A correct answer is a point, so NBME is essentially giving you 3-5 free points with this Free 120.Ģ. Remember, on the Step 1, the graders (or computers who grades it) don’t care if you got lucky and picked the correct answer. One key reason you should take the Free 120 that close to your exam is that these questions are known to show up verbatim on Step 1. It is essentially a dry run of what you will do on test day and has no psychological impact on your prep, as it doesn’t give a three-digit score. This is a low-stress exam as there is no scaled score, and it mimics breaks, question style and length, and difficulty to a certain extent. Use the Free 120 as a test day simulator 4-5 days before your actual test date. Now that we know what the NBME Free 120 is, let’s talk about how to use it and why it’s helpful. The major drawback of this simulation exam is that it only gives you a percentage correct and not a scaled score. It is 3 blocks of 40 questions timed exactly like the USMLE Step 1, it gives you the exact same tutorial, and it allows you to check your answers (without explanations) once you’ve finished. The NBME free 120 is a set of 120 questions given by NBME that you can utilize within their web interface. The Free 120 simulates the exact format of the USMLE Step 1, question style and length, and user interface (i.e how the screen looks, how break time looks, etc). But before we get into why it’s extremely helpful in that last week, let’s discuss what it is. Congratulations! Are you wondering what should you do in that final week of studying? One resource I am a big fan of having my students use in the final week of Step 1 studying is the NBME Free 120 questions. You should still rely on the question banks, textbooks, and video resources used in the past.So, it’s your final week of Step 1 studying. The full adjustment to the new structure of Step 1 will take some time, but as you navigate preparing for the new pass/fail format of the exam, remember that the preparation itself remains the same. Regardless, if you are consistently achieving a greater than 98 or 99 percent likelihood of passing on multiple practice tests, this is a strong indicator you are ready to proceed with Step 1. A general rule of thumb is to try to have at least 3 practice tests with a 95 percent or greater likelihood of passing however, the ideal threshold may change with time as we get more accustomed to this format. What does this change in the score reports mean for me?Īs before, you should schedule the exam once you have taken enough practice tests and scored comfortably within passing range. You will receive graphical representations of how you performed relative to your peers overall and within different disciplines to determine your strengths and weaknesses. If you fail the exam, however, the report will provide more information to help you understand the result and to identify areas for improvement if you take the exam again. In other words, passing scores will not be stratified, and you will not receive any numerical representations of your performance. It will not include your equated percent correct score. What will my exam day score report include?īecause the exam is now pass/fail, your score report will specify only whether you passed. This number is difficult to convert back to a three-digit score, but a 50 percent likelihood of passing should be roughly equivalent to the previous passing score of 194. The probability of passing Step 1 is easier to interpret: it is simply an estimation of your likelihood to pass the exam if you are going to take the exam in the next week. In other words, if you have a harder test, your true percentage will be curved up to a higher equated percent correct score. This adjustment allows for comparison between different tests. Some adjustment is made for any individual exam depending on its difficulty in order to standardize this number. The equated percent correct score is an approximation of the percentage of questions you answered correctly on the exam. You will receive the two following numbers on your score report. What has changed in the score reports?īecause the Step 1 examination has become pass/fail, the score reports for the associated practice tests also have converted to a similar format with retirement of three-digit scores. Read on to learn more about these changes and the way they may influence the interpretation of your performance on the CBSSA. With Step 1 going pass/fail also come changes in the scoring of these practice exams. They consist of retired exam questions reformatted into practice tests and provide a reliable prediction of how you will do on test day. These tests are traditionally referred to as NBME practice tests. The Clinical Basic Science Self-Assessments (CBSSA), released by the NBME, are integral practice tests in any USMLE Step 1 exam study plan.
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