The course I took to prepare for my DANB examination did not cover all the material that was on the exam. Why?
I purchased an exam review book from some place other than DANB. It was expensive and did not look anything like the exam. Why?
The questions on the examination were worded strangely and were unclear. It often seemed like there was more than one correct answer. Why?
How do I interpret my overall score?
How do I interpret my subtest performance results?
How many questions do I have to answer correctly in order to pass?
Four to six weeks is a long time to wait for written test results. Why does it take so long?
Four hours seems too long to sit and take an exam. Why is it so long?
I really studied for this test but still didn’t pass it. Is there any way that I can have my results checked over by hand?
The course I took to prepare for my DANB examination did not cover all the material that was on the exam. Why?
DANB does not develop, review, or sponsor any preparation courses and therefore cannot dictate what courses should or should not teach. A detailed exam blueprint is available for each of the national DANB exams. These blueprints include all materials that MAY BE included on the exams. A brief blueprint is provided in each of the DANB Exam Candidate Guides. Course providers and dental assisting programs prepare their own content coverage that may or may not reflect that of the DANB exam. If you feel material on the exam was not covered in your course, you may wish to speak with the course provider and share your observations.
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I purchased an exam review book from some place other than DANB. It was expensive and did not look anything like the exam. Why?
DANB neither reviews nor approves any preparation books or materials not developed by DANB. Candidates can find a list of reference sources in each Candidate Guide to assist in exam preparation. These lists, however, do not include all textbooks that could be helpful in preparing for the examinations, nor are they intended to be endorsements of the publications listed. Claims made by publishers or authors that “this book will prepare you for a DANB exam” can be neither confirmed nor denied by DANB. Study aids that have been developed by DANB to assist with exam preparation are The DANB Review, the Task Analysis, and the Glossary of Dental Assisting Terms.
The DANB Review is an important study tool as part of the exam preparation process. It is designed to help the candidate become familiar with how DANB Exam Committees construct the exams and provides a better understanding of what may be on the exam. Inside the pages of The DANB Review, a candidate will find the complete exam blueprint for each of the national DANB exams, in addition to 250 practice questions. Not only are the answers to the questions given, but so is a rationale for each answer. Textbook references are also included. These study tools are designed to help the candidate feel comfortable with the exam format and the type of material they should become familiar with as they use this study guide along with other sources to prepare for the exam. The DANB Review is divided into review sections (chapters) for each of the national DANB Certification component exams: General Chairside (GC), Infection Control (ICE), Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) and Orthodontic Assisting (OA) exams.
The Glossary of Dental Terms is a smart study companion to The DANB Review. This reference tool will help familiarize candidates with applied practical and clinical dental terminology they may encounter on the DANB exam, as well as in the office/clinical setting. DANB's Glossary is a great addition to any dental assisting library.
DANB's Task Analysis is the foundation for DANB's national exams. Based on empirical research, it provides blueprints for all of the tasks performed by dental assistants and orthodontic assistants. DANB item writers and test construction committee members use this publication as the basis for test question/exam development. The Task Analysis for each exam is regularly updated through national surveys.
It is not necessary to use any of these books in order to pass any of the national DANB exams, and conversely, reading all of these books will not guarantee that a passing score will be achieved. Between 60 and 90% of DANB exam candidates pass a DANB exam each year; the percentage varies depending on the year and the exam component. Candidates should also rely on their educational background as well as their practical experience to prepare for the exams.
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The questions on the examination were worded strangely and were unclear. It often seemed like there was more than one correct answer. Why?
Each item appearing on a DANB examination has been reviewed by leading national content experts for clarity and accuracy. THe goal of all DANB exams is to assess knowledge, not confuse candidates. Sometimes, however, an answer choice may be partly correct but not the best answer. Candidates are instructed to choose the best correct answer to each question. Items are not written to confuse or to trick anyone. DANB advises that a candidate should guard against feeling they will be "tricked," for this may cause them to overanalyze and lose focus.
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How do I interpret my overall score?
