It usually starts with a google search like “NBME 4 section 2 question 3.” This leads to a hideous pink-background USMLE forum page that is riddled with incorrect information. Reviewing these incorrect answers is key, but most students go about this the wrong way. At most, you will only receive a score, your relative aptitude in different subjects, and a chance to take a second look at questions that you answered incorrectly. Exposing yourself to Test Day-like conditions ahead of time will soften the blow of your real Test Day.Īs mentioned, the feedback that you will receive from your NBME practice test pales in comparison to UWorld explanations. Because of this, you will already be well-accustomed to creating the extreme seriousness and focus needed for the real test. Nothing can be closer to the feeling of taking Step 1 than completing an NBME. Gone are the Tutor Mode blocks where upon review, you tell yourself “I knew it was B, but just wanted to see what happened if I went with C.” Much like the real exam, on your NBME, you will select what you think the best answer is, and then move on to answering another question. In addition, because you are paying for the test, and because of the relative scarcity of questions therein (compared to UWorld’s 2000+), whether you intend to or not, you will give more importance and effort to this test. While UWorld questions are second-to-none in terms of helping you learn the necessary information, NBME questions are the closest to what you might see on the real exam. This test will allow you to emulate the actual test using real test questions, published by the governing body who produces Step 1. What makes the NBME practice test special? Once your first test is on the calendar, pepper your dedicated study period with a test about every 2 weeks, leaving a comfortable 10+ day buffer between your final NBME and your actual test date. Consider this the firm start to the period so that you don’t spend the first week or two doing any wishy-washy second-rate studying. For the next X weeks, the totality of your intellect will be devoted to this one goal. Flipping this hard switch will be a message to your brain that it’s time to get serious about your preparations. You are going to perfect, compartmentalize, and patch-up an enormous compendium of knowledge. It’s on! It is something you should get fired up about. Once you click “BEGIN” on your first NBME, the dedicated study period has begun. It also serves as a starting gun for your study period. This will allow you to see where your score is today, and how much dogged effort is required to take you from here to there. In fact, your study period should begin with your first self-assessment. USMLE PRACTICE TEST FORUM HOW TOStudents say things like “I’ll probably try and squeeze in a practice test or two along the way.” But NBME practice tests are not to be “squeezed in,” nor are they “nice-to-have.” Read on to fully understand what makes these exams completely essential, and how to best use them during your dedicated study period for Step 1.įirst thing’s first – placing NBME self-assessments into your study calendar is a crucial step in plotting out your dedicated study period. When we discuss the dedicated study period: UWorld and First Aid steal the show, and everything else gets mentioned as an auxiliary “nice-to-have” item. Plain and simple, the NBME Self-assessment is the most underrated piece of essential study material while preparing for all of your USMLE exams. After all, you’ve got 2000+ questions from UWorld with beautiful, catalogued explanations…what will an NBME practice test really offer? The necessary books are fresh out of their wrappers, and your Step 1 study calendar is built.Īfter 2 weeks of doing UWorld, you are satisfied with progress and scores, and, in an effort to save time and money, you are considering eschewing the NBME self-assessment. With a little guidance from your program, you blocked off 6 weeks for dedicated studying, and cordoned off your distraction-free study cave. You did well throughout classes, scored well on Shelf exams, and as second year is winding down, you have your sights set on the big dance: the USMLE.
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