1. About COMLEX Level 1
Understanding and application of the basic sciences and OMM to the practice of medicine.
Timing:
Tutorial: 10 minutes
Average time per question: 72 sec
Finishing morning 4-hour session early doesn’t give additional test time or break time
Two 4-hour sessions, each with 4 sections of 50 q (400 questions in all)
Each 4-hour session offers a 10-minute optional break
If used, time is deducted from the session’s test time; offered after first two blocks of each session
Optional 40 min. lunch break at end of morning session, doesn’t count against testing time.
Scoring:
To pass you must answer between 60-70% of the questions correctly.
Passing Score: 75 or 400; mean is 500
Scores available in 4-6 weeks from test
Questions types include: single best answer (single item and cases) and matching sets
Answers may be changed multiple times within a question block
May be more than 5 choices
Not grouped by basic science subject
Basic science questions couched in clinical vignette format
Some visual questions (exhibit button will be available for such questions to display slide)
Scale is
Single Best Answer Case questions are similar to our Integrated Vignette Qbank: a vignette is presented, then individual questions/answer choices associated with that vignette.
Matching Sets consists of a list of entities (e.g., laboratory data, diseases, management options) followed by several statements or phrases. The options in the matching set precede the actual items, unlike the single-best-answer
multiple choice items. Only one option can be correct for any given item. Any number of items may follow the lettered headings. The number of lettered headings ranges from five to nine.
Case Clusters are one-paragraph clinical scenarios followed by 2 to 3 independent questions. The questions will usually cover underlying disease mechanisms, diagnosis, and basic treatment. Our COMLEX Qbank contains this questions type; however, Integrated Vignettes Qbank (comes with Qbank Plus) is also a great preparation tool for this question type.

2. About USMLE Step 1 New! Multimedia questions
Understanding and application of the basic sciences to the practice of medicine
336 questions, divided into 7 blocks of 48
Timing:
Tutorial (15 mins)
Time per section (60 mins)
Time per question (75 secs-avg.)
Break time (45 mins)
Finishing blocks early gives you more break time, not test time
Scoring:
Passing is 185; mean is
To pass you must answer between 60-70% of the questions correctly
Scores typically available in 3-4 weeks from test
Questions are “single best answer”
New! Multimedia questions
May be more than 5 choices
Not grouped in any way
Basic Science questions couched in clinical vignette format
No negatively worded questions
Some experimental questions
It’s an 8-hour day at a Prometric center.
You must go through the Tutorial. But you can zip through it. The unused time can be applied to your break time, which is a really good reason to be prepared and familiar with the actual interface of the exam. How do you become familiar with the exam interface? 2 ways: download the sample materials from USMLE’s website; use Kaplan’s Qbank!
Multimedia questions have recently been added (a total of 5 per exam, so not extremely worrisome). Such questions will link to an audio or video clips, such as a heart sound or lung sound, or a video of patient exhibiting cogwheel rigidity. Examples of these clips are on USMLE’s website. Kaplan’s Qbank also features a small number of A/V questions for practice [coming Fall 08.]
Your break time can otherwise be used any way that you like, provided that you’re only utilizing your break time BETWEEN blocks.
The questions are not grouped in any way . You will not have 48 anatomy questions in a block – you will have questions across all disciplines!
There is no correlation between % correct and the passing score. Mention the Estimator here and the benefits of Kaplan Qbank Plus / Qbank.
For now, you will see no more than 5 multimedia questions on your exam which means these question types will not have a significant impact on your score. 5-question multimedia demo is now included with all Kaplan Qbanks.

3. Similarities & Differences
Both exams learn toward clinical applications of basic medical science concepts stressing the understanding of underlying function and mechanisms.
Both exams use similarly styled clinical vignettes with few shorter answer questions.
Both exams have no subject-specific sections; the questions are distributed randomly.
Both exams are offered on computer at Thompson-Prometric
Differences:
COMLEX Level 1 includes questions based on understanding of Osteopathic principles and application
On COMLEX Level 1 some of the traditional clinical vignettes include Osteopathic symptoms and answer choices
COMLEX Level 1 also features case clusters and matching sets.
Unlike Step 1, skipping or ending COMLEX tutorial early doesn’t give extra testing/exam time.

