Issue Ninety-Six - February 9, 2006
New NBME Self-Assessments for Individuals Planning to Take Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 3
The National Board of Medical Examiners® (NBME) offers web-based self-assessments to help medical students and graduates evaluate their readiness for the computer-based components of the United States Medical Licensing Examination™ (USMLE™). The NBME recently increased the number of self-assessments available to individuals planning to take Step 1, Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK), and Step 3.
- The Comprehensive Basic Science Self-Assessment (CBSSA), which is built to the same content specifications as Step 1, now offers four unique forms. The CBSSA covers material in basic science medical education courses.
- For the Comprehensive Clinical Science Self-Assessment (CCSSA), which is built to the same content specifications as Step 2 CK, there are now three unique forms available. The CCSSA covers material in core clinical clerkships.
- The Comprehensive Clinical Medicine Self-Assessment (CCMSA), which is built to the same content specifications as the multiple-choice component of Step 3, is a recent addition to the NBME’s self-assessments. The CCMSA offers one form with content that reflects patient-centered clinical encounters.
Each form consists of sections of multiple-choice questions. All questions have appeared previously in the USMLE. Users can choose to take the self-assessments under two timing conditions: standard USMLE pacing or self-pacing. The assessments are available for $45.00 (USD) per form.
Users receive immediate performance feedback in the form of a diagnostic profile showing content areas of strength and weakness. For the CBSSA (Step 1) and CCSSA (Step 2 CK), feedback also includes a table that “translates” the self-assessment score to an approximate score on the USMLE scale; this feature is not yet available for the CCMSA (Step 3).
For complete information, to view a sample assessment, or to purchase an assessment, visit the NBME Self-Assessment Services Interactive Website at www.nbme.org/programs-services/medical-students/sas/index.html.