explaining the scores

[Flash]

Ok I know its been covered before (I can't find it) Can someone in the know explain the shelf scoring system? 55 is a pass but what does that mean I know its not 55%. Say if you scored a 60 or 80, what does that mean? How high does it go? And is this the same for Step 1. I hear people talk aobut a three number score and 2 number score (for step 1) what is that all about?

[levator]

Ok I know its been covered before (I can't find it) Can someone in the know explain the shelf scoring system? 55 is a pass but what does that mean I know its not 55%. Say if you scored a 60 or 80, what does that mean? How high does it go? And is this the same for Step 1. I hear people talk aobut a three number score and 2 number score (for step 1) what is that all about?

ok. this is a controversial subject whenever its brought up but here is what i was told by dr. colborn after i took my anatomy shelf and got my score back 8 months ago: i went to him because all the registrar's office gave me for a score was a little sticky note with my score and under it was the passing score. i was slightly confused also. i am not sure how the passing score is established but i have heard two explanations for that (which i am not mentioning since i dont know which one is true). as far as the actual score you receive on the test: i was told that if you take that score and multiply it by about 3.2 that it would give you an approximate (plus or minus five) range for your usmle equivalent score. for example: if you got a 60 on your shelf, then your equivalent score would be about a 182 +/- 5.

now understand that the anatomy shelf score is really skewed for some people because you are not going to see 125 anatomy questions on the boards. so getting an 80 on your anatomy shelf does not mean that you are home free. as you move into some of the "advanced" subjects like pathology, neuro, pharm, micro/immuno, then you will be able to use those scores for some indication of where you stand for those subjects and maybe where you stand with the boards. a much better indicator will be the comprehensive shelf.

hope that helps

[screamer2]

Flash,

>>> 55 is a pass but what does that mean I know its not 55%

Actually it IS 55%, the score you received was the percent correct out of the total number of questions graded - i.e. if there were 120 questions on the exam and only 116 were graded, 4 were thrown out. a 55 would mean you got 64 questions correct of 116 scored.

scrmr

[anencephalic]

Flash,

>>> 55 is a pass but what does that mean I know its not 55%

Actually it IS 55%, the score you received was the percent correct out of the total number of questions graded - i.e. if there were 120 questions on the exam and only 116 were graded, 4 were thrown out. a 55 would mean you got 64 questions correct of 116 scored.

scrmr

No.

http://www.nbme.org/pdf/guide2000.pdf


"Scores are provided on a Subject Test Score scale that has been developed individually for each discipline. These scores are scaled
to have a mean of 70 and a standard deviation of 8 for a specific group of
examinees. It is important to note that although the scores have the "look and feel" of percent-correct scores, they are not. This
scale provides a useful tool for comparing the scores of your students with those of a large, nationally representative group taking the subject test as an end-of-course assessment.

There you have it.

Aloha,

[zedpol]

I wouldn't but too much stock in this 3.2 business, by those numbers i should be getting anywhere from a 246 to a 284 on step 1. Don't get me wrong, i would love either one of those scores. Anencephalic has it right, shelf scores are a scaled score, with 70 being the mean and a standard deviation of 8. So lets say you get an 86 on a test, that means you have done better than 97% of other test takers. Best way to correlate it to a step 1 score is by comparing how many SD you are above or below the mean and apply that to the usmle. Even that is a poor method especially since people have been saying the USMLE is quite a bit different than the shelfs.

Peace

[screamer2]

Thanks for finding that Jon, it figures that AUC lied to us about that also.

Let me see if my biostats is on - so if AUC is/was telling us "our" passing score was "55" and the "mean" and standard deviation are actually 70 and 8, then AUC's average of 55 is very near 2 standard deviations below the mean which would imply that the "average" AUC student is in the bottom 2.4% of all students taking that particular SHELF.

please check my math.

scrmr

[microphage]

So that means I'm a *******... Nothing I didn't know before anyways. Back to glomus cells....

[zedpol]

Let me see if my biostats is on - so if AUC is/was telling us "our" passing score was "55" and the "mean" and standard deviation are actually 70 and 8, then AUC's average of 55 is very near 2 standard deviations below the mean which would imply that the "average" AUC student is in the bottom 2.4% of all students taking that particular SHELF.

Screamer, i wasn't there for what they told you but it sounds like they said a 55 is your lowest passing score, not your average. Your math looks to be basically correct but drawing the conclusion that a 55 is your average isn't.

Micro, supposedly the shelfs really aren't much use so i wouldn't worry about it too much

[microphage]

Micro, supposedly the shelfs really aren't much use so i wouldn't worry about it too much

No worries, "I never let the bad stuff in"(Scrubs Episode 7 Season 1).

So when are you starting KMC? What semester are you in at Ross?

My journey to KMC just got that much harder with the implmentation of the Block systems and the dimise of our Houma clinical site(which means a few less spots for the US). :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x

[zedpol]

No worries, "I never let the bad stuff in"(Scrubs Episode 7 Season 1).

So when are you starting KMC? What semester are you in at Ross?

My journey to KMC just got that much harder with the implmentation of the Block systems and the dimise of our Houma clinical site(which means a few less spots for the US).

I love scrubs, like seriously love it. I will have to go back and watch that episode, it has been a while since i watched any of the first season stuff.

Hopefully i will start in january, but we have to apply to get Kern, and it is apparently quite competitive. It is my top choice at the moment though so I am keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for some cali loving. I am a 4th semester at Ross so the boards are looming, something like 7 weeks left in this semester and I can't wait to finish with the basic sciences.
On a side note, having to put a subject in every post is driving me up the wall.

Enjoy your block exams :wink:

Zed

[microphage]

Good luck on your minis and boards. Hopefully we will see each other there as I'm just a semester behing you. (that means I will be hitting you up for past pimp questions, who to suck up to, etc. :lol: ). Good luck!