Examination Content
Scope of the Examination
The National Board Dental Hygiene Examination is a comprehensive examination consisting of approximately 350 multiple-choice examination items. Although performance on the examination is reported by means of one official score, the examination has two components. The discipline-based Component A includes 200 items addressing three major areas:
- Scientific Basis for Dental Hygiene Practice
- Provision of Clinical Dental Hygiene Services
- Community Health/Research Principles
Component B includes 150 case-based items that refer to 12 to 15 dental hygiene patient cases; these cases present information dealing with adult and child patients by means of patient histories, dental charts, radiographs, and clinical photographs. Each examination includes at least one case regarding patients of the following types: Geriatric, Adult-Periodontal, Paediatric, Special Needs, and Medically Compromised.
The case-based items address knowledge and skills required in:
1. Assessing patient characteristics
2. Obtaining and interpreting radiographs
3. Planning and managing dental hygiene care
4. Performing periodontal procedures
5. Using preventive agents
6. Providing supportive treatment service
7. Professional responsibility
Examination items cover functions that a dental hygienist is expected to be able to perform. Only functions that may be delegated to a dental hygienist in a majority of states will be included in the examination.
Examination items are selected by examination construction committees in accordance with the Dental Hygiene Examination Specifications. Examination constructors are appointed based on expertise in six areas: basic sciences, radiology, periodontics, dental hygiene curriculum, clinical dental hygiene and community dental health.
The American Dental Association Universal/National tooth notation system is used on all National Dental and Dental Hygiene Examinations. This system is a sequential tooth numbering system, designating the permanent dentition with numbers 1-32, and the primary dentition with letters A-T.
Scores
Two factors affect a candidate's score on the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination: the number of correct answers selected by the candidate and the score scale conversion for the examination. For the NBDHE, there is no penalty for selecting an incorrect response. A candidate's total score is reported in terms of a standard score, which has been converted from the total number of correct answers. If two or more answers are marked by a candidate for the same test item, credit is not awarded. The minimum passing score on the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination is a standard score of 75. The minimum passing score and the remaining score scale is based on the judgments of experts. The examination results are reported in standard scores of 49 to 99. The Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations uses consistent methods including equating to guarantee that scores accurately and fairly reflect the knowledge and problem solving skills assessed by the examination.
Test Centers
The NBDHE is administered by Pearson VUE Test Centers only in the United States, its territories including Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, and Canada. Indian students are required to get a visitor visa and travel to the U.S. to appear for the test.
