1. Licensure
While the examinations of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada may be used by Dental Regulatory Authorities as part of their requirements for licensure, candidates should contact the appropriate provincial licensing or registration body for complete information and requirements and should not interpret successful completion of the RCDC examinations alone as fulfilling the requirements for licensure by a provincial or state licensing authority.
 
2. Applications for Examination
Applicants who wish to be examined by the Royal College of Dentists of Canada must submit a completed application and supporting documentation according to the guidelines established by the Council of the College. Each applicant for examination shall:

a) Submit evidence of:

i. having completed or being, at the time of taking the examination, in the final year of a dental specialty training program which, during the course of the candidate’s enrollment in the program, was accredited by the Canadian Commission on Dental Accreditation or an accreditation body with which the Canadian Commission on Dental Accreditation has a reciprocal accreditation agreement; or
 
ii. having completed a Dental Specialty Assessment and Training Program (DSATP) for internationally trained dental specialists which, during the course of the candidate’s enrollment in the DSATP, was a part of a specialty training program accredited by the Canadian Commission on Dental Accreditation or an accreditation body with which the Canadian Commission on Dental Accreditation has a reciprocal accreditation agreement; or

iii. having completed at least twelve months as a full-time academic staff member at a Canadian dental faculty at the rank of Assistant Professor or higher, who has been nominated by the Dental Regulatory Authority in the Province where they are registered: and who provides the Royal College of Dentists of Canada’s Registrar with a letter from the program director of the applicant’s specialty at the Faculty of Dentistry, or from the Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry stating that the applicant’s clinical skills and knowledge are equivalent to those of an individual who has completed a specialty program in the same discipline which is accredited by the Canadian Commission on Dental Accreditation or an accreditation body with which the Canadian Commission on Dental Accreditation has a reciprocal accreditation agreement.

b) Submit the prescribed application form together with the requisite documentation to the Registrar by the prescribed date;

c) Pay the examination and application fees;

Please contact the office if you require additional information.

Candidates who choose to sit the examination before they have fully completed their program requirements must provide evidence of the successful completion of the program before they may be admitted as a Fellow of the College.

It is the candidate’s responsibility to supply all relevant information related to their application. Determination of eligibility to sit the College’s examinations shall be made after reviewing this information. Applicants are requested to contact the RCDC office well in advance of application deadlines to allow time for a proper review of credentials. No guarantee can be made that review of an application will be completed in time for the exam session for which the application has been made.

Completed applications, accompanied by the application fee or re-sit fee, examination fee and supporting documentation, must be received at the office of the Registrar by the advertised date in the year in which the examination is to take place. Late applicants will be required to wait until the next available examination session and may be required to resubmit information, as application forms are revised annually. Those who withdraw from an exam session may receive refunds (if any), according to the published fee schedule established by Council.
 
3. Eligibility
A letter indicating approval of eligibility relates only to the requirements for admission to the examination of this College. It cannot be interpreted as fulfilling the requirements for licensure by a provincial or state licensing authority.

Approval of eligibility will be maintained for 36 months. If a candidate postpones taking the examination, or wishes to re-sit a failed examination more than 36 months after approval of eligibility, reapplication must be made for credentials review.
 
4. Members and Fellows Eligible
Those candidates who are Members of this College, or who have previously successfully completed the Part I examination in specialties that formerly had a two-stage examination process, need only to complete a modified examination, the content of which is to be determined by the examining team in each specialty in order to qualify for Fellowship. The Application Fee is waived for these candidates. Please see the specialty-specific examination structure chart or contact the RCDC office for more details.
 
5. Special Examination Formats
From time-to-time, the Council of the College may authorize the availability of special examinations. These examinations will be administered by each specialty according to the requirements set out by Council. 
 
6. Examination Sessions
In 2011, examinations are offered once a year, in all specialties, with the first component, Component I,  to be completed in January and the second component, Component II  in June. The components are separated by approximately five months, as detailed in the “2011 RCDC Examination Dates”. The examination dates for Component II will be determined following completion of the written examinations and the publishing of the written component results, and will be based on the number of candidates challenging Component II. These dates may fall anywhere within the indicated window and are fixed once set. The RCDC cannot accommodate requests for exceptions, other than in the case of religious or special needs that have been indicated before the date has been set. The written examination dates in all specialties are fixed as listed. The clinical examination(s) for all specialties will be held in Toronto. Different specialties may examine on different days.

