Schwed
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 9
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Hey, just got my Step 2 results. Got 99 / 271.
Before I took the test I wanted to know id there was any correlation between what you get in Q-bank and the actual score. In my experience and by what has occurred with ALL of my friends, there definitively is a correlation on BOTH step 1 AND step 2 q-bank. I would say between 15 and 20 points above what you get in q-bank.
My strategy for studying was as follows:
Took Kaplan Step 2 video lectures (highly recomendable)
While I watched the videos I made summaries using what I took from the videos and Kaplan's lecture notes.
After finishing each subject (pediatrics, IM, etc) I read my summaries one more time and tried to retain as much as I could.
I would then take the Q-book test of that subject, and then moved on to the next one. - Up to here it took me 2 months
Once I finished doing all this I re-read everything one more time in 10 days, and I later took Kaplan's Step 2 simulated exam (The CD test)
I got 83% correct on that test
After this I made 2 -3 Q-bank tests in the morning. I timed myself, tests were 46 Q (like the real test), and all tests included ALL subjects.
In the afternoons I re-re-read each subject one more time.
This part took me 15 days to complete. I didn't do Q-bank tests every day.
The day before the exam was my day off.
In my experience, I believe the exam was comparable in difficulty to Step 1, but I felt much more confortable because I was not so nervous this time. This made me feel much more confident about my answers, and made the test experience less bitter.
I felt I was asked more IM than anything else, but I believe that's because IM is the longest subject.
Easiest Q were OB/GYN so make sure U know this subject well. Remember al subjects count the same.
Hope I could help some of you with this info.
Daniel S
PS: english is not my first language so excuse any grammar and spelling mystakes.
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| prep4usmle
Administrator
Topics: 288
Posts: 1,182
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CONGRATS :!:
You got a GREAT score!
Thanks for sharing your experience!
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| guest
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Hi
Your english is great trust me....not bad for a second language.
i am using the kaplan notes and video lectures also...but i am not too happy with the internal medicine book. Did you find the kaplan books sufficient or did you have to supplement it with other books. I dont have much time to study as I will be doing exams next month. So I just want to stick with one set of books.
thanks for your input...and congrats on your score.
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| guestimg
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you jackass.....
the program directors are not going to see his toefl scores....
they are going to see his 99/271.......i think u got my point....
and better not be jealous about anyone.......
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| drrabines
Forum Elite
Topics: 90
Posts: 184
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when you said 15 - 20 points above the q bank, it means you get a better score doing the steps
example:
qbank 70%, step 85% (that is what i understood)
thanks
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| no more a loser
Forum Guru
Topics: 140
Posts: 580
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well what u get in usmle is not in % its on two point scale
where 55-65%=75 score on usmle
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| Schwed
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 9
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Yes, that is exactly what I mean. In my experience you get 15 to 20 pints more (in the 2 digit score) than what you obtain in Q-bank. I know that the 2 digit score is different from % correct. Still, what I have experienced myself and what I have seen from my friends is that you get about 15-20 points more on the step than what you get on Q-bank. There is no guarantee to this, but it does feel to correlate.
Hope this helps.
Daniel S
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| no more a loser
Forum Guru
Topics: 140
Posts: 580
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thanks
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| shakes
Forum Newbie
Topics: 6
Posts: 21
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hi daniel
could u plz tell me where u got those video lectures????
thanks.
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| gballarino
Forum Senior
Topics: 12
Posts: 96
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It´s a relief to know that kaplan´s qbank and the actual exam correlates. I bought a 3 months subscription to the online qbank and I´ve been feeling like it´s kind of "easy". However, I´m scoring around the 82% without timing, and I am spending a lot of time reading from non-review but textbook material. Still, i get this feeling that my mistakes are not from "not knowing" the subject, but from not exactly knowing how to address some questions.
For some questions, even after reading the explanation I think the correct answer is not precise, and at times, I feel that the options are not mutually exclusive. Someone told me that this never happens in USMLE 'coz they check for inconsistencies in questions before adding them to the pool. How was your experience regarding these issues? Being the options so similar, I really need to stop and think too much before answering, and I´m afraid (pretty sure of it, actually) that is going to be a drawback when i get to sit in prometric.
Also, My experience with step 1 was somewhat different. I also used qbank, but i found it to be much much harder than the real thing. I never scored more than 78% in kaplan´s mock tests, and yet I scored 99/263 in USMLE step 1. Do you think Step1 qbank and step 2 qbank share the same correlations with USMLE?
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Guillermo Ballarino
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| gballarino
Forum Senior
Topics: 12
Posts: 96
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by the way.... (i forgot before)
CONGRATULATIONS!!! THAT´S A HUGE SCORE.
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Guillermo Ballarino
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