NBDE Part 1 experience

[Jamster]

I took the NEW NBDE part 1 on Friday 16th 2007 and this is what I can tell you:

1. There is no need to worry about the new format. As all the questions are mixed, there is less strain on your brain whilst you are staring at the computer under surveillance!!
2.Read the dental decks, and you WILL need additional texts and wikipedia!! Especially for biochemistry and understand how the metabolic systems work including enzymes, there is no need to learn every enzyme, just know the MAIN important ones. Understand pathology too in terms of medications, treatments and etiologies for COMMON diseases, this is where the testlets come into full effect. Do the clinical vignettes!! In 2006-2007 decks.
3.Exams, Exams, Exams! Do all of them, I would recommend doing the whole lot that ASDA offers, the newer pilot exam is more like the new format, and there were a handful of questions from the early 1983 papers!
4.Exams, Exams, Exams! Keep doing them and find out why you are getting questions wrong and what you need to read up, in the end it will all add up somehow. There were very many repeats from old papers.
5.Read the question properly in the exam because after doing the practice tests you get very accustomed to just circling the response you remembered from before. They DO change the question and keep the same order of responses.
6.There were some questions in the test that you will not get or just think wtf?? But it’s not that many hopefully, depends on how much you read around on the topic that you are weak on, but do remember you can’t know everything or can you!!??!
7.Total time spent was 2 months and I am a practicing dentist, so study time was difficult. I hope for the best.

I wish everybody the very best in all their endeavors, these forums have been very helpful to me.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[deepa k]

hey thanks 4 ur info..we really appreciate this the info u hv provided is really v helpful and good luck 4 ur results

 

[morale]

thank you for posting your experience. it realy means a lot to many of us who are preparing for the exam.
i am sure you must have done well in your exam and the results is to your favor.
all the best

 

[what else]

Thanx for sharing ur experience.I m sure its gonna b very helpful for those who r so much worried abt. the new format.
All the best for ur results.
Hope u will share that too

 

[dr_neha]

thanks a lot...

 

[Ali Khan]

Tat was a impressive post u shared with all of us....Wish u all the best for ur results.....

 

[confused tooth]

Thanks for the info, and good luck with your results

 

[Jamster]

I did not buy the kaplan book, so i don't know. I just used the dental decks and old exams. Whatever textbooks from dental school i have aquired, i used those too, for pictures mainly, esp metabolic pathways.

 

[what else]

Do we need to remember the topics like
-anterior & post. triangles of neck.What r their boundries & contents.
-muscles (of tongue,infrahyoid,suprahyoid,of mastication etc )including their nerve supply & the bl.supply etc.etc
-indvidual bones (nerves,arteries)
Actually I hav just started preparing for NBDE-1 & i jus wanna know how much detailed study we need for 90+.
such kind of ques. r not given in dental decks even.
Plz reply me as i m confused with such things.(HOW MUCH DETAIL??)

THANX in advance

 

[mrsraghava]

hi JAMSTER,
thanks for ur valuble and precious information.wish u all success from ur results to ur future.im abt to appear for the exam on march 8th and im not that confident but i have done my best preparation.so wish me luck so that i get the easier paper like urs too

 

[docasrpa]

good luc...we i wait for u 2 share ur xm with us...

why u are not confident?for how long did u study?do revise

 

[donfromvegas]

thank you for the post. i have a question for you or whoever could answer this please.

do you know how the new format is scored? in the past you couldt retake a section if you failed etc. i have heard that you only get one score on the new format and if so than how do they score the exam and when do you have to retake it etc. please help.

thanks

 

[Dental Dork 09]

thank you for the post. i have a question for you or whoever could answer this please.

do you know how the new format is scored? in the past you couldt retake a section if you failed etc. i have heard that you only get one score on the new format and if so than how do they score the exam and when do you have to retake it etc. please help.

thanks

Only one score. If you fail, you have to retake the whole exam.

 

[Jamster]

I think you get only one score i am not sure. Please everyone refer to my post above for any questions that people are asking. I hope this helps.

