NBDE Part 1 Guide

Read this Guide before submitting an application to test.
Please Read!

         You are required to read this document before you apply to take the examination.  At the time of application, you will be required to confirm that you have read this document, understood its contents, and agree to the policies and procedures contained herein. You will be subject to the policies and procedures in effect at the time you test. 

           
Dental Licensure and the NBDE 

Licensure of dentists in the United States is the responsibility of an individual state, district, or dependency.  A license issued by one such jurisdiction is applicable only within the geographic confines of that particular jurisdiction.  Agencies in state government that administer dental licensure under laws adopted by state legislatures typically are called state boards of dentistry.  A list of state boards can be found at www.dentalboards.org.
Specific dental licensure requirements vary among jurisdictions, but all jurisdictions have three basic requirements: an educational requirement, a written examination requirement, and a clinical examination requirement.  All jurisdictions accept graduation from a dental school accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) as fulfilling the educational requirement.  Most jurisdictions also accept graduation from a Canadian dental school accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada (CDAC).
The NBDE Part I is intended to fulfill or partially fulfill the written examination requirement, but acceptance of NBDE results is completely at the discretion of the individual state.  A state may place any limit on acceptance of NBDE results that it deems appropriate.  For example, some states accept NBDE results only if earned within the last five to 10 years.
The Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE) is the agency responsible for the development and administration of the National Board Dental Examinations.  This 15- member Commission includes representatives of dental schools, dental practice, state dental examining boards, dental hygiene, dental students, and the public.    Clinical examinations may be conducted by state boards of dentistry, or by regional or independent clinical testing agencies.

Purpose of the National Board Dental Examinations

The purpose of the NBDE Part I and NBDE Part II is to assist state boards in determining qualifications of dentists who seek licensure to practice dentistry.  The examinations assess the ability to understand important information from basic biomedical and dental sciences, and the ability to apply such information in a problem-solving context.

Recognition of the NBDE Certification

Currently, all United States licensing jurisdictions recognize NBDE results.  These jurisdictions include all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands of the United States.

Scope of the Examination

The NBDE Part I is a comprehensive examination.  The NBDE Part I is comprised of 400 multiple-choice items, which are evenly distributed across Anatomic Sciences, Biochemistry- Physiology, Microbiology-Pathology, and Dental Anatomy and Occlusion.  Approximately 20% of the items are grouped in testlets with interdisciplinary focus and clinical application.
 
Examination items are selected by test construction committees composed of subject-matter experts in accordance with examination specifications approved by the JCNDE.

The American Dental Association Universal/National tooth notation system is used on all National Board Dental Examinations.  This system is a sequential tooth numbering system, designating the permanent dentition (numbers 1-32), and the primary dentition (letters A-T).  

Test Specifications

The NBDE Part I consists of 400 test items.    For each discipline, approximately 80% of the items are intermingled, discipline-based and approximately 20% are interdisciplinary testlet- based items.  A testlet consists of a patient scenario/history and a set of items from the various disciplines that are associated with the scenario.  The test items for the NBDE Part I are drawn from the following disciplines:


• Anatomic Sciences
• Biochemistry-Physiology    
• Microbiology-Pathology
• Dental Anatomy and Occlusion  


One item from each of the disciplines listed above will be designated for the testlets under the topic, Professional Ethics/ Patient Management. These items will require a basic understanding of professional ethical principles in patient management.

A detail on what topics should be focused more from each of the respective subjects:

BIOCHEMISTRY-PHYSIOLOGY [100 items]

1.0. Biological  Compounds [10]
2.0. Metabolism [17]
3.0. Molecular and Cellular Biology [9]
4.0. Connective Tissues [8]
5.0. Membranes [4]
6.0. Nervous System [6]
7.0. Muscle [6]
8.0. Circulation [9]
9.0. Respiration [6]
10.0. Renal [8]  
11.0. Oral Physiology [3]
12.0. Digestion [5]
13.0. Endocrines [8]
14.0. Professional Ethics/Patient Management [1]

ANATOMIC SCIENCES [100 items] 

1.0. Gross Anatomy* [49]
2.0. Histology [23]
3.0. Oral Histology [16]
4.0. Developmental Biology [11]
5.0. Professional Ethics/Patient Management [1]

*The following topics will be considered under each category of gross anatomy.
Bone; muscles; fascia, nerves (peripheral and autonomic); arteries, veins, and lymphatics; spaces and cavities; joints and ligaments; and endocrines and exocrines.

