A few days ago I took my written exam for RDA – both written RDA and law and ethics exam. Originally I liked to take both exams on one day however PSI for some reason doesn’t allow it. Law and Ethics exam is only 1 hour and it would save me a trip to do the RDA exam on that day too.
Anyway I scheduled my exam online through psiexams.com. First I check for my records and I entered my control number which is given by the boards. Initially I didn’t have eligibility for the Law and Ethics exam because I think I forgot to mail the Boards my copies of Dental Practice Act and Infection Control certificates. So I diligently called DBC to rectify this problem and they were able to give my eligibility record for Law and Ethics 4 weeks before I take my RDA written exam. I then scheduled Law and Ethics a day before the RDA written exam.
There were no testing centers less than 20 miles from where I live so I chose the nearest venues which are Santa Clara for Law and Ethics exam, and San Francisco for the RDA exam. Fees are 23 and 43 respectively. It is compulsory to arrive 30 minutes before the scheduled exam time because registration can take a while especially if there are lot of people taking the exam. Basically you can’t carry anything with you even a jacket without a pocket. The testing site is warm so jacket or long-sleeved shirts are not needed. They’ll provide you scratch paper, pencil and ear plugs, none of which I used. Leave your bags in the car, just bring your keys and ID. The proctor will provide you a big brown envelope to store your keys and other stuffs which you bring inside to the testing room because they don’t have lockers.
Law and Ethics Exam
I didn’t have a game plan on how to study for the Law and Ethics exam until I decided to research it over the Internet on tips for this exam. It’s a good thing I did that because the exam comprises a lot of stuff. Even though it’s only 1 hour and 60 questions, a thorough knowledge of the law and ethics as implemented and regulated by the Boards is needed.
So where will the questions be coming from? In the PSI handbook, there is an outline for the exam. I looked for the information on the citations provided in different sources:
1. the Business and Penal Code,
2. California Code of Regulations,
3. Penal Code 11166,
4. American Dental Association code of ethics,
I printed all the citations and read through them twice and made notes. This served me well because the exam was very objective in questions and not much into situational problems. I finished in under 30 minutes having reviewed all the questions and my answers twice. I thought I would get my results immediately but when I came to the front, the receptionist told me that the board will mail me my results. The board is actually reviewing the exam so it’ll take 30 days before I get my results. Hopefully I pass.
CA Dental Assisting Exam
The next day I went to Candlestick Point, San Francisco to take my CA Dental Assisting exam. This exam has 155 questions and 3 hours in duration. My exam started at 1030am and as usual I went in the center 30 minutes ahead of time to do the registration first.
I didn’t have any reference books to study for this exam except the review/exam books I borrowed from our city’s public library. And those sample questions in the books are really hard making me worry that the exam will be more difficult than I thought. I just prayed that I will wing it.
As it turned out, it was easier than I anticipated. I couldn’t remember the exam questions because I think they flew from head as soon as I stepped out of the building. I got my exam result immediately after I hit the end button in the computer. Although the test duration was 3 hours, I finished in under 1.5 hours that’s with reviewing all the questions and my answers twice. I don’t want to stay late because my dad who drove was getting hungry. Hahahaha.
God is so good! The exam was easy. Lots of questions about infection control especially on hazardous materials, sterilization, disinfection, waterlines; restorative procedures such as base, sealants, cement; smattering questions on medical emergency eg seizure, candidiasis, smokeless tobacco, endo procedure on paper points, periodontal dressing, ortho wire, ortho molar band remover, tooth and caries identification, nitrous oxide, coronal polishing, etc. There’s no questions on dental office management.
After the exam, the proctor gave me my copy of my test result and informed me that the board will give me my license in 30 days since I’ve already submitted my fingerprinting summon papers at the time when I mailed my RDA exam application forms.
Hopefully the license issue process will be smooth sailing and I can get my license within a month. I’ll keep you posted.
God bless to all those who are going to take the exams. I hope you pass!
Related posts:
Calvin
March 28th, 2010 at 11:18 pm
yay! galing galing naman ni kat!
