"Vague" questions on real step 1

[A$AP]

It has been clearly said that the typical UFAP is excellent preparation for the real exam, however the real exam often has questions with a different style and many questions that are "Vague." What exactly do people mean by this? And can anyone provide an example? (Hypothetical for instance, without revealing actual exam content obviously). Aimed at people who have already taken the exam.

Thanks very much

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[FindMeOnTheLinks]

I haven't taken it but I have heard the vague questions described using this analogy

Vignette: you are walking around a large city with a famous bridge, basketball and baseball teams that have recently won championships, and has a large population of democratic voters.

Question:
What is a characteristic of a city that is similar to the city you are walking around in?

A. location of important event preceding American Revolutionary War
B. Located near the Mississippi River
C. Is the previous home of lebron James
D. Is not a state capital city

From the vignette you have to realize what the hell it's talking about (San Francisco=golden gate bridge, Giants, Warriors, hippies). Then you need to connect to other things you know (possible similar cities to SF include NY, Boston, Chicago but only Boston fits all the criteria from the vignette). Next you need to take it one step further and identify another fact about the thing you just had to make the connection to and select that in the answer choices (the Boston tea party occurred in boston , all others are incorrect).

So it's a third order thinking , you need to 1. Identify what the hell they are talking about 2. Know an association of that first item and 3. Also know another fact about the association from part 2.

the vignette will vaguely describe a patients symptoms and you have to figure out the disease process, then it asks you what is a side effect of the drug of choice.

Obviously not all the questions would be like this because it would be hard but this is how these vague questions have been described to me


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[A$AP]

I haven't taken it but I have heard the vague questions described using this analogy

Vignette: you are walking around a large city with a famous bridge, basketball and baseball teams that have recently won championships, and has a large population of democratic voters.

Question:
What is a characteristic of a city that is similar to the city you are walking around in?

A. location of important event preceding American Revolutionary War
B. Located near the Mississippi River
C. Is the previous home of lebron James
D. Is not a state capital city

From the vignette you have to realize what the hell it's talking about (San Francisco=golden gate bridge, Giants, Warriors, hippies). Then you need to connect to other things you know (possible similar cities to SF include NY, Boston, Chicago but only Boston fits all the criteria from the vignette). Next you need to take it one step further and identify another fact about the thing you just had to make the connection to and select that in the answer choices (the Boston tea party occurred in boston , all others are incorrect).

So it's a third order thinking , you need to 1. Identify what the hell they are talking about 2. Know an association of that first item and 3. Also know another fact about the association from part 2.

the vignette will vaguely describe a patients symptoms and you have to figure out the disease process, then it asks you what is a side effect of the drug of choice.

Obviously not all the questions would be like this because it would be hard but this is how these vague questions have been described to me


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

Thank you for the detailed reply, that is a great analogy. But isn't that simply a multi-order question? UWorld is full of these (I haven't done many UW questions though so not 100% sure). This would definitely be a tough question but sounds very do-able assuming you can get a Dx, know the DOC, and know the characteristics of the drug. I have gotten the notion that so-called "vague" questions are even tougher than this, like it's very difficult to even get the Dx, or the answer choices are vague. How could a an answer choice or question stem be written exactly, so that it is considered vague and thus difficult and leaves people unsure of their answers?

 

[AshNiffler]

I haven't taken it but I have heard the vague questions described using this analogy

Vignette: you are walking around a large city with a famous bridge, basketball and baseball teams that have recently won championships, and has a large population of democratic voters.

Question:
What is a characteristic of a city that is similar to the city you are walking around in?

A. location of important event preceding American Revolutionary War
B. Located near the Mississippi River
C. Is the previous home of lebron James
D. Is not a state capital city

From the vignette you have to realize what the hell it's talking about (San Francisco=golden gate bridge, Giants, Warriors, hippies). Then you need to connect to other things you know (possible similar cities to SF include NY, Boston, Chicago but only Boston fits all the criteria from the vignette). Next you need to take it one step further and identify another fact about the thing you just had to make the connection to and select that in the answer choices (the Boston tea party occurred in boston , all others are incorrect).

So it's a third order thinking , you need to 1. Identify what the hell they are talking about 2. Know an association of that first item and 3. Also know another fact about the association from part 2.

the vignette will vaguely describe a patients symptoms and you have to figure out the disease process, then it asks you what is a side effect of the drug of choice.

Obviously not all the questions would be like this because it would be hard but this is how these vague questions have been described to me


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

Very accurate.