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There are several rules and updates that are new for the ADA NBDHE effective January 1st, 2012.
Candidates will only have 5 attempts or 5 years to pass the national Board exam, whichever comes first. The ADA does not make any notations of what will happen once that occurs, though. Throughout my years of mentoring students, I have come across several students who were on their 6th, 7th and yes, even 8th time taking the Board exam!
This does NOT include attempts taken prior to January 1st, 2012!
The majority of students who have trouble passing the Board after multiple attempts are students who English is their second language. The Board is very tricky with their wording and memorizing facts instead of application of material is a big mistake. To do well on the exam, you need to really comprehend, understand and critically think through the information you have learned. If you only memorize, that will not be enough to pass the exam.
In 2012 and thereafter, each Board score a student receives will be displayed on their score sheet. This means if it takes you four attempts to pass the board, all of your previous scores will also be listed. This information will also be sent to your state dental board. Also, if you were to apply to go to dental school, the failed attempts will also be on that report – therefore seriously hindering your chances of acceptance.
One MAJOR chance for January 1st, 2012 is that scores will only be reported as Pass/Fail. Now you will no longer know how well you did on the exam. This is a big mistake in my opinion. Program directors need a way to gauge their student’s education and ability on the exam. If a school with 15 students all get a pass grade and they really all made a 75-79 yet another school with 15 students all received a pass grade and there students all averaged 90-95… don’t you think this would be valuable information? The ADA does a lot of things to irritate me and this is another one of them. Student’s numerical grades mean a lot for faculty and for the students themselves. Just imagine if you were one of the ones who failed the exam. Wouldn’t you want to know if you made a 74 versus a 60? It’s a big difference!
If a student does not pass the exam, they must wait 90 days before retaking the exam. If they do not pass after the third time, they must wait 12 months before retaking the exam.
NEW FOR 2012!
The ADA NBDHE now has some new question types. I will give examples of them below.
A) Completion-type items
Example:
A primary molar is holding the place for:
A) 6
B) 8
C)13
D)27
Answer is C. The question poses the problem or what is being asked with the choices being the possible answers. Currently, there will only be from 3-5 answer choices for this type of question.
Question-type gives a problem and a set of solutions
Example –
Which of the following muscles causes the tongue to extend out of the mouth?
A)Genioglossus
B) Styloglossus
C) Myloglossus
D) All of the above
Answer is A. I always think of this as being a student in school. I think of a nerd in class sticking his tongue out saying “I’m smarter than you”… meaning they think they are a genius and are sticking their tongue out. Genius/genioglossus.
Negative items. This is basically just a question and “all of the following, except” type.
Example: All of the following are examples of primary molars except one. Which one is the exeption?
A)A
B) B
C) K
D) M
Answer – D. I came up with a good way to remember primary molars. First molars are BILS. Second molars are AJKT. How can you remember that? Think of when you get your paycheck you need to pay your BILS (bills) FIRST and then your kids come SECOND. Your kids names are AJ and Katie (pronounced K-T)! Centrals are EFOP. I think of efin’ opie! Pronounced EF and OP.
Paired True-False
These are questions that only a portion of it is correct. These questions are like two in one.
Example: The enamel is the hardest substance in the human body because enamel consists of more Hyrdrogen ions.
A. Both statements are true.
B. Both statements are false.
C. The first statement is true, the second is false.
D. The first statement is false, the second is true.
Answer C. When you are reading these types of questions, use your dry erase board to write down either a T or F. If the first part is True then put a T if the second part is false, then write an F. In this case it was a TF so the answer is C.
Cause and Effect questions.
These questions have two separate statements connected by “because”. Then you have to determine if they are both correct and related or not.
Example: Streptococcus mutans is a major causative agent in the formation
of caries because S. mutans adheres to hard surfaces.
A. Both the statement and reason are correct and related.
B. Both the statement and reason are correct but NOT related.
C. The statement is correct, but the reason is NOT.
D. The statement is NOT correct, but the reason is correct.
E. NEITHER the statement NOR the reason is correct.
Answer is A
New for 2012!
Multple Correct Answers – Oh how we hate these!
