NBDE-2 Score thread and Experience.....
Started by MitPat
I have a question about the part 2 asda released questions. Has anyone tried doing these in an exam mode? I scored relatively lower on these when I tried doing it as an exam and scored in the 50s (Raw score) while my performance on Kaplan Qbank is in 70s. I am really concerned as I am writing NBDE part 2 in 5 days.
Do you guys know if the released questions are reflective of the actual exam? those who passed part 2, how much were you scoring on asda test packets.
Do you guys know if the released questions are reflective of the actual exam? those who passed part 2, how much were you scoring on asda test packets.
Got my results today, after 3 weeks - passed part 2, very happy.
I used Decks for most of my study and Tuft Pharmacology a little at the very end.Googled some syndromes etc and referred to regular textbooks.
Spend a couple of months altogether, going slowly through pharmacology and more intense a month before exam. Do not think I spent enough time on patient management, since question on statistical tests completely puzzled me. Considering amount of time to study spent by me, keep in mind that I already had pretty good knowledge of most of the subjects and only needed a good review.
Spend a couple of months altogether, going slowly through pharmacology and more intense a month before exam. Do not think I spent enough time on patient management, since question on statistical tests completely puzzled me. Considering amount of time to study spent by me, keep in mind that I already had pretty good knowledge of most of the subjects and only needed a good review.
Hi there,
I want to share with you my experience to pass NBDE 1 and 2 because this forum helped me a lot. I failed the NBDE1 twice and the NBDE2 once, but now they are done. I do not know who you are, I do not know if you are struggling to pass these exams as I was, but we have the same goal, we want to become a dentist in America. My first language is Spanish. I arrived to America 27 months ago. This journey was 26 months long. This journey has made me stronger and has built up my faith.
First, I used Mosby(4) , Decks(4) Tuft (3) and ASDA exams (4). First intend I studied 4 months and I tried again after 5 months. I read carefully all this forum, I took the information and used it to study.
Second, I did a schedule; I studied 9 to 12 hours a day. I tracked myself about the number of pages or cards I was reading every day. My goal was to finish the Mosby in 8 days and to read the decks in 15 days. Once I knew how long take me to read the information I was able to organize my time. Every time, I took the ASDA exams in real time.
Third, I prayed to my savior and Lord Jesus without ceasing. This journey had being one of the hardest in my life. However, the Lord had taught me that there is a beautiful sunrise after the storm.
Romans 12:12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
He taught me that he cannot always answer me with a YES. I learned about patience when he said NO, about perseverance when he said WAIT, and about faith when he said YES.
Romans 5:3-4
3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
I am thankful to my Lord because he loves me first. When I was crying of desperation alone in my study room, he was the father who hold me onto his arms. When I wanted to give up, he was the answer to all my doubts. This is not my victory, this is Lord victory. I no longer took anything for granted. All is grace. All is undeserved gift.
Hope my experience can encourage you in this journey. God bless you.
Gbm
I want to share with you my experience to pass NBDE 1 and 2 because this forum helped me a lot. I failed the NBDE1 twice and the NBDE2 once, but now they are done. I do not know who you are, I do not know if you are struggling to pass these exams as I was, but we have the same goal, we want to become a dentist in America. My first language is Spanish. I arrived to America 27 months ago. This journey was 26 months long. This journey has made me stronger and has built up my faith.
First, I used Mosby(4) , Decks(4) Tuft (3) and ASDA exams (4). First intend I studied 4 months and I tried again after 5 months. I read carefully all this forum, I took the information and used it to study.
Second, I did a schedule; I studied 9 to 12 hours a day. I tracked myself about the number of pages or cards I was reading every day. My goal was to finish the Mosby in 8 days and to read the decks in 15 days. Once I knew how long take me to read the information I was able to organize my time. Every time, I took the ASDA exams in real time.
Third, I prayed to my savior and Lord Jesus without ceasing. This journey had being one of the hardest in my life. However, the Lord had taught me that there is a beautiful sunrise after the storm.
Romans 12:12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
He taught me that he cannot always answer me with a YES. I learned about patience when he said NO, about perseverance when he said WAIT, and about faith when he said YES.
