Timing Strategies for Exams
Written by Samuel Fuller
Medical school is full of exams; from preclinical block exams to physical exam evaluations, third-year shelf exams, and STEP 1 and STEP 2 CK and/or COMLEX exams. Outside of studying material for the exam, one of the keys to doing well is being confident and being in the right head space to think critically about questions.
In this post, we will review exam strategies for Step 1 and Step 2 CK. Having a pretest routine is just as important as studying the material for the exam but is unfortunately overlooked. The earlier you can develop a good pretest routine that works for you, the better prepared you will be for more important, longer exams such as STEP 1 and STEP 2 CK.
Developing a plan can often be trial and error using practice tests or reviewing previous exams to see what worked well for you. Another important component is timing. This is one thing that I wish I would have practiced more during earlier exams. During your preclinical years, you will have a longer amount of time to complete your exam than the 40 questions in 1 hour for STEP 1 and STEP 2 CK. Trying to complete 40 questions in 1 hour during your preclinical exams will help to ensure that you will have adequate time during STEP 1 and STEP 2 CK. You can again refine this during your third year while studying for shelf exams by using timed UWorld exams.
For longer exams, it is especially important to have a good pretest routine that you are confident in. It is also important to map out how you expect the exam to go and then have contingency plans for if it does not go how you expected. To illustrate this, I want to share my STEP 2 CK routine and plan.
6 weeks out: UWorld untimed, “tutor mode”. This allows small breaks to think after each question. It is also efficient for immediate studying so you don’t have to reread and remember the question and why you may have picked an incorrect answer.
4 weeks out: UWorld untimed, “test mode”. This helps to see 40 question blocks similar to test day. Take note of your timing and try to finish in less than 1 hour.
3 weeks out: UWorld untimed, “test mode”. Now to further simulate test day, true to ensure total time is under 1 hour.
2 weeks out: UWorld timed, “test mode”. Start to simulate the real deal. Map out time cut-offs for questions during the exam and how long of breaks you would like to take between blocks. For example, 13 minutes for 10 questions
47 minutes remaining = question 10
34 minutes remaining = question 20
21 minutes remaining = question 30
8 minutes remaining = question 40
You can also explore mindfulness techniques that you can use to calm your nerves during test day during this time. The key is to figure out what works for YOU before you get to the exam and have a plan going into test day. The earlier you begin to do this, the more comfortable you will be when it is exam day.
