What Materials to Use to Study for the INBDE

There are several materials available to help you prepare for the INBDE, this article aims to help you understand the different types of resources that are at your disposal. The majority of these study aids fall under the following categories:

1. Subject Notes
2. Video Lectures
3. Practice Questions
4. Anki Flashcards

There are generally two portions of your preparation: content review and active recall. The content review may be done via subject notes and video lectures, whereas active recall may be done through practice questions and Anki flashcards.

📚 Subject Notes

Subject notes will serve as the basis for your content review and provide concise notes based on the material that will be tested, this may be found in a document released by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations outlining the Foundation Knowledge areas that are covered on
the INBDE. These subject notes may be created by you or published from a variety of resources including dental school courses, textbooks, or other materials. Study notes should be well-organized and highlight high-yield information for the examination in order to be most effective. Luckily for you, INBDEBooster has done the hard part, they have already released subject notes for numerous topics and plan to release the remainder later this year.

🎥 Video Lecture

Video lectures also serve as a content review and provide a concise overview of the material tested. These videos may be better suited for auditory and visual learners, and they provide additional flexibility. This is because they are on demand, and students are able to play them at any time, adjust playback speed, and rewatch them. Like subject notes, video lectures aim to present high-yield exam information concisely, and such videos can be found online and here on the INBDEBooster website. In fact, Booster Prep. has already begun creating custom videos to help you ace your exam!

📝 Practice Questions

There are two broad categories of questions presented on the exam: stand-alone and case-based questions. Therefore, it is important to incorporate both types of questions in your preparation. Most resources provide both types of questions. It may be helpful to complete the content review prior to completing practice questions in order to test your knowledge accurately. Creating a review guide or flashcards based on takeaways from the questions may be helpful as well, as you can reference it throughout your preparation. Again INBDEBooster has you covered, they have developed practice questions for both types of questions that are tested on the exam, so be sure to challenge yourself daily to all the questions INBDEBooster has to offer!

🧑‍🎓 Anki Flashcards

Anki is a popular free flashcard program that is based on the concept of spaced repetition and is aimed for fast and long-term memorization. You may create your own flashcards based on content from subject notes, video lectures, and practice questions. Flashcards in Anki can include audio and visual elements, fill-in-the-blank flashcards, list flashcards, and much more. Anki allows learners to break down large and complex topics into smaller facts for improved retention. Yet again, INBDEBooster has already done the heavy lifting, and they have developed custom-made Anki cards covering virtually all topics. These decks are just a click away for your download, so be sure to add them to your study schedule!

👉 Conclusion

There are many ways to prepare for the INBDE, and a mixture of content review and practice questions (both stand-alone and case-based) is recommended. Determining a strategy for content review may be based on your dental school enrollment status, previous experience, and learning style. Fortunately, INBDEBooster has a variety of content review notes, videos, questions, and Anki cards to help you in your preparation. They have in fact devised a recommended 8-week study guide under the “Study Guide” tab that you can follow to incorporate all four study resources in order to supercharge your reviewing experience! Good luck!