COMLEX Official 2014 Comlex 2 CE Experiences and Scores Thread!

[ccc2009]

Couldn't find a thread for Comlex, so decided to create one. The one for level 1 was really helpful, PLEASE share your experiences taking this exam and study methods. Thanks and good luck everyone!

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[eagle03]

Dear Applicant,

NBOME has asked ERAS to pass along the following important message:

COMLEX-USA Level 2-CE scores released on 8/14/14 for the new testing cycle
that commenced in June 2014 are undergoing a comprehensive psychometric
review. As a result, we will not transmit any scores through ERAS at this
time. The NBOME is planning to transmit scores no later than 9/2/14. Should
you have questions, please contact NBOME Client Services at 866-479-6828 or
e-mail [email protected].

Best wishes in your search for a residency position.

The ERAS Team

 

[noshie]

Has anyone called and asked what happens for those of us that are supposed to get our scores back between Monday and Thursday this week? Do we also have to wait until 9/2/14 for this to be "psychometrized". Yes, that is probably a real word as well.

 

[medmad12345]

thanks for everyone sharing their experiences!

question: for those that have taken comlex 2 in the last few months....

question stem length: any consensus about this? seen that many people have varying experiences. i am only taking comlex and was just going to use combank and comquest to study. now i am concerned that these will not be sufficient to prepare. maybe using testweapon usmle questions too (which have longer stems)?

thanks!

 

[seap3]

thanks for everyone sharing their experiences!

question: for those that have taken comlex 2 in the last few months....

question stem length: any consensus about this? seen that many people have varying experiences. i am only taking comlex and was just going to use combank and comquest to study. now i am concerned that these will not be sufficient to prepare. maybe using testweapon usmle questions too (which have longer stems)?

thanks!

My stems were all pretty short.

 

[medmad12345]

My stems were all pretty short.

thanks. what date did you take it?

 

[AMEHigh]

They need to just make the new testing cycle commence in January and make an announcement

thanks for everyone sharing their experiences!

question: for those that have taken comlex 2 in the last few months....

question stem length: any consensus about this? seen that many people have varying experiences. i am only taking comlex and was just going to use combank and comquest to study. now i am concerned that these will not be sufficient to prepare. maybe using testweapon usmle questions too (which have longer stems)?

thanks!

My stems weren't very long. I had a few that were kind of long, but maybe only 2 per section?

There were also some mid-length ones that contained completely irrelevant info, so it didn't take too long to read over. I had plenty of time for the exam.

 

[koan]

Mine were also very short compared to UWorld or Step 1, and there was definitely plenty of time.

 

[medmad12345]

Just got done. I will tell you it was much harder compared to COMLEX 1. Uggggg now to see if I passed it. Very long question stems

can you elaborate on the long question stems? trying to gauge if the test has changed and if combank/comquest practice questions are no longer representative. thanks

 

[medmad12345]

^ Exactly. I had no problem with Level 1 and did well. But my COMLEX today was a different story (well summarized above). I also don't know what else I could have studied. May as well have taken the exam last month. I took COMSAE C a few weeks ago and got a 620. (It only took me 1.5 hrs for the COMSAE). The COMLEX today had MUCH longer question stems (2+ paragraphs) and took me almost the entire time. Oh well... let the wait for my score begin.....

just trying to get a better idea about the question stem length you addressed. not sure now if comquest/combank questions will be adequate study prep. thoughts?

 

[MLT2MT2DO]

Question stems were mostly longer than comquest but shorter than combank on average

 

[SLC]

Holy crap, just got out and I can't tell if it was poor endurance on my part or if some of the questions were just that bad.

I think I saw something along the lines of "two guys walk into a bar, there's a tender point at the right TP of L3; what's the most likely diagnosis"

I sailed through blocks 2-6 but 7 and 8 seemed to really hand it to me.

I have no idea how I did. But based on a COMSAE D of about 620 I don't expect to do much better than 500.

Here's to a better experience with the USMLE in a week.

 

[CrileDO]

Holy crap, just got out and I can't tell if it was poor endurance on my part or if some of the questions were just that bad.

I think I saw something along the lines of "two guys walk into a bar, there's a tender point at the right TP of L3; what's the most likely diagnosis"

I sailed through blocks 2-6 but 7 and 8 seemed to really hand it to me.

I have no idea how I did. But based on a COMSAE D of about 620 I don't expect to do much better than 500.

Here's to a better experience with the USMLE in a week.

I felt the same way today. A lot of questions like "vague symptoms... what could we do to confirm the diagnosis?"

What DIAGNOSIS?!?!

