ADC Practical Exam Guide: Eligibility, Format, Assessment Process And More

About ADC Practical Exam

Eligibility for ADC Practical Exam

To be eligible for the ADC Clinical Exam, candidates must:

• Complete the ADC Written Exam: Only those who pass the written exam can proceed to the clinical phase.
• Hold a Recognised Dental Degree: A dental qualification equivalent to the Australian standard is required.
• Meet English Language Requirements: Proficiency in English must be demonstrated through tests like IELTS or OET, as specified by the ADC.

Application Process of ADC Practical Exam

• Submit your application through the ADC Connect account during the designated application period.
• After the application period ends, the confirmation of your practical exam date will be uploaded to your ADC Connect account within six weeks.
• If your booking is confirmed, you will receive an email with the detailed examination schedule at least two weeks before the practical exam.

ADC Practical Exam Format

The ADC Practical Examination spans two days, each focusing on different skill sets in a simulated clinical environment:

Technical Skills Day

This day is dedicated to demonstrating procedural skills essential to restorative dentistry. Candidates perform six tasks on typodont models in a manikin, focusing on:

• Conservation
• Endodontics
• Fixed Prosthodontics

On the technical skills day, you’ll complete six tasks on practice models (typodonts) set up in realistic manikin heads. These models are prepared to resemble actual clinical situations.

At the start of the day, you’ll get a list of tasks that includes all the procedures you need to do, the specific teeth and surfaces to work on, and a designated practice tooth.

You must finish all tasks by the end of the day, and there’s enough time provided for each one. You can take breaks in the candidate lounge whenever you need, and there will be a mandatory lunch break when the clinic is closed.

Here are some examples of tasks you might be asked to do:

• Preparation of a carious tooth/teeth
• Restoration of a prepared tooth/teeth with resin composite
• Restoration of a prepared tooth/teeth with amalgam
• Preparation and/or temporisation of a tooth/teeth to receive an indirect restoration(s)
• An endodontic procedure

Clinical Skills Day

On this day, candidates undergo a station-based Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), where they complete ten tasks covering a wide range of clinical competencies. Key areas assessed include:

• Clinical Information Gathering
• Diagnosis and Management Planning
• Clinical Treatment and Evaluation

You’ll also be evaluated on general skills, such as:

• Communication
• Critical thinking
• Professionalism and ethics (including cultural awareness)
• Scientific and clinical knowledge
• Infection control

The clinical skills day uses a 10-station OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) format. Each station is set up as a separate room with a specific task related to a clinical scenario or skill. You’ll move from one station to the next, with a set time limit for each.

Each station may involve different activities, such as interacting with simulated patients, watching videos, performing tasks on manikins, or other related exercises.

The exam takes half a day, and you’ll either be scheduled for a morning or an afternoon session.

At some stations, an assessor will be present to observe you directly. For other stations, you’ll complete tasks on your own, which will be evaluated afterward.

When you enter each station, you’ll be given clear instructions and a brief period to read through them. You’ll be notified when it’s time to start and stop.

A coordinator will guide you on where to go next and when to switch stations.

Some examples of tasks you might encounter include:

• Taking a patient history from a simulated patient
• Explaining a diagnosis and treatment plan to a simulated patient
• Assessing a patient’s risk profile
• Advising a patient on health promotion
• Handling a simulated medical emergency
• Taking intra-oral X-rays for a specific situation

Also Read: ADC Exam Preparation – A Complete Guide

Assessment Process

All tasks are evaluated by trained examiners using specific assessment criteria:

• Tasks you perform in front of an examiner on the clinical skills day are graded right away.
• Tasks you perform without an examiner present, as well as technical skills day tasks, are graded by two independent examiners after the exam.

Result

Examiners will evaluate your performance in a task using a checklist, which includes specific criteria designed to ensure consistent and reliable assessment. For each task, the examiner will rate your performance on various criteria, using a scale with four possible grades: very good, satisfactory, borderline, or unsatisfactory. Each grade corresponds to a numerical score: 3 for very good, 2 for satisfactory, 1 for borderline, and 0 for unsatisfactory.

Your overall result for the practical examination will be determined using a partial compensatory scoring model. This model combines the scores from each station/task to derive a final pass or fail decision for the examination.

Also Read: Mastering Clinicals in ADC: Strategies for Success

ADC Practical Exam Date and Venue

The ADC Practical Examination is held at the ADC Examination Centre, located at:

Level 6, 469 La Trobe Street, Melbourne.

In Summary

The ADC Clinical Exam is a comprehensive assessment designed to verify that overseas dentists possess the necessary clinical skills to practise safely and competently in Australia.

By familiarising with the ADC Practical exam pattern, content and everything, overseas dentists can easily take the exam with confidence. 

For more information about the exam or abroad opportunities for dentists, fill up this form. You will get a free one-on-one consultation with our expert.