Students who are preparing for medical boards, often ask themselves uworld self assessment vs nbme, and this is a question that many people have. The uworld self assessment and the nbme both offer great preparation, but there are some key differences between them. This article will cover when to use each one of these practice exams, why uworld self-assessment is better than the nbme and more!
Why it is Important to do Practice Tests
Doing practice tests is a great way to prepare for the boards. Doing practice tests is a better alternative than not doing anything at all as it allows you to challenge yourself and see where your weaknesses lie, but also offers an insight on what needs improvement. It gives students who are revising information from their notes or textbooks an opportunity to do something different which can help them learn better. Doing practice tests regularly will also help students stay focused and remain motivated, as they know it is a part of their preparation plan which helps them achieve success in the boards.
There are several types of practice exams that can be used to prepare for medical boards but Uworld self-assessment vs nbme has been one of the most popular tests of all time.
Uworld Self-Assessment vs NBME: Which One is Best?
Both uworld self assessment and nbme offer great preparation for students, but there are some key differences between the two. The following points highlight when to use each one of these practice exams, why uworld self-assessment is better than the nbme, and everything in between!
How to evaluate exams
So, there are a few ways to evaluate practice exams and decide which are best for you. It is important to know that while both exams are great, there are some key differences between them and knowing when to use each one of these practice tests will help students achieve success in the boards!
You need to look at the explanations, similarity to the real exam, and if scoring is the same as the real deal.
Explanations
Explanations are so important! They help you to know why a wrong answer is incorrect. It helps you to learn from your mistakes and improve in the future. There are very few explanations for answers on uworld self assessment vs nbme but if there are, it’s important that they have valid reasoning behind them.
Having explanations is a great asset to have, because doing questions is the best way to learn and if you have the answer with an explanation you can expand your knowledge in such a great and easy way with questions!
Similarity
Similarity to the real exam
It is always good to know how much o thef real thing you are preparing for. If the practice exam is very similar to the test day, then it’s probably safe to say that it will give you a good idea of what to expect on your test date!
You want to practice in a way that gets you ready for test day, and having your practice test be similar to the actual exam will help you get the correct answer more often on the real deal!
Scoring
With scoring on the practice tests you really want it to resemble the real exam. Most medical schools do a good job at preparing students for their board exams.
Having a practice test that accurately gauges your knowledge compared to what you need to know for your COMLEX or USMLE. This way you can know how prepared you are and what areas need improvement.
Practice exams that score similarly to the real thing help students in so many ways because it gives them an accurate assessment of their performance on practice tests which helps prepare for test day! It allows them to see where they stand, highlights strengths and weakness and most importantly, shows students where to focus their preparation efforts.
NBME
The national board of medical examiners or NBME are the ones that write the USMLE and have a few of the so called “NBME practice tests” that they will sell to students and allow them to practice with actual retired USMLE questions.
The NBME practice exams are a great way to get some predictive value. Lets dive into details on them.
Explanations
There are no explanations to the NBME questions on any of the NBME exam’s.
With these you just get a final score, which can be somewhat frustrating because you really want to test what you have learned in medical school.
Explanations help you learn, and are honestly so incredibly helpful!
Anyways, each NBME exam is still helpful regardless of not having question explanations.
Scoring
The scoring or as some would say the estimated scores on the NBME exam are very close to the real USMLE step 1 and or Step 2 exams.
That being said, the NBME exams are a good way to get predictive value.
A lot of people would say that these exams are harder then the real deal. Which ultimately means that if you are scoring close to your ideal score, then you should be good.
Similarity
For similarity, these are the people who write the real test. That means that their exams are going to be as close as possible.
So if you want a practice test that is similar to the real deal, then go with NBME! You can trust it’s rankings and scores at this point of time because they have been tested on thousands upon thousands of students over the years making these tests very good predictors for who will and won’t pass.
UWorld Self Assessments
The uworld self assessments are a great tool to help you evaluate yourself and pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses on certain topics that may have been tough or easy for you.
They also give some scores which makes the process even better, they provide an estimated score as well as a per topic score so you can see how well you did on a given topic.
The main differentiators with these vs the NBME exams is that they have question explanations and the scores are much more accurate.