 

[suraj]

thanks for the information .
but need to ask one thing that if there is any online site available to practice questions.?
plz reply

I took the NEW NBDE part 1 on Friday 16th 2007 and this is what I can tell you:

1. There is no need to worry about the new format. As all the questions are mixed, there is less strain on your brain whilst you are staring at the computer under surveillance!!
2.Read the dental decks, and you WILL need additional texts and wikipedia!! Especially for biochemistry and understand how the metabolic systems work including enzymes, there is no need to learn every enzyme, just know the MAIN important ones. Understand pathology too in terms of medications, treatments and etiologies for COMMON diseases, this is where the testlets come into full effect. Do the clinical vignettes!! In 2006-2007 decks.
3.Exams, Exams, Exams! Do all of them, I would recommend doing the whole lot that ASDA offers, the newer pilot exam is more like the new format, and there were a handful of questions from the early 1983 papers!
4.Exams, Exams, Exams! Keep doing them and find out why you are getting questions wrong and what you need to read up, in the end it will all add up somehow. There were very many repeats from old papers.
5.Read the question properly in the exam because after doing the practice tests you get very accustomed to just circling the response you remembered from before. They DO change the question and keep the same order of responses.
6.There were some questions in the test that you will not get or just think wtf?? But it’s not that many hopefully, depends on how much you read around on the topic that you are weak on, but do remember you can’t know everything or can you!!??!
7.Total time spent was 2 months and I am a practicing dentist, so study time was difficult. I hope for the best.

I wish everybody the very best in all their endeavors, these forums have been very helpful to me.

 

[capri4477]

thnks for such a good post
hey can u plz tell me which new exam u talkin about
thnks alot

 

[confused tooth]

thnks for such a good post
hey can u plz tell me which new exam u talkin about
thnks alot

Jamster took his boards in the changed/new format and he has put up his experiences regarding the same

Ct

 

[newdentist2007]

Thanks for ur help! Yep..the hard part is microbiology...is hard to remeber..but not impossible! Im taking my exam very soon..but i think i need like a base book to learn all the theorical part and then go to the decks and do exams as a crazy woman...ans i have been reading and the kaplan book sounds like the best recomendation..someone from peru that know where to buy it very cheap????????..cause if they ship it to me from us is gonna be very expensive..the book and the shipping...
thanks! and ill appreciate a quick response..
bye and good luck everybody!
PD: is anybody of u a dentist in CA? bye! and thanks again

 

[donfromvegas]

so is the score a cum score of all the sections averaged?

 

[Dental Dork 09]

so is the score a cum score of all the sections averaged?

There is no avg.

There is only one score.

Although, they will let you know how you did on a particular subject so that if you fail you can concentrate on that.

 

[donfromvegas]

thank you. i am not trying to keep bugging everyone about this but i am just really confused about the whole thing and our school have not really told us much.

all we have been given is a mock exam. it has 400 questions of which 80 questions are case based. so is the new scoring format the same as the old one meaning if you answer 75% correct you get a 90 etc?

 

[Jamster]

donfromvegas,

I am not sure about that, maybe it still is the same scheme of marking. The new format basically has 400 questions covering the entire old format. It's just that you don't know from what subject a particular question in the exam is coming from, its all linked together including testlets.

DA+MICRO+PATH+BIOCHEM+PHYS+ANATOMY = New format + testlets

Remember as well that some questions are test questions which may not be included in your overall score.

 

[skd]

Thanks Jamster!Your info about the changed pattern really helped me!!!I kept reading about it and hearing
from friends,that it was easy and not very difficult,but nobody told specifically why!!!!!

 

[dr ali]

I took the NEW NBDE part 1 on Friday 16th 2007 and this is what I can tell you:

1. There is no need to worry about the new format. As all the questions are mixed, there is less strain on your brain whilst you are staring at the computer under surveillance!!
2.Read the dental decks, and you WILL need additional texts and wikipedia!! Especially for biochemistry and understand how the metabolic systems work including enzymes, there is no need to learn every enzyme, just know the MAIN important ones. Understand pathology too in terms of medications, treatments and etiologies for COMMON diseases, this is where the testlets come into full effect. Do the clinical vignettes!! In 2006-2007 decks.
3.Exams, Exams, Exams! Do all of them, I would recommend doing the whole lot that ASDA offers, the newer pilot exam is more like the new format, and there were a handful of questions from the early 1983 papers!
4.Exams, Exams, Exams! Keep doing them and find out why you are getting questions wrong and what you need to read up, in the end it will all add up somehow. There were very many repeats from old papers.
5.Read the question properly in the exam because after doing the practice tests you get very accustomed to just circling the response you remembered from before. They DO change the question and keep the same order of responses.
6.There were some questions in the test that you will not get or just think wtf?? But it's not that many hopefully, depends on how much you read around on the topic that you are weak on, but do remember you can't know everything or can you!!??!
7.Total time spent was 2 months and I am a practicing dentist, so study time was difficult. I hope for the best.