These questions will provide a list of possible answers and more than one will be correct. Thankfully these questions will be obvious that they have more than one answer because they will say “from the following list”, or “Choose all of the following”
Choose the following that are primary molars:
A)A
B) B
C) K
D) M
Answer is of course A, B, C
Extended Matching
These questions are like the old style we all had in middle and high school. They give a list on the left followed by a list on the right and we match them. The only problem is that this is the ADA and they don’t make things easy! They will give more possible answers to match than there are questions. For instance if they ask for 7 things to match, they might have 10 choices. This is really needing to answer 7 questions in one and only getting credit as if you got one right!
For each symptom listed below, select the correct disorder from the
list provided.
Symptom Disorder
___ 1. Hairy leukoplakia a. Epilepsy
___ 2. Shuffling, slow gait b. Tuberculosis
___ 3. Inflammation of the liver c. Cystic fibrosis
___ 4. Supply of oxygen to brain is disrupted d. Parkinson's Disease
___ 5. Infectious disease that affects the lungs e. Hepatitis
___ 6. Recurrent or chronic brain dysfunction f. Stroke
___ 7. Inherited disorder of the exocrine glands g. HIV/AIDS
Ordering – These are questions that you see a group of things and you must order them.
Example: Order the blood flow from the heart to the lungs.
A) Lungs
B) Right Atrium
C) Pulmonary artery
D) Right ventricle
D) Superior and inferior vena cavae
Board Strategies
The most important thing you can do is to ignore your fears and jump into
the test
Immediately- do not be overwhelmed
by any strange-sounding terms. You have
to jump into the test like jumping into a pool- all at once is the easiest way.
Make Predictions
As you read and understand the
question, try to guess what the answer will be.
Remember that several of the
answer choices are wrong, and once you begin
reading them, your mind will
immediately become cluttered with answer choices
designed to throw you off. Your
mind is typically the most focused immediately
after you have read the question
and digested its contents. If you can, try to
predict what the correct answer
will be. You may be surprised at what you can
predict.
Quickly scan the choices and
see if your prediction is in the listed answer
choices. If it is, then you can
be quite confident that you have the right answer.
It still won't hurt to check
the other answer choices, but most of the time, you've
got it!
Answer the Question
It may seem obvious to only pick
answer choices that answer the question, but
the test writers can create some
excellent answer choices that are wrong!. Don't
pick an answer that just because
it sounds right, or you believe it to be true. It MUST
pick an answer just because it
sounds right, or you believe it to be true. It MUST
answer the question. Once you've
made your selection, always go back and
check it against the question
and make sure that you didn't misread the question,
and the answer choice does answer
the question that was posed.
and the answer choice does answer the question posed.
Benchmark
After you read the first answer
choice, decide if you think it sounds correct or not.
If it doesn't, move on to the
next answer choice. If it does, mentally mark that
answer choice. This doesn't mean
that you've definitely selected it as your
answer choice, it just means
that it's the best you've seen thus far. Go ahead
and read the next choice. If
the next choice is worse than the one you've already
selected, keep going to the next
answer choice. If the next choice is better than
the choice you've already selected,
mentally mark the new answer choice as
your best guess.
The first answer choice that
you select becomes your standard. Every other
answer choice must be benchmarked
against that standard. That choice is
correct until proven otherwise
by another answer choice beating it out. Once
you've decided that no other
answer choice seems as good, do one final check
to ensure that your answer choice answers the question posed.
Valid Information
Don't discount any of the information
provided in the question. Every piece of
information may be necessary
to determine the correct answer. None of the
information in the question is
there to throw you off (while the answer choices will
certainly have information to
throw you off). If two seemingly unrelated topics are
discussed, don't ignore either.
You can be confident there is a relationship, or it
wouldn't be included in the question,
and you are probably going to have to
determine what is that relationship to find the answer.
Avoid "Fact Traps"
Don't get distracted by a choice
that is factually true. Your search is for the
answer that answers the question.
Stay focused and don't fall for an answer that
is true but incorrect. Always
go back to the question and make sure you're
choosing an answer that actually
answers the question and is not just a true
statement. An answer can be factually
correct, but it MUST answer the question
asked. Additionally, two answers
can both be seemingly correct, so be sure to
read all of the answer choices,
and make sure that you get the one that BEST
answers the question.
Milk the Question
Some of the questions may throw
you completely off. They might deal with a
subject you have not been exposed
to, or one that you haven't reviewed in years.