Claudine
March 29th, 2010 at 9:54 am
galing naman ni baby girl! party!!
Jeff in Sacramento
April 1st, 2010 at 7:03 pm
oh my goodness, i’m taking this is late April. and my practical is on April 10th. Wish me luck!!!
ed in san diego
April 6th, 2010 at 12:02 pm
I took the practical and past and now I need help studying for the written. I get test anxiety and if anyone knows Please help.
Thanks jadon1313@yahoo.com
Katkat
April 6th, 2010 at 1:38 pm
Don’t overthink it. Just rely on what you’ve read and been taught. Some answers are common sense.
Jeff in Sacramento
April 11th, 2010 at 8:56 am
hey i took my practical today, and I know why you didn’t feel like hitting the town after… because you thought you probably failed because you kept thinking about whether or not your 8 and 30 were good enough. that’s how i feel now. oh well, we’ll see if I passed. i’m worried about the IRM. I’ll know in 6 weeks. It’s kinda torture not knowing!!!!!
Katkat
April 11th, 2010 at 11:17 am
Hope you pass. I got my prac results 3 weeks after the prac exam.
Jeff in Sacramento
April 12th, 2010 at 2:56 am
Kat, did you pass? i mentioned you to the ladies at Dental Education Associates, and they remembered you.
Katkat
April 12th, 2010 at 4:04 am
Yes i passed. Got the result 3 wks after the exam. I hoped i didn’t do anything wrong to warrant me as memorable. Hmm….
Jeff in Sacramento
April 12th, 2010 at 8:46 am
i’m glad you passed, i bet you’ll be an official RDA very soon, and you’ll be bringin in those big paychecks. if you can please light 1 small candle for me at church.
Emily
April 21st, 2010 at 9:04 am
Kat, I’m so glad I found you via internet! I passed my practical a few months ago, and cant seem to study enough for the written to feel ok about taking it, and now being 2010 there’s 2 tests! I need so much help! I have a few questions.. Did you memorize every penal code, and code of ethics from each website? Or how exactly did you do this? I’m so nervous!
Katkat
April 21st, 2010 at 9:12 am
I just read through them twice. I made notes too so i can just review them before the exam. No need for memorization.
Emily
April 21st, 2010 at 10:09 am
Do you remember how they asked the questions on business and professional penal codes? For example, did they ask what is division 1 code section 100-144 in reference to? I read your blog and what you used for references but there seems to be a lot of codes and such. I’m not sure if i can remember them all!
And on the other exam, for example when asking about bases, liners, bonding agents. what exactly do they want you to know?
Jeff in Sacramento
April 22nd, 2010 at 9:59 am
hey this’ll help you prepare for the Law and Ethics exam….
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?mfbyuygdzd2
Emily
April 22nd, 2010 at 12:53 pm
Thank you so much!!!! Have any help for the other exam!?
Emily
April 23rd, 2010 at 7:42 am
Jeff, Is the information on this website the only thing you study from for the law and ethics? or was there more?? This information seems to have a little of everything
Katkat
April 23rd, 2010 at 8:55 am
It’ll be a great help to go thru the exam outline provided in the psi handbook because those are the only ones included in the exam. God bless! Hope you pass!
Jeff in Sacramento
April 23rd, 2010 at 8:07 pm
that Law and Ethics link i posted should have everything you need for the Law and Ethics exam. The only thing I have for the RDA written exam are the notes from my classes at Western Career College, which aren’t on PC (like hundreds of pages!!). You might try calling Dental Education Associates for some study materials 1-800-360-0332 and ask for Barbara or Grace they’re great. after I pass my RDA I’m going to eat at Jollibee!!!
Amy
April 23rd, 2010 at 11:57 pm
Jeff, Is the information on this website the only thing you study from for the law and ethics? or was there more?? This information seems to have a little of everything
Katkat
April 24th, 2010 at 1:37 am
for the base, liners, bonding agent, the questions pertain more on when to apply these materials. there’s also the desensitizing agent which i don’t know why they put inside a cavity as it can weaken bonding. but know some things about desensitizing agent because i was stumped on that one.
