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United States · Licensing exam

National Board Dental Examination: how the INBDE works

The Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE) is the written exam every US dental licensing jurisdiction recognizes. It replaced the two-part National Board Dental Examination (NBDE). You answer 500 multiple-choice questions over two days at a Prometric test center, and the result is pass or fail. The exam belongs to the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE), an agency of the American Dental Association (ADA). Passing doesn’t license you, though. That’s your state dental board’s decision, and it may want a clinical exam as well.

  • 500INBDE questions, all multiple choice
  • $890Exam fee in the 2026 Candidate Guide
  • 12.5 hoursTotal time across two days
Where to studyHow the test works

Updated November 2026 · Written from the INBDE 2026 Candidate Guide

Key facts

At a glance

Run by
The JCNDE, with the ADA’s Department of Testing Services, and Prometric delivering it
Where
Prometric test centers only, in the US, its territories and Canada, not Quebec
Fee
$890 in the 2026 Candidate Guide, plus $435 if your program isn’t accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA)
Result
Pass or fail, based on a scale score of 75 or higher
Accepted by
All 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico, Guam and the US Virgin Islands

How it works

How the Integrated National Board Dental Examination runs

INBDE scale score
49 to 74: fail75 to 99: pass
75 is a scale score, not 75% of the questions right. Passing candidates see only “pass” on their report.
  1. You take it on computer, one question at a time, in a Prometric test center.
  2. The first day has 360 questions and the second has 140, by our sum of the schedule.
  3. You read your results by signing in with your Dental Personal Identification Number (DENTPIN).

Topics

What the INBDE covers

The first three are the INBDE’s clinical sections. The rest are its ten Foundation Knowledge areas, which we’ve grouped into four to keep the list short. The JCNDE’s test specifications allocate questions across both.

01

Diagnosis and treatment planning

About 36% of the exam: working out what’s wrong and what to do about it, from the patient’s history through to the plan.

Key points (3)
  • This section is 36% of INBDE items in the JCNDE’s test specifications.
  • It covers 15 of the 56 clinical content areas.
  • Tasks include telling normal findings from significant deviations that need monitoring or treatment.
02

Oral health management

The largest section, at about 42%: delivering care, changing treatment and handling complications.

Key points (3)
  • This section is 42% of INBDE items.
  • It covers 23 of the 56 clinical content areas.
  • Recognizing, managing and reporting patient abuse and neglect is one of its listed tasks.
03

Practice and profession

About 22%: running a safe, ethical practice and keeping up with the evidence.

Key points (3)
  • This section is 22% of INBDE items.
  • It covers 18 of the 56 clinical content areas.
  • Listed tasks include developing a catastrophe preparedness plan for the practice.
04

Foundation knowledge: structure, physics and chemistry

Three of the ten Foundation Knowledge areas, together about 27% of items by our sum of the JCNDE’s rounded figures.

Key points (3)
  • Foundation Knowledge area 1 is 12% of items.
  • Area 2 is 7% and area 3 is 8%.
  • The JCNDE urges candidates to read its Foundation Knowledge for the General Dentist document.
05

Foundation knowledge: disease, immunity and microorganisms

Four areas, together about 43% of items by our sum of the JCNDE’s rounded figures.

Key points (3)
  • Pathology (area 6) is 12% of items.
  • Genetic and developmental conditions (area 4) and microorganisms (area 7) are 11% each.
  • Host defense (area 5) is 9%.
06

Foundation knowledge: pharmacology

One area, at about 11% of items.

Key points (3)
  • Pharmacology is 11% of items.
  • It’s split as 3% in diagnosis, 4% in oral health management and 3% in practice and profession, with rounding.
  • Selecting and prescribing agents, and managing their complications, also appear as clinical tasks.
07

Foundation knowledge: behavior, ethics and research

Two areas, together about 21% of items by our sum of the JCNDE’s rounded figures.

Key points (3)
  • Behavioral sciences, ethics and jurisprudence (area 9) is 11% of items.
  • Research methodology, analysis and informatics (area 10) is 10%.
  • Each has its largest share in the practice and profession section.

Test day

What to bring to the test center

  • A primary ID: original, unexpired and government issued, with your photo, name and signature, such as a driver’s license or passport.
  • A secondary ID: original and unexpired, with your name and signature, such as a debit card, credit card or library card.
  • Physical cards only. Staff won’t accept digital or paper copies, and every ID except a passport must be in English.