4. Tips for Creating an Effective Study Plan
Get organized
Note important academic dates and deadlines
Build in relevant board review tasks around those dates
Self-assess
Integrate first year and second-year material (during the school year)
Some question practice (COMLEX/USMLE Qbank, IV Qbank, Physiology Qbank)
Limited content review (COMLEX notes, web lecture)
Now that we understand the importance of these 3 components to board prep, we can address how to put them to work during your study plan.
Get organized: It’s no surprise that one of the keys to successful board preparation is the ability to manage your time effectively—a skill you’ve probably been honing throughout your academic career and one that will be crucial to your professional life as well. Choose a great calendar application or paper calendar you’ll be using to chart your academic tasks. Block out the relevant academic information on your calendar, remembering that dates may need to be adjusted if your school changes the schedule or provides updated information later. Include important subject tests, end-of-course exams, shelf exams, midterms, finals, breaks, and the deadline by which your school requires you to have taken the COMLEX. Once you know your exam date, you’ll enter that date as well.
Self-Assess by taking a diagnostic: Knowing your strengths and weaknesses now will help you focus on how much brushing up you have to do on your first year coursework.
Integrate first year and second-year material: This is a great way to begin getting ahead in your board prep of first year subjects by using your current coursework as a springboard. The more you can integrate first-and second-year material on an on-going basis, the better prepared you’ll be for the exam. For example, if you are taking either Pathology or Pathophysiology right now, begin reviewing related material from Anatomy and Physiology that corresponds to the organ system in Pathology that you are currently studying in class. As you move on to a different organ system’s diseases, shift the Anatomy and Physiology you are reviewing to that new system, so that all along, what you are reviewing is doing “double duty” by helping you understand the system’s normal functioning and structure, as well as learning how it is disrupted by disease processes. Using this approach, you will be refreshing your knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of each organ system while you study how its functions are disrupted in the system path unit on that particular organ system. This is also a way to break your review into smaller, more manageable chunks, helping you to understand the pathological disease process as it alters anatomical and functional aspects. It may also lessen the stress of trying to juggle between board prep and coursework, because what you are specifically reviewing at each stage relates directly to what you are learning in your Pathology or Pathophysiology course.
Use web lectures and COMLEX notes for to review first year content.
[NOTE TO PRESENTER ABOUT OMM] As most osteopathic school integrate OMM throughout the first two years of medical school, OMM material usually remains fairly fresh in students’ minds by end of year 2.]

5. Your final review Self-assess again
Allocate number of days to spend per topic
Take simulated exam about 7 days before test day
Assessment Scores
Study Sequence
# Study Days
Anatomy
60% 1 2
Physiology 4
Biochemistry 3
Behavioral Science
OMM 5
Pathology 6
4.5
Microbiology 7
Immunology 8
Pharmacology 9
Plan your last month of review carefully—this is CRUNCH TIME: Your last month of study will go by very quickly, and it’s going to be challenging. This is the time to re-assess your performance with a diagnostic or simulated exam, and to know how many days you’ll need for each subject
Use your assessment results to guide how you’ll allocate your time. This table shows how a student performing equally well across all subjects would allocate his review days. This takes into account the relative emphasis on Path, Pharm, and Phys seen on the COMLEX. Normally, a student should plan to review the foundational subjects (Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry) from weakest to strongest. He will study Behavioral Science and OMM next. He then plans to study the remaining subjects (Path, Micro, Immunology and Pharmacology) from weakest to strongest as well, in order to ensure that he has enough time to devote to his weaker areas. Note that a student performing differently on subjects based on self-assessment would adjust from this template by “borrowing” time from stronger areas to put into studying weaker ones.
Ideally the sim exam should be taken 7 days prior to test day, allocating 1 day for taking the exam under test-like conditions and 1 day for reviewing the exam.

6. Plan Your Last Month Carefully
Content
Questions
T o t a l S t u d y T i m e
EXAM
DAY
Topical
Question Review
During your last month, it’s important to remember the proper relationship between content review and question review. After your self assessment it’s time to review content as we just discussed, using questions to help you narrow down remaining weaknesses so that you can continually narrow your focus on the subjects needing further study.
Test Simulation
Questions should drive you BACK to study MORE!