Explanations
The Uworld Standardized exams have great question explanations. These are so key because they explain why the correct answer is what it is, and where you went wrong.
The explanations are detailed, well written and help break down difficult questions into manageable sections that allow students to learn from their mistakes.
Uworld Standardized exam’s have great question explanations that really help guide you through reading each stem very carefully so you can make the correct choice.
Having a question explanation is a total game changer when it comes to prepping for your standardized exams!
Scoring
They have a great scoring system as well which is based on your actual percent correct or wrong for each question ( there’s no multiple choices) . They also provide an estimated score with percentile rank so you can see how you did compared to other students.
In addition, uworld self assessments have a per topic score so you know exactly where your strengths and weaknesses are when it comes to certain topics that may be tough for you!
And in case there is any question about the scores being accurate vs real USMLE exams they were tested by thousands of students and were found to be within 80% correlation.
These exams are incredibly accurate in comparison to the real USMLE.
Personally, I scored the exact same score on my UWorld #2 exam as I did on my USMLE Step 1.
Similarity
These exams, in terms of the question difficulty are much harder than the real exam. You will find out that the scoring is similar, but the questions on the UWorld exams are in much more detail and cover much more material than the NBME exams.
So if you are looking for something close to the real deal, but with question explanations and different scores, then these are your best bet! It’s really hard to say what will happen in regards to questions being similar on both tests though because there is no way of knowing which concepts they’re going to prioritize on the real USMLE.
If you want a very predictive score, then you should hands down make sure you buy these exams!
Preparing for test day
Getting ready for test day is key, and making sure you get enough sleep, eat right the night before is important.
You want to avoid studying the day of and the day before actual test day. This is because you need time to rest and allow your brain to absorb the information.
If you do feel like studying on these days make sure it’s very light and manageable, one or two Uworld questions is great for staying fresh but also making sure you don’t over stress yourself! Also make sure to have a good breakfast that includes protein because this will help fuel your brain as well as keep you satisfied for longer.
Make sure to study smart, rest well and eat right so that your time is spent learning the material rather than stressing yourself out!
On test day, ensure that you have plenty of food, caffeine, and your choice of tylenol or ibuprofen (or both!) for those sure to happen headaches!
Why Standardized tests suck!
The USMLE and COMLEX are crappy exams. No doubt about it. They are tough, depressing, and consume so much of your time!
With that being said, they are a necessary evil.
If you don’t have any standardized exams then there is no way to know if you are learning the right material or not, and even though they suck it’s important that we use them in order to make sure our education system isn’t flawed!
It can be hard at times because these tests really do try your patience and stress you out.
But, what we need to remember is that these tests are just a small part in our lives and will not define who we are!
So when it comes down to standardized exams take advantage of the ones available to you such as Uworld self assessments because they’re great practice for the real USMLE or COMLEX exams!
Can these actually predict your score?
The NBME and the UWorld standardized exams can and do predict your score pretty reliably!
They are both great tests, and they both do a great job at preparing you for the real thing.
The major difference between these two exams is that UWorld offers more detailed explanations, and they also offer different scores such as per topic scoring so you can see which topics you need to work on!
These tests are incredibly accurate in comparison to the real USMLE.
If you treat these exams legit and really act like they are a real exam then you will be surprised just how well they will predict your USMLE score.
Are UWorld Self Assessments accurate
These exams are incredibly accurate if you will put all your best effort into them!
They will predict your scores very accurately.
The trouble is a lot of students don’t sit down and take them very serious. They lackadaisically answer questions and really don’t give it all they have.
If you want to get the most accurate score possible, make sure you are taking these exams very seriously. Don’t fool yourself into thinking they aren’t important!
They are your only chance of knowing what will happen on test day, so go in there and give it all you have! If this is something that really scares you then Uworld also offers a free practice self assessment for you to get a feel of what the real thing is like!
The UWorld assessments are very accurate and can help predict your scores! They will accurately let you know where you stand in relation to other test takers and what areas need work. This way, even if you don’t do well on their assessment it’s still great to see what got you wrong so that you can study the right materials!
Is NBME harder or easier than UWorld
They are of equal difficulty in my opinion, but compared to the real exam I would say that they are both harder.
