Admission Test for Dental Hygiene (ATDH) FAQ
- Dr. Paul R. Leary, DMD (Chair, ATDH Steering Committee)
- Dr. Wanda Cloet, DHSC, RDH
- Dr. Uri Hangorsky, DDS, MS
- Ms. Joyce C. Hudson, RDH, MS
- Dr. Stephen M. Lepowsky, DDS
- Ms. Donna Warren Morris, RDH, Med
- Dr. Michelle Roman
- Ms. Ebony Thomas-Butler
- Ms. Tammy R. Sanderson, RDH, MSDH (consultant to the Steering Committee)
Dental hygiene program directors requested the development of a standardized, nationally administered admission test for use in evaluating the qualifications of applicants to their programs.
ADA’s Department of Testing Services has the expertise to develop, administer, and score standardized, nationally administered examinations. The DTS worked with the ATDH Steering Committee and a select group of test construction volunteers to clarify the scope of the examination and develop questions for the examination.
The ATDH Steering Committee was charged with overseeing the development, launch, and validation of the ATDH. Key areas of oversight for the committee included the following:
- Examination development
- Establishment of operational policies
- Accumulation of validity evidence (i.e., psychometric research)
Fee waivers are now available and application information is provided below.
In documented cases of severe financial hardship, a limited number of partial fee waivers are available to ATDH examinees each calendar year (January - December). The partial fee waiver covers 50% of the ATDH fee. The partial fee waiver does not apply to any charges associated with rescheduling/canceling a test date or score reporting after the time of initial application. Partial fee waivers are granted on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible examinees who have submitted the required documents. An examinee is eligible to request a partial fee waiver if each of the following criteria are met:
- First-time examinee
- Has not previously received a partial fee waiver
- U.S. citizen or resident alien
- Has demonstrated financial hardship
- Received financial aid from their school
The review materials for the DAT may be helpful in reviewing for the ATDH. Download a list of DAT reference books (PDF).
The ATDH score report is anticipated to contain six topic scores (one for each test section) and two composite scores. The two composite scores are:
- English Language Skills (based on performance on Reading Comprehension and Language Usage) and
- The ATDH Overall Score (based on performance on all test sections, and representing candidate critical thinking in foundational skill areas).