scoring higher in USMLEWORLD?

[AllUpOnYoMama]

Ok, so I started off WORLD qbank with an average of 48% correct over roughly the first 700-800 random questions. Ive noticed that my scores have jumped to an average of around 62% correct over the last 250 questions with best block being 75%. I went and looked at the layout of the first 700 vs last 250 or so questions to investigate this jump and saw that on average I was getting 10 path questions and about 5-6 pharm questions per 48 questions for the first 700 questions. Now over the last 250 questions, Im consistently getting on average about 15 path questions and 10 pharm questions per 48 question block. Path and pharm are two of my stronger subjects. So Im guessing that the jump in score is due to 50% of my blocks consisting of path and pharm questions. Is this normal? I kind of feel like the system isn't randomly distributing my questions as much as the first 700 questions. thanks for the responses

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[flyingdutchman]

Ok, so I started off WORLD qbank with an average of 48% correct over roughly the first 700-800 random questions. Ive noticed that my scores have jumped to an average of around 62% correct over the last 250 questions with best block being 75%. I went and looked at the layout of the first 700 vs last 250 or so questions to investigate this jump and saw that on average I was getting 10 path questions and about 5-6 pharm questions per 48 questions for the first 700 questions. Now over the last 250 questions, Im consistently getting on average about 15 path questions and 10 pharm questions per 48 question block. Path and pharm are two of my stronger subjects. So Im guessing that the jump in score is due to 50% of my blocks consisting of path and pharm questions. Is this normal? I kind of feel like the system isn't randomly distributing my questions as much as the first 700 questions. thanks for the responses

I've had the same issues, I was getting low-mid 60s consistently and my last four blocks in a row have been 78, 74, 72 and 78. I feel like I knew some of the questions because they were similar to one's I had before and that may have helped me get them correct

 

[BoneNibbler]

I know what you guys mean. I am f-ing frustrated. I have reached a plateau at 83% average and cant seem to increase my scores. I feel so crappy since my test is in only 4 weeks!

 

[flyingdutchman]

I know what you guys mean. I am f-ing frustrated. I have reached a plateau at 83% average and cant seem to increase my scores. I feel so crappy since my test is in only 4 weeks!

I've heard from 3rd years who took the test last year that everyone hits their "QBank plateau" at some point. I would say if you're hitting 83% with four weeks to go you have a pretty good grasp on things, you just have to maintain that knowledge until you're test while polishing up on minutia in the meantime

 

[Disinence2]

Dang I'd say an 83 is pretty darn good.

I was in the low 60's, then I learned micro and biochem and now I'm averaging in the 70's.

Time to learn some pharm and see if that can give me a few more %

Now that I've used up a lot of the epi and embryology questions my score also seems to be getting higher.

 

[perilou]

I know what you guys mean. I am f-ing frustrated. I have reached a plateau at 83% average and cant seem to increase my scores. I feel so crappy since my test is in only 4 weeks!

Took me a minute to figure out if you were being sarcastic. I don't think you are.

83% is pretty good, especially with 4 weeks left. What makes you say "only" 4 weeks, I'll never know.

 

[rahulb]

Took me a minute to figure out if you were being sarcastic. I don't think you are.

83% is pretty good, especially with 4 weeks left. What makes you say "only" 4 weeks, I'll never know.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=8202168

Okay here is the problem, I am getting ~60%
on kaplan qbank right now. However I am missing questions that if I
read a little better spent more time on I knew I would hav efigured out
gotten right. How can I slow down in qbanks? (i usually have 25 minutes
left in each block of 48)

you know unless he managed to improve 20% in 3 days

 

[NucleusAccumben]

wow! is all I got to say.

 

[GMDMD]

I'm not sure you guys understand the meaning of the word "random". Random doesn't meant if you there are 100 questions and 10 subjects you end up with 10 questions from each subject.

That's the luck involved, and why you have to be solid in every subject. Because inevitably your individual test will be top-heavy in one particular subject and someone will say "oh no they don't test X, my test had so much Y subject, study Y not X".

Trust that your scores are going up because your knowledge base is increasing. That's the simplest and most reasonable answer. Many people just plateau.

 

[BoneNibbler]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=8202168



you know unless he managed to improve 20% in 3 days

Or unless that post was about KAPLAN and this thread is about UWORLD!

Get with the program son.

 

[AllUpOnYoMama]

Trust that your scores are going up because your knowledge base is increasing. That's the simplest and most reasonable answer.

I hope this is the reason. Thanks for the responses guys. good luck

 

[Pinkertinkle]

83% on uworld is something like 265.