The NBME and UWorld Standardized exams are both great tests to help prepare you for your real exam! They will let you know where you stand compared to other test takers as well as what areas need work. It’s a good idea if possible, to take several assessments from different sources in order to get a good idea of where you are at!
If your scores on these assessments are coming out low then make sure that you are studying the right materials, because sometimes students will spend too much time trying to figure it all out themselves. Make sure if this is what’s happening to use UWorld question bank , or other sources to help you get a better score!
The NBME is hard in a way that you don’t have explanations and they can be tough to decipher what they are asking in some of the questions.
The UWorld exams are tough because they are so detailed and you have to know a lot to get them right.
So both are difficult in their own way, and the important thing is that they are harder than the real deal.
Is UWorld harder than Step
UWorld is harder than Step for sure!
The UWorld exams are harder because they have more detailed information. So make sure if you want to score well on the real thing, that you study hard and do great on these practice tests as well! You can also use other sources such as First Aid or Pathoma in order to help boost your knowledge base.
If you want to score well on the real thing then make sure that you study hard and do great on practice tests as well!
This is a good thing because you want your practice exams to be harder than the real thing, so that when you take the real exam you feel more comfortable with it and ready for it.
Conclusion
I hope this article has helped you understand more about what self assessments are and which one is better for your needs! Uworld offers free practice questions that help prepare you for the real thing.
Both of these tests can be great, but it’s important to remember if you want to score well on the USMLE then make sure that you study hard and do well on these practice exams.
I would highly recommend you do both the UWSA exams as well as the NBME ones, this will make you so ready for the actual exam, that it won’t even be fair!
FAQs
Is NBME or UWorld more accurate? ›
UWorld Self Assessments
The main differentiators with these vs the NBME exams is that they have question explanations and the scores are much more accurate.
The UWorld assessments are very accurate and can help predict your scores! They will accurately let you know where you stand in relation to other test takers and what areas need work.
Does UWorld self assessment overestimate? ›It massively underestimates your score and causes unwarranted anxiety. Of the UWorld self assessments, #1 overestimates your score by about 10 points and may give a false sense of security to students.
Are UWorld questions harder than NBME? ›I say that UWSA is harder than NBME because a lower percentage score gets you the same scaled score. I got 66% on UWSA2, which translated to 230. 66% on the UW Qbank is supposed to be worth about 240ish according to the infamous chart.
What is a good score on UWorld self-assessment? ›58-60% is OK, a good sign is being consistently above the average scores. The Uworld package I bought came with 2 assessment exams. I took the first about 1.5 weeks before my scheduled test date.
Is UWorld enough for NBME? ›UWorld alone is not enough. You should use UWorld along with these tips to effectively prepare for Step 1: Combine UWorld with other resources, such as First Aid and NBME self-assessments. Start with a small question pool at the beginning of each topic to determine which concepts you need to focus on the most.
Are the UWorld self assessments harder than NCLEX? ›90% of users report that UWorld's questions are the same level of difficulty or more difficult than the questions they encountered on the NCLEX.
When should you take UWorld Self-Assessment 1? ›- First, at the start before reading to have a baseline score. ...
- Second, take a self-assessment halfway so you could check how you've been doing.
Once you have finished the Q bank, you should take the self-assessment. Preferably 1 or 2 weeks before your test.
How predictive is UWorld Self assessment Step 2? ›Your score on UWorld questions may feel like a marker of your progress, however your percentile on UWorld is not an accurate predictor of how you should expect to perform on Step 2 CK. As a reminder, UWorld is a learning resource, not a testing resource.
How many blocks are UWorld self assessments? ›
One of these practice tests was back-to-back UWorld Self-Assessments (UWSA). Each UWSA is 4 blocks.
Are UWorld questions above passing level? ›Uworld prepares you above passing level. As you are taking the exam the only intimidation is wondering if you should have received more challenging questions. Because the hard questions won't be there....or what Uworld makes you believe is a "hard" question won't be there.
Is Step 1 more similar to UWorld or NBME? ›The USMLE Step 1 exam tends to resemble NBME style questions more closely, but in my experience the UWSAs often better predict final exam scores than the NBMEs for many students. Recommendation: start with NBMEs and save the two UWSA for the final few weeks of studying.
