Developing an Assessment-of-Clinical-Exodontia-Skills (ACES) Rating Scale for Undergraduate Dental Students

Objective: To develop assessment-of-clinical-exodontia-skills (ACES) rating scale for formative and summative assessment of undergraduate dental students performing exodontia. Place and Duration of Study: Faisalabad Medical University, Faisalabad, from May 2017 to February 2018. Methodology: A preliminary scale was developed using literature search and informal discussion with experts. In the first round of Delphi, this scale was emailed to oral surgery faculty across Pakistan. Their opinions were sought and the form was modified accordingly. In the second round, the modified form was emailed again to the respondents of first round and thus the form was finalized by obtaining their comments on the modified form. Results: A preliminary 27-point round-1 questionnaire was sent to 42 experts. Out of these, 30 responded (overall response rate 71.4%) and the form was modified according to their response. Frequency, percentage, and mean of Likertbased responses was calculated along with thematic analysis of individual responses. In round 2, the modified form was sent to the 30 respondents of round 1. Out of these, 21 replied (response rate 70%) and form was further modified accordingly. In round 2, primary focus was on marking/scoring strategy. Conclusion: ACES form was developed, which can be important tool in assessing exodontia skills of undergraduate dental students. This needs practical application and testing for validity.