Candidates are expected to complete the examination process in one session. Candidates may not split the components across sessions. Both the Written (Component I) and the Oral (Component II) must be attempted during a single examination session.
 
7. Examination Components
Each specialty requires that candidates undertake at least two examination components. Component I consists of written examinations and Component II is an oral examination plus other elements in some specialties. Candidates must pass the written examination (Component I) to be eligible for Component II. Component I is designed to evaluate the breadth and depth of knowledge necessary to practice the specialty. Component II is designed to evaluate clinical decision-making expected of a specialist in practice. Candidates must demonstrate successful performance on both examination components to receive a pass. RCDC examinations are designed by a committee of specialists which is made up of RCDC Fellows who are experts in that specialty. They are selected to be representative of the spectrum of practice and academic work in the specialty. A committee of specialists in each discipline develops examination blueprints that define the content to be covered in examinations. The examinations administered to the candidates contain a carefully selected sample of exam questions and realistic exam cases based upon the blueprints. 
 
8. Special Needs
The College will make all efforts to make reasonable accommodation for candidates with special needs. Applicants with special needs that require particular consideration at the examinations must notify the RCDC office with their application or as soon as possible after their application is made. Candidates with special needs are responsible for insuring that the RCDC office receives the appropriate documentation from the treating physician and the program director of any significant disability in sufficient detail to allow the College to make suitable arrangements.
 
9. Religious Restriction
Accommodations for alternate examination dates may be available for candidates who can demonstrate religious restriction requirements. Please contact the office for details.
 
10. Language
The examinations are offered in either English or French. Choice of language must be given at the time of application and will apply to all components of the examination. Language choice may not be changed after the application deadline. Correspondence by the College defaults to the examination language.
 
11. Sample Questions
Sample questions are available. These are published on the web under the general information for Examinations

12. Legibility
If a candidate submits an illegible paper in a written portion of the examination, they will be required to come to a prescribed location to dictate the paper to a typist under the direction of a supervisor, and the typescript will then be marked. The costs will be borne by the candidate. 
 
13. Examination Sites
The examination facilities for the RCDC Examinations are arranged according to College requirements. As the number of candidates increases, greater constraints are placed on space and budget. The Registrar and RCDC staff are responsible for the logistics of the College examinations. Candidates are requested to co-operate fully in the discharge of this difficult duty, and in so doing, contribute to an atmosphere that is both appropriate to the occasion and consistent for all candidates.
 
14. Registration
Candidates should bring photo identification and their Candidate number/Oral ID (found on the green Candidate Examination Information Sheet) to the Registration Desk (or invigilator at the written exam), no less than 10 minutes before the start of the examination. At the oral examinations, all candidates MUST sign in at the Registration Desk each day and wear the name badge provided at all times during the examination process.

15. Personal Items
No books, papers, electronic or communication devices and other material are allowed in the examination rooms. Candidates are not permitted to have any electronic or communication devices (e.g. Cell phone, pager, Blackberry, USB or memory sticks) from the time of registration until the end of their exam. Ideally, candidates should not bring such devices with them. Any candidate caught in the possession of such devices during the examination will be immediately expelled.

16. Dress Code
The suggested dress code for all candidates at College examinations is business casual.
 

17. Waiting
At the oral examinations, in some specialties, candidates will be examined in various rooms, at different times during the day. While waiting for the next examination time, candidates are asked to stay in the designated waiting area, and must not communicate examination content or comments to other candidates. All candidates will have signed a confidentiality agreement. Candidates are escorted to examination rooms. Candidates are requested, out of consideration for others, to leave the examination premises as soon as possible after completion of the Candidate Critique, at the end of the examination.
 
18. Lunch
For the written examination dates, lunch is not provided for candidates, except at the Toronto site. Candidates are encouraged to take advantage of the lunch break by leaving the building to get some fresh air and exercise. At the Toronto site(s) (both written and oral), candidates are welcome, if desired, to partake in the lunch, hosted by the College on the day(s) of their examination(s). Candidates with dietary restrictions should contact the office at least one month in advance if special arrangements are required.
 
19. Cheating
Candidates caught cheating will be disqualified from taking the examination for five (5) years.
 
20. Candidate Critique
At the end of the last element/component, candidates are asked to complete a “Candidate Critique.” Individual responses remain confidential. The results are compiled to assess candidate feedback and improve future examinations. Please leave the completed critiques at the Registration Desk.
 