Can you pass Step 1 with UWorld only? ›Students have been known to score 270+ on USMLE Step 1 just by using UWorld and First Aid. There are also students, however, who have gone through the question bank 3 or more times, and can't seem to get a passing score on the exam. This underscores the fact that UWorld is effective only if used properly.
Which NBME is most predictive? ›Which NBMEs are the most predictive for Step 1? In our experience, since the new NBMEs were introduced, NBME form 18 has been the most predictive of students' scores on test day.
Is a 60% on Uworld good? ›58-60% is OK, a good sign is being consistently above the average scores. The Uworld package I bought came with 2 assessment exams. I took the first about 1.5 weeks before my scheduled test date.
What is a 48% on Uworld? ›The average percentile performance for people on Uworld is 48%, so you're currently sitting just above average. I would continue working on questions, wiring out rationales for questions you get wrong & making a list of topics/disease processes/meds you're wanting to brush up on and study that.
What percent should I get right on Uworld? ›Learners with an average QBank score of 56% pass the NCLEX at a 92% rate.
How many UWorld questions a day is reasonable? ›For most students, this means getting through three blocks of 40 questions per day, 5-6 days per week. Reserving 1-2 days per week to take a UWorld self-assessment exam or NBME practice exam and review it is also important because students must get a sense of their scores.
How many questions do you need to finish a day UWorld? ›For most topics, the above calculation yields about 8-12 UWorld questions per day to make a complete pass through the QBank before your dedicated study time. (Of course, medical school can be busy, so work ahead on days when you have time so that you're prepared for the days when you don't!)
What is the pass rate with UWorld? ›
| 2021 NCLEX-PN® Pass Rates* | ||
|---|---|---|
| Repeat, U.S. Educated | 36.81% | 33.01% |
| First-Time, International | 54.33% | 52.38% |
| Repeat, International | 18.03% | 14.97% |
| Total | 68.26% | 69.74% |
- Kaplan — Top Pick.
- NurseAchieve — Most Advanced Practice Exam Technology.
- Hurst Review — Best First-Attempt Pass Rate.
- NCLEX Mastery — Most Affordable.
- Mometrix University — Best Free Resources.
- ATI — Best Product Offerings.
- Achieve Test Prep — Best In-Person Experience.
The self-assessment is a timed exam featuring 200 newly released questions by the NCBE® and aligned with the content found in the official MBE. Practicing in an MBE-simulated environment gives you a realistic view of what to expect on exam day and allows you to prepare with the most up-to-date materials.
How do UWorld scores compare to NCLEX? ›90% of students report that UWorld questions are the “same difficulty” or “more difficult” than the actual NCLEX exam for which they were studying. Students with a QBank average of 56% or higher had a NCLEX pass rate of 92.2%.
Is UWorld self assessment hard? ›The UW questions are significantly harder. It makes sense that you would be able to miss more quesitons and get a similar score compared to an NBME exam.
What is the Step 1 Self assessment form on UWorld? ›UWorld's Step 1 self-assessments closely replicate the experience of the actual Step 1 exam to help you prepare and boost your confidence for the test day. Know when you are ready to take the exam with our self-assessments.
Can you pause UWorld self assessment? ›You can pause/suspend to come back and finish it later like the other tests. There is a countdown timer so if you don't pause it and just leave it open, you'll run out of time. Once you start it, it will be available for 2 weeks total.
Which NBME is most predictive for Step 2? ›So far, NBME Form 7 is the most predictive NBME for Step 2 CK. Of course, UWorld simulation exams are much better in prediction, but you can still consider this the perfect test to take between UWorld simulations.
How long does it take to do 1 block of Uworld? ›The blocks will take about three hours each to answers the questions and review the material. You can choose to do these questions in various formats: timed, tutored mode, random questions, or a specific topic. To get practice, I would advise doing some blocks in timed and random mode to practice for test day.
What is the difference between self paced and standard NBME? ›The standard-paced option mimics a live testing environment and contains four sections of 50 questions. You have up to 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete each section. The self-paced option also contains four sections of 50 questions, but allows you up to 5 hours to complete each section.