Jeff in Sacramento
April 24th, 2010 at 7:46 am
Amy, that doc contains only the sections that PSI says are on the Law and Ethics exam.
Jeff in Sacramento
April 25th, 2010 at 7:08 am
Kat,
1. Do you remember if there were any questions regarding X-Rays on the Written exam?
2. Are you on Facebook?
-Jeff (salamat po!)
Katkat
April 25th, 2010 at 7:50 am
I forgot if they have xray questions…probably one or two.
Jeff in Sacramento
April 26th, 2010 at 6:40 am
well here’s what the board says… 35 questions regarding Infection Control, 35 questions regarding Restoration Techniques, 21 questions regarding Patient Screening, 14 questions on OSHA, 10 questions on both Sealants and Coronal Polish, 7 questions about Emergencies, 7 questions on X-Rays, 4 on Endo, 4 about post-extract and perio dressings, and 3 on Ortho. all in 3 hours. sounds like it’ll be a challenging 3 hours!! I better have a good breakfast that day. Maybe Max’s breakfast buffet.
baltazar
April 29th, 2010 at 11:26 am
thank you very much it was very helpfull
Katkat
April 30th, 2010 at 9:40 am
you’re welcome. God bless in your exam!
Eddie in san diego
April 30th, 2010 at 1:11 pm
So I have studied and studied for laws and ethics went to sign up got the exam and it did not give me access to schedule. So I knew I had to take the written RDA exam still and have put it off telling myself I neededto buy some more books to go over the material. So I took the plundge and set the date with only two days to study. I did mostly google searches on bases/ liners, etch, direct restorations, endo, perio. Etc…. I looked for power points that would be more educational I found a few good ppd that helped most my ? Were infection control, med dental emergencies…. I stayed up till 4 am listening to ukelele videos on utube on my itouch went to bed for3 hours woke up and got there early like you mentioned . Spot on thedetails to expect. I too finished quickly only 80 minutes and I went over the ?’s 2x and was worried that I had done something wrong finishing so quickly. I sat in awe and wanted to shout out when it said I passed. Thanks for posting your blog it helped me get through the testing.
Katkat
April 30th, 2010 at 1:16 pm
Congratulations! Laws and ethics will be a breeze if you review the outline indicated in the psi handbook. Good luck!
Jeff in Sacramento
May 1st, 2010 at 8:23 am
hey i passed the RDA written, and i got notice that I passed the practical. I’m so excited!! I can’t wait to start doing those RDA functions. It’s not about the money. Ya right!!!
Katkat
May 1st, 2010 at 10:19 am
congratulations! can i ask if you also received results from your law and ethics exam? i haven’t received mine yet.
hiro
May 2nd, 2010 at 12:36 pm
hi how can i take class about infection control and dental practice act .8 hours class i passed practical and written exam
i need thoses class and law and ethics exam
so help me
Katkat
May 2nd, 2010 at 2:52 pm
I still need to complete 4 hours. You can ask from the list of education providers listed in dbc to find out if they are offering those courses. It’s usually a one day lecture if 8 hours.
Jeff in Sacramento
May 3rd, 2010 at 10:30 am
haven’t received my L-E yet. but I think I did good. and to Hiro… you should talk to Grace at the College of Marin… she can help you prepare!! her e-mail is Grace.Hom@marin.edu
hiro
May 3rd, 2010 at 10:56 am
thank u i will talk to grace.
i looked dbc but online courses. 2hours. so did u take online??
if someone took where?? how much??
i’m live in san diego.
Jeff in Sacramento
May 3rd, 2010 at 10:28 pm
hey there Hiro!!! I used to live in San Diego. Nice area! Honestly, I would check with the city college if I were you on courses. And to Kat, check each day to see if your name comes up on this site: http://www.dbc.ca.gov/verification/license_verification.shtml
mimi
May 26th, 2010 at 4:06 am
Do you know of places near San Jose CA where I may take classes to fullfill my RDA license requirments for:
Board-approved course in Dental Practice Act and
(8) hour Board-approved course in Infection Control.
