COMAT Scores - Can someone please explain? (2024)

So a mean is a standard score of 100 and our school needs an 84 for you to pass. But any idea what that is in raw score form? Everyone assumes it means 100/125 (since there are 125 questions) is the mean but that makes zero sense because:

1) COMATs aren't the same, people will have different questions.

2) There's no way people score 80% on average on COMATs but only score ~60% (raw score) on the COMLEX level 1 (which is what a ~500 is equal to).

Anyone have insight on what the scores translate into in raw form? A standard score in statistics certainly doesn't mean raw score either...

The Mean is 100 with a SD of 10.

The exam is standardized like many exams (including COMLEX-USA) and is not graded as a percentage or number of questions correct out of 125. so:
+/- 1 SD = COMAT score of 90-110. 68% of any data set in a normal Gaussian distribution falls within +/- 1 SD
+/- 2 SD = COMAT score of 80-120. 95% of any data set in a normal Gaussian distribution falls within +/- 2 SD

To calculate your percentile:
1) Subtract the mean from your score.
2) Divide that number by the SD (10) to find the z score.
3) Convert the z-score to a percentile using a z score to percentile calculator online

Example:
You scored 118 on the Surgery COMAT.
118-100 = 18
18/10= 1.8 (you are 1.8 SD above the mean).
Go to Z score calculator. A z score of 1.8 = 92.8139 percentile

sorul said:

The Mean is 100 with a SD of 10.

The exam is standardized like many exams (including COMLEX-USA) and is not graded as a percentage or number of questions correct out of 125. so:
+/- 1 SD = COMAT score of 90-110. 68% of any data set in a normal Gaussian distribution falls within +/- 1 SD
+/- 2 SD = COMAT score of 80-120. 95% of any data set in a normal Gaussian distribution falls within +/- 2 SD

To calculate your percentile:
1) Subtract the mean from your score.
2) Divide that number by the SD (10) to find the z score.
3) Convert the z-score to a percentile using a z score to percentile calculator online

Example:
You scored 118 on the Surgery COMAT.
118-100 = 18
18/10= 1.8 (you are 1.8 SD above the mean).
Go to Z score calculator. A z score of 1.8 = 92.8139 percentile

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I think he was asking what the percentage of correct answers was for a given score (raw percentage). No one knows the raw scores aside from the NBOME, OP. Nor does anyone know for sure what the COMLEX raw scores are outside of the NBOME. It's all just rumors.

Mad Jack said:

I think he was asking what the percentage of correct answers was for a given score (raw percentage). No one knows the raw scores aside from the NBOME, OP. Nor does anyone know for sure what the COMLEX raw scores are outside of the NBOME. It's all just rumors.

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Right. NBOME doesn't release that for any of their exams. The only thing we can do is calculate our percentile.

I would say that for the Family Medicine COMAT I think probably a 50-60% would be a passing grade. An average would probably be closer to getting 70-75% correct.

This is based off of my experience though. I think the scale is probably very close or more generous than COMLEX.

Drrrrrr. Celty said:

I would say that for the Family Medicine COMAT I think probably a 50-60% would be a passing grade. An average would probably be closer to getting 70-75% correct.

This is based off of my experience though. I think the scale is probably very close or more generous than COMLEX.

See Also

How To Prepare for your COMAT / Shelf Exams - FMStudent.comHow Much Do I Really Need to Retire?A Validity Study of COMLEX-USA Level 2-CE and COMAT Clinical Subjects: Concurrent and Predictive EvidenceRelationships Between the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Achievement Test (COMAT) Subject Examinations and the COMLEX-USA Level 2-Cognitive Evaluation

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I very seriously doubt average is that high. Just saying as someone who has gotten >120s so far, I would be surprised if I even got 70%s raw.

Drrrrrr. Celty said:

I would say that for the Family Medicine COMAT I think probably a 50-60% would be a passing grade. An average would probably be closer to getting 70-75% correct.

This is based off of my experience though. I think the scale is probably very close or more generous than COMLEX.

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How could you possibly come up with these numbers?

jw3600 said:

How could you possibly come up with these numbers?

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Entirely out of my ass honestly. In retrospect it probably was a far higher estimate than reality.

Rekt said:

I very seriously doubt average is that high. Just saying as someone who has gotten >120s so far, I would be surprised if I even got 70%s raw.

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Yah, I think you're right.

mikemedman19 said:

Anyone thinking these comat exams are random AF? How are we supposed to adequately prepare for them? Most of my tests so far (IM and Surg) were very strange, poorly written exams. I usually do about 500 questions for each one (in a month), plus pick one well reviewed book (the more compact the better cause time on Surgery and IM was limited). I just feel like I have down syndrome every time I sit for these craptastic exams... it makes me WISH for structure in preparing for the COMLEX Level 1 / Step 1.

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Yes. Ridiculously. Now on the NBOME website i just saw that 10-20% of FM is peds. I really dislike peds....

mikemedman19 said:

Anyone thinking these comat exams are random AF? How are we supposed to adequately prepare for them? Most of my tests so far (IM and Surg) were very strange, poorly written exams. I usually do about 500 questions for each one (in a month), plus pick one well reviewed book (the more compact the better cause time on Surgery and IM was limited). I just feel like I have down syndrome every time I sit for these craptastic exams... it makes me WISH for structure in preparing for the COMLEX Level 1 / Step 1.

