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- AGD Fellowship Exam FAQs
Learn more about the AGD Fellowship Exam and requirements from the frequently asked questions (FAQs) below. For additional information, contact the AGD Membership Services Center toll-free at 888.243.3368 or education@agd.org
Active AGD members in good standing who have attained a dental license and have not been under probation or have had their license suspended or revoked within the past five years.
No, a dentist can register to sit for the Fellowship Exam as soon as seven days after becoming an AGD active member.
The AGD conducts an annual survey of its examinees to find out how long they prepared for the exam and by what means. It has been determined that the average preparation time for the Fellowship Exam is approximately 4o hours based on the survey results.
Study preparation for an examination is a matter of personal choice as each person prepares differently. That being said, members have the option of:
- Attending a national or local review course.
- Utilizing such study aids as the annual study guide, the study guide supplement, Dental Decks® and/or reference materials.
- Studying with colleagues.
- Using self-instruction lessons to help prepare.
Members should be comfortable with their study choices in order to attain the greatest advantage from the preparation experience.
AGD Scientific Session – A member must complete the online meeting registration form, register for the exam, and submit the payment online.
Fall Review Course - A member must complete the online registration for the exam via the fall review course link and submit the payment online.
Computerized Exam - There are three (3) options for members to register for the Fellowship Exam at a computerized testing center:
- Option 1: Email the 2-page exam application, in pdf format, as an attachment to education@agd.org and pay the $650.00 exam fee via the AGD PayPal link.
- Option 2: Fax the 2-page exam application to 312-335-3428 and pay the $650.00 exam fee via the AGD PayPal link.
- Option 3: Mail the 2-page exam application and $650.00 check to the address provided on the application.
Members should not bring any type of electronic devices including, but not limited to, cell phones, laptops, PDAs, pagers, tablets, smart watches, Fitbit or fitness tracking devices. Electronic devices brought to the exam will need to be checked in with staff, put into a locker, or left with another person not sitting for the exam. Examination results will be deemed null and void if an examinee is found in possession of an electronic device in the testing room.
The Fellowship Exam consists of approximately 252 questions on the exam from 17 different disciplines in dentistry. Questions on the examination consist of multiple choice and complex True/False. Members are given four hours in which to complete the exam.
Members are encouraged to submit questions or comments with regards to test questions. For the paper and pencil exam, members should write on the inside cover of the testing booklet and include the question number and their question/comment. All questions and comments are reviewed by the Examination Development Committee during the scoring of the exam. Members taking the computerized version of the exam can add notes during the evaluation.
The Fellowship Examination is norm referenced. Scores are based on the candidate’s total number of correct answers. The annually established minimum pass score indicates a level of dental knowledge appropriate for attainment of the Fellowship Award. Each year’s exam is statistically equated to previous year’s exam, assuring the pass level is consistent so that candidates do not have to compete against each other.
The first administration of the annual Fellowship Exam takes place at the scientific session. Once this has occurred, the answer sheets are sent to the AGD contracted testing company for statistical analysis and scoring. The preliminary scoring is sent back to the Exam Development Committee for their review. It is at this point; all statistical problematic questions are reviewed, and it is determined whether these questions are to remain on the exam or will be removed from scoring. Final scoring edits are sent back to the testing company and the answer sheets are rescored based on the scoring edits. Final statistical analyses are completed and score reports are created for each member that sat for the exam. This information is sent back to the AGD for distribution to the examinees.
For the paper and pencil examination that is administered at the AGD Scientific Session, the results take approximately 10 weeks. For the paper and pencil examination that is administered at the national fall review course or a constituent review course throughout the year, results take approximately 4-5 weeks. All examination test results are sent out by mail only. Examination results cannot be sent out by fax or email and exam results will not be released over the phone.
For the computerized exam, results will be available approximately 5 minutes after the conclusion of the exam. Members should not leave the testing center without a copy of their score report in hand.
Yes, members can request a copy of their examination score results by submitting a written email request to Education@agd.org. Duplicate test results will be sent out by mail only to the member who requested the results. The AGD will not forward testing results to any other person or organization.
Failure to appear for the paper and pencil examination without prior written notification to the AGD will result in the forfeiture of the entire examination fee. Exam funds can be rolled over to another testing date if the member has sent written notification to the AGD prior to the testing date requesting the rollover of the fee.
Failure to appear for a computerized exam appointment will result in the forfeiture of the entire exam fee. A member must reschedule up to five (5) days prior to the testing date and pay a rescheduling fee in order to roll the funds to another testing date.The AGD defines cheating as an irregularity that can take the forms of:
- A/an disturbance/distraction inside or outside the testing area
- Problem with the testing materials
- Act of dishonest behavior occurring during the examination
- Act of dishonest behavior occurring after the examination.
All incidents of irregularities are documented by the testing proctor and submitted to the Examination Council for their review. Instances of irregular behaviors may result in testing materials being confiscated at the time of the exam and/or the disqualification of test results. Those incidents requiring a decision as to the proper course of action will be determined by the Examination Council. All decisions by the Examination Council will be final and written notification will be sent to the offending party.
Examination fees are used for a variety of entities including, but not limited to, the:
- funding of the examination committee meetings for the annual development of the exam
- scoring and statistical analysis of the exam
- publication of the examination test booklet
- annual licensing of the testing software
- development and administration of the computerized version of the exam
- annual development of the study materials
- reference material for the development of new test and study materials questions
Though there is no formal appeal process for the Fellowship Exam, a member may submit a written request to the Examination Council asking for their consideration to review the matter. The member must provide an explanation regarding why they wish to contest their results. The Examination Council will review each submission with the member’s explanation and the examination/answers in question. All decisions by the Examination Council will be final and written notification will be sent to the member who submitted the request.
Yes, a member can send a written request for a rescore to Education@agd.org. There is a $100 processing fee for all rescore requests. More information regarding rescores can be found on the AGD website on the Fellowship Exam Information page.
All submissions should be sent to the Manager of Examinations by email to Education@agd.org or mailed to: Academy of General Dentistry, 560 W. Lake St, Sixth floor, Chicago, IL 60661 – C/O Manager of Examinations.