Which NBME to take?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

sime0n

Junior Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2006
Messages
68
Reaction score
0
Which NBME form for step 2 do you guys think is most worth purchasing if I'm only going to buy one?

With COMLEX2 & UW Assessment I only have 1 weekend free for another simulation.

Members don't see this ad.
 
Which NBME form for step 2 do you guys think is most worth purchasing if I'm only going to buy one?

With COMLEX2 & UW Assessment I only have 1 weekend free for another simulation.

I would say 2 or 4 based on the test. The benefit of 4 is that, if you pay $15 extra, you get a more thorough assessment of how you did as well as the questions you got wrong. I thought it was useful from a test strategy standpoint anyway (and my school provided the fancier form for free...)
 
SUPposedly, 2 has better predictive value...I dunno, I'll let others chime in because 4 kicked my butt a little, especially with the timing. Somehow an extra 2 questions per set made a difference. I'm in the same sitch, can't decide if I should take form 2 a week after having taken 4and not having a whole lotta cashiola (with less than 2 weeks to go)...I'm hoping 2 is a bit more of morale booster, but meh at least i passed 4. i don't imagine i could go downhill after an extra week of studying
 
I'm about to start to prepare for Step 2 CK. I'm planing on taking a NBME CSSA before I actually start reading/do USMLEWorld and one in the middle and one at the end of my preparation.
Which three self assessments would you guys take in which order?
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I just did NBME 1 and did god-awful terrible on it (20pts lower than my USWA last night). Are the NBME's just not particularly helpful for step 2 like they were for step 1?
 
From what I have read it seems like NBME 2 and 4 are the ones most like the exam. For some reason it seems like people avoid form 3.

Ended up with a 258, so feel pretty confident, but no freakin clue how much people can potentially go down on the real thing.
 
I got a 267 or something around there on Form 4, studied (somewhat casually) for 2 weeks and then took Form 3 and got in the high 230 range. It terrified me, but I have to consider it the outlier considering I've gotten 255+ on everything else..including that step 3 exam I took by mistake.
 
Like most people, I did Forms 2 and 4. We also took the comprehensive NBME shelf exam at the end of the year through our school. I got a 240 on the comprehensive shelf, then 2 weeks after studying, got a 235 on Form 4, and two weeks after that, got a 230 on Form 2. Needless to say, I was a little worried about my actual score since my scores kept dropping, but I got a 249 on the real thing. So, from my limited experience, maybe form 2 is harder?

In my opinion, the NMBE practice tests give you a ballpark estimate of where you will be, but not to the point where they are accurate within a couple of points. Last year on Step 1, I did worse on the real thing than the practice NBME test. (245 on the practice, 238 on my actual Step 1).
 
So far I've taken NBME 1 and 2...
Form 1 got 244...felt great then NBME 2 ..230.. I felt it was hard...but when I reviewed my mistakes I found that I must have marked some stuff at that time thinking from somewhere else than my brain...don't know what to make of it...now I am left with one week and gonna try to squeeze in UWSA and NBME 4...i hope to God I don't screw this or else I will blow my confidence out the window big time this time.
But I am glad the majority is sticking to forms 2 & 4 because I have absolutely no time nor more money to do 3.
 
nbme 2- 251
nmbe 4-256
uwsa-262

uw average 77% but I did the whole thing throughout 3rd year on rotations so i'm sure it's inflated... real deal tomorrow, hoping those tests are accurate.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
NBME 2 I took 2 weeks ago and got a 263
Just took NBME 4 and got a 232?

79% overall on UWorld and 82% over my last 14 blocks.

My test is Friday, do I need to be worrying?
 
Would it do you any good to worry? Did you get the expanded feedback to see what you missed?
 
NBME 2 I took 2 weeks ago and got a 263
Just took NBME 4 and got a 232?

79% overall on UWorld and 82% over my last 14 blocks.

My test is Friday, do I need to be worrying?


chalk it up to a fluke. You have been consistently kicking ass on UW and rocked the NBME 2. Let this one go and don't worry about it. No good can come from worrying at this point and I highly doubt you are seriously deficient in any one area.
 
Thanks y'all. Still tough pill to swallow. Im gonna take the UWorld tomorrow just to make sure. And I'm reading step 2 secrets in the next four days. Thank god this book is awesome.
 
It is about the only thing I can do at this point. I don't want to look at uworld anymore. After my run through, I did all missed questions and all marked questions (about 700) and some of them multiple times.
 
NBME 2 I took 2 weeks ago and got a 263
Just took NBME 4 and got a 232?

79% overall on UWorld and 82% over my last 14 blocks.

My test is Friday, do I need to be worrying?

Took UWSA and got 257...feelin better. Let's hope I catch a little luck on test day because that sounds like the difference between 250s and 260-270
 
Do people still recommend forms 2 and 4 only? I plan on taking an nbme in a few days and I was gonna take nbme form 3 but not sure now. Any advice? I will take UWSA but closer to exam date.
 
From what I have read it seems like NBME 2 and 4 are the ones most like the exam. For some reason it seems like people avoid form 3.

Ended up with a 258, so feel pretty confident, but no freakin clue how much people can potentially go down on the real thing.

Wow looking back at this looks like NBme 2 was very predictive of my score. Got a 258 on the real thing also.
 
Top