INBDE exam: format, cost, scores and dates
The INBDE exam (Integrated National Board Dental Examination) is the two-day written licensure examination for dentists in the United States, run by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE). It has 500 multiple-choice items in six sections, takes 12 hours 30 minutes of testing time, costs $890 and is offered year-round at Prometric test centers. You pass with a scale score of 75.
- Exam
- Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE), JCNDEJCNDE INBDE page, checked 18 October 2026
- Items
- 500 multiple-choice items: 300 standalone, 200 case-basedJCNDE Candidate Guide and Technical Report, checked 18 October 2026
- Testing time
- 12 hours 30 minutes over two days (8 h 15 min and 4 h 15 min)JCNDE Candidate Guide, checked 18 October 2026
- Exam fee
- $890 (plus $435 international processing fee for non-CODA candidates)JCNDE Candidate Guide, checked 18 October 2026
- Passing score
- Scale score of 75 (scale 49 to 99), reported as pass or failJCNDE Candidate Guide, checked 18 October 2026
- Where and when
- Year-round at Prometric test centers in the U.S., its territories and CanadaJCNDE INBDE page, checked 18 October 2026
- Results
- Typically three to four weeks after the examJCNDE INBDE results page, checked 18 October 2026
- Failure rate 2025
- 7.2% for CODA first-time takers, 20.8% across all candidatesJCNDE INBDE Technical Report 2025, checked 18 October 2026
- Retakes
- At least 60 days between attempts, at most four in any 12 monthsJCNDE Candidate Guide, checked 18 October 2026
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Why you can trust these INBDE questions
What is the INBDE exam?
The INBDE is the national written dental exam for licensure. JCNDE describes it as a high-stakes licensure examination that requires candidates to use their clinical skills, and it is accepted in all U.S. states and territories as fulfilling all or part of the written examination requirement for licensure.
The INBDE dental exam integrates basic science with clinical dentistry instead of testing them separately. Every item is anchored in the Domain of Dentistry, which combines 56 clinical content areas with 10 foundation knowledge areas such as pharmacology or behavioral sciences, ethics and jurisprudence.
Source: JCNDE — INBDE. Checked 18 October 2026.
INBDE exam format and question breakdown
The INBDE exam format is six timed sections of 105 minutes each, spread over two days at the same Prometric test center. The second day must fall within seven days of the first. Optional scheduled breaks of 15 to 30 minutes sit between sections.
How long is the INBDE exam? The total administration time is 12 hours 30 minutes: 8 hours 15 minutes on day one and 4 hours 15 minutes on day two, including the optional tutorials and breaks. Here is the INBDE question breakdown by section:
- Day 1: Section 1, 100 standalone items
- Day 1: Section 2, 100 standalone items
- Day 1: Section 3, 100 standalone items
- Day 1: Section 4, 60 case-based items
- Day 2: Section 5, 70 case-based items
- Day 2: Section 6, 70 case-based items
Source: JCNDE — INBDE 2026 Candidate Guide. Checked 18 October 2026.
What the INBDE questions cover
All INBDE questions are multiple-choice with one correct or best answer. JCNDE describes completion items, question items and negatively worded items, where words such as EXCEPT, LEAST or NOT are capitalized. Some case-based items include dental charts, and some include a patient box.
Clinical content is grouped into three areas, and the test specification sets their share of items. Some items are experimental and not scored, and you cannot tell which ones they are.
- Diagnosis and Treatment Planning: 36%
- Oral Health Management: 42%
- Practice and Profession: 22%
Source: JCNDE — INBDE 2026 Candidate Guide. Checked 18 October 2026.
INBDE exam cost and fees
The INBDE exam cost is $890 when bought on its own. A bundle of the INBDE and the DLOSCE costs $1,080. Candidates who are students or graduates of a dental program not accredited by CODA pay an additional international processing fee of $435. Fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.
Other INBDE exam fees apply only if you need them: $150 for a 45-day eligibility extension, $55 per extra results report for a recipient you did not select at application, and a rescheduling fee that depends on notice: $50 with 30 or more business days, $70 with 5 to 29 business days and $150 with 1 to 4 business days. If you miss your appointment, the full testing fee is forfeited.
Source: JCNDE — INBDE 2026 Candidate Guide. Checked 18 October 2026.
Eligibility and how to apply
First-time test takers need a DENTPIN to apply for the INBDE and complete all exam steps. Students in a CODA-accredited program become eligible when their dean approves; dentists who graduated from a CODA-accredited program are eligible without further documentation. Graduates of non-CODA programs must have their degree confirmed through Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE).
Once approved, you are eligible to test for six months. If you do not test in that window, the fee is forfeited. You can request one 45-day extension per application.
Source: JCNDE — INBDE 2026 Candidate Guide. Checked 18 October 2026.
INBDE exam dates 2026 and how to schedule
There are no fixed INBDE test dates. The exam is available year-round at Prometric test centers in the U.S., its territories and Canada, so INBDE exam dates in 2026 depend on seat availability at the center you choose. JCNDE no longer offers the exam in Quebec.
To schedule the INBDE exam, wait for the eligibility email from JCNDE, then contact Prometric to choose your exam date. JCNDE advises booking 60 to 90 days before your desired test date. Plan your INBDE exam schedule so both days fit within seven days, and change or cancel no later than the business day before your appointment.
Source: JCNDE — INBDE: Apply. Checked 18 October 2026.