 

[Slide]

My % was at a plateau until I started hitting the last 1/3 of the questions. Once you break that plateau it's a great feeling. Part of it was seeing the concepts in a different light, but also some of it was getting my knowledge base up to speed. Also for some reason, my blocks largely were path, pharm, micro, and pathophys at this point, and I felt strong on those subjects. Just believe in the process and your score should go up.

 

[Re3iRtH]

Or unless that post was about KAPLAN and this thread is about UWORLD!

Get with the program son.

Kaplan has a much higher average than Uworld.
Kaplan is an easier Qbank that Uworld.
So if you are getting 60% on Kaplan you are likely getting less
on Uworld. If you are gonna lie at least keep them consistent

So buddy, you aren't cheating anyone but yourself. Honestly if you
mislead some people on an internet forum in the end that doesnt matter,
but maybe your own integrity and Step 1 score will be affected.

My average on Uworld is a 93%, but I can't seem to break 50% on
Kaplan, help!!!!!!!

 

[ZonaRidicularis]

.

 

[Tritleb]

Kaplan has a much higher average than Uworld.
Kaplan is an easier Qbank that Uworld.
So if you are getting 60% on Kaplan you are likely getting less
on Uworld. If you are gonna lie at least keep them consistent

So buddy, you aren't cheating anyone but yourself. Honestly if you
mislead some people on an internet forum in the end that doesnt matter,
but maybe your own integrity and Step 1 score will be affected.

My average on Uworld is a 93%, but I can't seem to break 50% on
Kaplan, help!!!!!!!

Haha

 

[NCF145]

Which is more important for UWorld. Your percentage right or your percentage right compared to average of test takers for that set of questions?

 

[BoneNibbler]

Kaplan has a much higher average than Uworld.
Kaplan is an easier Qbank that Uworld.
So if you are getting 60% on Kaplan you are likely getting less
on Uworld. If you are gonna lie at least keep them consistent

So buddy, you aren't cheating anyone but yourself. Honestly if you
mislead some people on an internet forum in the end that doesnt matter,
but maybe your own integrity and Step 1 score will be affected.

My average on Uworld is a 93%, but I can't seem to break 50% on
Kaplan, help!!!!!!!

Really? Have you seen my qbanks? good thing you are omniscient. Otherwise you would look like a total tool. Just like your buddy poster directly below yours. Why do you think I asked about how to increase my kaplan. Cuz it didnt seem to make sense that I was scoring so much better on UWORLD. I found out that I wasnt taking time to read the questions on kaplan and merely guessingg (reason I ended up with 20 minutes left per block).

What I am sensing here is JEALOUSY. SO I wil not be further responding to your immaturity.

 

[sprinkibrio]

I know what you guys mean. I am f-ing frustrated. I have reached a plateau at 83% average and cant seem to increase my scores. I feel so crappy since my test is in only 4 weeks!

It's funny you made this post to come off as smart, because it's dumb not to take the test right away if you're scoring that high. 4 weeks gives you lots of time to forget things.

 

[hateroftheyear]

It's funny you made this post to come off as smart, because it's dumb not to take the test right away if you're scoring that high. 4 weeks gives you lots of time to forget things.

I think it is conceivable, although unlikely, that someone could score 83% in World and the 60s in Kaplan, provided that they were bad at nitpicky details but good at multi-step reasoning. What benefit would someone derive from "fake-complaining" on an anonymous internet forum about an inflated cumulative score? If that person would actually take the time to troll in the foolish hope of a marginal increase in personal pride or some sick sense of satisfaction in demonstrating one's superiority in an anonymous internet forum, then that person's life probably serves as his or her own punishment and requires no further rebuke from us. Plus, the knee-jerk disbelief and anger expressed by reply posts could be construed as personal contempt and frustration because they have been unable to encounter similar success.

That being said, self-contradiction aside... 83%, WAAAAH, POOR YOU. Only 30%+ better than the question bank average? You poor, poor soul.

 

[BoneNibbler]

It's funny you made this post to come off as smart, because it's dumb not to take the test right away if you're scoring that high. 4 weeks gives you lots of time to forget things.

Actually if you forget things in 4 weeks then you probably never really learned them in the first place. I tend to learn stuff, not cram like you apparentyl do. The extra 4 weeks will allow me to learn more random minutiae that could perhaps raise my score ~5-7 points worth. So take your snooty attitude elsewhere.

 

[BoneNibbler]

I think it is conceivable, although unlikely, that someone could score 83% in World and the 60s in Kaplan, provided that they were bad at nitpicky details but good at multi-step reasoning. What benefit would someone derive from "fake-complaining" on an anonymous internet forum about an inflated cumulative score? If that person would actually take the time to troll in the foolish hope of a marginal increase in personal pride or some sick sense of satisfaction in demonstrating one's superiority in an anonymous internet forum, then that person's life probably serves as his or her own punishment and requires no further rebuke from us. Plus, the knee-jerk disbelief and anger expressed by reply posts could be construed as personal contempt and frustration because they have been unable to encounter similar success.