I wish everybody the very best in all their endeavors, these forums have been very helpful to me.

how did you study? for how long? what kind of references you had?

 

[polarnut]

I took the NEW NBDE part 1 on Friday 16th 2007 and this is what I can tell you:

1. There is no need to worry about the new format. As all the questions are mixed, there is less strain on your brain whilst you are staring at the computer under surveillance!!
2.Read the dental decks, and you WILL need additional texts and wikipedia!! Especially for biochemistry and understand how the metabolic systems work including enzymes, there is no need to learn every enzyme, just know the MAIN important ones. Understand pathology too in terms of medications, treatments and etiologies for COMMON diseases, this is where the testlets come into full effect. Do the clinical vignettes!! In 2006-2007 decks.
3.Exams, Exams, Exams! Do all of them, I would recommend doing the whole lot that ASDA offers, the newer pilot exam is more like the new format, and there were a handful of questions from the early 1983 papers!
4.Exams, Exams, Exams! Keep doing them and find out why you are getting questions wrong and what you need to read up, in the end it will all add up somehow. There were very many repeats from old papers.
5.Read the question properly in the exam because after doing the practice tests you get very accustomed to just circling the response you remembered from before. They DO change the question and keep the same order of responses.
6.There were some questions in the test that you will not get or just think wtf?? But it’s not that many hopefully, depends on how much you read around on the topic that you are weak on, but do remember you can’t know everything or can you!!??!
7.Total time spent was 2 months and I am a practicing dentist, so study time was difficult. I hope for the best.

I wish everybody the very best in all their endeavors, these forums have been very helpful to me.

why did you take NBDE I when you are already a practicing dentist?

 

[dds_aspirant]

why did you take NBDE I when you are already a practicing dentist?

Hey polarnut,

You might not be aware of it.Students here in US studying in Dental school also have to pass NBDE 1 and NBDE 2 before they get their license and start practising.So it is compulsary for them also to pass the exams.Hope this information helps you.

Good luck

 

[Jamster]

polarnut,

I am a canadian trained DDS, i have only a canadian licence to practice. If i wish to practice in the US or even apply to specialty school i need to take at least the US boards part 1 for now, in canada we have the equivalent called the NDEB, which we all have to take as canadian dentists even a US DDS who wishes to work here. The DDS degree is interchangeable, as it is both ADA and CDA recognised, however the boards are not.

To others, who keep asking:

1. READ the current dental decks. Clinical samples and look at the picture cards.
2. Do ALL the current exam papers available from ASDA.
3. The newer pilot exam i mentioned is the 2004 pilot exam. Everybody is talking about the new 2007 exam. I AM NOT SURE IF THIS EVEN EXISTS. I would advise to stop wasting time looking for this and look at the material you already have. The exam is similar to the 2004 pilot!
4. There is no real easy way to say it, but you have to read ALL the material, the boards, i found test from everywhere, from the dreaded embryology right through to infection control.
5. Know the Head and Neck region very well, i mean the vessels and nerves and yes the triangles of the neck. Know the main vessles that supply the brain and eyes and the COMMON lesions that affect them (stroke), Circle of Willis!!
6. Know your blood work, INR, aPTT, Bleeding time, Factors, vWF. What affects them, medications, genetic disorders, etc...... Know how the disorders are inherited.
7. Autoimmune diseases, very important!!
8. COMMON conditions, IDDM, NIDDM, hyper/ hypothyroidism, RA, OA etc....
9. COMMON oral bacteria in acute and chronic conditions and their MANAGEMENT.
10. best of luck people, keep at it, keep ya head up!!

Jamster.

