Alert – Orthodontic Assistant Permit (OAP) Examination Modifications

In April 2021, an Occupational Analysis of the Orthodontic Assistant Practice was conducted by the Office of Professional Examination Services (OPES). The purpose of the Occupational Analysis was to define orthodontic assistant practice in terms of critical tasks that practitioners must be able to perform safely and competently when they are issued a permit. The results of this Occupational Analysis provided a description of practice for the orthodontic assistant profession that was then used to construct and update the California Orthodontic Assistant Examination.

On September 1, 2021, the OAP examination was modified to adjust the examination content which resulted in an increase to the number of questions and the examination time. The revised examination now has 75 scoreable questions and 25 pretest questions and candidates will now have 120 minutes to take the exam. The updated Candidate Information Bulletin for this examination can be found by clicking the following link Orthodontic Assistant Permit Candidate Information Bulletin.

Please Note: Examinee scores are being held pending evaluation and validation of the preliminary passing scores established by the vendor. The Board anticipates having the results by mid-October.