Policies and Procedures
Appeals
Appeals are reviewed, based on facts surrounding the decision made during the examination. Any other information such as past experience, school performance, character references, testimonials, radiographs, photographs or models taken by the candidate of a patient after completion of the examination cannot be considered in the appeals process. Consideration can only be given to documents, radiographs, etc., that were submitted to the examiners during the examination.
The Appeals Committee is obligated to base its judgment of technical errors upon its knowledge of the examination, the validation and standardization process used by SRTA and evidence presented in the candidate’s appeal in a systematic, consistent, reliable and rational manner. It is neither consistent nor reasonable to suppose that grading examiners can judge matters more accurately and objectively after an examination has ended than they did during the examination.
Scores cannot be reversed by any member of the Appeals Committee unless the disputed score is determined to be a technical error rather than a perceived judgment error.
Group, second-party and verbal appeals will not be honored. The Southern Regional Testing Agency is not responsible for any expense incurred by any party making an appeal.
Appeals based upon patient behavior, tardiness or failure to appear will not be considered.
SRTA does not provide patients and is not responsible for this aspect of the examination.
Situations requiring follow-up care are the responsibility of the candidate, per the Post-Operative Care Agreement.
The host school publishes a University Instruction Letter that outlines the provision of certain minimal materials, support personnel to dispense these materials and support personnel to repair and maintain equipment in working condition within a reasonable amount of time. Appeals based upon failure of the host school will be considered only in instances in which the Clinic Floor Coordinator or Dental Administrator was made aware of the problem with reasonable time for resolution at the examination site, rather than after the fact upon completion of the examination.
Candidates are not notified of all errors. An appeal based on non-notification of an error or failing score during the examination will not be considered.
The appellate process will include review of all documentation of examination results and candidate performance during the examination. It may include such additional investigation as deemed warranted by the circumstance of the appeal. The process will not include records or external opinions obtained by the candidate after they are dismissed at the completion of the examination.
The Appeals Committee will make every effort possible to complete the appellate review process within 90 days of the receipt of the appeal in the SRTA administrative office. When an extended investigation becomes necessary, the Agency will inform the candidate by letter of this extended investigation.
In many cases, SRTA cannot process, evaluate and make final decisions on appeals prior to the next examination. In cases in which a candidate successfully completes another examination while his/her appeal is being evaluated, that appeal will be dropped automatically by the chair of the Appeals Committee upon notification by the executive director. If the candidate fails a subsequent examination, the appeal process will continue to completion, and a decision will be rendered without the committee’s knowledge of the candidate’s performance on that examination.
Application fees shall be refunded in full in the event a candidate has made payment for a subsequent examination and an appeal is granted before that examination is taken. If a favorable decision is made on an appeal, a full refund of the appeal fee will be mailed to the candidate. All member State Boards of Dentistry will be notified of the results.
The Executive Director will maintain a log of all appeals and take appropriate action to bring them to a timely completion.
The appeal will become a permanent part of the candidate’s file maintained in the SRTA administrative office. The decision of the Appeals Committee is final.
The candidate’s written notification/request for an appeal form must be received within 10 calendar days following the release of scores, not the date the scores are received by the candidate. The Southern Regional Testing Agency cannot be responsible for items lost or delayed by the Postal Service.
Appeals must be filed in writing on a form provided by the Southern Regional Testing Agency and must be sent by certified mail, along with a certified check or money order for $300 for the appeal fee. The formal written appeal must be received within 30 days of the date of the examination.
Please send requests for an appeal form and final appeals to the following address:
Executive Director
Southern Regional Testing Agency, Inc.
4698 Honeygrove Road, Suite 2
Virginia Beach, VA 23455-5934
Remediation Policy
It is the responsibility of each state or licensing jurisdiction to enforce its own remediation policy. Any candidate applying for re-examination should check with the appropriate State Board regarding its remediation and reexamination requirements.
After three failures, SRTA requires that the candidate submit documentation from a State which accepts the results of the SRTA examination verifying that the candidate has completed the remediation requirements for that state, and further that the state will accept the results of the candidate’s re-examination with SRTA.
Retake Policy
SRTA will offer candidates the ability to retake one section of an unsuccessful attempt at no charge. The candidate must retake the one section within 1 year of the initial examination date. Facility fees cannot be waived, due to these fees being established by the examination sites.
If a candidate is unsuccessful in two or more sections, only one retake sectional fee is waived. All sections of the SRTA Examination Series must be completed successfully within the 18 -24 months period after the first section of the series is initiated.
Candidates may retake each section up to three times within the 18 or 24-month exam period. If not successful after 3 attempted retakes of any one section, the entire examination must be retaken. If a candidate needs to retake one or more sections of the exam, all sections must be taken at the same examination site. SRTA will assign the candidate a day and time for sectional reexaminations. This information will be emailed to the candidate. Candidates who do not attend registration and orientation must register with the Clinic Floor Coordinator between 7:00 AM and 8:00 AM in the appropriate clinic on the day of the examination.