title: Cutoff score evaluation of undergraduate dental curriculum.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Exams at the Faculty of Dentistry (KAUFD) are usually constructed to match King Abdulaziz University (KAU) policy of a fixed 60% cutoff score, though they have never been tested or evaluated. The purpose of this study was to validate the cutoff scores of three final fifth-year written exams of the undergraduate Endodontic course to assess whether they were similar to KAU regulation using the Angoff rating method.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was conducted between May 2014 and February 2015 at the Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using the Angoff rating method, three final fifth-year undergraduate Endodontic written exams were evaluated by four senior faculty members.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cutoff scores for exams 1, 2 and 3 were 57.4%, 62.9% and 63.1%, respectively. Adjusting the exams' cut off scores would cause changes in some students' results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the cutoff scores for all exams were close to 60%, slight deviation from the accepted cutoff score could definitely affect the students' results. Therefore, all exams should be validated before being given to students to certify that the cutoff score is credible and defensible.
authors.affiliation: a Endodontics Department, Faculty of Dentistry , King Abdulaziz University , Jeddah , Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Laila Ahmed
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Bahammam
mesh_terms: D003479:Curriculum; D004497:Education, Dental; D004521:Educational Measurement; D006801:Humans; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D013335:Students, Dental / Q000523:psychology*; D014495:Universities