Reliability and validity of the pilot National Board Dental Examination.

The reliability and validity of the pilot National Board Dental Examination were examined. The results indicate that the pilot examination is a reliable test that assesses a full range of cognitive behaviors. Furthermore, the findings indicate that the pilot examination is a unidimensional test of comprehensive general dentistry. The performance of examinees on the pilot examination was found to be similar to their performance on the traditional Part II examination. These findings suggest that the restructured Part II examination will be a more reliable and valid measure of dental students' knowledge and problem-solving skills than the traditional Part II.