Iran Dental Specialty Board - Orthodontics exam-day guide
Iran Dental Specialty Board - Orthodontics · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring the original national ID card (or passport). Carry a second photo ID if you have one. Confirm with the provider which document types are accepted and whether a photocopy is ever permitted - do not assume.
Admission card / exam entry document
Print or download the entry permit from the official registration portal once released. Verify your name spelling, national code, exam site, and session time. Report discrepancies to the provider immediately.
Site, hall, and seat confirmation
Re-check the assigned city, building, hall, and seat number the day before. Sites can be reassigned; the portal notice overrides any earlier message. If the notice is unclear, confirm with the provider.
Permitted stationery only
Bring several black or blue ballpoint pens and a soft pencil plus eraser if the answer sheet is machine-read. Leave pencil cases, correction fluid, highlighters, and loose paper at home unless the provider explicitly allows them.
No electronic devices in the hall
Phone, smartwatch, earbuds, and any wearable must be switched off and stored per site rules - usually outside the hall. Do not keep a phone in a pocket; possession in the hall is commonly treated as a violation.
Analog wristwatch (optional)
A simple non-smart watch helps pacing if the hall clock is not visible from your seat. Confirm with the provider whether wristwatches are allowed before relying on one.
Hydration and a light snack for the break
Bring water and a small, quiet snack for the interval between papers. Check the provider's policy on food and drink inside the hall; some sites prohibit it entirely.
Personal medication and authorized accommodations
If you take scheduled medication or have an approved accommodation, carry the approval letter and inform the invigilator at the start. Arrange this with the provider well before exam day, not on the morning.
Travel and lodging plan
Know the route to the site, the realistic travel time at that hour, and a backup route. For morning sessions in large cities, plan to arrive well before the gate-closing time stated on your entry document.
Rest and logistics the night before
Set two alarms, lay out ID, entry document, and stationery together, and sleep at your normal time. Avoid last-minute cramming of new material; review only your own summary sheets.
Review your own high-yield summary
Prepare one or two condensed pages covering cephalometric norms, appliance mechanics, retention protocols, and definitions you keep confusing. Read only these on the final morning.
Plan the day
Confirm site, hall, seat, and reporting time from the official portal. Print the entry document and ID copies. Check transport schedules and, if traveling, confirm the hotel booking and keep the confirmation accessible.
Switch from learning new material to consolidation. Work through your own error log and summary sheets; do one timed mixed set of questions to calibrate pace, then stop adding new topics.
Do a final pass over the highest-yield orthodontic domains: cephalometric analysis and norms, growth and development timing, biomechanics and force systems, appliance design, impacted-canine and Class II/III management, retention and relapse, and cleft/craniofacial basics.
Walk or drive the route to the site at roughly the exam hour to fix travel time. Prepare clothes, ID, entry document, pens, pencil, eraser, water, and snack in one bag. Charge nothing that must stay home - leave devices out of the bag.
Eat a normal meal, avoid heavy caffeine after midday, and sleep at your usual time. Do not start a new topic or a new question bank the night before.
Eat a normal breakfast, arrive at the site early per your entry document, and go to the restroom before entering the hall. Keep your phone off and stored as the site requires.
Present ID and entry document, take your assigned seat, and check that your answer sheet identifiers match your name and number. Report any mismatch or damaged sheet to the invigilator before the start.
Read the instructions and confirm the number of questions, the scoring of wrong answers, and whether multiple-choice items have one or more correct options. Note the start and end times and set your pacing target.
Answer in two passes: first clear the items you know, marking uncertain ones; then return to the marked items. Never leave a blank if wrong answers are not penalized - confirm the penalty rule from the instructions.
For case-based items, identify the patient's age and growth stage, the chief complaint, and the stage of treatment before choosing. Eliminate options that violate basic biomechanics or are contraindicated for the patient's stage.
Leave the hall only as directed, take water and a light snack, and avoid comparing answers with other candidates - it distorts confidence for the next paper. Return before the stated re-entry time.
Note any item you found ambiguous and report it through the official channel if the provider offers one. Keep your entry document and receipts until results are released.
Rules to check
Carry the original government-issued photo ID and the admission document at all times on site. Without them you may be refused entry, and the provider's decision on alternative proof is final - confirm the accepted documents in advance.
Electronic devices, smartwatches, and any wearable must be switched off and stored outside the hall as directed. Possession in the hall is generally treated as a violation regardless of whether the device was used.
Only stationery and items explicitly permitted by the provider may be brought to the desk. Do not bring notes, textbooks, or loose paper; if you are unsure about an item, ask the invigilator before the paper starts.
Follow the invigilator's instructions on timing, breaks, and re-entry. Leaving the hall during a paper usually requires escort and may not be permitted; confirm the break policy with the provider rather than assuming.
Do not communicate with other candidates during the paper, and do not copy, photograph, or share exam content afterward. Content-sharing rules and their consequences are set by the provider - confirm them in the regulations you receive.
If wrong answers are penalized, leave an item blank only when you truly cannot eliminate any option; if there is no penalty, answer every item. Verify which rule applies from the printed instructions, not from rumor.
If you believe an item is defective or ambiguous, note the item number and raise it through the official channel after the exam. Do not argue with the invigilator during the paper; on-site disputes are handled by the provider's stated procedure.
Scoring, weighting between basic-science and clinical sections, and the pass mark are set by the provider and may change between administrations. Read the current official bulletin; do not rely on pass marks or formats reported from previous years.