Abstract:

Objetives:
As part of the first course undergraduate degree of dentistry, a preclinical test of figure carving  has been designed to evaluate psychomotor skills of 82 students in their first year of dental school.

Method:
The test consists of carving twenty methacrylate figures, using low speed to ten of the figures and high speed to the other ten.  V1 represents the average of all the evaluations of the figures created using low speed and V2 using high speed.
V easy represents the average of the evaluation of the figures created on one plane and V difficult indicates the ones created on two planes. In the third grade, 42 students are evaluated using the same carving test.

Results:
In the first year of dentistry, an association has been established between the cut-off grade and the theory and practical mark  (p<0.001), as well as between the grade obtained in the practical part of the subject and the number of carved figures (p<0.005).
The practical grade is related to V1, V1 easy and to the three first figures, carved with low speed. It is also related to the figure F8 carved with high speed and V difficult. 

Conclusions:
In the first year the students are grouped according to their grades and the figures that best discriminate them are the circle (p < 0.001) and the rounded rectangle (p = 0.001).
In the third grade, the practical grade is related to V1 Easy (0.025), V1(0.01). and the first five figures carved at low speed.

Keywords:

Figure carving test, psychomotor skill, skills predictor, practical ability.