DANB computes an overall score for each candidate. Passing and failing decisions are based upon this TOTAL score. An overall scaled score of 400 is needed to pass the exam. A simple formula is used to convert cumulative exam "raw scores" to scaled scores. Scaled scores have many advantages, among the most popular:
Scaled scores are stable from year to year. Instead of shifting percentages, which may vary from year to year because of changes in the difficulty of the exam, scaled scores remain on the same linear ruler year to year. For example when using percentages, if a test is composed of easier items one year the pass point may be answering 75% or more of the questions correctly. If the next year’s exam is composed of harder items the pass point may be answering 70% or more of the questions correctly. A scaled score of 400 represents a passing score now, and in the future. This makes interpretation by candidates easier.
Scaled scores are more familiar to most students/examinees. As more and more institutions (most notably the Educational Testing Service) report in scaled scores, candidates quickly understand their meaning. For instance, the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) reports on a scale from 100 to 800.
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How do I interpret my subtest performance results?
DANB provides three descriptions for subtest performance: "Low Average," "Average," "High Average." DANB highly recommends studying in areas in which the candidate receives a descriptor of "Low Average." DANB recommends reviewing areas in which the candidate receives a descriptor of "Average." A descriptor of "High Average" indicates a solid understanding of the area. When deciding which areas to focus future studying, it is important to consider both the subtest performance result and the percentage of questions on the exam for each subtest. For example, if subtest A covers 35% of the exam and a result of "Average" was received and subtest B covers 5% of the exam and a result of "Low Average" was received, it would be advantageous to review both areas but focus on subtest A a little more because it contains more questions and leaves the candidate more room for improvement.
Subtest performance results are ONLY provided to help candidates focus future studying in areas in which they performed relatively low. When subtest results are calculated, only the items from that subtest are considered in the scoring formula. Each subtest is considered “its own exam,” when calculating subtest performance and converting these to a subtest performance result. However, because of exam reliability considerations, a pass/fail decision is made on the exam as a whole so performance on all subtests put together is considered when making a pass/fail decision on the entire exam. When DANB calculates subtest results, we do not take into consideration the percentages of each subtest. That is, there is no weighting of subtests involved in the determination of "Low Average," "Average" and "High Average." Each subtest is evaluated independently to determine these comparative candidate ratings.
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How many questions do I have to answer correctly in order to pass?
Passing requirements are based on content, not percentage correct. The DANB Board of Directors endorses a psychometrically sound standard-setting process that requires examinees to answer items correctly at or above certain levels of difficulty across the content areas. The difficulty of each item presented is reviewed and measured. Examinees who are able to answer a majority of items correctly at this required level are passed. Those who cannot, are failed.
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Four to six weeks is a long time to wait for written test results. Why does it take so long?
It takes a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks to turn results around from exam date to score mailing. Annually, DANB processes approximately 16,000 exams. The following is the time it generally takes for each of the necessary steps: one week for DANB to receive answer sheets from Examiners; two weeks for DANB to scan answer sheets, verify that candidates entered demographic information correctly, and generate item analysis statistics; one week to print collate, stuff, and mail results packets and one week for candidate to receive scores through the mail.
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Four hours seems too long to sit and take an exam. Why is it so long?
Exams are constructed to allow for quality measurement. Tests must be certain lengths or measurement precision is lost. DANB realizes that 4 hours may be a long time for some individuals. For that reason, DANB offers candidates the opportunity to take each DANB Certification exam as single component exams on separate days.. For instance, the Certified Dental Assistant examination could be taken in three parts: the 120-item General Chairside exam, the 100-item Radiation Health & Safety exam and the 100-item Infection Control exam. Also, candidates are free to leave early if they complete their exam before the conclusion of the designated time limit.
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I really studied for this test but still didn't pass it. Is there any way that I can have my results checked over by hand?
Yes, hand scoring is available for anyone itnerested in having an exam hand scored by DANB. A candidate must submit a Request for Handscoring of Exam Results form along with a $25 hand scoring fee, so that it is received by DANB via mail or fax within 60 days after the official score date printed on the score report or certificate received. Results of the hand scoring of the exam are typically completed within 45 days of receipt of a request. If the pass/fail status is reversed as a result of the hand scoring,t he $25 fee will be refunded to the candidate. Requests for hand scoring of an exam will not be honored after 60 days from the official score date.
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