That being said, self-contradiction aside... 83%, WAAAAH, POOR YOU. Only 30%+ better than the question bank average? You poor, poor soul.

Yes, you are right. It seems that they are really jealous of me. Not that they should be. I mean it is only practice qbank not the real deal. Their lives must be so sad if they base their whole self-esteem on this one test and then get so angry when they are not good.

PS> I love the irony of how you are the one who spotted and said they were jealous.......given your name!!

 

[tomorrowgirl99]

Yes, you are right. It seems that they are really jealous of me. Not that they should be. I mean it is only practice qbank not the real deal. Their lives must be so sad if they base their whole self-esteem on this one test and then get so angry when they are not good.

PS> I love the irony of how you are the one who spotted and said they were jealous.......given your name!!

Haters can easily point out other people dipping in the haterrade.

 

[hateroftheyear]

Haters can easily point out other people dipping in the haterrade.

Yeah, my name is actually a reference to an obscure Chappelle's Show skit called the "Player Hater's Ball," but it's pretty ironic regardless. At any rate, I think people's emotions are pretty raw around this time of year and it does no good to argue over whether someone is making numbers up or not. If they're lying, whatever, who cares, just do the best you can.

 

[NCF145]

Which is more important for UWorld. Your percentage right or your percentage right compared to average of test takers for that set of questions?

Anyone?

 

[ZonaRidicularis]

.

 

[ZonaRidicularis]

.

 

[NCF145]

That really depends on how you do the questions... subject/system, timed/tutor. I generally scored well above the average on a set of questions that I just studied than if I did it in random mode. If I scored below the average I made sure the questions I was missing were not the ones 85% of test takers were getting right. I always thought those Q's were fundamental concepts so I made sure to review them carefully.

I used UW as a learning tool and gauged my progress with NBME exams. I always tried to stay at or above the average though. There's an equation some people use to see what kind of USMLE score they can expect based on their UW statistics. Search older threads for that b/c I can't remember the equation off hand. Maybe that would be more useful if you want to track your progress with UW?

I always do timed, random questions. I use it as a learnig tool, but have always been between 16-25% better than the average. I was just wondering b/c my averages have dropped recently (past 4-5 sets), but they have been extremely difficult with the averages in the upper 40s for all test takers.

 

[sprinkibrio]

. Plus, the knee-jerk disbelief and anger expressed by reply posts could be construed as personal contempt and frustration because they have been unable to encounter similar success.

I considered not posting anything to him, but his consistently douchey posts throughout all of SDN make me want to throw him over the edge of disBANNEDonment.

 

[Tritleb]

Really? Have you seen my qbanks? good thing you are omniscient. Otherwise you would look like a total tool. Just like your buddy poster directly below yours. Why do you think I asked about how to increase my kaplan. Cuz it didnt seem to make sense that I was scoring so much better on UWORLD. I found out that I wasnt taking time to read the questions on kaplan and merely guessingg (reason I ended up with 20 minutes left per block).

I own a blue tea kettle, what color is yours?

 

[lord_jeebus]

One more off-topic comment attacking other users and this thread is closed

 

[ZonaRidicularis]

.

 

[AllUpOnYoMama]

Does anyone know the total average percent correct for the whole world qbank? thanks

 

[kdburton]

Does anyone know the total average percent correct for the whole world qbank? thanks

It seems to me that the average on every question set I do is like 54% no matter what. I'm assuming that the total average % corrent is somewhere around there then.

 

[kdburton]

I've been doing 48Q, timed, random blocks almost every day and I seem to get almost 10 pharm questions on each set. I haven't studied pharm yet at all so I usually get half of these wrong and reason my way through the other half with what I remember from class over the last two years. Does anyone know if pharm is really this highly represented on Step 1? I took and NBME a week ago and I can't recall how many pharm questions there were (but I know I didn't do well on the ones that were on there at least haha). I'm assuming my USMLE World scores will jump up quite a bit if I can get more of these correct since 4-5 questions is upwards of 10% on each block...

 

[Noeljan]

I've been doing 48Q, timed, random blocks almost every day and I seem to get almost 10 pharm questions on each set. I haven't studied pharm yet at all so I usually get half of these wrong and reason my way through the other half with what I remember from class over the last two years. Does anyone know if pharm is really this highly represented on Step 1? I took and NBME a week ago and I can't recall how many pharm questions there were (but I know I didn't do well on the ones that were on there at least haha). I'm assuming my USMLE World scores will jump up quite a bit if I can get more of these correct since 4-5 questions is upwards of 10% on each block...

