Our new COMLEX interface was designed to closely mimic the NBOME COMLEX test interface. In order to help you best prepare, we have included changes to functionality like highlighting and strikethrough, as well as navigation, to closely recreate what you can expect on exam day. While we understand the new experience is not always the easiest to use, we hope that this helps you learn both the content and the interface so that you aren’t surprised by any unique platform challenges when time matters most.
This guide will provide you with a walkthrough of the test-taking experience using the COMLEX testing interface. This test taking experience is currently available for our COMLEX and COMAT banks.
Header
Within the header of the COMLEX interface, you will see the exam bank you are in along with the test, quiz, or assessment name. If the assignment is timed, you will see a clock that displays the time remaining. On the right hand side is the question you are currently on and the total number of questions on the assignment.
Question Toolbar
Below the Header is the Question Toolbar.
Comment (Feedback)
If you select “Comment” you will be prompted to share feedback with the TrueLearn team about the specific question viewing. The Comment/Feedback tool allows you to indicate a feedback type and provide more information about the comment or concern. Comments are regularly reviewed by TrueLearn content teams. The Feedback form opens in a new modal and is draggable and can be open while you interact with the question or other modals.
Highlight
If you select “Highlight” you will be able to highlight text within the question body or explanation. To highlight text, drag your cursor over text and then select the Highlight button from the Question Toolbar. Selecting already highlighted text and clicking the highlight button again will remove the highlight.
Please note: Only yellow highlight is available at this time and highlights cannot be applied to answer options.
Strikethrough
By selecting “Strikethrough” you can strikethrough an answer option that you want to eliminate by striking through the text. To use the strikethrough feature, drag your cursor over any text in an answer choice and then select the Strikethrough button from the Question Toolbar. To remove a strike through, select the answer text again and select the strikethrough button. Strikethrough is available for Multiple Choice, Multi-Select, and Matrix questions.
Calculator
For COMLEX banks, you can access a basic four function calculator within the take test interface via the Calculator button. The calculator opens in a draggable modal and can be open while you interact with the question or other modals.
Notes
Using the Notes button in the toolbar, you can add your own comments/notes to a question for future reference. These are text only and can be up to 2000 characters. Previously entered notes are hidden by default, but can be displayed and edited by selecting “Show” and “Edit Notes”. The Notes form opens in a movable modal and can be open while you interact with the question or other modals.
Change Interface
If you would like to change to a different testing interface, select the “Change Interface” button. This can be done as often as desired during a test.
Flag for Review (Mark)
You have the option to flag (mark) questions for review by selecting the button on the left hand side of the toolbar section of the COMLEX interface. Once a question has been flagged, the questions will be marker with a flag icon making it easy to return to for review either before submitting the test/quiz or after. Flagged questions may be used within the assignment for questions learners want to come back before submitting. Lastly, you ca filter questions when creating a test to just include Flagged/Marked questions.
Exhibit
Questions may also have exhibit(s) which are attached media files for questions. These can be accessed via the Exhibit button that will display when applicable. Selecting this button opens a movable modal and can be open while you interact with the question or other modals. If there are multiple exhibits, these will display as tabs within the modal. You also has the ability to click the image or the magnifying glass to open the exhibit in a larger view.
Footer
Within the footer of the COMLEX interface, learners can access the End Exam or Pause Timer functionality (where allowed), as well as navigation options including Previous, Next, and the full Navigator modal.
Pause Timer
If the assignment you are completing has been set up to allow for pause, you will see a “Pause Timer” button in the footer.
End Exam
When you select the “End Exam” button, you will first be brought to a Review Screen which lists all questions on the assignment. From here, you can see the status of a question (Complete, Incomplete, Unseen), and if it has been flagged or has Notes associated. You can then choose to Review the questions by status (All, Incomplete, Flagged). Please note, this will not provide the full TrueLearn review with explanations and correct answers displayed, rather it is an option to go through the questions one last time before submitting the assignment. Selecting “End Review” will bring up the confirmation modal and if the full Review is available for the selected assignment, you will have the option to review your results.
Navigator
Users can navigate between consecutive questions using the Previous and Next buttons. Like the actual exam, there is also a Navigator Modal that opens the full list of questions.
From the Navigator, you can select a specific question to be brought directly to that questions. You can also see the status of a question (Complete, Incomplete, Unseen), and if it has been flagged or has Notes associated. The Navigator modal is moveable and can be open while the you interact with the question or other modals.
COMLEX Level 3 CDM Questions
If you are in the COMLEX Level 3 bank and on a CDM question, some additional functionality is available.
Lab Panels
Selecting the Lab Panels button opens a modal that displays all of the available panels that can be requested to answer a question. This is a moveable modal and can be open while you interact with the question or other modals.
Instructions
The Instructions button opens a modal that provides you the same instructions that will be available during CDM questions on the actual exam. There is an additional section that calls out any differences in functionality between the TrueLearn COMLEX testing interface and the actual exam so you can be fully prepared. This is a moveable modal and can be open while you interact with the question or other modals.
Restricted Navigation
CDM questions are all multi-part questions where the question header appears in the left panel, while the question part displays in the right panel. Once you move to a subsequent part, additional information is provided to move you through a clinical scenario. Answers to previous parts cannot be changed once you have seen any subsequent parts. You will be prompted as you progress to confirm you want to move forward. If you select a later part of a question from the Navigator when you haven’t seen the first steps, you will also be prompted with a confirmation modal to see if you want to mark earlier parts as blank/incorrect.
Tutor Mode
Show Explanation
If your test or quiz has been set up in Tutor Mode you’ll have the option to view answer explanations. When using tutor mode, you will see a ‘Show Explanation’ button for each question that opens the answer and explanation for a question once selected. Once the explanation is displayed, the answer choice can no longer be changed, even if it was originally left blank. The explanation opens in a right-hand side panel and can be collapsed by selecting Hide Explanation. It includes information about the correct and incorrect answers, a bottom line (key takeaway), additional references, as well as information on what topic and category the question belongs to. You can use the highlight functionality within the explanation as well.
Performance
Once the explanation is displayed from within Tutor Mode, you can view information on how other students performed on the same question, including the distribution of answer selections nationwide and the total % of learners that answered a question correctly. This performance data differs slightly depending on the question type.
Rating
Once an explanation is displayed from within Tutor Mode, you can rate the question with a thumbs up or thumbs down. This provides additional data to our content teams about what questions learners find most helpful.
