Cognitive and learning styles as predictors of success on the National Board Dental Examination

Using a deidentified retrospective dataset of three cohorts of matriculated dental students, we measured the degree to which selected student attributes, the Learning Type Measure, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, and Dental Admission Test subtests scores predicted passage on the National Board Dental Examination (NBDE), Parts I and II. Gender, Myers-Briggs Type Indicators, and the Dental Admission Test subtests for academic average and biology were found to be predictive of passing the NBDE Part I. Gender, a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (thinking over feeling), and the Dental Admission Test subtests on reading and biology were found to be predictive of passing the NBDE Part II. The Learning Type Measure was not found to be predictive of passing the NBDE Part I or Part II. This study holds implications for heightening faculty members' awareness of students' aptitude and cognitive attributes, for teaching, and for the admissions process.