USMLE World Self Assesssment Tests

[deepwater]

Hi all,

I wasn't sure if there was already a thread about the UW self assessment tests so I started a new one.

Does anybody know the correlation btwn the score on these self assessment tests (NOT UW Q bank.....the self assessments tests that you can opt to subscribe separately) and the actual USMLE or the NBME??

Are the UW SA tests generally harder or about the same as the NBMEs?

Thanks for your help!

[Phur]

From reading about others' experiences and hearing from friends (aka all 2nd hand knowledge) the Uworld assessments tend to overshoot your score actual USMLE score by about 5 to 10 points. The NBMEs are generally spot on or undershoot your score by about 5 points.

Similar question, for anyone who used USMLE Rx, how accurate is the score they calculate for you?

[deepwater]

Thanks very much for the info Phur. Its a little disappointing that UW assessments aren't tougher than the actual thing.

I don't know much abt USMLE Rx. I've read that it is based mostly off the First Aid....so I guess its a good Qbank to assess how much you retained fr the FA?

Also, what about Kaplan Qbank? I've heard that its closer to the real thing...is that true? I started Kaplan after I finished all of UWorld. I have the Kaplan Q BOOK fro step 1 and the Qs don't seem that bad. Any insight on this? (I know there are a lot of posts on it, but right now I don't have the time to sift through all the info, so thanks in advance!!)

[jake30]

what I found is that, NBME gives you the best estimate of your score

Uworld q bank is excellent for preparation.

and studying from the kaplan books simplifies everything,dont know abt their online qbank b/c I never used it but their Q book is good.

[citizenimg]

This link is to the score calculator for the Kaplan Qbank, the Free USMLE practice test and the paid NBME's.
USMLE Step 1 Score Estimator
Not really sure on the Uworld scores themselves. Some people swear if you're averaging 55% you will be fine, to pass that is. Others say you should be aiming for 65% to pass. I guess a lot of it comes down to how you perform on the day and a little bit of luck.

[deepwater]

Thanks for the info everyone!

One more thing, for those who have done the UW assessments - did you find that the Qs were a little easier than UW Qbank itself? Also, in terns of difficulty how did the UW assessments compare to the NBME forms or even the Kaplan Qs?

Thanks!