 

[733@]

Hi Jamster,
You said "the newer pilot exam". Plz could u tell what year?
Thanks,

I took the NEW NBDE part 1 on Friday 16th 2007 and this is what I can tell you:

1. There is no need to worry about the new format. As all the questions are mixed, there is less strain on your brain whilst you are staring at the computer under surveillance!!
2.Read the dental decks, and you WILL need additional texts and wikipedia!! Especially for biochemistry and understand how the metabolic systems work including enzymes, there is no need to learn every enzyme, just know the

MAIN important ones. Understand pathology too in terms of medications, treatments and etiologies for COMMON diseases, this is where the testlets come into full effect. Do the clinical vignettes!! In 2006-2007 decks.
3.Exams, Exams, Exams! Do all of them, I would recommend doing the whole lot that ASDA offers, the newer pilot exam is more like the new format, and there were a handful of questions from the early 1983 papers!
4.Exams, Exams, Exams! Keep doing them and find out why you are getting questions wrong and what you need to read up, in the end it will all add up somehow. There were very many repeats from old papers.
5.Read the question properly in the exam because after doing the practice tests you get very accustomed to just circling the response you remembered from before. They DO change the question and keep the same order of responses.
6.There were some questions in the test that you will not get or just think wtf?? But it’s not that many hopefully, depends on how much you read around on the topic that you are weak on, but do remember you can’t know everything or can you!!??!
7.Total time spent was 2 months and I am a practicing dentist, so study time was difficult. I hope for the best.

I wish everybody the very best in all their endeavors, these forums have been very helpful to me.

 

[indian dentist]

Thanks Jamster that would be very helpful to us

 

[muhammad ali]

thnx a lot man......

 

[Jess25]

I am a canadian trained DDS, i have only a canadian licence to practice. If i wish to practice in the US or even apply to specialty school i need to take at least the US boards part 1 for now, in canada we have the equivalent called the NDEB, which we all have to take as canadian dentists even a US DDS who wishes to work here. The DDS degree is interchangeable, as it is both ADA and CDA recognised, however the boards are not.

Hi Jamster..... can you clarify one doubt for me?? If a canadian goes and gets an americian dds, can that same person practice in canada, whithout many hastles, meaning can they start working without writing anymore exams???

 

[pdent]

I took the NEW NBDE part 1 on Friday 16th 2007 and this is what I can tell you:

1. There is no need to worry about the new format. As all the questions are mixed, there is less strain on your brain whilst you are staring at the computer under surveillance!!
2.Read the dental decks, and you WILL need additional texts and wikipedia!! Especially for biochemistry and understand how the metabolic systems work including enzymes, there is no need to learn every enzyme, just know the MAIN important ones. Understand pathology too in terms of medications, treatments and etiologies for COMMON diseases, this is where the testlets come into full effect. Do the clinical vignettes!! In 2006-2007 decks.
3.Exams, Exams, Exams! Do all of them, I would recommend doing the whole lot that ASDA offers, the newer pilot exam is more like the new format, and there were a handful of questions from the early 1983 papers!
4.Exams, Exams, Exams! Keep doing them and find out why you are getting questions wrong and what you need to read up, in the end it will all add up somehow. There were very many repeats from old papers.
5.Read the question properly in the exam because after doing the practice tests you get very accustomed to just circling the response you remembered from before. They DO change the question and keep the same order of responses.
6.There were some questions in the test that you will not get or just think wtf?? But it’s not that many hopefully, depends on how much you read around on the topic that you are weak on, but do remember you can’t know everything or can you!!??!
7.Total time spent was 2 months and I am a practicing dentist, so study time was difficult. I hope for the best.


hey jamster tats very nice of u to elaborate on ur experience...im plannin to give my part 1 too n am really nervous...all i have is the kaplan book
i wanted to know tat where do u get all the question papers from?? and what is this practice test???????n is it that u have to have a toffel score too to get admission?????? plzzzzzzzz help me .......thx a lot buddy........

 

[ITSME]

I did not buy the kaplan book, so i don't know. I just used the dental decks and old exams. Whatever textbooks from dental school i have aquired, i used those too, for pictures mainly, esp metabolic pathways.

hi,
thanks for sharing ur info. i have a question.... i have the 2004 decks. i already took part 1 in nov 2006, but havent heard from the univ yet. so i m wondering if i shld retake part 1 again. so are these decks useful. or do u suggest i get some other edition.? is the new format very different from the old one? do i need to study any extra material other than the decks? when i prepared for part one previously, i used my texts, a bit of kaplan, and usmle first aid book part1. do u suggest any other material? i know i m asking too many questions.... but its just that i m so confused right now....

 

[s m i l e 2007]

hi,

what is your score,GPA,TOEFL and any work experience.....

 

[ITSME]

hi,

what is your score,GPA,TOEFL and any work experience.....

i have a score of 89 in nbde1, gpa of 4, 277 toefl cbt, i am here in US immed after my graduation. so don have any exp as a dentist. i m confused if i shld retake part 1. anyways i think it wud be better if i started prep anyways......