While your lack of knowledge
about the subject will be a hindrance, the question
itself can give you many clues
that will help you find the correct answer. Read
the question carefully and look
for clues. Watch particularly for adjectives and
nouns describing difficult terms
or words that you don't recognize. Regardless of
if you completely understand
a word or not, replacing it with a synonym either
provided or one you more familiar
with may help you to understand what the
questions are asking. Rather
than wracking your mind about specific detailed
information concerning a difficult
term or word, try to use mental substitutes that
are easier to understand.
The Trap of Familiarity
Don't just choose a word because
you recognize it. On difficult questions, you
may not recognize a number of
words in the answer choices. The test writers
dont normally put "make-believe"
words on the test; so don't think that just becuase you
only recognize all the words
in one answer choice means that answer choice
must be correct. If you only
recognize words in one answer choice, then focus
on that one. Is it correct? Try
your best to determine if it is correct. If it is, that is
great, but if it doesn't then
eliminate it! Each word and answer choice you eliminate
increases your chances of getting
the question correct, even if you then have to
guess among the unfamiliar choices.
Eliminate Answers
Eliminate choices as soon as
you realize they are wrong. But be careful! Make
sure you consider all of the
possible answer choices. Just because one appears
right, doesn't mean that the
next one won't be even better! The test writers will
usually put more than one good
answer choice for every question, so read all of
them. Don't worry if you are
stuck between two that seem right. By getting down
to just two remaining possible
choices, your odds are now 50/50. Rather than
wasting too much time, play the
odds. You are guessing, but guessing wisely,
because you've been able to
knock out some of the answer choices that you
know are wrong. If you are eliminating
choices and realize that the last answer
choice you are left with is
also obviously wrong, don't panic. Start over and
consider each choice again. There
may easily be something that you missed the
first time and will realize on the second pass.
Tough Questions
If you are stumped on a problem
or it appears too hard or too difficult, don't
waste time. Move on! Remember
though, if you can quickly check for obviously
incorrect answer choices, your
chances of guessing correctly are greatly
improved. Before you completely
give up, at least try to knock out a couple of
possible answers. Eliminate what
you can and then guess at the remaining
answer choices before moving on.
Brainstorm
If you get stuck on a difficult
question, spend a few seconds quickly
brainstorming. Run through the
complete list of possible answer choices. Look
at each choice and ask yourself,
"Could this answer the question satisfactorily?"
Go through each answer choice
and consider it independently of the other. By
systematically going through
all possibilities, you may find something that you
would otherwise overlook. Remember
that when you get stuck, it's important to
try to keep moving!
Read Carefully
Understand the problem. Read
the question and answer choices carefully. Don't
miss the question because you
misread the terms. You have plenty of time to
read each question thoroughly
and make sure you understand what is being
asked. Yet, a happy medium must
be attained, so don't waste too much time.
You must read carefully, but efficiently.
Face Value
When in doubt, use common sense.
Always accept the situation in the problem
at face value. Don't read too
much into it. These problems will not require you to
make huge leaps of logic. The
test writers aren't trying to throw you off with a
cheap trick. If you have to go
beyond creativity and make a leap of logic in order
to have an answer choice answer
the question, then you should look at the other
answer choices. Don't overcomplicate
the problem by creating theoretical
relationships or explanations
that will warp time or space. These are normal
problems rooted in reality. It's
just that the applicable relationship or explanation
may not be readily apparent and
you have to figure things out. Use your common
sense to interpret anything that isn't clear.
Prefixes
If you're having trouble with
a word in the question or answer choices, try
dissecting it. Take advantage
of every clue that the word might include. Prefixes
and suffixes can be a huge help.
Usually they allow you to determine a basic
meaning. Pre- means before, post-
means after, pro - is positive, de- is negative.
From these prefixes and suffixes,
you can get an idea of the general meaning of
the word and try to put it into
context. Beware though of any traps. Just because
con is the opposite of pro,
doesn't necessarily mean congress is the opposite of
progress!
Hedge Phrases
Watch out for critical "hedge"
phrases, such as likely, may, can, will often
sometimes, often, almost, mostly,
usually, generally, rarely, sometimes.
Question writers insert these
hedge phrases to cover every possibility. Often an
answer choice will be wrong simply
because it leaves no room for exception.
Avoid answer choices that have definitive words like "exactly," and "always".