Romans 5:3-4
3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
I am thankful to my Lord because he loves me first. When I was crying of desperation alone in my study room, he was the father who hold me onto his arms. When I wanted to give up, he was the answer to all my doubts. This is not my victory, this is Lord victory. I no longer took anything for granted. All is grace. All is undeserved gift.
Hope my experience can encourage you in this journey. God bless you.
Gbm
Last edited:
Hi everyone.
Congratulations to all nbde passers, and good luck to future takers.
I am about to start my review for nbde part 2. From what I read, majority of people used mosby, decks, asda released exams and tuft pharmacology papers.
Is there anyone who is able to share soft copies of the tuft pharmacology papers and recent asda papers? I have limited resources to procure all reading materials and I was hoping that there are people out there who have and are willing to share some of their files and copies.
Could you also further give any feedback as to which material is high yield? I mean, if I were to choose 2 books to buy for part 2, mosby or first aid, or kaplan..which would u guys recommend?
Congratulations to all nbde passers, and good luck to future takers.
I am about to start my review for nbde part 2. From what I read, majority of people used mosby, decks, asda released exams and tuft pharmacology papers.
Is there anyone who is able to share soft copies of the tuft pharmacology papers and recent asda papers? I have limited resources to procure all reading materials and I was hoping that there are people out there who have and are willing to share some of their files and copies.
Could you also further give any feedback as to which material is high yield? I mean, if I were to choose 2 books to buy for part 2, mosby or first aid, or kaplan..which would u guys recommend?
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Hi everyone ,
Could anyone tell me if I should study pharma from mosby or decks & tufts are enough?!!!
Thanks a lot
Could anyone tell me if I should study pharma from mosby or decks & tufts are enough?!!!
Thanks a lot
I had the exam on July 30&31 and just got the result today (Aug 12), and I passed.
This is really a relief to me because I feel the step 2 is much harder than step 1. What I mean by harder is not about the difficult level of the question itself but step 2 really include a lot of random questions that there's NO way you could prepare for as you could in step 1. I studied decks and tufts pharm for about 4 times, and 1-2 times for some chapters of Mosby's and First Aid. I felt I did not spend enough time reviewing the ASDA papers (one mistake I would like to correct if I had a second chance is that I probably spent too much time on those old ASDAs, which have a lot of repeated questions and just makes you feel good). I think it's better to work on only some of the old papers and save the time to review the papers one more time.
Some people said the patient management chapter in Mosby's is pretty good and you need to be really familiar with everything. For my personal experience ONLY, I did have a lot of patient management questions and some epidermic questions but I could not find the answers in the Mosby's. THEY ARE SO RANDOM!! So I'm very glad that I didn't spend that much time remembering the details in that chapter and I was prepared to sacrifice questions from that subject.
As for the exam itself, the first day was relatively easier for me, although I had a lot more uncertain questions compared to my step 1 experience. I finished 200 questions in about 2 hours (when I practice at home I normally finished 100 questions in about 40 min) and got enough time to review and make corrections. There were barely any repeated questions from ASDA papers but I would say the difficult level was actually similar if not lower. The only "hard" questions are those RANDOM questions that you would never thought of. Day 2 for me was really uncertain...I think that was because I am an international student. I would expect a different feeling from a US-trained student. For a lot of clinical situations I see both two options could work and I had to guess. In addition to that, SO MANY RANDOM QUESTIONS! I really feel they should be in USMLE instead of NBDE. Again, can't prepare for those.
In general, I think it's a nice thing if you have already had some clinical experience in US, which is helpful for Day 2. If you don't, then you need to be really familiar with decks/ASDA papers to even out the Day 2 score. Try your best, then relax, then the result comes!
Good luck guys!
This is really a relief to me because I feel the step 2 is much harder than step 1. What I mean by harder is not about the difficult level of the question itself but step 2 really include a lot of random questions that there's NO way you could prepare for as you could in step 1. I studied decks and tufts pharm for about 4 times, and 1-2 times for some chapters of Mosby's and First Aid. I felt I did not spend enough time reviewing the ASDA papers (one mistake I would like to correct if I had a second chance is that I probably spent too much time on those old ASDAs, which have a lot of repeated questions and just makes you feel good). I think it's better to work on only some of the old papers and save the time to review the papers one more time.
