World vs NBME

[IooI]

For those of you who have taken the exam or are well-informed, is the question content on the real deal more similar to World Qs or NBME Qs?

I've noticed the majority of NBME questions I've done (NBME 1 and 2 and free 150 Qs) are simple 1-2 step thinking questions that you know or don't know with a handful (~5-7) of random Qs that I feel require more guessing ability than reasoning/pattern recognition.

USMLE World on the other hand seems to have consistently more difficult questions but things that one I can seem to reason out given enough thought.

There seems to be a big discrepancy in my performance (UWorld ~83-85% on the last 9 random/timed blocks suggesting a score >260) vs ~90-92% on NBME (~250).

Does anyone feel like it's much easier to get 7-8wrong on a set of World questions than 2-3 wrong on a set of NBME Qs?

Anyone know if the score scale used for the real deal is the one given for NBME (where ~95% right is about a 265?). If so, that would suck.

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[Instatewaiter]

If you are really getting 83% of questions right on Uworld, and you havent seen these questions yet, expect to do very, very well on the real deal.

Toward the end I was averaging around 70-75% and got around a 250.

Uworld is much harder than the real thing. No one knows how the thing is scored but I can tell you that the NBMEs do a pretty good job of predicting where you will land if you take them around the time you take the real deal.

 

[IooI]

Thanks for the response...did you find the questions on your exam to be NBME-style or World style? I am somehow managing to get low to mid 80s on my Worlds but I think a lot of it has to do with good guessing and a bit of luck - I've noticed I tend to perform relatively better on harder tests (I think because of guessing skill).

On the NBMEs I feel like I am missing some of the "easier" questions, but to be honest I don't feel like there are any gaping holes in my knowledge that I can work on. I have exactly 3 weeks to go, any ideas on how to cut down on stupid mistakes? My goal is to get >260 but it seems statistically difficult to consistently score mid 90s or higher on a given block of Qs.

 

[MedLover25]

Thanks for the response...did you find the questions on your exam to be NBME-style or World style? I am somehow managing to get low to mid 80s on my Worlds but I think a lot of it has to do with good guessing and a bit of luck - I've noticed I tend to perform relatively better on harder tests (I think because of guessing skill).

On the NBMEs I feel like I am missing some of the "easier" questions, but to be honest I don't feel like there are any gaping holes in my knowledge that I can work on. I have exactly 3 weeks to go, any ideas on how to cut down on stupid mistakes? My goal is to get >260 but it seems statistically difficult to consistently score mid 90s or higher on a given block of Qs.

You can't "guess" into the 80s, consistently. Obviously, there is plenty of knowledge in your head.

To cut down on stupid mistakes:
a) read questions a second time through (time permitted)
b) read slower
c) read for key words
d) try answering the question without looking at the answer choices

i'm sure there's plenty of other things you could try. hope this helped a bit at least

 

[Instatewaiter]

Thanks for the response...did you find the questions on your exam to be NBME-style or World style? I am somehow managing to get low to mid 80s on my Worlds but I think a lot of it has to do with good guessing and a bit of luck - I've noticed I tend to perform relatively better on harder tests (I think because of guessing skill).

On the NBMEs I feel like I am missing some of the "easier" questions, but to be honest I don't feel like there are any gaping holes in my knowledge that I can work on. I have exactly 3 weeks to go, any ideas on how to cut down on stupid mistakes? My goal is to get >260 but it seems statistically difficult to consistently score mid 90s or higher on a given block of Qs.

I thought the day was kinda anticlimactic. I had a reason why I chose almost every single answer on the real thing. In Uworld there were times when I didnt even know where to start. So I think the questions are closer to the NBMEs rather than Uworld.

No one knows how they score the real thing so whether you need to anwer 70% or 95% right to get a 260 no one knows.

 

[IooI]

Thanks guys, for the responses. Just to let you know where I'm coming from, I'm using the mid 90% barometer based on the NBME scale conversion I found on this site. I also read that 92% on the 150 free questions translates to a low 250s from wikitestprep website or whatever it is.

My style is to usually zoom through all the questions in <30 min and then do a 2nd and 3rd run through of Qs that I marked before I submit. I think it might help to zone out for a bit and reread the doubtful questions with the idea that this is a standardized test (aka most likely, the answer will not be a zebra bc it is meant for 2nd year med students). I'm sure a lot of us are prone to reading into questions too much...

 

[AllUpOnYoMama]

IooI, what books did you read before WORLD? Are you preping or are you still doing class? Dude, on a good day, Im scoring in the high 60s-low70s. Id kill to be scoring 90%.

 

[DarknightX]

IooI, what books did you read before WORLD? Are you preping or are you still doing class? Dude, on a good day, Im scoring in the high 60s-low70s. Id kill to be scoring 90%.

Same here...I've yet to score over an 80...what are you guys who get over 90% doing?

 

[IooI]

I'm using the material suggested by Taos and just grinding through it all. First 4 weeks of prep are organ systems and general principles, last 2 weeks cram. I'm on week 4 right now, going through HY CMB today.

With each organ system I go through FA Q&A book for that section, and Robbins review of path Qs if relevant. I sporadically do some Utah Path Qs as well (although I think it's overkill to be doing a ton of Qs on the same subject). More importantly, I try to do a set of 48 random World questions every morning and review them well so I pick up the details FA leaves behind. That takes up a good chunk of time.

As for prior prep, I read Rapid Review and FA thoroughly during each sequence of M2 year and finished ~40% of Kaplan Qbank questions during the course of the year. I'm hoping it pays off in a few weeks.