How many blocks are NBME self assessments? ›
You'll go through 4 blocks of 40 questions each in a simulation of the NBME®'s interface and timed format. In addition to building your exam-day stamina, you'll get a 3-digit score report that includes your passing probability and a list of personalized high-yield topics where you should focus.
Do Uworld questions get harder the more you do? ›But I just finished a test & my score was higher today than all last week...the more you do the questions, the more the concepts will sink in. Just like with the NCLEX, the more questions you get right, the harder the next ones are gonna be. That tells me you're progressing & you should be proud! So, how'd you do???
How long does it take to do 40 Uworld questions? ›Thus, a standard 40-question block will take students no longer than one hour. Since most students will be doing 1-3 blocks of 40 questions during their dedicated study period, they should expect to spend 1-3 hours a day answering questions.
What does it mean to score average on Uworld? ›Basically, this means that the average score for the exam you took was around 54. You got a 65 (well above average). It's a good sign.
How accurate are NBME practice exams? ›The NBME practice exams will accurately estimate your three-digit Step 1 score (with a +/- 10 point margin of error).
Which NBME form is the most accurate? ›Here is What You Need to Know
Currently, the available NBME CBSSA forms are Form 18, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 and are considered the best and most accurate way to assess one's predicted performance on the USMLE Step 1.
Step 1 Passing Score Percentage
The passing score percentage for each of the Step 1 NBMEs is: CBSSA 25 – 64% correct (73 incorrect) CBSSA 26 – 64% correct (72 incorrect) CBSSA 27 – 65% correct (71 incorrect)
- First, at the start before reading to have a baseline score. ...
- Second, take a self-assessment halfway so you could check how you've been doing.
Thus, a standard 40-question block will take students no longer than one hour. Since most students will be doing 1-3 blocks of 40 questions during their dedicated study period, they should expect to spend 1-3 hours a day answering questions.
Can I pass Step 1 by only doing UWorld? ›Students have been known to score 270+ on USMLE Step 1 just by using UWorld and First Aid. There are also students, however, who have gone through the question bank 3 or more times, and can't seem to get a passing score on the exam. This underscores the fact that UWorld is effective only if used properly.
Can you retake NBME self-assessment? ›
Repeating NBME exams generally reduces their predictive accuracy because students remember some of the questions and answers. If a significant amount of time has passed since using the practice exam the first time, predictive potential will be more accurate.
Do NBME self assessments have explanations? ›You can view the answer explanations immediately after you complete your self-assessment. If you exit the assessment, you can log on to the MyNBME Examinee Portal and view the answer explanations in the interactive score report by clicking View Your Results Interactively.
Can you review NBME self assessments? ›Yes. Immediately following the completion of any of the comprehensive or clinical science mastery series self-assessments, you will be able to review all self-assessment items along with answer explanations for each item.
Do they curve the NBME? ›There is no curve. For the scaled score, a 70 on an easy exam should equal a 70 on a hard exam. They adjust the scaled score based on difficulty level. For example, if an exam is harder, you would need to get fewer answers correct to get a 70.
How predictive is UWorld Self Assessment Step 2? ›Your score on UWorld questions may feel like a marker of your progress, however your percentile on UWorld is not an accurate predictor of how you should expect to perform on Step 2 CK. As a reminder, UWorld is a learning resource, not a testing resource.
How many NBME exams should I take? ›6 NBME Self-Assessments for Step 1 (forms 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24) 3 NBME Self-Assessments for Step 2 CK. 26 NBME Subject Exams for Shelf Exams. 1 NBME Self-Assessment for Step 3.
What is a low pass on NBME? ›The low-pass range goes from 62 to 68 on the equated percent correct scale. This range represents CBSE scores corresponding to Step 1 performance starting at the passing standard plus 2 standard errors of measurement.
What is a good first NBME score? ›Students Who Score 250+ Start with Very High NBMEs. Students who end up with 240s on Step 1 have a variety of starting scores. I've had students start as low as the 130s end up with Step 1 scores in the 240s. However, for those who score 250s on Step 1, typically their starting scores are much higher.
What is a good NBME score? ›Examination Feedback
NBME sets a standard of competence for the IFOM BSE that approximates the Step 1 passing standard. The IFOM BSE score that best approximates the Step 1 passing standard is 78.