Katkat
May 26th, 2010 at 10:14 am
nope…try google? sorry can’t help you…
Joban
June 7th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
Hi Katkat
do we have to take written and the practial exam on the same day…. is there different day and different place…thx…..
Katkat
June 8th, 2010 at 10:52 am
no. you can set your own test date for the written exam. the practical exam has a given schedule by the dental board
Jackie Contreras
October 11th, 2010 at 1:09 pm
for the written exam is it multiple choice?
Katkat
October 12th, 2010 at 8:20 am
@jackie: yes it’s multiple choice
Minga Vigil
October 22nd, 2010 at 3:49 am
Hi Kat i just read your blog about you taking the RDA written exam. Congrats!!! I am in the process of taking the written portion of the test here soon and was looking for advice. I’ve taken the practical a year or so ago and taken the written portion twice but can’t seem to pass it. I have everything needed to get my RDA finger prints and everything just need to pass the written part. I’m reaching out to anyone that could help in any way. Anything.. web sites, books, practice exams that you know about?? I am so desperate to get it. I’ve come this far and just want to have it already. Please please please if you could help i would really appreciate it.. If you could you can email me back at
minga.vigil@yahoo.com
Thank you, Minga
Angelica
October 25th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
Those links seem to be very helpful. Thank you for posting them.
Katkat
October 28th, 2010 at 9:36 am
don’t be nervous about the exam and don’t overthink it. it’s all logical and very easy especially if you have already working experience.
Gaby
October 29th, 2010 at 7:07 am
Do anyone knows where can I get study material for the RDA Law nad Ethics exam?
Minga
October 29th, 2010 at 10:29 am
Thanks for the help and response…
Katkat
October 30th, 2010 at 12:41 pm
@Gaby: you’ll pass with only studying the codes indicated in the RDA exam content outline. Just read through them, make summary notes, and review your notes. The questions are not tricky and are basic questions gathered from the codes.
che jason
November 3rd, 2010 at 7:07 am
Hi, kat! Can I take the written, practical and law & ethics exams even if I have a tourist visa only? Is it a requirement to enroll in a Dental Assisting School to take the exam? Thank you very much. I hope you can help me.
che jason
November 3rd, 2010 at 7:16 am
Some more questions I need to clarify. Can you give me an idea how much & how long will the following courses be: Radiation Safety, Coronal Polishing, Infection Control, Dental Practice Act, CPR? Thanks again.
Kayla
November 4th, 2010 at 7:33 am
Kat, reading your blog on the written was alot of help. I am having another issue and thought of you for help since you helped me last time
. I have to do the 8hr CE for infection control. I have called everybody possible and tried to take it online as well. When you did yours where did you take it or who did you go through?
Thank you
Katkat
November 4th, 2010 at 11:53 am
@che jason: as you have read my blog, those are the requirements for taking the RDA exam in California. if you have all those requirements then you can take it. you can look up dbc for the schools/companies that give those classes. when i’ve taken mine, xray course was 3 days, polishing course was 2 days.
Katkat
November 4th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
@kayla: there are dental distributors that offer online classes; i took mine through our dental office. i don’t know which company it was but i went to this conference building where they hold the IC and DPA courses. It was a 4 hour event. So only 2-4 units each.
Paige
November 5th, 2010 at 12:11 pm
Im taking my RDA practical this Nov. and i have to say that the DBC hasn’t been helpful at all! Between my friend and I the dental board has really messed up our stuff! From getting our applications right to sending us our acceptance letters and now with sending us our testing dates! Its been really fustraiting for the both of us not to mention the board isnt very helpful or willing to give infomation to clearify things. Anyway Im just really confused on if i should buy a study manual for the written exam, i’v already spent so much money on everything else and im wondering if i really need that or not? Do you know if any one sells them on ebay? This whole prosses has been very expensive and confusing!
Katkat
November 7th, 2010 at 8:16 am
@paige: you can buy a study manual from ebay if you’re worried abt the exam. Be sure to study a lot abt infection control and the osha regulations for it.