Some people said the patient management chapter in Mosby's is pretty good and you need to be really familiar with everything. For my personal experience ONLY, I did have a lot of patient management questions and some epidermic questions but I could not find the answers in the Mosby's. THEY ARE SO RANDOM!! So I'm very glad that I didn't spend that much time remembering the details in that chapter and I was prepared to sacrifice questions from that subject.
As for the exam itself, the first day was relatively easier for me, although I had a lot more uncertain questions compared to my step 1 experience. I finished 200 questions in about 2 hours (when I practice at home I normally finished 100 questions in about 40 min) and got enough time to review and make corrections. There were barely any repeated questions from ASDA papers but I would say the difficult level was actually similar if not lower. The only "hard" questions are those RANDOM questions that you would never thought of. Day 2 for me was really uncertain...I think that was because I am an international student. I would expect a different feeling from a US-trained student. For a lot of clinical situations I see both two options could work and I had to guess. In addition to that, SO MANY RANDOM QUESTIONS! I really feel they should be in USMLE instead of NBDE. Again, can't prepare for those.
In general, I think it's a nice thing if you have already had some clinical experience in US, which is helpful for Day 2. If you don't, then you need to be really familiar with decks/ASDA papers to even out the Day 2 score. Try your best, then relax, then the result comes!
Good luck guys!
hey there i am planing to take part 2 in dec, i have a 4 yr old son, is there anyone who have the same situation, plz tell me how to manage my time and how many hrs i should study in a day, can i able to prepare for the exam in dec?
Hi my fellow colleagues! I take part 2 in a week. Just wondering if anyone with PDF's of released exams could email me a forward of them 🙂 Seriously, it would be a huge help. Thanks so much and best of luck to everyone! I'll post after I take it. If you send those, I will reply with some other stuff too. My email is [email protected]
You guys rock! Thx!!
You guys rock! Thx!!
I just found out that I passed part II yesterday. So thankful for this community in playing a huge part in my success during the application process, the DAT and NBDE I/II.
Here's what I did to study for part II:
Dental Decks- I was really weak in pharm prior to studying so I literally wrote out the pharm section in a notebook until I got it. After that I just went through the decks 2 more times
Mosby's- I read through it numerous times until I got sick of reading it.
Tuft's pharm and oral path- I went through these numerous times until it stuck.
Kaplan Q bank- did over 1500 questions
ASDA released questions- scored in the 60-70% range for all the newer tests ( I think it was 95/98- 2000s) and scored in the 50s for everything older than that. These are good to do but I don't see a correlation in scores being a good indicator of passing
All in all, there wasn't one section that stood out to me that was emphasized and there were more than a few questions that I had to make educated guesses on. I just studied everything until I couldn't study anymore, trusted in my preparation and did my best.
We've all worked so hard and gotten this far. Just study your ass off and finish strong. See you on the other sides Doctors!
Here's what I did to study for part II:
Dental Decks- I was really weak in pharm prior to studying so I literally wrote out the pharm section in a notebook until I got it. After that I just went through the decks 2 more times
Mosby's- I read through it numerous times until I got sick of reading it.
Tuft's pharm and oral path- I went through these numerous times until it stuck.
Kaplan Q bank- did over 1500 questions
ASDA released questions- scored in the 60-70% range for all the newer tests ( I think it was 95/98- 2000s) and scored in the 50s for everything older than that. These are good to do but I don't see a correlation in scores being a good indicator of passing
All in all, there wasn't one section that stood out to me that was emphasized and there were more than a few questions that I had to make educated guesses on. I just studied everything until I couldn't study anymore, trusted in my preparation and did my best.
We've all worked so hard and gotten this far. Just study your ass off and finish strong. See you on the other sides Doctors!
Hi there,
I used the Q bank during the last few weeks. I found it to be helpful in reading the explanations to the answers. The questions were not similar or repeated on the test but it definitely helped improve my base of knowledge. I paid $100 for a month of use and I would purchase it again.
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Anyone selling PDF asda part2?? Needed ASAP .. Please email me ... [email protected]
Hi everyone )) I took the NBDE II a week ago and now my DENTPIN status page says this
P2AT-98797 NBDEII 10/24/2014 10:11:49 AM Tested Ineligible To Test
and this
Type Exam Date Status Attempt Number
NBDEII 01/16/2015 Posted 1
NBDEI 04/17/2013 Posted 1
So it means I am Ineligible To Test and my exam is posted. Any idea what does this mean?
