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Board Test Taking Tips
So I’m going to start a thread here focused on the actual day of the test. This course is designed so that you practice more and more cases in the same format as the exam while then also discussing.
The two biggest items in my opinion are Time Management and Effective Use of Note Paper.
1) Time Management is a simple math problem. During the “orientation” part of the exam it will tell you how many questions are on your particular test. The orientation part of the test is not timed! So…you can take time to regurgitate charts and numbers on scratch paper (see below). In addition just take the number of questions and divide by 4. This will then serve as your benchmark as you move through the exam so you have an idea how far you have to go.
2) You get two Dry erase sheets (varies a little bit but at least two). Since this is an exam testing systematic thinking I found it helpful to create charts and tables. I then drew all these on my scratch paper during the “orientation” part of the exam when it is not timed. One entire page was my Ackerman Proffitt scheme of a 3D/3T chart. This helped me be efficient during the test so when a question said “what’s the soft tissue diagnosis?” I could calmly check to make sure I hit everything on my list. In a future post I’ll have a sample to share with you. Start thinking – what is a memory help you’d want for your scratch paper? Practice for this test like you’ll actually be taking it.
What questions do you have about test strategy?
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34 Replies
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Here is the sample study sheet I used which I then put on my dry erase sheets during the exam. I used it to systematically make sure I didn’t “miss” something in my hurry to answer questions.
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Can you go further into dividing the questions by 4 as a benchmark? I’m worried about my time management.
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Sure Donna! Good thing to ask.
At the beginning of the test at the “Instruction Screen” It will tell you you have 4 hours and X number of questions. If it’s 40 questions then that is easy math to think okay at each hour I should make it through another 10 questions. All questions are not stated to require equal time but it’s a way to make sure that 3 hrs have gone by and you’re only on question 12 of 38!
Does that answer your question? Good job thinking about the time management aspect.
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Yes. Thanks!
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thumbs up for this sheet!
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Hi Chad, great summary sheet. To clarify, did you regurgitate this entire document on the dry-erase before starting the clock on your exam? Seems like this step would take at least a half hour. 😱
Thanks so much! -Brian
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Brian, yes I did…but that is for me. Again…you’ve taken TONS of tests and know what will work for you. However this exam is honed in on speaking the language the board wants to here. So one of my practice methods was writing out this sheet from memory to where I could get it all on there in 5 minutes or so. Now FOR ME I found this helped me be more methodical and calm during the test because I wasn’t “racking my brain” to think — what did I miss?. I knew exactly what I was dialed in on and moved along systematically from there. This test is about time management and speaking a unified language with the board – I have complete confidence in your ability as an orthodontist. We just got to get the board to recognize that as well!
– Carter
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Love your approach. Thanks for the reply, Chad! 🙂
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Study Sheet Tag
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From the study sheet, what is meant by
“Lower 2/3 of the lower 1/3”
This is found under the vertical facial diagnosis.
Is this specifying something with mentalis?
Thanks!
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this is very helpful, thank you!
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Glad to hear it helps! Definitely make it your own.
I wrote my sheet out every day before I started studying to keep things fresh. Remember we all get a little panicky in exams and forget simple stuff – make it where there are props to keep you focused and in the right direction.
You know the orthodontics! Don’t sweat that. This test is about time management and being systematic to our professional standard.
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can you also link the Ackerman profit sheet here. Thank you
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If you click on the study sheet above and download it then you’ll see the Ackerman Proffit 3 Dimensions / 3 Tissues setup on one side of it. They wrote many articles together and so I condensed into one chart all the items to jog my memory.
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Just wanted to point out I got confused, and others may also want to keep in mind.
Marginal Ridge, Alignment and Rotations 0-0.5 is = 0 points
on my sheet I am going to amend it and write for 0.6–1
OJ 0.6-1.5
Buccal Lingual Inclination . Occlusal Relationship 1.1-2
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Good point, Anish! Everyone definitely pay attention to this part!
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Hi Chad-
I thought there would be no grading on the exam this year- so, do we really need to remember these numbers?
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Leah, There is no grading on exam this year. This discussion above is from 2023…
We saved the archived discussions here for y’all to allow more material to review.
The benefit to knowing the numbers is that the sample question from the ABO is “What can be done to IMPROVE the score?” – so if there is a treatment mechanic you think of that could get it within the acceptable range (say <0.5mm for example) but wouldn’t get it “perfect” then you could propose it as an answer.
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Thank you! I just saw the cover sheet
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For this reference sheet I have the following questions.
1. Racial/ethic variations: I don’t really have any in mind aside from Bimax protrusive and extra proclination in african americans and any ethnicity that is not white? But Idk specifics- are there any?