MICROBIOLOGY-PATHOLOGY [100 items]

1.0. General Microbiology [20]
2.0. Reactions of Tissue to Injury [10] 
3.0. Immunology and Immunopathology (at least 3 on oral immunology) [13]  
4.0. Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology of Specific Infectious Diseases (at least 8 on oral diseases) [22] 
5.0. Systemic Pathology [22] 
6.0. Growth Disturbances [12] 
7.0. Professional Ethics/Patient Management [1]

DENTAL ANATOMY AND OCCLUSION [100 items]

1.0. Tooth Morphology [43] 
2.0. Pulp Cavity Morphology [5]
3.0. Calcification and Eruption [6] 
4.0. Principles of Occlusion and Function [37]  
5.0. Clinical Considerations—Tooth Morphology and Anomalies [8] 
6.0. Professional Ethics/Patient Management [1] 

Tutorial  

A tutorial is available at www.ADA.org to familiarize you with the mechanics of taking the NBDE Part I.  The tutorial provides the opportunity to become familiar with the steps involved in proceeding through the examination.   At the Prometric Test Center, you will be able to take a brief optional tutorial before beginning the actual examination. 

Test Drive 

Additionally, you may become familiar with the testing experience through the Prometric Test Drive. In 30 minutes, you will experience an overview of the testing experience you will encounter on the actual testing day. During the overview, you may participate in: 
• The scheduling and registration process 
• The complete check-in process  
• Introduction to test center staff and surroundings 
• A live 15-minute sample test (generic test not NBDE Part I) to experience the testing process • Full preparation for the real examination  

Visit www.prometric.com/TestDrive/default.htm for further details and pricing. 

Scoring  

A candidate’s total score is computed by the total number of correct answers selected by the candidate. The total score is then converted to a scale score, which adjusts for any minor differences in difficulty across NBDE Part I forms. Scale scores range from 49 to 99, with a score of 75 representing the minimum passing score (regardless of the particular test form completed by the candidate).  Because the NBDE Part I is a criterion-referenced examination, the minimum passing score is determined by experts through standard setting activities. 

Reporting  

The results for the NBDE Part I will be reported as pass/fail only for candidates who pass the test.   For remediation purposes, candidates who fail the examination will receive numerical scores for each of the major disciplines covered on the test. Please note that if you tested prior to 2012, your numerical scores for prior attempts will still be reported.   
The status of “pass” is reported if you achieved a standard score of 75 or higher. The status of “fail” is reported if you achieved a standard score below 75; if you fail the exam, you are required to repeat the examination.
  

Reports

Results are mailed approximately three weeks after the examination. JCNDE regulations prohibit reporting results by telephone, fax, email, or in person.  
 By signing the application, a candidate enrolled in an accredited dental school (or graduated within the last five years) gives express permission to provide results to the dean of the dental school. The results are provided to others only if permission is granted in the form of a report request from the candidate. If misconduct has occurred in a past administration, your score report may contain information concerning the incident (see Testing Irregularities and Misconduct). 

If your address changes after you submit your application and before you receive your score report, you must update your DENTPIN record and notify the JCNDE at nbexams@ada.org. Updates you make in the DENTPIN® system do not automatically update your testing application or score report request.
After receiving your score report, you may request that additional reports be sent to other entities.  You should confirm the accuracy of your score report request.  Processing of additional requests requires approximately three weeks.  Fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.  A score report request form is available at www.ADA.org. The JCNDE will provide a history of your results (recent and previous) for the NBDE Part I and Part II to state boards of dentistry.

Results Audits  

As a routine part of the overall validation process, the responses from the NBDE Part I are audited for accuracy before score reports are distributed.  However, you may make a request via form available at www.ADA.org, to have your examination responses audited, or re-checked for accuracy.  There is an additional charge for this service (see the Testing Fees section of this Guide). Audits require approximately six to eight weeks to complete and must be requested within 30 days of the reporting date on the official score report.

Test Centers

The NBDE Part I is administered by Prometric, Inc. at Prometric Test Centers in the United States, its territories (including Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands), and in Canada.  After your application has been processed, you will receive an email informing you to visit www.prometric.com or to call 800.688.5804 to schedule a testing appointment.  The Prometric Contact Center will schedule your testing appointment at one of the Prometric Test Centers.  The Prometric Contact Center will NOT schedule a candidate before receiving authorization from the JCNDE.  Additionally, local test centers cannot schedule, reschedule, or cancel appointments.
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