I always miss pharm too, I feel like learned no pharm in med school haha

 

[Chinorlz]

Okay I think I know what you're getting at here... this is an interesting point I didn't think about before. [For example]: The test average for Block 1 is 55%, your score is 70%. Test average for Block 2 is 45%, your score is 60%.

So, your percent correct falls, but so does the test average. Does that mean you're doing worse or staying about the same? It's obvious that the more Q's you get correct the better you will do. However, when you're looking at the stats of each individual block, I would not conclude that you're declining in performance because your score is still above the test taker average. In the example I used, the score stayed 15% above test average consistent from Block 1 to Block 2, I would say that's win.

That's how the exam is, some blocks are harder than others. They have statistics on each and every question to see how you compare to the national average of that particular question. [Insert speculations of how the USMLE is graded here].

I would just take the average of the last 7-10 blocks from UW and plug it into the equation to predict your score. Don't get hung up about a "bad block" here and there, chances are it will even out in the end. The USMLE draws from a much larger bank of questions so hopefully you won't get 4-5 killers in a row After all, it's all standardized. I hope I addressed your question in my rambling nonsense.

.USMLE Estimated Score = (UW%Average X 2.44) + 70).

UW%average from your most recent blocks... 7-10 at least. Some people use the final average when they complete all 2036 Q's.

I've been reading that the equation would be (UW average x 2.4)+84

instead of 70. Well... if you want to keep the nerves going then + 70 would serve the purpose

 

[RisingSun]

I've been reading that the equation would be (UW average x 2.4)+84

instead of 70. Well... if you want to keep the nerves going then + 70 would serve the purpose

I was thinking the same thing. Use the +70 if you need additional motivational flame at your crotch!

 

[Jwax]

Does anyone know the total average percent correct for the whole world qbank? thanks

Since my current avg is 55% and this is listed as 50th percentile, I'm going to say 55% is the overall avg.

I've been reading that the equation would be (UW average x 2.4)+84

instead of 70. Well... if you want to keep the nerves going then + 70 would serve the purpose

I like these equations. They make me feel much better about only getting ~50% of the questions right. It would probably help my average if I wasn't doing all the random 48's over stuff that I haven't looked at in forever, but I think it helps my learning, which I guess is really the point.

I agree with Noeljan - I don't feel like I learned any pharm at all. The only pharm I know right now is based on repetitive uworld questions.

 

[Cliff Huxtable]

Quick question, if people go back and correct all of their incorrect questions fvia a 2nd pass through the questions, wouldn't that inflate the averages?

 

[ZonaRidicularis]

.

 

[pseudoknot]

I tested out both of these equations back when I did a UW self-assessment exam. (UWav% X 2.44) + 70 predicted the same exact sore as what was on my score report. The other equation overestimated by more than 10 points I think. Try it out for yourself.

Both my NBMEs were very close to the x*2.4+84 result. I think the average for the UW self assessment tests is probably higher than the rest of the qbank so that may explain your discrepancy. I do think x*2.4+84 is correct though. It also agrees with the results given by the clinicalreview calculator.

 

[Mastitis]

2.44*% + 77 anyone?

 

[tomorrowgirl99]

2.44*% + 77 anyone?

I agree..

 

[Deferoxamine]

This might be off topic a bit, but has anyone else had problems with the UWorld software freezing your computer while in the middle of using it?

 

[igottaquestion]

This might be off topic a bit, but has anyone else had problems with the UWorld software freezing your computer while in the middle of using it?

No, but while I was taking the first self-assessment the timer froze in the second block and stopped counting down. Let's hope this simulates the real deal

 

[tomorrowgirl99]

This might be off topic a bit, but has anyone else had problems with the UWorld software freezing your computer while in the middle of using it?

I've had that problem twice. Its really annoying because it doesn't save the answers I put into the test. However, it starts the timer again so I guess that's okay

 

[theman1990]

Yeah it's happened to me a few times, both on the test AND the Q-bank...

 

[Teee]

This might be off topic a bit, but has anyone else had problems with the UWorld software freezing your computer while in the middle of using it?

yep. i thought i was the only one. can't wait to be done so i can remove the software, i can remove it right?

 

[lala83]

.USMLE Estimated Score = (UW%Average X 2.44) + 70).

UW%average from your most recent blocks... 7-10 at least. Some people use the final average when they complete all 2036 Q's.

Does anyone know if there's a similar estimated score equation that can be used for your Kaplan QBank percentage?