2. What is divergence for skeletal vertical?
3. What is malar for ST A-P? I know it is cheek support but I’ve never used this to describe a profile?
4. What is lip commisure for transverse ST? Corner of lips but what are we looking for?
5. Vertical ST, Philtrum? what are we looking for?
6. Other Connectors. I saw this answer on a case I believe and didn’t know what it meant there either.
TY!
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Good clarification questions here Joti! Orthodontics does have quite a bit of overlapping language.
“1. Racial/ethic variations: I don’t really have any in mind aside from Bimax protrusive and extra proclination in african americans and any ethnicity that is not white? But Idk specifics- are there any?”
Those are good ethnic variations. There are a few Pacific Islander / Japanese / Korean / Asian norms out there as well. The ABO does not cite any particular source in its recommended resources. So I think your summary is sufficient.
“2. What is divergence for skeletal vertical?”
That was the one word memory jog I used so that I would recognize either a hypodivergent or hyperdivergent patient. In the guidelines set by the ABO there is emphasis on diagnosing and treating the vertical dimension.
“3. What is malar for ST A-P? I know it is cheek support but I’ve never used this to describe a profile?”
Yes malar support is evident in the soft tissue profile. Malar deficiency can clue you in to deficiency of the maxilla in the A-P. So that helps justify a maxillary advancement. The surgeons and I frequently treatment plan malar implants when we want extra support and we are not going for anything higher than a LeFort I.
“4. What is lip commisure for transverse ST? Corner of lips but what are we looking for?”
Width of the lip at the commissure should match the inter-pupillary distance.
“5. Vertical ST, Philtrum? what are we looking for?”
Lip length is something I regularly measure in my exams. A short upper lip gives insight into planning incisor display. The classic short philtrum I think of is Taylor Swift – it’s esthetic but recognize she has a short upper lip.
“6. Other Connectors. I saw this answer on a case I believe and didn’t know what it meant there either.”
Connectors are in the Micro-Esthetics portion of smile analysis. This is covered in Proffit’s Contemporary Orthodontics where he goes over Macro / Mini / Micro esthetics in detail [I have the 5th edition and it is Chapter 6]. I’ve posted an excerpt below about the connectors – they are the interdental contacts. This might need adjusted for esthetics in situations with barrel shaped or triangular shaped incisors.
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TY so much! Very helpful not only for boards but for bringing Taylor’s lip to my attention (:
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Bumping this to the top because it’s such an important thread to read. We have a sheet prepared to help you work on systematically reviewing a case and getting your timing down for the exam.
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Couldn’t agree more! Definitely a great review here!
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Thank you so much, this is great.
Can you please clarify under “good vs bad growers” how the SYMPHYSIS plays a role?
Thanks!
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Leah,
I’ve not seen anything associating causality with the symphysis but I refer to it as one of the “cluster of observations” from the Skeiller article quoted in the Buschang growth article. Its at the bottom of page 328 and screenshot her for you. In my most extreme hyperdivergent patients (a.k.a. poor growers) I observe the long narrow symphsis. It’s often so thin I wonder “How are those man incisors even completely in bone buccolingually???”.
Does that help? Not a cause but an observation
Thanks
CBC
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Any thoughts on using abbreviations Mx / Mn or Max / Man on the exam? Seems like this could save quite a bit of time, lol. 🤓
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Brian,
Love the thought of efficiency here! I would use those abbreviations if I was writing a response. It’s perfectly intelligible to ANY orthodontist for sure.
I’m more likely to spell out things that might cause any confusion about my intended response. For example, I would spell out “Curve of Spee” instead of putting “CoS”
Definitely focus on time management.
Good luck! You’ve got this!
Carter
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Just a heads-up from the updated ABO Study Guide appendix, page 25:
“You may
not remove any of these materials from the testing room or begin writing on your
noteboard until your test has been started.” Some clarification from ABO or Pearson here would be nice.-
Thanks for citing that, Brian.
I’m not sure about that. The writing pad is provided when you sit down to start the “orientation” part of the exam which is why I used that provided time of the exam to jot my scratch notes.
VERY KEY THOUGH! NO taking notes from the exam or discussing afterwards. We all take this very serious to protect the specialty.
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I agree, I am a little worried about this. I would love to take advantage of the orientation (non-timed) to jot down my notes, but I want to make sure this is ok. Anyone know who we can ask? Or just ask day of?
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Here is the link where it is spelled out
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Sorry I don’t have a good answer Leah. It’s really up to the ABO if this has come down as a hard stop on not jotting down notes during the orientation part of the exam.
I will say that if it was me. I would still find value in taking a couple minutes to organize my thoughts so I could “Play like I practiced” even with the clock running.
Stay cool and calm. You’ve got it.
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