Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center

School of Medicine
SOM OP 30.01, Grading Policy
Appendix A

Clerkship NBME Grading Tables

2016-2017

Background
The methods for assigning final grades in clerkships for MSIII students underwent significant revision for the
2010-2011 academic year. Clerkship NBME grading was altered to set new cutoff levels for qualification for
final grades of Honors, High Pass and Fail (unchanged). Specifically, the cutoff points for these three grades
were set at the 80th, 70th and 5th percentiles, respectively. Furthermore, due to the existence of period
trends in clerkship NBME scores, with students generally performing at a higher level in later periods, it was
decided that quarter-specific data would be used to define percentile rankings rather than using annual data.

Methods
Percentile data are obtained from annual reports from the NBME for each of the six clerkship subject exams.
For each new academic year, the last three years of complete annual data were collected, thus for academic
year 2016-2017, the data utilized are from 2012-2013, 2013-2014 and 2014-2015. Percentile data from each
quarter for these three years were collected and averaged to obtain the mean percentile score for each
quarter within each clerkship. The scores corresponding to the percentile nearest (but above) the 80th, 70th
and 5th percentile were identified and tabulated (see tables 1-6). In order to assign percentile scores for all
students, complete percentile ranging tables were generated and are shown in tables 7-12. As shown in the
tables, data from quarter 1 will be used to assign percentiles in periods 1 and 2, data from quarter 2 will be
used for period 3, data from quarter 3 will be used for periods 4 and 5 while data from quarter 4 will be used
for period 6.

For 2015-2016, the NBME changed the method for reporting scores for clinical subject exams, replacing the
normalized raw score reported previously with an equated percent correct score. This score is explained by
the NBME as follows: [The equated percent correct score] is calculated as the percentage of items in the
total content domain that would be answered correctly based on an examinees proficiency level. The new
score cannot simply be converted to the old score and thus a new set of grading tables was created for 2015-
2016 and will continue as prescribed above for successive years unless changed by the Educational Policy
Committee.

Off cycle students

The Office of Student Affairs will ensure that percentile rankings for students who are off cycle will be
assigned according to the specific period they are completing, rather than the actual period within the annual
academic calendar. It should be noted that this system could result in students obtaining the same numerical
score on a clerkship NBME during the same period being eligible for different final grades.

Remediation
Any student who fails a clerkship NBME is expected to retake that NBME as remediation. In the past,
successful remediation has required simply achieving a score that ranks at the 5th percentile or above. This
expectation will remain the same, except that the scale used for determining this value will be the scale used
in period 6, irrespective of when the remediation exam is taken.

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Tables Updated: July 5, 2016

2016-2017

Table 1A: Family Medicine Core

Grade Category Period 1/2 Period 3 Period 4/5 Period 6
Honors 80th %ile 79 80 81 83
HP 70-79th %ile 76 77 79 81
PA50 50-69th %ile 72 73 75 77
Pass 5-49th %ile 55 59 60 60

Table 1B: Family Medicine Core + Chronic Care + MSK

Grade Category Period 1/2 Period 3 Period 4/5 Period 6
Honors 80th %ile 78 80 81 82
HP 70-79th %ile 76 77 79 80
PA50 50-69th %ile 72 74 75 76
Pass 5-49th %ile 57 60 61 62
Table 2: Internal Medicine
Grade Category Period 1/2 Period 3 Period 4/5 Period 6
Honors 80th %ile 79 80 81 82
HP 70-79th %ile 77 78 79 79
PA50 50-69th %ile 72 73 74 75
Pass 5-49th %ile 55 55 58 58
Table 3: Obstetrics & Gynecology
Grade Category Period 1/2 Period 3 Period 4/5 Period 6
Honors 80th %ile 82 83 84 84
HP 70-79th %ile 80 81 82 82
PA50 50-69th %ile 75 76 78 78
Pass 5-49th %ile 59 60 61 62
Table 4: Pediatrics
Grade Category Period 1/2 Period 3 Period 4/5 Period 6
Honors 80th %ile 81 82 83 84
HP 70-79th %ile 79 79 81 82
PA50 50-69th %ile 74 75 76 77
Pass 5-49th %ile 57 58 61 60
Table 5: Psychiatry
Grade Category Period 1/2 Period 3 Period 4/5 Period 6
Honors 80th %ile 83 84 84 85
HP 70-79th %ile 81 82 82 83
PA50 50-69th %ile 77 77 78 79
Pass 5-49th %ile 62 62 63 64
Table 6: Surgery
Grade Category Period 1/2 Period 3 Period 4/5 Period 6
Honors 80th %ile 77 80 81 81
HP 70-79th %ile 75 77 78 79
PA50 50-69th %ile 70 72 74 74
Pass 5-49th %ile 55 56 57 59

