Where to study

Tests

Driving testsCitizenship testsSchool and university admissionsNursing, medicine and healthEnglish and French testsTeachingMoney, law and insuranceTrades and work certification and licensesPilots, drones, boats and radio

Countries

United StatesCanadaUnited KingdomAustraliaNew Zealand

United States · Licensing exam

NBDE: what happened to Part I and Part II

You can’t book the National Board Dental Examination (NBDE) anymore. The last NBDE Part I was given on July 31, 2020, the Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE) began on August 1, 2020, and Part II’s last administration was in 2022. A fact sheet from the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE), dated July 2019, had said Part II wouldn’t be available after July 31, 2022. So the exam to book is the INBDE. The NBDE only matters if you’re after an old score or attempt.

  • 2009JCNDE resolves to replace the NBDE
  • July 31, 2020Last NBDE Part I administration
  • August 1, 2020First scored INBDE administration
Where to study

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

Why was the NBDE replaced?

The JCNDE points to changes in dental school curricula and teaching. It wanted one exam that mixed basic, behavioral and clinical sciences, and it says the INBDE relies less on rote recall than the NBDE did. The purpose stayed the same: helping state boards judge candidates for a license.

It’s shorter too. The July 2019 fact sheet compares 500 INBDE items with 900 across the two NBDE parts.

JCNDE: INBDE history and purpose ↗What the INBDE looks like →

If you failed the NBDE before

Your NBDE attempts don’t count against the INBDE limit of five years or five attempts, even if you failed either part five times or more. They do appear on your record, though, and the score report page explains how.

INBDE retake rules →Requesting old NBDE scores →

NBDE Part 1 and Part 2 study material

Books, decks and question sets labeled NBDE Part 1 or Part 2 were written for exams that have ended. The JCNDE’s prepare page lists INBDE material only, and the Candidate Guide’s rules on sharing remembered exam questions are on the study options page.

INBDE study options →Who runs the exams →Clinical licensing exams →

The NBDE, the INBDE and Canada

The JCNDE’s list of jurisdictions that recognize the INBDE covers US ones only: all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the US Virgin Islands. Prometric does give the exam at test centers in Canada, but not in Quebec.

If you trained at a program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada and want a US license, the JCNDE treats you like a graduate of a US accredited program. For a Canadian license, look at the National Dental Examining Board of Canada (NDEB) exams.

NDEB exams for Canada →JCNDE: Integrated National Board Dental Examination ↗
Sources: JCNDE and 4 more. Checked November 2026.

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

Explore

Everything else, in one place

OverviewStudy optionsFormatApply and feesScoringScore reportPass rate

Background

NBDEJCNDE and DENTPINClinical exams