21. Examination Results
When notified of results, candidates will receive an indication of “Pass” or “Fail” by Component. No other grade or mark is available to be disclosed. Unsuccessful candidates will also receive a Candidate Areas of Weakness Report and, where available, a Patient Treatment Case Suitability Report. Candidates will receive their results in writing by regular mail from the Registrar, normally sent no later than 45 days after the examination. Unless delivery delays are encountered, examination results will not be sent by courier, email, fax or be conveyed via telephone. Examiners are not permitted to advise candidates of results. Candidates are not permitted to communicate with the Chief Examiner or Examiners. All communications must be made through the RCDC office only.
 
22. Failures and Retakes
Candidates who fail one component of the examination are eligible to re-sit the examination on payment of the appropriate examination fee and a $250 re-sit fee. Payment must be made by the advertised due date in the year in which the re-examination is to be taken. If the oral or clinical component of the examination is failed three times, candidates will be required to re-sit the initial written portion of the examination before re-taking the oral or second component again. Candidates who fail any component of the examination three times may be required to undertake further training, at the discretion of the Chief Examiner in the specialty, before being eligible to re-sit the examination again.

23. Formal Review of Examinations
A candidate’s examination may be reviewed by the RCDC only on the basis of suspected significant irregularities in the evaluation process, NOT because of alleged errors in the examination content. Review requests must be received by the College within 30 days after receipt of the official examination results by the candidates. Candidates should contact the RCDC office for details.
 
24. Application for Fellowship
Passing the examination does not automatically confer Fellowship. Fellowship is conferred after successful completion of the National Dental Specialty Examination (NDSE) and approval of an application to join the RCDC according to College By-laws, and after the Fellowship is conferred during the Convocation

a) For candidates from CADC/CoDA programs: proof of graduation from a specialty program; or
b) For candidates that took the NDSE examination under By-law 5.1 a ii or 5.1 a.iii: submission of satisfactory documentation at the time of Examination application; and
c) a signed declaration, and a letter of good standing (from a Dental Regulatory body with which you are currently licensed/registered or a member, or from your Dean) are required as part of the Fellowship application process.

To become a Fellow in 2011, all applications and documentation must be received in the College office no later than July 15, 2011. Upon approval of the Fellowship application, candidates will be granted a Fellowship Diploma at the next Convocation Ceremony (Winnipeg, MB; September 2011) and become a Fellow of the College at that time. The FRCD(C) designation may only be used after Fellowship has been conferred at Convocation and providing the Fellow remains in good standing with the College, which includes payment of annual dues. Annual dues are set annually by the Council and are subject to change.

 
25. Privacy Policy
The personal data provided to the College is privileged and confidential, and will be used only for official College business. This includes verifying identity, providing a means of communication in a timely manner, compliance with provincial and federal statutes and activities approved by Council.

Our privacy policy and procedures comply with federal legislation called the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). The information collected will not be sold or rented to telemarketers, mailing list brokers, pharmaceutical companies or dental equipment companies.

For more information please contact the RCDC Privacy Officer at office@rcdc.ca.
 
26. Oral Examination Information and Suggestions

The following advice is provided to assist you in preparing yourself for the examination. The examiners want to know how you would personally manage the case scenarios or questions presented.
• Try to relax and listen carefully to the questions.
• You will be able to take notes on the details of each case during the examination. You are required to leave all notes with the examiners once you leave the examination room.
• Feel free to ask to have questions repeated and to see images again if needed. Once a case is completed and the examination has progressed to the next case, you will not be able to go back to previous cases.
• Handle each case as if it were a patient presenting to your office. Answer the questions as if you were personally treating the patients in your practice.
• All the case material must be covered during the allotted time period. Answer the questions in a succinct and organized manner. If you stall or ramble, the examiners will refocus you to the original question.
• When asked to describe something, don’t jump to the obvious conclusion and ignore other important details. The examiners are interested in observing the process you use to critically assess the item. Do not stare at an image and say nothing; verbalize your thought processes and describe what you see.
• Don’t argue or debate with the examiners in an attempt to elicit information or the correct response. If there are legitimate differences of opinion on how to treat a case within your specialty, select the mainstream option and then mention possible alternative approaches.
• Whether you treat a particular type of patient in your practice or provide a particular procedure in your office is irrelevant. The cases have been selected to be representative of the skills and knowledge a qualified specialist with appropriate training should be able to personally manage.
• The examiners remain impartial and have been trained not to give candidates any indication whether their responses are correct or incorrect. This behaviour may appear unfriendly to some candidates, but it is essential to ensure that no candidates receive helpful positive reinforcement from examiners.
• Remember that there are never any trick questions.