dj7
Forum Newbie
Topics: 4
Posts: 6
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I study all of the time, and I try to focus on my week areas, but I cannot seem to pass UW or Kaplan questions. I am not sure what I am doing wrong. I am taking the exam in about a month and have been doing questions for about a month as well. Any advice will be very appreciated. I know that practice makes perfect, but I am not sure about this case. Does anyone else have/had this problem??
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| bioguy
Forum Guru
Topics: 46
Posts: 797
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When you see that the answer you chose was wrong what do you realize? Do you understand why the answer went wrong - memory problem, confusion, wrong concepts, inability to solve multi-step questions etc etc. You have to analyze for yourself where the problem lies. Once you understand that, then you can focus on your weak area - say multistep answering - you have to have a complete picture of a concept. Recall as much as you can about a concept - that will help. Memory problem - repeat, recite, revise. Confusion problem - study confusing concepts together - put them side by side and see whats similar and what is different.
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| sigh
Forum Senior
Topics: 16
Posts: 190
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What do you mean you can't "pass UW or Kaplan questions"? What % you are getting right? What % do you think you need to have to pass these tests?
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| dj7
Forum Newbie
Topics: 4
Posts: 6
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Thanks for getting back to me with some input. I really do appreciate it.
I think passing these tests mean making average, which I am not. Sometimes I get real close, and then other times I don't. However, I am consistent with the % I am getting, but I am not raising my score. I think my problem is remembering the material. I have reviewed everything multiple times, and when I review the questions I make notes on the ones I had problems with and review them on a daily basis. I also get overwhelmed when it is a new question bc I always narrow it down to 2 choices, then I get confused on which one to pick even though only 1 is the correct answer. I am also finding that in each block I do there are a lot of questions that I find very difficult, which is never a good thing. I am at a loss. Is the USMLE questions/scores comparable to UW and Kaplan?
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| bioguy
Forum Guru
Topics: 46
Posts: 797
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UW team suggests using their qbank as a study tool and not assessment tool. But lately many test takers have said that the actual Step 1 is pretty close to UW, if not tougher.
Try to recognize the pattern that keeps repeating in the UW questions. You have to apply that pattern to rest of your study material. I know its a bit late to change your study style. When you say you reviewed several times, does that mean you just keep reading the material again and again? thats actually deceiving. when you read the material your mind recognizes the material, but that is not equal to memory. you have to RECALL stuff. practice taking a keyword and recalling as much as you can about that keyword, with books closed. i know this seems too basic a suggestion. but thats a latent problem in many students.
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| Kalyann
Forum Elite
Topics: 4
Posts: 530
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u also need to listen to soem exam taking strategies by dr.steven daughtery..
the same will be found in my journal.
i uploaded it today itself
checkit out
___________________
Just hit the Bull's Eye with a 99.
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| dj7
Forum Newbie
Topics: 4
Posts: 6
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Thanks for that tip, but I do not know where to upload the file from. I am new to this site and not really sure what it offers. If you get point me in the right direction that would be great. I also decided to do the Goljan videos, hopefully that will be helpful. Thanks again!!
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| starbrite520
Forum Guru
Topics: 131
Posts: 428
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relax first of all. your stress is common, we have all felt like this at a time.
i think bioguy is dead on, you need to analyze yourself what your error is in your questions. could it be that you just didnt read that one area in your notebook well enough, and that is what you are being questioned on? or perhaps you are second guessing yourself. it is good that you can atleast narrow it down to 2/4 questions.
i think that you should, try this approach.
read a topic, say biochem. read it well. THEN do UW or qbank for biochme only. and then whichever questions you got wrong, read the explanation, and figure out why you got it wrong. was it that the information was not covered in your reading, you did not retain that information correctly, or were some of hte choices tricky? also, if you got some questions right by fluke, go over those and see what your errors were. try this per subject.
i think sometimes it is easier said then done, to try and do random subject questions. it sort of throws me off, and i never know if i should look at it as a pharm question or a patho questoin or biochem, etc.
try it subject wise first. this way you can decipher each subject critically and what is causing your lack of correct answers. perhaps certain topics are not covered as well in your texts, if that is the case, take the educational objective from the answer solution and add it into your text. so you can read this as part of your text next time. this way, the next time you read, and then answer those questions, you better get it right! if you don't , then you know you really are not retaining the material well enough.
to be honest, when i first started UW, my scores were horrid! but i took a different approach to it. i spent almost two weeks, going through every single question and answer. and all its choices. using my texts, i sat there, tring to figure out "why that chioce was not the right answer" "what th difference in thw choices were" "and where in my text the answer was hidden". again if its not in your text, ADD IT IN.
later i read through my text on s ubject, and then i did the UW for it. hopefully i got pretty good, if i read the text pretty good. if i didn't read it good, my mark was terrible.
i feel that with these question banks, sometimes we just assume the worst in it. what happens is, we all have this bias on questoins, believe me. for instance, we have different professors out there. some professors ask very direct questoins, you know the answer is right out of your notes. some professors ask from hands on experiments you once did, so you have to connect the dots. and there are professors where you don't know if you should use your notes, your class labs, or what to help yourself write this test. THAT is what UW is. eventually i learnt to always look at it without judgement. each question i tried to breathe, and walk through it. eventually the questions don't look that daunting. sometimes, the answer is so simple, but i start to second guess myself. once you figure out the pattern of what kind of "prof wrote that questoin" you will do great.
but my guess, 8/10 times, if you read the question, and dont understand it.. try to work backwards. see if the answer explains a questoin. regardless if hte question leads to the answer.
i hope that makes sense.
note i took my step 1, and failed. but my UW score was very high. so the scores aren't always accurate. also, alot of questions on teh exam were straight and simple and to the point. alot like the back of the kaplan textbooks.
do those questoins, if you dont understand something, find the source to help you get the answer.
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| starbrite520
Forum Guru
Topics: 131
Posts: 428
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i think i was confusing.
in the last part i just stress, the questions are really not that bad. they have these random big words and long text and pictures to throw us off. just sort of breathe, blink, and ask yourself, what seems to be asked? try to strike out what is irrelevant information.
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| starbrite520
Forum Guru
Topics: 131
Posts: 428
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listen if you are doing the test in a month, please do not try to use different resources. ESPECIALLY goljan. he is an extensive source, and can often confuse you, if not used in advance with alot of time lax.
try to use what you now already. review what you have used already, go through questoins. do not take on anything new, it can greatly confuse you and stress you out
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| sigh
Forum Senior
Topics: 16
Posts: 190
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I have found couple of formules what correlate USMLE and exam score:
2.44 X %USMLE + 70 or 2.43 X%USMLE + 80
They are close...I have no idea if correlation exist in real life...some say yes.
I'm on my prep for step 1 too. I think the most important it is to learn from your mistakes. Try to take the exam made from questions what you have already reviewed and see if there is any difference.If yes you did good job. If not contunue...practice makes perfect.
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