© 1998 – 2024 National Dental Assisting Examining Board 12 Candidate Handbook for the Written Examination – 2024 Passing Score The NDAEB uses the modified Angoff standard setting method to set passing scores. This standard setting method requires a panel of judges to review the items (questions) and to render judgment on expected candidate performance on each item. On average, the passing score will vary generally between the low and mid 60s% range, depending on the items (questions) appearing on each test paper. Less difficult forms of the exam tend to have higher passing scores than more difficult exams. As a result, no candidate will be disadvantaged due to having written a more difficult version of the exam. Likewise, no candidate will gain advantage due to having taken a less difficult form of the exam. Key Validation Following each exam sitting, prior to the release of exam results to candidates, the Written Exam Committee (WEC) performs an exercise known as key validation. Key validation involves a statistical performance review of all questions appearing on the examination. Key validation allows the WEC to identify specific questions where a high percentage of candidates answered the same question incorrectly. When this occurs, committee members review the questions and answers to determine if: ✓ the question was marked correctly; ✓ there is potentially more than one acceptable answer to the question; ✓ the question is free from ambiguity; ✓ the candidates failed to answer the question correctly. If key validation indicates that either 1, 2, or 3 above are the reasons for the statistical inconsistency, the question is either remarked accordingly or deleted from the scoring. Examination Results • The contracted psychometricians review electronic examination scores and produce the statistical data required to generate examination results which are then reviewed by the NDAEB. • Candidates will receive an email notification from the NDAEB within six (6) weeks of the writing date advising them that their results have been made available on the Candidate Portal. • Examination results will not be given over the telephone, by email or other electronic means. • Examination results will only be discussed with the candidate in general terms. Candidates requiring detailed information or wishing to appeal must do so in writing. (see Exam Re-Scoring and Appeals section.) • The NDAEB will automatically release the exam results of all candidates, pass or fail, to the Canadian Dental Assisting Regulatory Authority (CDARA) in the province in which the candidates wrote the exam. Other CDARAmay request exam results on individual candidates who did not write the exam in their province. The NDAEB will release pass or fail exam results to any CDARA upon request. The release of exam results to third parties, other than a CDARA, will only be released with the written consent of the candidate. Please refer to NDAEB privacy policy for details. Note: when reviewing the exam results letter, scores are reported in each of the 7 areas of the Domain (refer to the Test Blueprint earlier in this handbook). As each of the 7 Domain areas is weighted differently (more questions in some areas than others) overall scores cannot be determined by totaling the individual Domain area scores and dividing by 7. All exam papers are scored electronically by the testing agency and failure scores reviewed to ensure no error was made before releasing exam results to candidates.
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