ADEX Dental Hygiene exam-day guide
ADEX Dental Hygiene · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring a current photo ID with a name that exactly matches your registration. Confirm accepted ID forms and name-match rules with the testing provider before exam day.
Exam admission or scheduling confirmation
Bring the confirmation or admission document the provider issues. Confirm whether a printed copy is required and whether electronic copies are accepted.
Candidate guide and site instructions
Review the provider's candidate guide for check-in time, instrument list, PPE requirements, patient rules, and scoring. Bring a printed copy only if the site permits it.
Instruments and tray setup
Pack the exact instruments required by the provider's current instrument list and label your tray. Confirm the required list and any sterilization or transport rules with the provider.
PPE and loupes
Bring gloves, masks, eyewear, gowns, and loupes in the sizes you need. Confirm which PPE the site supplies and which items you must bring.
Clinical patient arrangements
If your exam includes a patient-based component, confirm the patient's arrival time, ID, health history, and transportation plan, and have a backup plan. Confirm all patient eligibility rules with the provider.
Patient records and consent forms
Bring any health history, medical clearance, or consent forms the provider requires. Confirm the exact forms and whether they must be completed before arrival.
Sterilization and transport supplies
Follow the provider's protocol for sterilizing and transporting instruments. Confirm whether instruments must be sterile at check-in and how they should be packaged.
Simple watch or timer and pen
Bring a non-smart watch or timer and a pen for paperwork. Do not rely on a phone for timing unless the provider explicitly permits it.
Food, water, and medications
Bring water and a snack if the site permits them, plus any personal medication you may need. Confirm food, drink, and break rules with the provider.
Site logistics
Confirm the address, parking, building entrance, and check-in time. Plan to arrive earlier than the stated check-in time to allow for setup.
Plan the day
Read the candidate guide cover to cover. Confirm exam date, time, location, and check-in time. Reconfirm your patient if one is required. Inventory and sterilize instruments, verify PPE sizes, check that your ID is current, and confirm any fees or forms with the provider.
Reconfirm patient arrival and transportation. Pack and label instruments, charge loupes, print required documents, lay out clothing, and plan your route with a backup. Avoid trying new clinical techniques or instruments. Get a full night's sleep.
Eat a normal meal, arrive early, and bring your ID and confirmation. Check in, attend orientation, set up your tray, and verify your instrument count. Ask the proctor where to store personal items.
Listen carefully to instructions, track your time, maintain infection control, and ask the proctor for clarification if a rule is unclear. Document findings as required and do not discuss exam content or cases with other candidates.
Rules to check
Bring valid government-issued photo ID with a name matching your registration; confirm accepted ID forms with the provider.
Follow all infection control and safety protocols; violations may be treated as critical errors. Confirm the provider's critical-error policy in the candidate guide.
Phones and smart devices are generally not allowed in the testing area; confirm the provider's device policy and storage rules.
Take breaks only at designated times. Confirm the break policy and whether leaving the testing area is permitted.
Late arrival may result in denial of admission or loss of appointment time; confirm the provider's late-arrival policy.
Scoring may include critical errors that can cause failure regardless of completed procedures; review the scoring rules in the provider's candidate guide.
Do not discuss exam content, patient cases, or other candidates' performance. Maintain patient confidentiality at all times.
Follow proctor instructions and use only approved instruments and materials. If a rule is unclear, ask the proctor before proceeding.