Before I speak about my exam experiences, let me share with you my study plan

WARNING: This is going to be a very long and detailed post, because I found very few resources for this exam on the web)
Please, excuse the typos i did not proof read the post.

I took the QE1 this spring (May 2017).

I have to be honest this was the most difficult test I taken…and I have completed all the steps of USMLEs.

Before I speak about my exam experiences, let me share with you my study plan.

Materials I have used

  1. Toronto Notes 2015
  2. MAster the Boards for USMLE 2 Ck
  3. USMLE Step 2 Secrets, 4e
  4. UW question bank for step 2 ck
  5. LMCC for CDM prep only (do not use their question bank, i found it is very silly!)
  6. First Aid USMLE step 2 ck

I started to study in Jan 2017, during this times I read TORONTO NOTES 2015:

GEN SURG
ANESTHESIA
EMERGENCY MED
ORTHOPEDICS
Psych

Then, in feb 2017, i had a family emergency… and because of that I had to take a break.

in MArch:

I read Internal Medicine from First AID CK and Master The Boards Step 2 ck.
I read OBGyn from Toronto notes

Ped from First Aid CK (i had read Toronto notes for MCCEE, but since i did not have enough time to read entire 100+ pages of ped, i took a shortcut to First Aid USMLE 2 CK)

One thing i would like to mention is during MArch 2017, i was very anxious about US Residency MAtch result (I could not take NAC OSCE last fall so I could not apply for Canadian residency)…
By the Grace of Almighty, I matched to my number one choice and with that excitement I was very pumped-up to take QE1!

So from 3rd week of MArch to second to 3rdweek of April:

I only did UW qbank for mcq prep (i took one month subscription only)
and CDM from LMCC

Because, I only solved questions i was able to finish whole uworld in approx 20 days, remaining 10 days of the subscription, i only solved the wrong ques and read the chapters that i was having difficulty with.
I did the questions in MIX tutor mode (and my uworld score was 80%).

Last week of April 2017 (One week before the exam)
I only read:

  1. Public health (Toronto Notes)

  2. Ethics (Toronto Notes)

  3. Biostat (First Aid Usmle 2ck)
    I left these subjects for the end because I always forget them, so i figured if i studied in the last week, i will remember them better during the exam.

  4. Family medicine and geriatric (there were a lot of quest form geriatric so do not skip this short chapter!) from toronto notes

  5. Also, i went over my previous MCCEE notes during this time

  6. Another book I have used for my USMLE step 2ck, step 3 and MCCEE prep: is USMLE Step 2 Secrets, 4e

I absolutely love this book, i love to read it 2-3 days before my exams just to refresh my re-call abilities for high yield materials…

1 day before the exam:
I stopped studying. I arranged my lunch for the exam day, tried to relax as much as possible. Just remember a marathon runner doesn’t run a marathon before the actual run!!! these standardized tests are in a way like a marathon for the brain…so try to relax as much as possible…

Day of the exam:
I took the exam in Toronto downtown location and i took the public transportation to get there in order to avoid the morning traffic. Just, plan ahead according to where you live.

Once you have signed in, the people at the center will take you into a nice waiting area and it is provided with Tim horton’s coffee and and doughnut… I love to eat carbs during the exam so i was really happy to see a tray of my favorite chocolate glazed doughnut 

next, you are going to be lead into a comp lab along with other examinees.

As you know the morning session contains approx 196 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and after noon session contains 45-55 clinical decision-making (CDM) cases (approximately 80 questions).

During the entire Morning session i felt very rushed because we have to finish 28 questions in 30 min in order to finish all the questions!
I found the morning portion difficult! The questions were vague, the sentence structures were off! I honestly, felt like screaming at the screen from frustration!
I actually walked out of the exam room to take a quick break and re-organized my thoughts… luckily i was able to finish all the mcqs in time.

One thing i will suggest is even if you dont leave your comp, do take a few sec break to close your eyes… i think it is very important to take a small breaks in between to prevent the brain and eyes from becoming fatigued.

During the exam, we were allowed to keep a drink (water/juice/coffee) and energy bar/ candy bar without wrapper on a tissue paper…i really appreciated the fact that i had my coffee with me…

Once, the morning session was over, we were taken out into the common sitting area for lunch. After finishing up my lunch, i walked around the hallway (i never study right before a test, because it makes me anxious) i did see people studying during the lunch break. I dont think your brain can absorb munch during those time when you are already on high Adrenaline.

Afternoon Session:
It was very similar to CDM LMCC questions. it had a case, with boxes to either type or check-off.
one trick i used…never order too many labs. For example if they asked “choose as many as you like” from options of 15…DO NOT CHOOSE ALL OF THEM! I only chose the most important labs and i kept them as min as possible… another thing to remember if they give you a case, that is clinically diagnosed (i.e Parkinson’s Dis) and questions ask “Choose up to 10 lab” choose the option that says “NO lab required” and move to next question.

I finished CDM portion 1.5 hrs before the official end time. I spent 30 min reviewing my answers, then around 4 pm i submitted my answers and left the center feeling like failure.

As, i have said before MCCQE1 was one of the most difficult exam i have ever encountered! I did not wanted to think/ discuss about it after the exam because, i was for sure i would have to re-take it later.

Thanks to Almighty, I am very grateful for passing the qe1 with 500+.

I think if one studies efficiently, then they can really pass this exam. I know many people studies for months and read toronto notes back to back yet unfortunately they end up being unsuccessful… this does not mean they do not know medicine, it means they might need to change the way they are studying… for any exam it is very imp to know the most high yield topics (for instance, i want to specialize in neuro but i would never ready 50+ pages of neuro from toronto notes when entire internal Med is 1/8 of the total SCore), know YOUR own areas of strength and weak, and form good realistic study plan that you will stick to it! and most importantly , be Persistent in your work.

Do not waste time reviewing the things you know!
Instead, spend time reviewing the things you do not know or have difficulties with!

Night before the exam: RELAX! and have a goodnight sleep.

Anyway, goood luck with exam. Hope I was able to help u guys.

Take care