

 

[Flintstone]

Hi!

I am really scared now because 2 days till test time and I found out I just scored 64% on the 150 practice test at Prometric!!
Can someone tell me if I should just cancel the test and do it later? Anyone knows the score correlation?

Thanks.

 

[idq1i]

Hi!

I am really scared now because 2 days till test time and I found out I just scored 64% on the 150 practice test at Prometric!!
Can someone tell me if I should just cancel the test and do it later? Anyone knows the score correlation?

Thanks.

I don't know... the consensus is that this test is easier than the real thing. Did you make an honest attempt at taking this exam? Did you take the other NMBE exams?

 

[Flintstone]

The only excuse is being very sleepy. Actually fell asleep at the last block! But the bad thing is while doing the test I thought it was easy....

(And you see why I am sleepy during the day if I am online right now)

 

[bluebirdie]

The only excuse is being very sleepy. Actually fell asleep at the last block! But the bad thing is while doing the test I thought it was easy....

(And you see why I am sleepy during the day if I am online right now)

I think one of the reasons why people often think the practice tests are easier than the real thing is because during test day it is the real thing. Everything is on the line on test day, practice tests are just practice tests. If you got a 64% on this exam you will most likely pass. Just try not to let it get you down.

 

[allylz]

take the NBME CBSSA at the NBME website ($45) as soon as possible.

this would give you a much more accurate idea of what you would score.
if you get below a 190 on that, i'd think it would be a much better idea to postpone taking the test until you are more prepared.