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Canada · Licensing exam

NDEB AFK: the Assessment of Fundamental Knowledge

The Assessment of Fundamental Knowledge (AFK) is the first exam in the Equivalency Process of the National Dental Examining Board of Canada (NDEB), and you have to pass it before anything else. The NDEB AFK tests biomedical science and applied clinical science, and every question has a single correct answer.

  • 200Single-answer multiple-choice questions
  • 3Attempts allowed
  • Two parts of two hoursHow the exam day is split
Read the 2026 AFK Protocol

Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

How does the NDEB AFK work?

The AFK takes four hours on one day, with one scheduled break between the two parts. You choose how to sit it when you register: a paper booklet at a location in Canada, or a computer at a Prometric test centre in Canada, Australia or New Zealand, depending on what’s available.

Each question is worth one mark. There’s no penalty for a wrong answer and the lowest score for a question is zero, so NDEB tells you to answer every question, even when you’re unsure. Teeth are numbered with the FDI World Dental Federation two-digit system.

Taking it at Prometric? NDEB requires you to watch its electronic exam orientation for the AFK and the Assessment of Clinical Judgement (ACJ) first. For the paper version, it suggests reading the booklet instructions ahead of time.

NDEB: Assessment of Fundamental Knowledge ↗

AFK blueprint

AreaQuestions
Applied biomedical sciences20 ± 5%
Restorative, prosthodontics, implants16 ± 5%
Oral medicine, pathology, radiology15 ± 5%
Pharmacology, anesthesia, emergencies14 ± 5%
Orthodontics, pediatrics, geriatrics8 ± 5%
Periodontics8 ± 5%
Oral surgery, trauma, orofacial pain8 ± 5%
Endodontics6 ± 5%
Prevention, infection control, ethics5 ± 5%

Applied biomedical sciences covers anatomy, biochemistry, biomaterials, cariology, growth and development, histology, immunology, microbiology, oral embryology and physiology. The orthodontics row also takes in special-needs patients, the oral surgery row dental emergencies, and the last row evidence-based dentistry and jurisprudence.

NDEB writes AFK questions from its Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) for a beginning dental practitioner in Canada.

Registering for the AFK

  1. Wait until NDEB approves your Equivalency Process application.
  2. Log in to NDEBConnect while registration is open, then register and pay. For a paper exam, that’s all.
  3. For a Prometric exam, look in your registration under “Documents” after the registration deadline, where NDEB posts the scheduling instructions.
  4. Go to Prometric’s NDEB page, choose “find my exam” and book your seat.

You need a test equated, rescaled score of 75 to pass. Results and what to do after a fail are on the pass rates page, and the AFK sessions and deadlines are on the exam dates page.

Prometric: NDEB ↗AFK dates →Results and pass rates →
Sources: NDEB and 2 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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