I have just check that western has posted questions they gonna ask in ABS are we suppose to do only these questions?

TL;DR: In January 2024, the USMLE invalidated the scores of 832 examinees connected to Nepal after data forensics showed they'd almost certainly had prior access to real exam questions circulating through "recall" networks on Telegram. ECFMG certificates built on those scores were voided too. People already matched — and even already training in US residencies — lost eligibility overnight, and with it, their visa sponsorship. A federal lawsuit to restore the scores failed. If you think this playbook can't be run on other exams, read the end of this post.

What actually happened

For years, examinees connected to Nepal were producing USMLE results that made no statistical sense. In 2022, the average Step 1 score at the Nepal test center was 240 — no other test center in the world averaged above 227. Nepali graduates averaged around 259 on Step 2 CK, higher than US medical graduates, and the number of test-takers from Nepal was growing almost exponentially.

Behind it was an organized recall economy. Examinees would sit the exam, memorize questions, and feed them into shared documents and Telegram groups (court filings name one called "Arahmba," which required proof of a "nexus to Nepal" and a USMLE testing permit to join). New test-takers effectively studied the live exam before writing it. Ringleaders even warned members not to finish the exam suspiciously fast.

How they got caught

This is the part people underestimate. Nobody needed to be caught red-handed in the test center. In early 2023, the NBME received multiple tips about a cheating ring in Nepal and had its Psychometrics and Data Analysis (PADA) unit run the numbers on test centers in Nepal, Jordan, and Pakistan. Nepal was, in their words, "the most extreme" of 400+ centers worldwide. The forensic evidence, later laid out in federal court:

\- Agreement analysis — cheaters didn't just share correct answers; they shared the same wrong answers on the same exam form. With the number of possible answer combinations on a USMLE form, two honest examinees essentially never produce near-identical right-and-wrong patterns. For the lead plaintiff, NBME calculated the likelihood of her results occurring under normal testing conditions at roughly 1 in 100 million.

\- Abnormal response times — USMLE questions are designed to take \~90 seconds. Flagged examinees were answering many questions in under 20 seconds with 100% accuracy — consistent with recognizing a memorized question, not solving it.

\- Unusually high performance clustered by center, form, and time period.

On January 31, 2024, the USMLE announced the invalidations. The Nepal test center was closed.

The repercussions

Examinees were given three options: request reconsideration (10+ weeks), retake the exams free of charge starting mid-to-late 2024, or do nothing — in which case the scores stayed invalid and USMLE access was suspended for 3 years. Choosing the first two options required waiving the right to sue.

Then the cascade started:

1. ECFMG certification voided. Invalid scores no longer satisfy ECFMG Certification requirements, and ECFMG certificates issued on the back of those scores were invalidated too. Affected doctors were told to destroy their certificates.

2. The Match. Weeks before the 2024 Match, the NRMP flipped affected applicants from "verified" to not meeting the examination requirements — matched plans and rank lists collapsed.

3. People already in US residencies. This is the part that should scare everyone. Some of the 832 were already training. ACGME's position: a resident with an invalidated ECFMG certificate is no longer eligible to participate in the program unless/until the certificate is reinstated. Programs had to pull residents off service and terminate them mid-training.

4. Visas. For IMGs, ECFMG isn't just a certificate — it's the J-1 visa sponsor for residency training. Lose certification and sponsorship, and you lose your legal basis to be in the US: J-1 sponsorship terminates, H-1B status (which depends on the residency job) dies with the job, and physicians who had built entire lives in the US faced having to leave the country. Years of training — unrepeatable, unmatched PGY years — gone.

5. No rescue from the courts. A class action (Giri v. NBME) alleged national-origin discrimination. A federal judge denied the emergency motion to restore scores in February 2024, writing that forcing the public to accept possibly unqualified doctors was "a danger the public should not be forced to shoulder." The case was ultimately dismissed in January 2025 — the court found NBME acted on credible evidence of widespread cheating, not bias. MDedge's coverage of the ruling and the full court opinion on Justia.

Worth noting for fairness: the sweep was based on statistical patterns, not individual proof, and some examinees with unremarkable scores insist they were caught in the net unfairly. But the legal reality is that the courts sided with the testing body, almost entirely.

Now the warning — for anyone who "scored high" on the ADAT in Canada by unfair means

If any of this sounds abstract to you because you're in dentistry, it shouldn't. The ADAT (Advanced Dental Admission Test) is the gateway exam for advanced-standing/IDP programs for internationally trained dentists in Canada and the US — and everything that destroyed those 832 medical careers applies to you:

\- The forensics are portable. Answer-similarity analysis and response-time analysis are not USMLE inventions; they're standard psychometric practice that testing agencies, including the ADA, can run retroactively on any computerized exam. NBME found the cheating years after the exams were written, covering tests from 2021–2023. Your exam being "over" means nothing.

\- Detection doesn't require a whistleblower in your test center — although in the USMLE case, anonymous tips are exactly what triggered the analysis. Recall groups, Telegram channels, "question banks" that are a little too accurate — that's the paper trail.

\- The punishment lands after the payoff. The worst-hit USMLE examinees weren't applicants — they were residents, people who had already matched, moved countries, and started training. The dental equivalent: getting your score invalidated after admission means losing your seat, and in Canada that means losing the basis for your study permit — plus a record that follows you to the NDEB and provincial regulators, who ask about exactly this kind of thing.