Switchback Words
Stay alert for "switchbacks".
These are words and phrases frequently used to
alert you to shifts in thought.
The most common switchback word is "but".
Others include although, however,
nevertheless, on the other hand, even though,
while, in spite of, despite, regardless of.
New Information
Correct answer choices will rarely
have completely new information included.
Answer choices typically are
straightforward reflections of the material asked
about and will directly relate
to the question. If a new piece of information is
included in an answer choice
that doesn't even seem to relate to the topic being
asked about, then that answer
choice is likely incorrect. All of the information
needed to answer the question
is usually provided for you, and so you should not
have to make guesses that are
unsupported or choose answer choices that
require unknown information that cannot be reasoned on its own.
Time Management
On technical questions, don't
get lost on the technical terms. Don't spend too
much time on any one question.
If you don't know what a term means, then
since you don't have a dictionary,
odds are you aren't going to get much further.
You should immediately recognize
terms as whether or not you know them. If
you don't, work with the other
clues that you have, the other answer choices and
terms provided, but don't waste too much time trying to figure out a difficult term.
Contextual Clues
Look for contextual clues. An
answer can be right but not correct. The
contextual clues will help you
find the answer that is most right and is correct.
Understand the context in which
a phrase or statement is made. This will help
you make important distinctions.
Don't Panic!
Panicking will not answer any
questions for you. Therefore, it isn't helpful. When
you first see the question, if
your mind goes blank, take a deep breath. Force
yourself to mechanically go through
the steps of solving the problem and using
the strategies you've learned.
Pace Yourself
Don't get clock fever. It's
easy to be overwhelmed when you're looking at a page
full of questions, your mind
is full of random thoughts and feeling confused, and
the clock is ticking down faster
than you would like. Calm down and maintain the
pace that you have set for yourself.
As long as you are on track by monitoring
your pace, you are guaranteed
to have enough time for yourself. When you get
to the few minutes of the test,
it may seem like you won't have enough time
left, but if you only have as
many questions as you should have left at that point,
then you're right on track!
Answer Selection
The best way to pick an answer
choice is to eliminate all of those that are wrong,
until only one is left and confirm
that is the correct answer. Sometimes though,
an answer choice may immediately
look right. Be careful! Take a second to
make sure that the other choices
are not equally obvious. Don't make a hasty
mistake. There are only two times
that you should stop before checking other
answers. First is when you are
positive that the answer choice you have
selected is correct. Second is
when time is almost out and you have to make a
quick guess!
Check Your Work
Since you will probably not know
every term listed and the answer to every
question, it is important that
you get credit for the ones that you do know. Don't
miss any questions through careless
mistakes. If at all possible, try to take a
second to look back over your
answer selection and make sure you've selected
the correct answer choice and
haven't made a costly careless mistake (such as
marking an answer choice that
you didn't mean to mark). This quick double
check should more than pay for itself in caught mistakes for the time it costs.
Beware of Directly Quoted
Answers
Sometimes an answer choice will
repeat word for word a portion of the question
or reference section. However,
beware of such exact duplication - it may be a
trap! More than likely, the correct
choice will paraphrase or summarize a point,
rather than being exactly the same wording.
Slang
Scientific sounding answers are better than slang ones. An answer choice that
begins "To compare the outcomes..." is much more likely to be correct than one
that begins "Because some people insisted..."
Extreme Statements
Avoid wild answers that throw out highly controversial ideas that are proclaimed
an established fact. An answer choice that states the "process should used in
certain situations, if..." is much more likely to be correct than one that states the
"process should be discontinued completely." The first is a calm rational
statement and doesn't even make a definitive, uncompromising stance, using a
hedge word "if" to provide wiggle room, whereas the second choice is a radical
idea and far more extreme.
Answer Choice Families
When you have two or more answer
choices that are direct opposites or
parallels, one of them is usually the correct answer. For instance, if one answer
choice states "x increases" and another answer choice states "x decreases" or "y
increases," then those two or three answer choices are very similar in
choices is when two or three answer choices are very similar in construction, and
yet often have a directly opposite meaning. Usually the correct answer choice
will be in that family of answer choices. The "odd man out" or answer choice that
doesn't seem to fit the parallel construction of the other answer choices is more
construction of the other answer
choices is more likely to be incorrect.
