ADEX Clinical Exams

ADEX - American Board of Dental Examiners

"The American Board of Dental Examiners is a test development board serving its member state dental boards in developing valid and reliable initial licensure examinations in dentistry and dental hygiene."

The ADEX exam is composed of 5 stand alone examinations:

1. Computerized Examination in Applied Diagnosis and Treatment Planning

2. Endodontic Clinical Examination, manikin-based.

3.Fixed Prosthodontic Clinical Examination, manikin-based.

4. Restorative Clinical Examination, patient-based.

5. Periodontal Clinical Examination, patient-based.

Scoring of ADLEX: (from the ADEX site)

• Criterion-Based Analytical Scoring Rubric:
• More detailed feedback.
• More consistent scoring.
• Allows for the separate evaluation of factors.
• Evaluation of all gradable criteria.
• Scoring methodologies were developed with consultation from the Buros Institute, University of Nebraska and the Rand Institute with input from studies completed by testing specialists from the University of Chicago.
• Three (3) independent raters evaluate all measurable criteria.
• Median score is utilized when there are no matching scores; all zeros must be independently corroborated to be utilized as a critical deficiency.
• Performance criteria-based scoring will be provided to both the candidate and the dental school so that appropriate remediation can be completed prior to a retake when required.
• Clinical sections utilize compensatory grading with critical errors within a skill set.
• No grading across skills.
• Critical errors are those performance deficiencies that would cause treatment to fail. A critical error forces a failure on that skill set examination. Not all criteria have critical errors.

Where can you take this exam?

"The ADEX is a national test development corporation that develops the ADEX dental and dental hygiene clinical licensure examination. ADEX has thirty (30) member states and two (2) participating Regional Testing Agencies. The ADEX exams are administered by Nevada, and the NERB and SRTA regional testing agencies. By contacting these testing agencies, they will direct you to the schedule of examinations being administered by that testing agency during the current exam season. You will then have an opportunity to select the particular exam sight that best fits your needs. Contact information can be found at adex.org. ADEX in its quest for a uniform national examination continues to make progress toward its goal. New locations for the administration of both dental and dental hygiene examinations are added on every year."