Abstract
Preclinical assessment is a useful strategy for promoting skill improvement in the clinical phase. It enables early intervention in the learning process and promotes effective use of training resources. The study aims to assess inter-examiner variability in class II cavity preparation performed by under-graduate dental students’ evaluations using different scoring methods. The study evaluated 20 under-graduate students performing two Class II amalgam preparations performed on plastic molar teeth. The preparations were evaluated by four blinded independent examiners using two methods viz., Modified Neelakantan method and objective checklist scoring method. Statistical analysis for inter and intra examiner variability was tested using Friedman test and Wilcoxon signed rank test, respectively. The Kruskal-Wallis H test was employed to analyze scoring system variability and examiner consistency. The results showed that, scoring method (I) tends to have higher ranks than scoring method (II), the findings suggest that both Scoring method I and Scoring method II are reliable and consistent tools for evaluating Class II cavity preparations, with good inter-examiner agreement and intra-examiner reliability. Conclusion: The most important conclusion of our study is that both scoring methods are reliable for evaluating. Class II cavity preparations, with minimal inter- and intra-examiner variability. This sug-gests that these scoring methods can be used with confidence in pre-clinical practice, as they provide a consistent and accurate way to assess the quality of Class II cavity preparations