P2AT-98797 NBDEII 10/24/2014 10:11:49 AM Tested Ineligible To Test
and this
Type Exam Date Status Attempt Number
NBDEII 01/16/2015 Posted 1
NBDEI 04/17/2013 Posted 1
So it means I am Ineligible To Test and my exam is posted. Any idea what does this mean?
Hi guys,
I have a quick question, does anyone know if we should know the trade name in pharma or just the generic for the test?
I have a quick question, does anyone know if we should know the trade name in pharma or just the generic for the test?
Hi everyone in the thread!
Took the exam last April 2015, result got in early May. I got a PASS.
This is not to discourage future test takers, but it has to be said...the exam is NOT easy. Much as I am very happy that I passed, I am still shocked that my score made it. I did not leave the exam center thinking that part 2 was easy. I have a lot of respect to the people who made the exam, since all areas are thoroughly covered.
Here's what I did. Just note that I did these considering my time frame, resources, target date of exam. I had to be as realistic as possible in choosing a strategy that works the best for ME.
I guess the first step is to know when you want to take the exam, and try to stick to that original plan as much as you can, and work your schedule around it. I studied for a total of 3 months, 2.5 months 10-12 hours, and last 2 weeks for 8 hours.
1. Sources:
Mosby - more content than First Aid. It's not an easy read since the format of the book is cramped, but is high yield. I would say this was a good base book for me, though the part in orthodontics was a little too overkill compared to what was given in the exam. I read this book 2x.
Decks- i used 2007-2008 decks, very good supplemental and co-reference for Mosby. Read it 2x.
Tufts Pharma- very good review for the drugs, very helpful indeed. But do not rely solely on this. Know pharmacokinetics and drug interactions (mosby), familiarize yourselves with representative brands.
Kaplan QBANK- I DO NOT recommend. The questions are very trivial, and not really a good representation of the real exam. If you can find and enroll in better practice tests, then go ahead. I think that my $99 was wasted. On the upside, i was able to simulate exam timing, and exam taking using the computer, so i guess that way, it was helpful for me.
ASDA reprinted exams- a MUST. But do not expect that they will give same questions in the exam. they will not. Being able to familiarize areas of emphasis is the thing you can get the most from reviewing this. All materials count. Don't think the old released exams are not helpful 'cause they are. You'll get a better idea of subjects/areas that you need to reinforce further.
Online- look at oral pathology pictures, and look at dental xrays. Practice identifying normal and pathologic structures.
2. Scheduling
First and foremost: ....know the available dates in YOUR prometrics center. Your target date may not be available in your test center, and you may have to move the exam date earlier or later than your target dates. This happened to me. Living in a little town, exams are sparse. I had to move up my target date 1 MONTH EARLIER because they had no opening for the exam. I had to adjust my time table. It was added unnecessary stress. So check out the dates!!!
Read and understand the materials, and do that the moment you start your review. I was barely able to finish reading my materials twice, and if that's the case, i say the first reading should be the most critical. Do not move on until you have understood the topic. If not, search for it from your old school books/online. It's a given that the exam entails memorization, but it is not enough to memorize. You have to be able to integrate everything together. Remember, day 2 involves clinical scenarios, so you should have a good grasp of how one relates to the other.
towards the last 2 weeks, taper down your schedule. Simulate your waking and sleeping hours according to the exam. You have to make sure that you will be awake during exam hours. The exam is long, but will feel longer once you're taking it. Develop stamina. Time yourself when you answer questions.
I took breaks in between studying. There were just days that i felt so burnt out. I did not force myself to study on days like that. Go out, and do something not review related. Resume as you feel that you can give 100% to your study time. I would rather study for 4 hours with 100% focus, than study for 10 hours without remembering or understanding anything.
This is the formula that worked for me.
Best of luck to future exam takers.
Took the exam last April 2015, result got in early May. I got a PASS.
This is not to discourage future test takers, but it has to be said...the exam is NOT easy. Much as I am very happy that I passed, I am still shocked that my score made it. I did not leave the exam center thinking that part 2 was easy. I have a lot of respect to the people who made the exam, since all areas are thoroughly covered.