 

[medtech]

There is a general consensus that the scoring scales are not consistent. Whether your scores, are above average, average, or failing there is some inconsistency. Either way, it is important to voice your opinion, if there is enough people who are sharing a similar experience. Maybe it may result in some changes.

 

[CrileDO]

just trying to get a better idea about the question stem length you addressed. not sure now if comquest/combank questions will be adequate study prep. thoughts?

My question stems yesterday were pretty long overall. I thought they were quite similar to the length of COMBANK.

 

[thegame11]

My questions stems were long. Some of them covered the whole screen.

 

[Kniveschau29]

The question stems are not long at all. I would bet that most of these individuals posting never took the USMLE which has huge stems

 

[medmad12345]

The question stems are not long at all. I would bet that most of these individuals posting never took the USMLE which has huge stems

i hear what you are saying, but i am wondering if comlex is trying to emulate usmle more, one way being longer question stems. it seems that there may some trend in that direction. i don't necessarily considering combank stems to be that long, actually, but want to make sure i am timing myself appropriately for the actual test. i usually don't try and go as fast as possible, so time can sometimes become an issue for me.

 

[CrileDO]

The question stems are not long at all. I would bet that most of these individuals posting never took the USMLE which has huge stems

I think context is important. They may be short for the USMLE, but they are long compared to prior COMLEX exams and other COMLEX specific testing materials, which i think is more what the poster was asking.

 

[firstaidjelly]

deleted

 

[firstaidjelly]

deleted

 

[tom10]

dont complain about lower scores. anyone else who fails want to OD on heroine with me?

Don't complain because it benefits you and hurts me? Trust me, I will keep on bitchin.

 

[firstaidjelly]

deleted

 

[firstaidjelly]

delete

 

[firstaidjelly]

delted

 

[DignanFisher]

Thought I'd sign up and chime in with my $0.02...

There's more going on with those scores than just a change to the standard deviation...unless I unknowingly took a blow to the head the morning of my COMLEX in early July.

COMSAE score range: 545-562
Lowest COMAT standard score: 101
8/14/14 report for COMLEX 2-CE score: 394

Mad as hell!

Also, my stems were significantly longer than COMQUEST stems.

 

[firstaidjelly]

That sucks. where did your comsae score range come from? When I took a comsae, it just gave me a score.

 

[firstaidjelly]

Don't complain because it benefits you and hurts me? Trust me, I will keep on bitchin.

nevermind, nothing is going to happen. im just going to relax. i was upset before, but everything is ok

 

[firstaidjelly]

that means im going to fail for sure. you got 550 on your comaes and failed the comlex 2? I got a 412, so that means i got a 350. I mean, why did they change this exam so much?

 

[DignanFisher]

Rather than list each comsae, I just included my lowest and highest to give the range. Hope it works out for you. While my confidence in the nbome to do the right thing is nonexistent, I suspect they'll figure out the algorithm by the time your score is reported.

 

[medmad12345]

Thought I'd sign up and chime in with my $0.02...

There's more going on with those scores than just a change to the standard deviation...unless I unknowingly took a blow to the head the morning of my COMLEX in early July.

COMSAE score range: 545-562
Lowest COMAT standard score: 101
8/14/14 report for COMLEX 2-CE score: 394

Mad as hell!

Also, my stems were significantly longer than COMQUEST stems.

I am so sorry to hear about your score. You must be beside yourself. This whole situation is scaring the c--p out of me. I scored a 456 on comlex 1 and that was with some diligent studying. So, I am very nervous about this test.

Can you speak a little about how you thought actual test compared to combank (I already had the feeling that comquest was a little easier than actual test).

thanks

 

[DignanFisher]

I didn't use combank. I felt more comfortable with this exam than I did with Level 1 (actual score on Level 1 was about 40 points lower than my best comsae and 25 points higher than my worst comsae).

 

[medtech]

I absolutely agree with you.

I don't think many people understand that people's future are at stake when your applying for residency. If there are many people who going through this, please voice your opinion. This definitely will draw attention and hopefully bring about changes.

 

[Atom bum]

Nobody will know till September second though.

 

[tobeone]

Well something good better be happening because my score disappeared from the view scores tab! Let's Hope!!!

 

[scummie]

Well something good better be happening because my score disappeared from the view scores tab! Let's Hope!!!

Weird, me too! Did the scores just disappear today or was it the day of the announcement? The first page under "Exam Status" still says that I passed the exam though.

 

[tobeone]

Weird, me too! Did the scores just disappear today or was it the day of the announcement? The first page under "Exam Status" still says that I passed the exam though.

It wasn't the day of the announcement because I checked but not sure when it happened and that is the first thing I checked to make sure it still says I passed, doesn't mean that there is security that they can't screw us.

