2012 Application Policies & Procedures

EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
All exam candidates must provide documentation verifying qualification to take a WREB exam.

In order to be eligible to take the WREB Dental Hygiene Exam, candidates must provide certification of successful completion of a degree program from an accredited dental hygiene school. 

In order to be eligible to take the WREB Anesthesia and/or Restorative Exam(s), candidates must meet one of the following criteria:

1. Successful completion of a degree program from an accredited dental hygiene school AND successful completion of an anesthesia and/or restorative course(s).
2. Current enrollment in a degree program at an accredited dental hygiene school AND successful completion of an anesthesia and/or restorative course(s).

**Graduating seniors may take the Dental Hygiene Exam during their final semester, with certification from the school dean or dental hygiene program director.  Certification of graduation must be provided to individual states in order to receive a license.  Some state boards may have more stringent requirements.  Please contact the State Board where you desire licensure for their requirements.

APPLICATION PROCESS
You may choose to apply for a WREB exam Online or by Mail-In Application.  Applications are processed on a first come, first serve basis, but online applications will receive priority over Mail-In Applications.  Applicants must select to enroll completely online or completely by paper with a Mail-In Application.  See below for explanations of the two processes.

Please be advised that space in all exams is limited.  Once the maximum number of candidates submit completed applications, additional applications are not accepted.  This may happen prior to the Application Deadline; therefore, you are encouraged to apply early.  Any exam having an insufficient number of candidates by the Application Deadline may be cancelled.  If this happens, you will receive a full refund of your examination fee(s).

Once an application is submitted, it is considered a contract with WREB.  If you fail to fulfill all requirements of the application, or are unable to take the exam, the refund policy (below) applies.

It is your responsibility to ensure that all application requirements are met and that all required items are received in the WREB office. IF ALL REQUIRED ITEMS ARE NOT RECEIVED IN THE WREB OFFICE THREE WEEKS PRIOR TO THE FIRST DAY OF THE CLINICAL EXAMINATION, YOU FORFEIT THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THE EXAMINATION AND RECEIVE NO REFUND.***

*** This policy does not include the course certification if you are applying for the Anesthesia or Restorative Exam(s) prior to completion of an anesthesia or restorative course(s).  You may apply for the exam prior to completion of an anesthesia or restorative course(s).  If your application is accepted and the course is subsequently cancelled, or if you are unsuccessful in completing the course, the refund and cancellation policies apply as explained below.

If you are completing an anesthesia or restorative course, you must provide an original certification of successful completion of the course to the WREB office no later than three weeks prior to the first day of the examination.  If that is not possible, you must notify the WREB office that you plan to bring the proper certification to the exam site. (If you bring improper certification or no certification to the examination site, you cannot take the examination.  You will be listed as a “No Show Candidate” and the examination fee is forfeited.)  At the examination site, the Anesthesia or Restorative Chief Examiner will collect and verify the certification before giving you permission to take the exam.

DENTAL HYGIENE CANDIDATES:  Be advised that the Dental Hygiene Examination is a two-part exam:  Clinical and Process of Care.  You may register for the Dental Hygiene Clinical portion of the exam on the WREB website. Once enrolled, you will receive a Candidate Information Packet which includes a Dental Hygiene Candidate Guide, WREB Policy Guide and an Eligibility Letter. The Eligibility Letter contains an Eligibility Number which is required to schedule your Process of Care examination.

The Dental Hygiene Process of Care examination must be scheduled through Pearson VUE Testing Center and completed during your designated time frame, any time between 60 and 15 days prior to the first day of the Dental Hygiene Clinical Examination. The Pearson VUE fee for the Process of Care exam is $70; see the 2012 Examination Schedule for fees associated with a specific Clinical exam site.

LOCAL ANESTHESIA CANDIDATES:  Be advised that the Local Anesthesia Examination is a two-part exam:  Written and Clinical.  You may register for the Local Anesthesia Clinical portion of the exam on the WREB website. Once enrolled, you will receive a Candidate Information Packet which includes a Local Anesthesia Candidate Guide, WREB Policy Guide and an Eligibility Letter. The Eligibility Letter contains an Eligibility Number which is required to schedule your Written examination.