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Table 7A: Family Medicine Core 2016-2017
Score P 1-2 P3 P4-5 P6
100 100 100 100 100
99 100 100 100 100
98 100 100 100 100
97 100 100 100 100
96 100 100 100 100
95 100 100 100 100
94 100 100 100 100
93 100 100 100 100
92 100 100 100 100
91 100 100 99 100
90 100 100 99 99
89 99 99 99 99
88 99 99 98 98
87 99 98 97 96
86 98 97 96 94
85 97 95 94 91
84 95 93 91 89
83 93 91 88 85
82 91 88 85 81
81 89 84 81 76
80 87 81 78 72
79 84 77 73 67
78 80 73 68 62
77 77 70 64 58
76 72 65 59 52
75 68 60 53 48
74 63 54 47 43
73 58 49 43 38
72 53 45 38 32
71 48 40 33 27
70 43 35 29 23
69 39 30 26 20
68 34 26 22 17
67 31 24 19 15
66 27 20 16 13
65 24 16 13 10
64 20 14 10 8
63 16 11 9 7
62 14 9 7 6
61 12 7 6 4
60 10 5 4 3
59 8 4 4 3
58 6 3 2 2
57 5 3 2 2
56 4 2 2 1
55 3 1 1 1
54 or below 2 1 1 1

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Table 7B: Family Medicine Core, Chronic Care + MSK 2016-2017
Score P 1-2 P3 P4-5 P6
100 100 100 100 100
99 100 100 100 100
98 100 100 100 100
97 100 100 100 100
96 100 100 100 100
95 100 100 100 100
94 100 100 100 100
93 100 100 100 99
92 100 100 100 99
91 100 100 99 98
90 99 99 99 97
89 99 99 99 96
88 99 98 97 94
87 98 97 96 92
86 97 97 95 91
85 96 94 92 87
84 94 93 89 84
83 93 90 88 81
82 91 88 84 78
81 89 85 80 74
80 86 82 76 69
79 83 78 72 64
78 79 75 67 59
77 74 70 61 53
76 71 66 57 48
75 67 61 51 44
74 64 59 48 41
73 60 54 45 36
72 54 47 39 30
71 48 42 33 27
70 44 36 30 23
69 41 34 27 21
68 37 30 24 19
67 32 24 20 15
66 28 20 15 12
65 26 18 14 11
64 22 15 11 10
63 20 13 9 9
62 17 11 8 6
61 14 9 7 5
60 12 8 6 5
59 9 6 4 4
58 7 4 4 3
57 7 3 3 2
56 5 3 3 2
55 5 2 3 1
54 or below 3 1 2 1

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Table 8: Internal Medicine 2016-2017
Score P 1-2 P3 P4-5 P6
100 100 100 100 100
99 100 100 100 100
98 100 100 100 100
97 100 100 100 100
96 100 100 100 100
95 100 100 100 100
94 100 100 100 100
93 100 100 100 100
92 100 100 100 99
91 99 99 99 99
90 99 99 99 98
89 99 98 98 98
88 98 97 97 96
87 97 97 96 95
86 96 95 94 93
85 95 94 92 91
84 93 92 90 88
83 91 90 87 85
82 89 87 84 82
81 86 84 80 79
80 83 81 76 75
79 80 78 73 71
78 76 73 67 66
77 72 69 64 61
76 69 66 60 57
75 65 62 56 53
74 61 58 52 49
73 56 53 47 44
72 52 49 43 40
71 48 45 38 36
70 43 41 35 32
69 39 38 31 29
68 35 34 28 25
67 32 30 24 22
66 28 26 21 18
65 24 23 18 16
64 22 20 15 13
63 19 18 13 12
62 16 16 11 10
61 14 13 9 8
60 12 11 8 7
59 10 9 6 6
58 8 8 5 5
57 7 7 4 4
56 6 5 3 3
55 5 5 2 3
54 or below 4 3 2 2