 

[s m i l e 2007]

i have a score of 89 in nbde1, gpa of 4, 277 toefl cbt, i am here in US immed after my graduation. so don have any exp as a dentist. i m confused if i shld retake part 1. anyways i think it wud be better if i started prep anyways......

you should have applied to NYU ,you have great GPA I know people with less score than yours got in the NYU.I think Boston takes score in to consideration.I havent done my part 1 but I have a friend who joined in NYU with 85.

 

[ITSME]

you should have applied to NYU ,you have great GPA I know people with less score than yours got in the NYU.I think Boston takes score in to consideration.I havent done my part 1 but I have a friend who joined in NYU with 85.

yeah, i heard it wud have been easier to get into nyu with my score. but i live in mass, and wanted to try for that only..... i shld have had my choices more open... but now its too late..or maybe i shld have done better in the exam and gotten a 90+. maybe then i wud have stood a better chance. good luck with ur nbde.

 

[Jamster]

To everyone who asks here and PM's me:

1. I have answered everyones queries on this page, please read it. It is really stupid if i have to keep repeating things to everybody when a simple read is all it takes! You can read the decks so read this too!!

2. Everybody can do well in the exam i believe, i am no scholar, but i found that reading the decks was the best. UNDERSTAND the concepts and stop wasting time memorizing. After you get a grip of the concepts, memorizing things becomes easier. For example, understand how glucose is transported into different cells, then learn the various GLUT receptors.

3. To be a DDS in Canada, you need an ADA or CDA accredited degree, and everyone has to do the NBDE for Canada. If your degree is not accredited in either USA or Canada, you have to enter a 2 year qualifying program in dental school first, i believe this is not so in the US.

4. Goodluck people

 

[gd55]

for itsme.........its impossible that u dont get an admission with 89 and a gpa of 4............write to the univ for any specific reasons of delay

 

[ITSME]

for itsme.........its impossible that u dont get an admission with 89 and a gpa of 4............write to the univ for any specific reasons of delay

Hi GD55,
thanks for ur support. keeping my fingers crossed. i will definitely try that.

 

[Dental Dork 09]

Hi Jamster

Culd you plz tell me wat you thought of the exam? How did you study? Are you from india? Can we meat up to study togthr?

 

[Jamster]

Dental Dork 09

I thought the exam was ok not brilliant or bad, some questions, i was totally clueless, but it was a handful i think. I studied only on w/e as i am a practicing DDS and total was 2 months. I am not from India, i am Canadian and a Canadian trained DDS. Still no result received from the ADA.

 

[smiley79]

hi dental dork 09
did u get ur results?

 

[mastica]

hi,

thank you so much,your experience was so encouraging.am planing to give nbde part 1 in two months,I just started studying,but i think the way am preparing is not sufficient.your experience made me more determined to give the best in the exam in shortest time possible.please encourage us like this.it motivates a lot,if u can, possible to give any tips for preparation.

 

[shabu2]

I don't know why people are so worried about this "new format". NDBE II is exactly the same principle; hundreds of quesions mixed up and case based.

The curve will probably be the same because EVERYONE has to take the same exam and the learning curve will be the same. Anyways, good luck to those who will take or have already taken it.

 

[sara.riazi]

I wanna ask jamster,dental dork,or any other member who may have received his score to explain if the scoring was fair or not?

 

[aphistis]

I wanna ask jamster,dental dork,or any other member who may have received his score to explain if the scoring was fair or not?

How in the world would anyone be able to tell whether their exam was scored unfairly?

 

[sara.riazi]

have you taken the new version or you're just here to crack jokes?!

 

[Jamster]

For everyone who wanted to know:
Comp Score: 87

RAW Scores:
Anatomy: 71
Biochem/Phys: 71
Micro/ Path: 76
Dental Anatomy: 85

To be honest I was a little disappointed, as I thought I would score higher especially on Anatomy and Biochemistry. However I think I can live with my score, as I don't think I would do the exam again.
As I said before, I am a practicing DDS in Canada so weekends were the only option of study time for me. Two months in total and I used dental Decks 2006-2007 and a few text books that I had from dental school.
I wish everyone all the best in all their endeavours.

Jamster.

Date exam taken Feb16th
Results received March 16th

 

[Venkatcpp]

congratulations man!!!!!
u hav done gud..... cheer