 

[firstaidjelly]

Im ok with the lower scores as long as more people passed. More people passed this time so this is better for people on the whole. I hope I just passed. These lower scores are actually good news so that now more people will pass the exam.

 

[Atom bum]

Im ok with the lower scores as long as more people passed. More people passed this time so this is better for people on the whole. I hope I just passed. These lower scores are actually good news so that now more people will pass the exam.

yes, that's all well and good, but they need to do it at the start of a new cycle... Not in the damn middle where it can screw half the applicants while boosting the other half.

 

[medmad12345]

Im ok with the lower scores as long as more people passed. More people passed this time so this is better for people on the whole. I hope I just passed. These lower scores are actually good news so that now more people will pass the exam.

what are you referring to "lower scores"? and also, how do you know that more people passed? was there some announcement? thanks

 

[whatchutalkinboutwillis]

essentially if they go back to the "old" grading system with a SD of 81 instead of the "new" SD of 62 and change the scores... those who got below 500 will get an even lower score (with more fails) and those above 500 will get higher scores......

 

[tobeone]

essentially if they go back to the "old" grading system with a SD of 81 instead of the "new" SD of 62 and change the scores... those who got below 500 will get an even lower score (with more fails) and those above 500 will get higher scores......

Can they really take away a PASS from someone who has passed with the "revised curve"...I mean I guess they can but that is just (there is no word to describe this)

 

[clone19]

USMLE step 1: 233 USMLE step 2: 248
Comlex level 1: 631 Comlex level 2: 544

I honestly am just speechless, but really not surprised at all. This goes right along with the rest of the DO world's ideology of training as many family med docs as possible.

Let us all hope that this tragic tale has a happy ending: the demise of this god awful comlex exam and the beginning of a new era for the DO world.

 

[Wolverines83]

I bitched a bit in one of my posts earlier in this thread but here's my take after cooling off a bit.

They're expending an awful lot of energy for me to think they're going to say "nah, we did it right...suck it!" Scores came down, "psychometric review" is being done, there was an announcement that was essentially an apology on the NBOME website. If they thought they were right they could have just ignored all of us...why go through this effort?

Maybe I'm totally wrong and they're going through this for purely PR purposes; but I can't think of what they stand to gain from admitting publicly that we were right to doubt the scores. They would have been much better off just leaving it alone. We would have whined and then eventually shut up and that would have been the end of it.

I guess we'll see in a week.

 

[JRO38]

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[WestHaven626]

Ok people we need to get our facts straight before we all go to panic mode. There is a couple rumors out there that really need to be settled for the next few days.
1. First of all, there is absolutely ZERO proof, that "more people have passed" than previous years. Assuming this is simply just NOT true. No one knows what the new SD is. Not even the Most Interesting Man In The World. So please, do not assume that more people have passed this year at the expense of lower scores. That only 5% of the test takers have failed. There is no proof of that and honestly, I can say right now that only 15% of test takers have failed and still be as right as you.
2. Again, the NBOME does not "lower the curve" so that "more students could pass" at the expense of "lower scores for the entire sample size." This is simply NOT true.
3. If the NBOME used the standard deviation of previous years (which is 89, not 81), it does not turn P--> F, because the Z score would be different for you.
4. A raw score of 500, 350, 400, 450 on one test and a raw score of 550, 620,295, 379 on another test doesn't have much meaning until we know where each score is in relation to the mean of your specific test, NOT previous years, therefore using a standard deviation of 89 is irrelevant.
5. In order for the new scores to be anywhere near meaningful, we need to know whether the score is above/below the mean and how FAR above/below the mean it is, which is set at 500 at this time.
6. And even if you knew your score was 30, 40, 50, 100, 120, 250 points below or above the mean does not help because once again each test is different, some have (long stems) some have (short stems)....some have a micro heavy test, some have a surgery heavy test, you get the picture....So being 10 points above the mean may be better than being 100 points above the mean on another test. It all depends. That is why knowing how many standard deviations each specific score is ranked for that SPECIFIC TEST is important. This will allow the NBOME to compare your specific raw score of your test, and your test alone to the collective. Each test is treated differently but graded in a standardized way. This is the essence of board score testing.
7. After all is said and done, the Z score, error analysis, still needs to be calculated as well as the specific test taking analysis. The NBOME does not simply plug all our data with a different SD variable and call it a day, it's not that easy and that is NOT how they grade it.
8. So Relax.
9. If you have a failed score, you might end up with a higher score or not.
10. If you have a passing score, you might end up with a higher score or not.
11. The NBOME has maintained its professionalism. Everyone keeps bashing them for no reason and are in this state of panic mode of inappropriately displaced panic that their passing scores might fail, or that if "anyone is below 500 might fail" This is assuming that your test taken July 18 or whatever was the same exact test that someone on some random July 10th 2012 took. No. That is simply not the case. It all depends on your specific test. I can not stress this enough.
12. Refer to Step 8.
13. We have till September 2, to realize what will happen so until then, do not randomly state unsupported facts with no proof. The only proof that we all share as a collective was that our scores should have been higher based on our comsea scores and previous testing performance. So as a collective, we can assume that our scores will all go up. Borderline failing scores might hit the passing mark, and passing scores might boost further up. But again, there is no proof of this. This wasn't a simple NBOME change that said, "hey lets change the passing score to 409" this was a far more advanced and integrated remodeling of their algorithm than a simple SD change. But the basic principle no matter what algorithm is used remains the same. It all depends on the specific test, the specific data, and the specific score analysis of our raw scores as individuals before it goes through the collective.