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Table 9: Obstetrics & Gynecology 2016-2017
Score P 1-2 P3 P4-5 P6
100 100 100 100 100
99 100 100 100 100
98 100 100 100 100
97 100 100 100 100
96 100 100 100 100
95 100 100 100 100
94 100 100 100 100
93 100 99 99 99
92 100 99 99 99
91 99 98 98 98
90 99 98 97 97
89 98 97 96 95
88 97 95 94 94
87 95 93 92 92
86 93 91 89 89
85 91 88 86 85
84 88 85 82 82
83 85 81 78 78
82 81 77 73 73
81 77 73 68 69
80 73 69 64 64
79 69 64 59 59
78 64 60 54 54
77 60 55 49 49
76 55 51 44 44
75 50 46 40 39
74 46 42 36 35
73 42 37 31 30
72 38 34 28 27
71 34 30 24 23
70 30 26 21 20
69 26 23 18 18
68 22 20 15 15
67 19 17 13 12
66 17 15 11 10
65 15 12 9 8
64 12 10 7 7
63 10 9 6 6
62 9 8 5 5
61 7 6 5 4
60 6 5 4 3
59 5 4 3 2
58 4 3 2 2
57 3 3 2 2
56 3 3 2 1
55 2 2 1 1
54 or below 2 2 1 1

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Table 10: Pediatrics 2016-2017
Score P 1-2 P3 P4-5 P6
100 100 100 100 100
99 100 100 100 100
98 100 100 100 100
97 100 100 100 100
96 100 100 100 100
95 100 100 100 100
94 100 100 100 100
93 100 99 99 99
92 99 99 99 98
91 99 99 98 98
90 99 98 97 96
89 98 97 96 95
88 97 95 95 93
87 95 94 93 91
86 93 92 90 88
85 91 90 87 84
84 89 87 84 81
83 86 84 80 77
82 83 81 77 74
81 80 78 73 69
80 76 74 69 65
79 73 71 64 61
78 69 66 60 57
77 65 62 55 52
76 60 58 51 48
75 56 54 46 44
74 52 49 42 39
73 48 46 38 36
72 44 41 34 31
71 40 37 30 27
70 36 33 27 24
69 33 30 24 21
68 29 27 20 19
67 26 23 17 16
66 23 20 14 14
65 19 17 12 11
64 17 15 10 10
63 14 13 9 8
62 12 11 7 6
61 9 9 5 5
60 8 8 4 5
59 7 6 4 4
58 5 5 3 3
57 5 4 2 2
56 4 3 2 2
55 3 2 1 1
54 or below 2 2 1 1

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Table 11: Psychiatry 2016-2017
Score P 1-2 P3 P4-5 P6
100 100 100 100 100
99 100 100 100 100
98 100 100 100 100
97 100 100 100 100
96 100 100 100 100
95 100 100 100 100
94 100 100 100 100
93 100 99 99 99
92 99 99 99 98
91 99 98 98 98
90 98 97 97 96
89 97 96 96 95
88 95 94 93 93
87 93 93 91 90
86 91 89 88 87
85 88 86 84 83
84 85 83 81 79
83 81 79 76 74
82 77 75 72 69
81 71 69 66 64
80 67 64 61 59
79 62 60 56 53
78 58 55 51 49
77 52 50 46 44
76 48 45 42 40
75 43 41 37 35
74 39 37 33 31
73 34 32 29 27
72 30 28 25 23
71 26 25 21 20
70 23 21 18 17
69 20 18 15 14
68 17 16 12 12
67 14 13 11 10
66 12 11 9 8
65 10 9 7 7
64 8 8 6 5
63 7 6 5 4
62 6 5 4 3
61 4 4 3 3
60 4 3 2 2
59 3 2 2 2
58 3 2 2 1
57 2 2 1 1
56 2 1 1 1
55 1 1 1 1
54 or below 1 1 1 0

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Table 12: Surgery 2016-2017
Score P 1-2 P3 P4-5 P6
100 100 100 100 100
99 100 100 100 100
98 100 100 100 100
97 100 100 100 100
96 100 100 100 100
95 100 100 100 100
94 100 100 100 100
93 100 100 100 100
92 100 100 100 100
91 100 100 99 99
90 100 99 99 99
89 99 99 98 98
88 99 98 97 97
87 99 98 97 96
86 98 97 95 94
85 97 95 94 92
84 96 94 91 90
83 95 91 89 87
82 93 88 86 83
81 91 86 82 80
80 89 83 79 77
79 86 79 75 73
78 83 75 70 68
77 80 72 67 64
76 76 68 62 59
75 72 64 58 55
74 68 59 53 51
73 63 54 48 45
72 59 51 44 41
71 55 47 40 38
70 50 41 35 33
69 46 37 32 29
68 42 34 28 26
67 38 30 24 22
66 34 26 21 19
65 30 23 18 16
64 26 20 16 13
63 24 18 13 11
62 20 15 11 10
61 18 13 10 8
60 15 11 8 7
59 13 9 7 5
58 11 7 5 4
57 9 6 5 4
56 7 5 4 3
55 6 4 3 2
54 or below 4 3 2 2

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