After talking to ADA's National Board of Dental Examiners on the phone, this is what I got:
1) I spoke to the Testing scoring manager, Dr. Kramer after waited and transferred 3 different times
2) A conversion scoring chart will not be given to us when we receive our scores
3) A conversion scoring chart for July 15, 2003 exam will be available when and if this particular exam is released in 3 years to ASDA (in 2006). A score conversion chart is accompanied by its released examination.
4) There is no curving when I inquired about the "curve" for the July exam, this is what Dr. Kramer had explained to me.
A standardize score of 75 is required to pass the examination, after each examination, the test committee (who made up the exam) get together to judge the fairness of the examination based on first-time exam takers' performances. It is at this time, the committee decides what raw score out of 100 should be set to equal a 75 standardized score for each section.
If an exam is considered fair and simple, the testing committee will set a higher raw score to equal standardized score of 75. If an exam is considered more difficult (like this year's Dental Anatomy section), then the raw score will be much lower to equal a standardized score of 75.
He further explaned that if two candidates both scored a raw score of 88 in a same section of the exam (let's say Anatomical Sciences), but they took the Part 1 exam at a different date (one in July 2002 and one in July 2003), these two candidate's performance is not the same because the exams are different. One could've been a lot easier than the other. Raw scores should not be used to determine how well a candidate performed.
So each exam is "judge" after the test date by the test committee and not "curved" to see whether the standardize score of 75 should be set with a higher or lower raw score.
5) Why does it take 6-8 weeks to receive our score report?
Dr. Kramer explains that this amount of time is needed to do the following:
a) test committee to judge that particular exam to set the score chart
b) to check all forms match on booklets and answer key (bubble sheet)
c) to check all candidate information is correct (some hand writings by candidates are simply impossible to read and understand by staff). Staff cross-matches with the registration forms
d) if answers bubbles left unanswered detacted by the machine, staff will go back to double check in manually to be sure that's the case
e) scanning of the bubble sheets by machines
6) On our score report, there are no raw scores given, only the standardized scores. You'll see one standardize score per section and an average standardized score. On the bottom of the score report, you'll also receive information on how well or terrible you did in comparison to everyone that took the same test that day (percentiles)
That's it for now, is this waiting of the score report killing anyone? I personally had some nightmares and pleasant dreams about it. I'm both excited and a nerve wrack to see my scores. 4 more weeks!!
