United States · Licensing examHow the two exam days are split
Here’s the schedule from the 2026 Candidate Guide by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE). Tutorials, breaks and the survey are all optional. The schedule’s items add up to the 500 that the JCNDE’s Technical Report gives as the total.
| Part | Items | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 tutorial | 0 | 15 |
| Section 1 | 100 | 105 |
| Break 1 | 0 | 15 |
| Section 2 | 100 | 105 |
| Break 2 | 0 | 30 |
| Section 3 | 100 | 105 |
| Break 3 | 0 | 15 |
| Section 4 (cases) | 60 | 105 |
| Day 2 tutorial | 0 | 15 |
| Section 5 (cases) | 70 | 105 |
| Break 4 | 0 | 15 |
| Section 6 (cases) | 70 | 105 |
| Post-exam survey | 0 | 15 |
Day one comes to 8 hours 15 minutes and day two to 4 hours 15 minutes. The second day must fall within seven days of the first, at the same test center.
What kinds of questions are on the INBDE?
Every item is multiple choice, with a stem that poses a problem and one correct or best answer. You’ll meet these forms:
- Completion: the stem starts a sentence and the options finish it.
- Question: the stem asks directly about a problem or situation.
- Negative: a capitalized EXCEPT, LEAST or NOT in the stem, so you don’t miss it.
- Patient box: a case summary beside the question. If an area is empty, treat that information as unknown or unavailable.
- Dental charts: some cases include them, and the guide shows samples.
Common acronyms and abbreviations may appear, and the JCNDE posts the list.
The INBDE question breakdown by clinical section
The JCNDE allocates items across three clinical sections, which together cover 56 clinical content areas. It also allocates them across the Foundation Knowledge areas in the table after this one.
| Clinical section | Share |
|---|---|
| Diagnosis and treatment planning | 36% |
| Oral health management | 42% |
| Practice and profession | 22% |
The breakdown by Foundation Knowledge area
The ten areas are the science behind the clinical tasks. We’ve shortened their names to fit, and the JCNDE rounds these figures, so they may not add up exactly.
| Foundation Knowledge area | Share |
|---|---|
| 1. Development, structure and function | 12% |
| 2. Physics, chemistry in biology | 7% |
| 3. Physics, chemistry of materials | 8% |
| 4. Genetic, developmental conditions | 11% |
| 5. Host defense mechanisms | 9% |
| 6. General, disease-specific pathology | 12% |
| 7. Microorganisms | 11% |
| 8. Pharmacology | 11% |
| 9. Behavioral science, ethics, law | 11% |
| 10. Research methods and informatics | 10% |
Breaks and the timer
Questions appear one at a time. The timer stops while a question loads, so a lag on screen doesn’t cost you.
Any break outside the schedule counts as unscheduled. You can’t reach your locker, study, eat, drink, use a phone or leave the center during one. Breaking that rule may void your results and add a wait before you can retest.
Sources: JCNDE and 2 more. Checked November 2026.
- JCNDE: INBDE 2026 Candidate Guide, updated August 4, 2026 (PDF) ↗
- JCNDE: INBDE Technical Report 2025 (PDF) ↗
- JCNDE: Prepare for the INBDE ↗
Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.
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