The Local Anesthesia Written examination must be scheduled through Pearson VUE Testing Center and completed during your designated time frame, any time between 60 and 15 days prior to the first day of the Local Anesthesia Clinical Examination. The Pearson VUE fee for the Local Anesthesia Written exam is $55; see the 2012 Examination Schedule for fees associated with a specific Clinical exam site.

ONLINE APPLICATIONS
In order to apply online, you must pay with a credit card, upload a digital photo and digitally sign the WREB Policy Agreement.  After you complete the Online Application, you will receive a confirmation e-mail that contains a link to download the Course Certification Form, if necessary.   This form is just one of several types of certification that are acceptable.  Refer to the Acceptable Course Certification Table (above) for more information.  You may submit your course certification documentation or Course Certification Form at a later time, but no later than three weeks prior to the first scheduled day of the clinical exam, or you will be cancelled from the exam and no refund will be given.

Applying online does not guarantee a space in the exam. It is your responsibility to ensure that all application requirements are met.  Applications will remain in a pending status until your information is reviewed by WREB staff to ensure that your information is complete and that your photo meets the required specifications. Only then can your status be determined. WREB will notify you of your status by e-mail as soon as possible, but please allow up to 14 days for processing.

MAIL-IN APPLICATIONS
To apply by mail, you must download the Mail-In Application. Your application should be mailed to the WREB office along with your two photos, exam payment (certified check, cashier’s check or money order only), and the signed General Information/Policy Agreement. Your course certification documentation may be submitted at a later time, but no later than three weeks prior to the first day of the exam, or you will be cancelled from the exam and no refund will be given.

LATE APPLICATION
Applications that are submitted after the Application Deadline are charged a $100 late fee which will be automatically added to your application fee.  Late applications are accepted on a space availability basis. If no space is available, your application and full exam fee (including the late fee) are returned.

SCHEDULING REQUESTS
Requests for special exam scheduling must be received in the WREB office by no later than the Application Deadline Date.  We cannot guarantee accommodation requests due to a number of extenuating factors (e.g. volume of accommodation requests, number of days per exam type, etc.).  All requests must be in writing (an e-mail will suffice) and must be received prior to the exam’s Application Deadline in order to be considered.

To avoid scheduling conflicts, if you plan to share a patient for the Dental Hygiene Exam or plan to use a fellow candidate as an anesthesia patient, you must include that information on your application in the Scheduling Request section.  You are responsible for any inconvenience that occurs due to the sharing of patients on the same exam day.  Be aware that patients treated in the morning may still be checking out early in the afternoon, which could conflict with being used by a different candidate that afternoon.

SCHEDULE
Once schedules are generated they will not be changed.  You will receive your schedule approximately three to four weeks prior to the exam. Schedule information is not available by phone and will be released only if your application is complete.

LEFT-HAND OPERATORY
If you would like a left-hand operatory, check the appropriate box on the application.  WREB cannot guarantee the availability of left-hand operatories.  If the school has left-hand operatories available, WREB will do its best to accommodate the request.

PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
WREB makes every reasonable effort to offer the examination in a manner accessible to persons with disabilities.  If you need special accommodations due to a disability, download and complete the Special Accommodations Request form available on our website, www.wreb.org, and mail it to the WREB office.  This must be received in the WREB office no later than 45 days prior to the exam.

If a patient requires special accommodation due to a wheelchair, etc., please notify WREB at the time of application.  WREB cannot guarantee special accommodation, as each school is different.  Note:  Patients in wheelchairs must be able to move from the wheelchair into the examining chair.

EQUIPMENT
You must furnish all instruments and materials, including high- and low-speed handpieces.  You may supply and use ultrasonic devices as an adjunct to calculus removal.  A chair, operatory, and certain expendable materials are furnished at the exam site.  Please refer to the WREB Candidate Guide(s) for further information.  Some sites provide equipment rental.  Please refer to the School Information for Dental Hygiene Candidates on the WREB website for information pertaining to equipment rental, materials provided, etc. at the exam site.