Before you go

  1. Check that your application and DENTPIN record match your IDs exactly. A mismatch means no admission, and you lose your testing and application fee.
  2. Ask for any name or date of birth correction at least 10 business days before your test.
  3. Leave what you can at home. Phones, food, drinks, wallets and keys go in a locker, and you can’t reach them during an unscheduled break.
  4. Expect a biometric check, such as a photo, fingerprint or palm vein scan, and an inspection of glasses and hair accessories. Jewelry is out, except wedding and engagement rings.
  5. Don’t be more than 30 minutes late. If you’re refused admission, you lose the full testing fee.
  6. Arrange your ride or a call home for after you sign out, because you can’t use your phone in the test center.
Prometric: schedule your INBDEBook after the JCNDE’s eligibility email reaches you. Enter your DENTPIN as your eligibility ID, then choose the INBDE.

Study options

Where to study

The JCNDE recommends textbooks and lecture notes as your main study sources, and it posts free sample questions. It doesn’t endorse any review course, so other companies’ prep is listed as theirs, with prices from their own sites.

OptionPriceFree to useLinks
Official
JCNDE INBDE sample questionsThe exam owner’s PDF of 39 sample questions, with keysWritten by INBDE test constructors. The JCNDE says they’re best for getting used to formats and may be out of date.
FreeThe JCNDE’s Technical Report says they’re “provided free of charge”
JCNDE: Sample questions (PDF) ↗JCNDE: Prepare for the INBDE ↗
JCNDE Candidate Guide and blueprintThe rules, the schedule and the content outlineThe guide is updated each year. The Foundation Knowledge document lists the major topics in each area.
No charge listedThe Technical Report describes them as available through the JCNDE’s website
JCNDE: 2026 Candidate Guide (PDF) ↗JCNDE: Foundation Knowledge (PDF) ↗
Prometric Test DriveA 30-minute rehearsal of the test center routineThe 15-minute sample is generic, not the INBDE. It shows you check-in, the staff and the room.
Not listed by the JCNDEPrometric sets the price on its own site
Prometric: Test Drive ↗
Question banks and courses
INBDE BootcampBootcamp.com’s question bank, videos and simulation examBootcamp shows these as reduced from $289, $469 and $669. Its pass guarantee covers the 3 and 6 month plans, with conditions.
$269 for 1 month, $369 for 3 months, $469 for 6 monthsBootcamp says you can start for free and that its study schedule creator is free. It doesn’t list what the free start includes.
Bootcamp.com: Pricing ↗Bootcamp.com: INBDE Bootcamp ↗
Dental Boards MasteryHLT’s INBDE question bank and appIt says it has 4,000+ questions, with an adaptive engine that varies difficulty. It also advertises a pass guarantee on following its study plan. Parts of its FAQ carry placeholder text, so check the terms before you buy.
$39.99 a month or $299 a yearIts page offers a free account
Dental Boards Mastery: INBDE prep ↗
Dental Decks INBDEDental Decks’ Q&A cards, online or with printIt says this includes 2,700+ cards in 16 study areas, 36 case studies and three 500-question online practice tests. Options run from 6 months online to 12 months online with print cards.
$429 to $599, by access optionNot free. It posts 45-day and 60-day study schedules on its site.
Dental Decks: Dental Decks INBDE ↗
Books
Dentin INBDE ebookDentin’s study guide, as an ebookDentin describes its guides as high-yield board exam material. It lists this as its INBDE title.
$125Not free
Dentin: INBDE ↗

Prices and ratings checked November 2026.

Explore

Everything else, in one place

Study optionsFormatApply and feesScoringScore reportPass rate

Background

NBDEJCNDE and DENTPINClinical exams

FAQ

Common questions

What replaced the National Board Dental Examination Part I and Part II?

The INBDE did. Its first scored administration was on August 1, 2020. NBDE Part I ended on July 31, 2020, and Part II’s last administration was in 2022. The JCNDE says the purpose didn’t change: both help state boards judge candidates for a dental license.

Do I need the INBDE to get a dental license?

For a US license, yes. The ADA says all US licensing jurisdictions require applicants to pass it. The JCNDE adds that it meets all or part of a board’s written exam requirement, so check the details with the board where you’ll work.

Does the INBDE test clinical skills?

It’s a written, cognitive exam on a computer. A JCNDE fact sheet from July 2019 says it doesn’t include a demonstration of clinical skills. Each state board sets its own clinical exam requirement.

Can I take the INBDE at home?

The JCNDE lists test centers only. It says you’ll take the INBDE at a testing center operated by Prometric.

Can I split the two INBDE days?

Yes, within limits. The second day must fall within seven days of the first, so they don’t need to be consecutive. If you miss that window or change centers, you’ll have to retest at your own expense.

Sources: JCNDE · ADA and 5 more. Checked November 2026.

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

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