INBDE passing score, scores and score report
The INBDE passing score is a scale score of 75 on a scale from 49 to 99. The INBDE pass score rests on a criterion-referenced standard: you are measured against the standard, not against other candidates. The current standard took effect on 1 June 2024. You are not penalized for guessing, so answer every item.
INBDE scores are reported as pass or fail. If you pass, your INBDE score report simply says pass. If you fail, you receive your overall scale score plus performance information for the three clinical content areas and the ten foundation knowledge areas to guide remediation. JCNDE stresses that a scale score of 74 does not mean a candidate would have passed: pass or fail depends only on the overall scale score reaching 75.
Results are typically available about three to four weeks after the exam, and in most cases within three weeks. You view them by signing in with your DENTPIN.
Source: JCNDE — INBDE 2026 Candidate Guide. Checked 18 October 2026.
INBDE pass rate 2025
JCNDE publishes failure rates, not pass rates, in its INBDE Technical Report. For 2025, the failure rate was 7.2% for first-time takers from CODA-accredited programs and 34.9% for first-time takers from non-accredited programs. Across all 12,239 administrations in 2025 it was 20.8%.
Put the other way round, the INBDE exam pass rate in 2025 was 92.8% for CODA first-time takers and 79.2% across all administrations. Repeat takers failed more often: 27.0% (CODA) and 50.5% (non-accredited). JCNDE introduced a new standard in 2024, so earlier years are not directly comparable.
Source: JCNDE — INBDE Technical Report 2025. Checked 18 October 2026.
Retaking the INBDE
After an unsuccessful attempt you must wait at least 60 days before testing again, with at most four attempts in any 12-month period. You must pass within five years of your first attempt or within five attempts; after that, you may test once every six months.
If you pass, you may not retake the INBDE unless a dental board or regulatory agency requires it. JCNDE encourages formal remediation before re-examination.
Source: JCNDE — INBDE 2026 Candidate Guide. Checked 18 October 2026.
INBDE candidate guide, sample questions and study materials
The INBDE candidate guide is the official rulebook: fees, eligibility, sections, scoring and retakes. JCNDE also publishes INBDE sample questions written by test constructors who were involved in creating the exam, fact sheets for students, schools and boards, and the Foundation Knowledge for the General Dentist document.
For INBDE study materials, JCNDE recommends textbooks and lecture notes as primary sources and does not endorse any specific INBDE book or other teaching aid. That also applies to any INBDE prep course. JCNDE says practice questions are best used to get familiar with item formats and cautions against limiting preparation to practice questions.
Source: JCNDE — INBDE: Prepare. Checked 18 October 2026.
INBDE study plan and study schedule
JCNDE does not publish an INBDE study plan or say how long to study for INBDE. A practical way to build your own INBDE study schedule is to work backwards from your appointment: you book 60 to 90 days ahead, so that window is a natural frame for the final phase of preparation.
Weight your time by the published clinical content split (42% oral health management, 36% diagnosis and treatment planning, 22% practice and profession), cover all ten foundation knowledge areas, and rehearse case-based items with charts and a patient box. A timed INBDE practice test of 100 items in 105 minutes mirrors the pace of one standalone section.
Source: JCNDE — INBDE 2026 Candidate Guide. Checked 18 October 2026.
INBDE practice questions
Certsqill’s INBDE practice questions are expert-developed and follow the INBDE structure, with standalone and case-based items across the clinical content and foundation knowledge areas. They are built for INBDE prep that goes beyond recognizing item formats.
Every question comes with an explanation for each answer option, and your results build a readiness score per content area, so you can see where you stand before test day. A 7-day money-back guarantee applies.
INBDE questions people ask
What is INBDE exam eligibility based on?
On your dental education: CODA students need dean approval, CODA graduates are eligible directly, and non-CODA graduates need an ECE degree evaluation. Source: JCNDE Candidate Guide, checked 18 October 2026.
How many INBDE exam questions are there?
500 multiple-choice items: 300 standalone items in Sections 1 to 3 and 200 case-based items in Sections 4 to 6. Some items are unscored. Source: JCNDE, checked 18 October 2026.
What is the INBDE cost?
$890 for the exam, plus $435 international processing fee for non-CODA candidates. Source: JCNDE Candidate Guide, checked 18 October 2026.
What score do you need to pass the INBDE?
A scale score of 75 on a scale from 49 to 99. Results are reported as pass or fail. Source: JCNDE Candidate Guide, checked 18 October 2026.
When are the INBDE exam dates?
There are no fixed dates: the INBDE test is available year-round at Prometric. JCNDE advises scheduling 60 to 90 days ahead. Source: JCNDE, checked 18 October 2026.
What was the INBDE pass rate in 2025?
JCNDE reports a 7.2% failure rate for CODA first-time takers and 20.8% overall in 2025. Source: JCNDE INBDE Technical Report 2025, checked 18 October 2026.
How long to study for INBDE?
JCNDE does not say. It recommends textbooks and lecture notes as primary sources and advises booking 60 to 90 days before your desired date.
Is there an official INBDE study guide?
JCNDE publishes the Candidate Guide, sample questions, fact sheets and a Foundation Knowledge document, and does not endorse specific texts. Checked 18 October 2026.
How soon do I get my INBDE score report?
Typically three to four weeks after the exam, often within three weeks, in your DENTPIN account. Source: JCNDE, checked 18 October 2026.