Here's what I did. Just note that I did these considering my time frame, resources, target date of exam. I had to be as realistic as possible in choosing a strategy that works the best for ME.
I guess the first step is to know when you want to take the exam, and try to stick to that original plan as much as you can, and work your schedule around it. I studied for a total of 3 months, 2.5 months 10-12 hours, and last 2 weeks for 8 hours.
1. Sources:
Mosby - more content than First Aid. It's not an easy read since the format of the book is cramped, but is high yield. I would say this was a good base book for me, though the part in orthodontics was a little too overkill compared to what was given in the exam. I read this book 2x.
Decks- i used 2007-2008 decks, very good supplemental and co-reference for Mosby. Read it 2x.
Tufts Pharma- very good review for the drugs, very helpful indeed. But do not rely solely on this. Know pharmacokinetics and drug interactions (mosby), familiarize yourselves with representative brands.
Kaplan QBANK- I DO NOT recommend. The questions are very trivial, and not really a good representation of the real exam. If you can find and enroll in better practice tests, then go ahead. I think that my $99 was wasted. On the upside, i was able to simulate exam timing, and exam taking using the computer, so i guess that way, it was helpful for me.
ASDA reprinted exams- a MUST. But do not expect that they will give same questions in the exam. they will not. Being able to familiarize areas of emphasis is the thing you can get the most from reviewing this. All materials count. Don't think the old released exams are not helpful 'cause they are. You'll get a better idea of subjects/areas that you need to reinforce further.
Online- look at oral pathology pictures, and look at dental xrays. Practice identifying normal and pathologic structures.
2. Scheduling
First and foremost: ....know the available dates in YOUR prometrics center. Your target date may not be available in your test center, and you may have to move the exam date earlier or later than your target dates. This happened to me. Living in a little town, exams are sparse. I had to move up my target date 1 MONTH EARLIER because they had no opening for the exam. I had to adjust my time table. It was added unnecessary stress. So check out the dates!!!
Read and understand the materials, and do that the moment you start your review. I was barely able to finish reading my materials twice, and if that's the case, i say the first reading should be the most critical. Do not move on until you have understood the topic. If not, search for it from your old school books/online. It's a given that the exam entails memorization, but it is not enough to memorize. You have to be able to integrate everything together. Remember, day 2 involves clinical scenarios, so you should have a good grasp of how one relates to the other.
towards the last 2 weeks, taper down your schedule. Simulate your waking and sleeping hours according to the exam. You have to make sure that you will be awake during exam hours. The exam is long, but will feel longer once you're taking it. Develop stamina. Time yourself when you answer questions.
I took breaks in between studying. There were just days that i felt so burnt out. I did not force myself to study on days like that. Go out, and do something not review related. Resume as you feel that you can give 100% to your study time. I would rather study for 4 hours with 100% focus, than study for 10 hours without remembering or understanding anything.
This is the formula that worked for me.
Best of luck to future exam takers.
Took the exam on April 13 & 14, May 2 "My account" status changed, May 5 received the result (in the state next to IL), pass
Used First Aid, Decks 07-08, all reprints from ASDA, Mosby (except the CD- the case based part) and a lot a lot of information online (e.g., Wiki, pubmed)
Thank you who share information and encourage others! Have faith and believe in yourself!
Used First Aid, Decks 07-08, all reprints from ASDA, Mosby (except the CD- the case based part) and a lot a lot of information online (e.g., Wiki, pubmed)
Thank you who share information and encourage others! Have faith and believe in yourself!
Just found out I passed. You'll get the letter in the mail 4-5 days after it has posted on the ADA my account website. You'll be able to register for the NBDE 2 again even if you passed so don't be alarmed and think you failed. I tried it. When you get it in the mail, you'll know the results before you even open the mail. You'll see the color of the letter through the address window. Pink = Pass. Bluish-gray if you fail. I used the app, decks, back exams. Good luck.
The exam is getting harder day by day. I have read the thread. I have been doing everything but just failed part 2 again. I feel devastated. Not sure how else to study. Can someone please share the ASDA test bank with me! Dentist185. It’s a Gmail account. I would really appreciate it!