MALPRACTICE INSURANCE
CNA Insurance Company, in cooperation with WREB, will extend WREB’s professional liability coverage with the limit amount of $1,000,000/$3,000,000 for the patient-based portion of the calendar year 2012 WREB Clinical Exam in Dental Hygiene and Local Anesthesia to you at no charge.  WREB will forward your name and address to CNA.  This will provide professional liability coverage for the scheduled examination dates only.

EXAMINATION CONTENT
Refer to the WREB Candidate Guide(s) for more information.

• The Dental Hygiene Clinical examination covers patient qualification, calculus detection and removal, and periodontal probing and recession measurements. 

• The Dental Hygiene Process of Care examination is an interactive computer exam that simulates the process of dental hygiene care in a clinical setting.  This exam may be taken any time between 60 and 15 days prior to the Dental Hygiene Clinical examination.

• The Restorative examination covers the condensation and carving of restorative materials in two dentoform teeth, using amalgam and composite procedures.

• The Anesthesia examination includes a 55-question, multiple choice Written examination, and a Clinical portion that requires two nerve block injections---an IA and a PSA. 

EXAMINATION FEES
The fee you pay to take this exam is comprised of a determined amount for WREB expenses and a per candidate fee assessed by the exam site.  The WREB portion of the fee for the Dental Hygiene exam is $875; Local Anesthesia exam is $250; Restorative exam is $440.  The additional amount reflected in the total is the school use fee, which varies from site to site based on each site’s projected expenses for personnel and materials.  Do not pay the fee listed in this paragraph as it is insufficient to cover your exam expenses. To determine the exact fee you will pay, refer to the 2012 Examination Schedule document.

Re-examination fees for the Process of Care and the Local Anesthesia Written exams are as follows:

REFUNDS AND CANCELLATIONS
IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT A WRITTEN NOTIFICATION OF CANCELLATION IS RECEIVED IN THE WREB OFFICE.  Notification of cancellation may be sent by overnight mail, fax, or e-mail.  Exam fees cannot be transferred to a later exam (except in cases of a documented medical emergency–see details below).  You must cancel out of one exam and reapply for a subsequent one. As soon as you apply, the following refund and cancellation policies apply:

1. A written cancellation received in the WREB office before or on the Application Deadline of the exam receives a full refund minus a $150 processing fee.
2. A written cancellation received in the WREB office after the Application Deadline and up to three weeks prior to the first day of the exam receives a 50% refund.*
3. A written cancellation received in the WREB office after three weeks prior to the first day of the exam receives no refund.  Exceptions may be made only in the case of a documented medical emergency occurring within three weeks of the exam.  In such cases, 50% of the exam fee may be transferred to a future exam within twelve months, upon receipt of appropriate documentation (a doctor’s statement on his/her letterhead) and approval by the WREB Board.  Please contact the WREB office for documentation requirements.

* ANESTHESIA EXAM EXCEPTION:  A written cancellation of an Anesthesia exam received in the WREB office after the Application Deadline and up to three weeks prior to the first day of the exam will be charged not less than $150 processing fee and may receive up to a 50% refund. For example, an Anesthesia exam with a registration fee of $325 would receive a refund of $162.50. Whereas an Anesthesia exam with a registration fee of $270 would receive a refund of $120.

RE-EXAMINATION
If you fail the Dental Hygiene, Anesthesia or Restorative examination, you may apply for re-examination upon submission of the required fee and a new application.  WREB requires remediation if you have failed an exam three times.  Please contact the state dental boards for their requirements.  Special restrictions may apply if you have failed an exam two or more times.  If you are re-taking the Anesthesia exam and have received a passing score on the Anesthesia Written Exam within the past 12 months, you are not required to retake the written portion of the exam.

CANDIDATE GUIDE & POLICY GUIDE
The appropriate WREB Candidate Guide(s) and the WREB Policy Guide, which provide information pertaining to WREB exam procedures and criteria, are mailed to you after your application is processed.  You may also download the guides from the WREB web site.