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Welcome to the DO world. I can tell you all the other tests are not going to be any better. In fact, they will probably be a lot worse.

mikemedman19 said:

Anyone thinking these comat exams are random AF? How are we supposed to adequately prepare for them? Most of my tests so far (IM and Surg) were very strange, poorly written exams. I usually do about 500 questions for each one (in a month), plus pick one well reviewed book (the more compact the better cause time on Surgery and IM was limited). I just feel like I have down syndrome every time I sit for these craptastic exams... it makes me WISH for structure in preparing for the COMLEX Level 1 / Step 1.

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Did you figure out a good resource to study for the COMATs?? I am struggling to adequately prepare for them as well.

MedicineZ0Z said:

So a mean is a standard score of 100 and our school needs an 84 for you to pass. But any idea what that is in raw score form? Everyone assumes it means 100/125 (since there are 125 questions) is the mean but that makes zero sense because:

1) COMATs aren't the same, people will have different questions.

2) There's no way people score 80% on average on COMATs but only score ~60% (raw score) on the COMLEX level 1 (which is what a ~500 is equal to).

Anyone have insight on what the scores translate into in raw form? A standard score in statistics certainly doesn't mean raw score either...

Click to expand...

Thats not too bad, thats something like the 7th percentile, so very achievable.

The raw scores are currently unknown but in 2012 when they first came out the average was in the 60%ish range in the old COMAT thread. The score isn't #questions right/total, its just another useless scale used by DO scores to add unnecessary complication to something simple.

mikemedman19 said:

Anyone thinking these comat exams are random AF? How are we supposed to adequately prepare for them? Most of my tests so far (IM and Surg) were very strange, poorly written exams. I usually do about 500 questions for each one (in a month), plus pick one well reviewed book (the more compact the better cause time on Surgery and IM was limited). I just feel like I have down syndrome every time I sit for these craptastic exams... it makes me WISH for structure in preparing for the COMLEX Level 1 / Step 1.

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Just wait till you take the OMM one. That one was a whole new level of craptastic. I wouldn't be surprised if chatmans point of the rectum is hidden in that bank somewhere.

sorul said:

The Mean is 100 with a SD of 10.

The exam is standardized like many exams (including COMLEX-USA) and is not graded as a percentage or number of questions correct out of 125. so:
+/- 1 SD = COMAT score of 90-110. 68% of any data set in a normal Gaussian distribution falls within +/- 1 SD
+/- 2 SD = COMAT score of 80-120. 95% of any data set in a normal Gaussian distribution falls within +/- 2 SD

To calculate your percentile:
1) Subtract the mean from your score.
2) Divide that number by the SD (10) to find the z score.
3) Convert the z-score to a percentile using a z score to percentile calculator online

Example:
You scored 118 on the Surgery COMAT.
118-100 = 18
18/10= 1.8 (you are 1.8 SD above the mean).
Go to Z score calculator. A z score of 1.8 = 92.8139 percentile

Click to expand...

You officially are better at statistics than any admin at my school. Congrats?

baronanalogy said:

Did you figure out a good resource to study for the COMATs?? I am struggling to adequately prepare for them as well.

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Truelearn + comquest. Do all the questions twice and you will be fine

baronanalogy said:

Did you figure out a good resource to study for the COMATs?? I am struggling to adequately prepare for them as well.

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UWorld + Comquest COMAT rotation specific qbank got me >2SD on all of them.

baronanalogy said:

Did you figure out a good resource to study for the COMATs?? I am struggling to adequately prepare for them as well.

Click to expand...

This blogpost has decent recommendations:

How To Prepare for your COMAT / Shelf Exams - FMStudent.com

I mainly did COMBANK questions. I didn’t do UWorld until later.

Rekt said:

UWorld + Comquest COMAT rotation specific qbank got me >2SD on all of them.

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What % did you get on UW? I'm doing extremely well on UW ranging from 70-80%, but I'm just average on my most recent COMAT. I also do a second bank with USMLE-Rx, where I'm consistent above average on there too.

I don't think it's a lack of knowledge.

I'm to the point, where I just have to admit that I either suck at OMM, or that the COMAT is made up of questions with outdated treatment algorithm.

NecFasc92 said:

Did you do anything besides the questions? Specifically asking about psych and fm here

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Not that you asked me, but I just did questions for Psych and was fine (above average). FM I am using questions + wiwa for reenforcement.

Black Coffee 24/7 said:

What % did you get on UW? I'm doing extremely well on UW ranging from 70-80%, but I'm just average on my most recent COMAT. I also do a second bank with USMLE-Rx, where I'm consistent above average on there too.

I don't think it's a lack of knowledge.

I'm to the point, where I just have to admit that I either suck at OMM, or that the COMAT is made up of questions with outdated treatment algorithm.

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UWorld was 80-90%, but I did the 350-400 Comquest shelf questions first before UWorld. If I had any time after that I added any Truelearn, which probably wasn't all that helpful, just more practice. Just keep it up, do as many questions as you can. I studied harder during third year than second year and it paid off with a great Step 2.