Which programs require one, what each actually tests, how to practice — and the one complete at-home kit. The reference stays collapsed by default so you open only the part you need.
A bench test (also called the manual-dexterity test, hands-on/preclinical skills assessment, or typodont exam) is a timed, faculty-scored practical exam that many U.S. advanced-standing DDS/DMD programs require of internationally-trained dentists applying through ADEA CAAPID. You perform operative and fixed-prosthodontic procedures — cavity preparations, crown preparations, restorations, sometimes wax-ups or tooth carving — on plastic/'ivorine' teeth mounted in a typodont (a model jaw), usually at or just before the interview, scored on prep geometry (outline, depth, taper, margins, reduction) and restoration quality (contour, contact, marginal ridge, occlusion).
It usually happens on interview day (some schools gate the interview on it, a few run it post-acceptance). Time limits run roughly 4-8 hours. Most schools provide everything — typodont, manikin/dental unit, a choice of air-driven or electric handpiece, a school-specific bur block, an instrument cassette, and expendables — and several explicitly forbid bringing your own instruments (you usually bring only loupes/eye protection). The single most reliable cross-school signal is the ADEA CAAPID Program Finder's 'Bench Test: Yes/No' field; procedures, timing, and scoring come from each school's own pages and a handful of official PDFs.
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