ADEA CAAPID Bench Test Exercises — Student-Reported, by School
A running, student-reported list of bench-test exercises asked at U.S. dental schools, organised by university. Use this as a starting point for practice — not as an official syllabus. Updated periodically as new reports come in.
Bench TestOne of the hardest things about applying to U.S. Advanced Standing dental programs as an international dentist is preparing for the bench-test — the practical hands-on evaluation many schools require during the interview process. There is no central source of truth: every school designs its own exam, and what was tested last year may not be tested this year.
What follows is a community-sourced list, compiled from students who interviewed at each school and shared what was asked. We organise it here by university so it is easy to scan when you receive an invite. The categories below cover what the test focused on: cavity preparations, crowns, wax-ups, RPD design, and combinations of these.
Schools and reported focus areas
Click into any school to discuss expectations during a 1:1 with our faculty.
University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry
Heavy focus on posterior operative and fixed prosthodontics.
Loma Linda University School of Dentistry
Posterior amalgam, anterior composite, and premolar crown prep.
Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry
Combination of anterior all-ceramic and posterior PFM work.
University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Dental Medicine
Anterior PFM plus operative exercises on anterior teeth.
University of New England College of Dental Medicine
Mix of amalgam, composite, zirconia, and anterior PFM.
Howard University College of Dentistry
Core operative plus posterior fixed prosthodontics.
University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine
Bench tasks spanning operative, full gold crown, and wax carving.
University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry
Posterior zirconia crown and Class II operative.
University of Michigan School of Dentistry
Classic combination of MOD amalgam, PFM, and Class III.
Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry — USC
Fixed partial coverage and morphology-focused wax carving.
University of Iowa College of Dentistry
Operative, fixed, and removable (RPD design / surveying).
Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine
Posterior amalgam, full cast crown, and composite.
Touro College of Dental Medicine — NYMC
Focus on full gold crown skills.
University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine
Combination of PFM, amalgam, and composite restorations.
Western University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine
Posterior composite-heavy bench test.
University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry
Gold crown and posterior amalgam.
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry
Multiple posterior preps plus an anterior Class IV and crown.
Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine
Traditional amalgam and full gold crown work.
Louisiana State University School of Dentistry
Core amalgam and PFM bench exam pair.
University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine
Posterior PFM plus Class II composite.
University of Washington School of Dentistry
Broad bench test: operative, endo, wax-up, RPD, and treatment planning.
University of Louisville School of Dentistry
Anterior porcelain crown plus Class III and posterior Class II.
University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Dentistry
Posterior PFM plus composite restoration.
Indiana University School of Dentistry
Bridge preparation and posterior composite.
Train for ANY school’s bench test with Dr. Kaur
We offer a flexible, faculty-led bench-test course covering every preparation type the schools above ask for — amalgam, composite, PFM, all-ceramic, gold, and bridge — with live demos and a 1-week unlimited-evaluation period after the course.
The Study Boards — ADEA CAAPID Past Bench Tests
This compilation is maintained on The Study Boards as students share their experiences. Visit the source for newer reports as they are added.