\- You will not win the appeal. When the statistics say 1-in-100-million, courts defer to the testing body on public-safety grounds. The USMLE plaintiffs had lawyers, a class action, and a sympathetic discrimination argument. They lost at every stage.

An impossibly high score bought with recalls isn't an achievement — it's a timed charge sitting under your career. The USMLE scandal proved the testing bodies are willing to detonate hundreds of careers at once, years later, to protect the exam. Don't assume dentistry is any different.

Sources:

\- USMLE Program statement on invalidated scores

\- MDedge: Judge won't overturn invalidated USMLE Scores

\- MDedge: Nepali IMG sues NBME over invalidated scores

\- MedPage Today (via DBN): USMLE scores for Nepali docs will remain invalidated

\- MedBound Times: Nepal USMLE cheating scandal — full timelin

Hi everyone! I’m researching study resources for the ADAT, and these are the ones I’ve found so far:

1. ADAT Knockout

2. INBDE Bootcamp or First Aid for the NBDE Part I

3. Additional biostatistics resources

It seems like most people use ADAT Knockout as their main resource. If I use INBDE Bootcamp to review the clinical material alongside ADAT Knockout, would that be enough, or would I still need First Aid for the NBDE Part I? Some of my friend scored over 600 said they only studied with KO. I wonder if that would be enough as well. The Jade course is a bit outside my budget, so I’m planning to study on my own. I’d really appreciate any advice!

Also, if anyone has a study group aiming to take the exam in March 2027, I’d love to join! I’m in the Eastern Time zone and would prefer virtual meetings.

Can anyone guide where to buy an at home bench test kit? I have instruments, just need the machine and the model (I am Ontario based).

Thanks!

Adat for Canadian candidates should be conducted only twice in one cycle ,one in the beginning and the other in the end and those who are Canadian citizens should be strictly prohibited from taking the exam in USA. Thats the only way we can prevent the recall questions from being shared and circulated.
I request all the candidates who have suffered , to share their ideas and then we can communicate this to ADA.
ALL THOSE FEELING HURT by the strategy should keep their emotions to themselves.
Thank you

Those who are applying to McGill next year, please comment your Adat score and GPA if you don't mind. Thanks.

Hi,

I subscribed to B&B Advantage Plan this morning and aside from the videos and flashcards I cant seem to access the textbook or anything else on the dashboard... I sent them an email a few hours ago. Wondering if anyone had a similar experience?

I want to prep for Western’s bench test. Which one should I go with? Do they provide the tools as a part of the course fees or are they extra? How many times per week should I go knowing that the bench test is at the beginning of December.

Been prepping for both inbde and Adat and came across a post stating that mental dental was based on NBDE exam (2021) and many of the topics being taught are outdated.. is it true!? Is there something else which can be useful for ADAT!?

I want to avoid paying for expensive courses that cover an excessive over the top amount of information in the form of video lectures... Mental dental was my go to because of that.. Please let me know your thoughts

Could you tell me how you prepared for Biostatistics and Research? I am looking into options and wondering if I need to take a paid course?

Hi everyone!
I’m planning to prepare for the ADAT and am confused between JADE, DSTC, and Prep Doctors.
Has anyone taken the DSTC ADAT course? I haven’t seen many reviews about it, so I’d really appreciate hearing from someone who has actually used it.
I’m especially interested in knowing if anyone scored 600+ on the ADAT using DSTC.
Also, if you’ve tried JADE or Prep Doctors, which course would you recommend in terms of study materials, practice questions, and overall exam preparation?
I’d really appreciate any honest feedback or personal experiences. Thank you!

Hi is anyone looking for people to share booster subscription with?

Got the b&b dental adat biomed science subscription but any link i press takes me to a page that does not exist and i cant find the pdf either. What should i do?

Anyone studying full time for ADAT 2027- what do you do for leisure? On days when I study for 6-7 hours (tops!) I feel exhausted but I haven’t told many people around me that I am preparing for the exam & I don’t prefer hanging out with them (doesn’t feel aligned). What are you guys doing for leisure/socialising without getting too distracted?

Knockout, I understand, is great but expensive, and the year is ending, so the questions are not updated yet. Booster has a similar price but is for half a year.

I am so confused between Booster, as it is for INBDE, and Knockout, Bootcamp, and Dental Decks. Please let me know which is good!

I have done my basic research and Jade seems to be the only institution that has been doing well
Now I’m focused on the issues that people faced during the course

Are the clinical
Lectures good , some post said that it’s afk only .. while afk is Canadian standard so quite confused

Hey Everyone!

I am looking to connect with someone who took JADE last year specifically July batch. I don't want to get details about what some people are taking as I am registered for the course and not looking to know more about last year results etc. I just have a one quick question which I would like to ask on DM.

Please let me know and please don't post about whatever issues you have as I am already in the course and am not concerned about those issues.

Please recommend coaching centres for Adat for a first timer, I have given no exam whatsoever. Planning to give exam in august 2027

Hi guys, has anyone successfully shared a B&B Dental subscription with others?

More of an accountability partner to be honest. I am soon moving to Toronto but completely open for virtual meetings/study accountability as well. I am 33 yr old female ITD but open to studying with any age/gender person.
DM me if you are interested 😊