Central Regional Dental Testing Service

Over 50 Years of Dental and Dental Hygiene Testing Excellence!
(785) 273-0380 | info@crdts.org
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FAQs

Applying for a CRDTS Exam

Qualified candidates may apply to take the examination by submitting an application online at www.crdts.org. Detailed information regarding required documents/fees, test sites and examination dates/deadlines are outlined on the CRDTS website and in the manuals. A fully executed application complete with the appropriate documentation and fee is required to take the examination.

The application deadline is approximately 40 days before the date of the examination. Applications and all documentation/fees must be received on or before the published application deadline date.

The exam site may charge a site fee/rental fee for use of instruments, clinic facilities, manikin heads, supplies, and disposables. Some sites require that all instruments be supplied by the school. A rental charge or deposit imposed by the testing site must be remitted directly to the school.

Payment submitted must be for the exact amount and can be paid online via credit card or by mailing a cashier’s check or money order with the applicant’s CRDTS ID number written in the lower left- hand corner to Central Office. No personal checks will be accepted.

Refunds will be made, minus an administrative fee, if notification of cancellation is received in the CRDTS Central Office 30 days prior to the first day of the examination. A 50% refund will be made if notification is made at least 6 business days prior to the first day of the examination. After that time, any cancellations will result in forfeiture of the entire examination fee. Once a candidate has paid the entire examination fee and has taken any Part of the examination, there will be no refund of fees for the Parts that have not yet been taken, should the candidate decide to cancel or withdraw from other Parts of the examination. In addition, failure to appear for the exam will result in a forfeiture of the entire examination fee. This policy applies to all cancellations, regardless of reason.

Contact Central Office and mail or scan a copy of your name change document to info@crdts.org (ex: marriage certificate or divorce document)

Contact Central Office to update your address in our database by emailing info@crdts.org

To ensure that an auxiliary aid or other requested modification exists and can be provided, it is a requirement that any candidate with a disability requesting such modification or auxiliary aid must:

• Submit, in writing via email, together with the application, a request and all documentation for the auxiliary aid or modification. Requests received after the application date or retroactive requests will not be considered.

• Provide documentation of the need for the auxiliary aid or modification. If the candidate is a student in an accredited school, a letter from a school official fulfills this requirement. Otherwise, a letter from the appropriate health care professional is required.

• Request in writing the exact auxiliary aids or modifications needed and indicate the exact portion(s) of the examination for which such auxiliary aid or modification will be needed. In providing such auxiliary aids or modifications, the testing agency reserves the ultimate discretion to choose between effective auxiliary aids or modifications and reserves the right to maintain the security of the examination.

Candidates will receive an email approximately 10 days after the deadline date for their assigned exam.

General Information

Professional Liability Insurance: Insurance in the amount of $1,000,000 / $3,000,000 is required. The Medical Protective Company of Fort Wayne, IN, in cooperation with CRDTS, will provide complimentary professional liability coverage, in the required amount, for all candidates taking this examination. No action or payment is required by hygiene candidates. For patient based dental candidates, candidates must submit the Student Dental Board Coverage Application with their initial application.

Candidates must contact the state board they are looking to be licensed in for verification of acceptance for the CRDTS Exam. The Portability Map is the most up to date information that CRDTS is aware of but we highly encourage candidates to contact the state board itself.

It is the responsibility of each state or licensing jurisdiction to enforce its own remediation policy. It is the responsibility of the candidate to obtain and complete all requirements for remedial education in accordance with the requirements of the licensing jurisdictions in which they seek to obtain licensure. CRDTS does not assume any responsibility in providing this information or in monitoring the completion of such requirements prior to examination.

CRDTS does not offer study material for the examinations. Candidates may look over the forms and manuals for each examination to familiarize themselves with CRDTS grading criteria.

CRDTS Status is only achieved when the entire examination is taken through CRDTS.

CRDTS does not require the National Board Examination to be taken before the CRDTS Exam

Scores

Hygiene scores will be released to candidates online after each hygiene testing group. Dental scores will be released by 8pm the day of the examination.

CRDTS will mail candidates two certified copies of their final examination results in sealed envelopes approximately 3-4 weeks after their exam. DO NOT OPEN the second sealed envelope. Candidates should mail the sealed certified copy directly to the licensing state of their choice. For security and confidentiality reasons, no scores can be released by telephone.

A Score Report Request may be submitted online to have scores sent to themselves, a state board, or other address. Most state boards accept an electronic score report from CRDTS

A Master Grade Sheet listing all scores will be automatically distributed to all CRDTS member State Boards, as well as those non-member states which recognize CRDTS’ results and have requested routine receipt of examination results.

A Score Report Request may be submitted online to have scores sent to themselves, a state board, or other address. Most state boards accept an electronic score card from CRDTS.

CRDTS maintains a complaint review process whereby a candidate may request a review of documentation, concerns or protocols affecting his/her individual examination results. This is a formalized process conducted by a special committee whose charge is to review the facts to determine if the examiners' findings substantiate the results. Any request for such a review must be filed and received at CRDTS Central Office no later than 14 days following the official date on which the scores were released to the candidate or the candidate’s dental hygiene school. The Committee is required to complete its review within 60 days from the time of receiving a formal request; during that time, the candidate may apply for reexamination. If the candidate files a formal complaint, then retests and passes the examination before the complaint has been fully processed, the complaint review will be terminated. Forms may be obtained from CRDTS’ Central Office or from the CRDTS website and documentation for the complaint must be submitted on this form.