Kasandra
November 17th, 2010 at 12:07 am
Hello, I have the 15 months exp i didnt go to school for dent asst. i am looking to get my rda license and i was wondering about the pit and fissure license do i have to get that before i apply for my rda? Also do you know if there is a location in sacramento instead of san fran?
Lolita Vasquez
December 29th, 2010 at 5:41 am
Hi. I take my written & practical exam (RDA) and i made it..now i need to know where i can find the reviewer for Lawðics exam..thanxs
Katkat
December 29th, 2010 at 8:13 pm
@lolita: you can get the content of rda law ethics exam from the links i listed in my blog. Good luck!
Lolita Vasquez
December 31st, 2010 at 4:25 am
thanxs..Happy Holiday
Angie
February 20th, 2011 at 12:31 pm
I read ur blog and WOW! Im in the same boat. I did my Practical two weeks ago and now studying for my Written. I dont know if its my nerves or what but it seems every thing I read goes in and right out!! LOL. Well I made flash cards,HAHA and just trying to do the best I can. If you have any feed back or tips that would be great. You could reach me at angelicamquiroz@yahoo.com. Thanks….
Katkat
February 21st, 2011 at 8:38 pm
@angie: it’s very easy and the questions are common sense. You don’t have to memorize a lot. But do pay attention to infection control subject.
kristina
February 22nd, 2011 at 12:46 am
hey! thx for the tip i took the rda test last week.. fail:( i studied my hand book by j productions front to back memorized everything in the book and none of it was on it.. help.. what do i study???
Dentsci
March 19th, 2011 at 5:41 pm
What are the titles of the review/exam books you borrowed from the public library to study for the written exam?
Katkat
March 21st, 2011 at 3:40 am
Delmar’s dental assisting exam review / Melissa Thibodeaux; Modern dental assisting / Hazel O. Torres, Ann Ehrlich; Dental assisting : a comprehensive approach / Donna J. Phinney, Judy H.
Eddie
March 24th, 2011 at 3:49 am
Hi Kat! I have a question about the Law & Ethics Exam? Do you have to know the penal codes of the laws? I clicked on the links that you under your blog at the top under the Law and Ethics Exam. If there any info you can shot my way that would be cool. In the mean time I will send in my application for the Exam. Thank You and look forward to hear from you. By the way you have a lot of info on your blog good work!
Katkat
March 25th, 2011 at 8:41 am
@eddie: you don’t need to know the code numbers but you do need to know and understand the content.
Ashly
April 4th, 2011 at 12:09 pm
where can you find practice tests online???? any for free?? lol >.< i know the question may have been answered but there are alot of questions and answers. please help and ty
Katkat
April 5th, 2011 at 11:49 am
@ashly: i’m not sure where. i didn’t look for it when i took mine.
Katkat
April 20th, 2011 at 8:58 am
@lori:
#1. no need to know the code numbers. It’s contextual kind of questions.
#2. They won’t tell you which question you got wrong. I believe it’s a pass/fail result.
#3. i don’t know the answer to that because i didn’t retake the exam so i wouldn’t be able to know if the questions vary from one examinee to another.
#4. Give abt 60 days from the last day you took the exam to get your license provided you passed your exams.
Hope that helps.
Rebekah
June 7th, 2011 at 4:34 am
I have a review manual for the two written RDA exams I bought and used to study for for the RDA written and the Law and Ethics exam. I passed both exams easily and have no use for the books now. Let me know if anyone is interested in buying them from me for cheap. Thanks!! Email me at rebekahrongo@gmail.com.
Marina
October 25th, 2011 at 12:23 am
Thank you for your notebook. All of the questions and replies are a blessing! starting to gather information to prepare for studying.
Marina-Oakland
October 25th, 2011 at 12:25 am
Good job!
miho
October 27th, 2011 at 6:28 am
thank you very much for the information. i read your blog and followed all the tips. passed both written and law and ethics! thank you kat!
Katkat
October 27th, 2011 at 12:40 pm
@miho: congratulations!
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