Advanced Dental Admission Test
Giuliana Di Piazza
The Advanced Dental Admission Test (ADAT) is a new computer-based
examination that will provide advanced dental education programs with insight
on an applicant’s potential success in their program. This particular test is a
new examination program developed by the American Dental Association (ADA). The
test was created by experts in dental subject matter and will provide
quantitative data regarding applicants by using a nationally standardized and
objective test.
Since
January 1, 2012, the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations switched
from reporting a score for the NBDE Part I and Part II tests to as pass/fail
exam. In addition, many dental schools have also started using a pass/fail
system of reporting grades instead of using GPAs. With these changes, it has
made it more difficult for advanced dental education programs to compare
program-seeking applicants. There has been a concern expressed by both dental
students and program directors on how qualifications of applicants will be assessed
by admissions committees.
The ADAT
was partially developed by a survey given to dental students who were the last
class to take the score-based NBDE Part 1 and the first class to take the
pass/fail NBDE Part 1. Eighty percent of respondents expressed an interest in
having some sort of score-based exam. Students felt their chances of getting an
interview at an advanced specialty program without any kind of standardized
measure would hurt their chances.
Candidates
taking the ADAT will include those who are seeking admissions into advanced
dental education programs. These candidates will include current 3rd
or 4th year dental students, US dentists interested in post-graduate
training, and international dental students or graduates applying to advanced
dental education programs.
Actual
content of the ADAT will be broken down into critical thinking, professional
ethics, and patient management. The contents of critical thinking will be
further broken down into biomedical sciences, clinical sciences, as well as
data and research interpretation. There will be a total of 200 questions and
the breakdown is as follows: Biomedical sciences (80 questions), clinical
sciences (60 questions), data and research interpretation (30 questions), and
professional ethics and patient management (30 questions).
Test Construction
Committees (TCC) have been created for each section of the ADAT. TCC members
will be made annually on the basis of the ADA’s Department of Testing Services
(DTS). The TCCs will utilize existing guidelines from the DTS Item Writing
Guidelines. Most likely test changes will occur over time and will be based off
recommendations from the TCCs, and final approvals will be given by the ADA’s
Council on Dental Education and Licensure (CDEL).
The testing
format is still in the pilot form but will be as follows:
ADAT Testing Schedule (Pilot)
Tutorial | 15 minutes |
Session One- 110 items Biomedical
Sciences Data and Research
Interpretation | 1 hour, 50 minutes |
Scheduled Break | 30 minutes |
Session Two – 90 items Clinical Sciences Professional Ethics
and Patient Management | 1 hour, 30 minutes |
Post-exam survey | 15 minutes |
Total | 4 hours, 20 minutes |
Scoring
will be based on a scaled system in a range from 200 to 800 with a target mean
of 500 and a standard deviation of 100. Scores will be reported in increments
of 10. There will be six scales in which scores will be reported:
- ADAT Score: an overall score that is computed
based on performance on all ADAT items.
- Critical Thinking
- Professional Ethics and Patient Management
- Biomedical Sciences
- Clinical Sciences
- Data and Research Interpretation
Upon completion of the exam, the
number of correct responses will not be reported, and there will not be
immediate test feedback for examinees. Quantitative scores can be reported to
programs of the applicant’s choice.
The ADAT is
anticipated to be administered twice per year during testing windows. It is
believed testing windows will lessen the possibility of test content security
breaches. Initial testing dates will be in May 2016, August 2016, April 2017,
and July 2017. The ADAT will be available for two one-week periods. For instance,
the first and third week of each month indicated above.
While the
ADAT is still in its pilot form, it is anticipated that this test will become
the standard for students applying to advanced dental education programs. As
the pilot form is being released, many changes will most likely occur as the
ADAT continues to be developed. This test will hopefully provide a more
standardized measurement for both applicants and advanced dental education
programs.
The
American Dental Association (ADA) has posted the list of the advanced dental
education programs that require applicants to take the ADAT for the 2016-2017 application
cycle. The ADAT participation list includes schools that “require,” “accept,”
and “do not accept” ADAT across the U.S. These advanced dental education
programs include advanced education in general dentistry, dental
anesthesiology, endodontics, general practice residency, oral and maxillofacial
surgery, orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics, pediatric dentistry, and
periodontics.
The list for the advanced dental education
programs can be found here.