Complaint Review Procedure Form

No, CRDTS is a testing agency that administers exams, we are not a licensure or regulatory board. Although our exam results are used as part of the decision-making process for licensure, CRDTS is not directly involved in this process. For more information on the specific requirements for licensure in each of the CRDTS member states, you must contact each state's Dental Board.

Dental Examinations

For exam schedules please see the examination page.

Simulated Patient Examination

Part I: Diagnosis and Comprehensive Treatment Planning (DCTP) Written Examination

Part II: Endodontics Examination

Part III: Prosthodontics Examination

Patient-Based or Simulated Patient Examination

Part IV: Periodontal Examination

Part V: Restorative Examination

Both of these examination formats are identical in content, criteria and scoring. The major difference between the two formats is in the time- sequencing of how the examination is administered. The Traditional Format examination is administered in its entirety over the course of three days to all eligible candidates near the end of the academic year. The Curriculum Integrated Format examination is administered in segments over the course of several months to eligible dental students and during graduate programs in dental school. If you are a dental student of record and have verified that your dental school is participating in the Curriculum Integrated Format, then you are considered an Integrated Candidate. Dental students of record from other schools or from schools choosing not to participate in the Curriculum Integrated Format as well as practitioners seeking licensure are considered Traditional Candidates. There are separate application policies and deadlines for each format so please review those portions carefully to be sure you’ve received the correct information and documents.

Retests Parts I, II, III, IV & V: Retake time is allotted to a 5-hour maximum time limit. A score is reported for each of the procedures of the CRDTS dental examination. If one or more procedures within an examination part are failed,only those failed procedures must be retaken. In the case of a sub 75% score in the Prosthodontic Bridge Factor, previous scores for teeth #3 and #5 will be negated and the retake will consist of the PFZ, MZC and Bridge Factor procedures. For Restorative Patient-Based procedures, if the 2nd procedure is not completed successfully, candidates will only need to retake that particular procedure upon retest. Should the candidate be unsuccessful on the first Restorative Procedure, both procedureswill need to be retaken at a later date.

When applicable, the alternate treatment selection procedure will be required when retaking Part V.

Traditional candidates applying for re-examination off-site must provide documentation that all school requirements have been completed and the candidate has graduated. Retest opportunities for the Patient-Based and Simulated PatientExaminations will be administered at select dental schools that may or may not be the candidate’s school of attendance. Applicants from the school where the examination is administered receive priority for assignment to that site.

CRDTS Part 1: Diagnosis and Comprehensive Treatment Planning (DCTP) written examination is composed of multiple 4-question mini-cases that measure a candidate’s ability to diagnose, treatment plan and manage clinical situationsthat are commonly encountered in entry level practice. Each mini-case is accompanied by a combination of charting, radiographs, photographs and/or other supporting images or data. Examination content focuses on diagnosis, assessment, and complex treatmentplanning in operative dentistry, fixed and removeable prosthodontics, endodontics, periodontics, oral pathology, oral surgery, and implant dentistry.

CRDTS also has an Extra/Intra Oral Assessment OSCE in conjunction with the Simulated Patient Periodontal Examination. It is a 16-question written test performed on a tabled with an allowance of 15 minutes to complete.

Central Office must know candidate’s exam preference by the deadline date.

Dental Hygiene Examinations

For exam schedules please see the examination page.

CRDTS offers both a patient based dental hygiene examination and a simulated patient dental hygiene examination.

Candidates who are unsuccessful can retest on-site or retest at a future exam site. Candidates who are unsuccessful and retest at a future exam site must submit a new application and pay the examination fee. Candidates who are retaking the examination at a future exam site must fulfill current examination requirements since the examination format is periodically redesigned. All portions of the failed examination must be retaken, not just the procedures with deficient performance. The candidate applying for reexamination at a future exam site must provide documentation that all school requirements have been completed and the candidate has graduated

Candidates must notify Central Office if they plan to share a patient by the deadline date of their examination.

Yes; A simulated patient extra/intra oral assessment written OSCE will be presented to candidates via a CRDTS computer tablet. Candidates will have fifteen (15) minutes to view and answer sixteen (16) questions appropriately. Candidates will be required to sign and uphold the Candidate Statement of Understanding about the CRDTS Oral Assessment OSCE Security Measures.

Central Office must know candidate’s exam preference by the deadline date.

Local Anesthesia Examinations

For exam schedules please see the examination page.

CRDTS offers both a written and clinical local anesthesia examination.

Candidates who are unsuccessful on their first attempt of the written exam can retake at the same site on the next day after paying the retest fee, PROVIDING the site can accommodate a retest schedule. Unsuccessful candidates are encouraged to study the areas of deficiency, provided in their critique, prior to attempting the exam again. Candidates who are unsuccessful on their first attempt of the clinical injections can retake at the same site after paying the retest fee. Only the injection(s) that were unsuccessful need to be retaken. If a candidate chooses not to retake on site, both injections need to be retaken at a subsequent clinical exam site.

Restorative Auxiliary Examinations

For exam schedules please see the examination page.

CRDTS offers a simulated patient restorative auxiliary examination.

Candidates who are unsuccessful must submit a new application and pay the examination fee. Some sites may offer a retake immediately after the scheduled exam groups. The candidate letter will clarify if a same-site retake opportunity is available. When retaking the examination at the same site, only the unsuccessful restoration(s) need(s) to be completed. Candidates who do not retake on site must complete both restorations at a subsequent clinical exam site. Candidates who are retaking the examination must fulfill current examination requirements since the examination format is periodically redesigned.

Dental Therapy Examinations

For exam schedules please see the examination page.

CRDTS will offer a dental therapy examination customized to the state boards requirements.

Candidates who are unsuccessful may have availability to retest at the same site. Reexamination policy will be based off the state boards requirements.