 

[Wolverines83]

13. We have till September 2, to realize what will happen so until then, do not randomly state unsupported facts with no proof. The only proof that we all share as a collective was that our scores should have been higher based on our comsea scores and previous testing performance. So as a collective, we can assume that our scores will all go up. Borderline failing scores might hit the passing mark, and passing scores might boost further up. But again, there is no proof of this. This wasn't a simple NBOME change that said, "hey lets change the passing score to 409" this was a far more advanced and integrated remodeling of their algorithm than a simple SD change. But the basic principle no matter what algorithm is used remains the same. It all depends on the specific test, the specific data, and the specific score analysis of our raw scores as individuals before it goes through the collective.

an intern probably put a decimal in the wrong spot

 

[JRO38]

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[clone19]

Completely agree with JRO38.

And as for the NBOME's "professionalism" - I think it's a stretch to say that's been "maintained."
Redacting scores weeks after they're released is hardly professional. Worse than that they've kept us all in the dark and have even flat out denied that any changes were made to the scoring system. How is that professional?

t doesn't take a genius to figure out that changing the whole scoring system without letting anyone know in the middle of the testing cycle was a terrible idea. If the NBOME had put even the slightest amount of thought into this whole "standard change" they would have seen that this was bound to happen. Staying true to their character, they have completely thrown us all under the bus with their lack of insight.

We as osteopathic med students are held to a very high standard. It's only fair that our leadership be held to the same standards.

 

[WestHaven626]

I agree with you all completely and even if we have some number issues like SD 61 (which I still do not think can be obtained after one testing cycle) we have to remember that despite disagreeing with the NBOME, they are fixing their mistake. No company is perfect. It's not like they did this on purpose. Every 5, 10, years or so, the testing scoring system changes because med school students get smarter. Not only that, there's more material to learn. There's always a constant growth, and things like this will happen. This isn't going to be the first bump in the road for us, and it won't be the last.

And yes, the NBOME is in fact professional about it. They apologized. They admitted a mistake, and they are fixing it. What more do you want? It's a MISTAKE, so yes, there will be some negative consequences, that's what a mistake is.... but i highly DOUBT your chances of residency will be now 100x harder because of something you had no control over. Everyone knows about the mistake, all the residency directors, program coordinators, deans, and students all know what's going on. My grandma across the pacific ocean knows what's going on,

And if program directors didn't before it's because the news hadn't gone viral. So stop with this nonsense that the NBOME has ruined your future. It really hasn't. If anything your scores will go up and in the end, everyone will get what they deserved.

And come on, don't think like we as students know EVERYTHING and the NBOME is clueless. Do any of us have ANY experience at all in board scoring? NO. And you think that everyone in NBOME was just stupid and didn't think about about changing the scoring system at a diff testing cycle? Do you honestly think they just drew a random month out of the hat and said yes lets make July the date? No, obviously they had their reasons and just because we don'tt understand it doesn't mean they are not professional. T hey are not a bunch of idiots there. Obviously they are gonna think things through. It's not as extreme as if the NBOME didn't put any thought into this. Come on.. The NBME changed their USMLE CK pass rate, without discussing it with every medical school student. Do they care? Are they professional?

It's not right to just bash the NBOME when they have apologized and are now fixing the issue.

The fact is, until you can go out and protest outside the NBOME office in Chicago, hire a bunch of lawyers, and take legal action against NBOME for a professional set back, don't write a check you can't cash. We can all afford to wait 1 more week. It's not a big deal. Everyone is in the same boat. The people who tested in July are all on the same boat as if there was no testing cycle in July. Program directors want results, and at the end of the day, 1-2 week difference in your scoring report isn't gonna make or break your spot.

We will all get residency spots. We will all get through this. In the end we are all colleagues, and at the end of the day, the NBOME will have our backs because we are part of their organization whether you like it or not. So give them a break. Give them a week and give it a rest.

 

[JRO38]

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