Free Practice Questions for Iran Dental Basic Sciences Exam

Exam-style questions and explanations by OpenExamPrep.

✓ No registration✓ No credit card

100+ Questions

100% Free

Loading practice questions...

Same family resources

Explore More Iran Comprehensive Medical, Dental & Pharmacy Milestone Examinations (علوم پایه، پره‌انترنی و داروسازی)

Continue into nearby exams from the same family. Each card keeps practice questions, study guides, flashcards, videos, and articles in one place.

Exam Review

Key Facts: Iran Dental Basic Sciences Exam Exam

200

Total four-option multiple-choice questions on the official national milestone examination

Sanjesh Pezeshki official dental examination regulations

200 min

Total examination duration, allowing exactly 60 seconds per question

Sanjesh Pezeshki official dental examination regulations

Negative marking score penalty: incorrect answers do not deduct marks

Council for Dental and Specialized Education regulations

70% of Top 5%

Formula for the dynamic qualifying threshold (hadd-e nesab) based on top national examinees

Secretariat of the Council for Dental and Specialized Education

2 times/yr

National administration frequency, held semiannually in late summer (Shahrivar) and late winter (Esfand)

Sanjesh Pezeshki annual examination calendar

The Iranian Comprehensive Basic Sciences Dental Exam is a mandatory 200-question, 200-minute national milestone examination administered by Sanjesh Pezeshki with no negative marking. Dental students must meet a dynamic qualifying threshold (hadd-e nesab) of 70% of the mean score of the top 5% of national test-takers to advance from pre-clinical basic sciences to clinical dental rotations.

Sample Iran Dental Basic Sciences Exam Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the Iran Dental Basic Sciences Exam exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which cranial nerve branch passes through the foramen ovale of the sphenoid bone and provides motor innervation to the muscles of mastication?

A.Mandibular nerve (CN V3)

B.Maxillary nerve (CN V2)

C.Ophthalmic nerve (CN V1)

D.Facial nerve (CN VII)

Explanation: The mandibular nerve (CN V3) is the largest division of the trigeminal nerve and the only division carrying both sensory and motor fibers. It exits the middle cranial fossa through the foramen ovale into the infratemporal fossa, where its motor branches innervate the primary muscles of mastication (masseter, temporalis, medial pterygoid, and lateral pterygoid) as well as the mylohyoid, anterior belly of the digastric, tensor veli palatini, and tensor tympani.

2Which anatomical structure transmits the nasopalatine nerve and the sphenopalatine artery from the pterygopalatine fossa directly into the posterior nasal cavity?

A.Incisive canal

B.Sphenopalatine foramen

C.Greater palatine foramen

D.Pterygomaxillary fissure

Explanation: The sphenopalatine foramen is located in the medial wall of the pterygopalatine fossa, formed by the notch between the orbital and sphenoidal processes of the palatine bone and the body of the sphenoid. It serves as the major gateway communicating with the nasal cavity, transmitting the nasopalatine nerve and posterior superior lateral nasal nerves along with the sphenopalatine artery.

3The pterygoid venous plexus in the infratemporal fossa communicates directly with the intracranial cavernous sinus primarily via which pathway?

A.Internal jugular vein and sigmoid sinus

B.Anterior facial vein and facial artery

C.Emissary veins passing through the foramen ovale and foramen lacerum

D.Retromandibular vein and maxillary vein

Explanation: The pterygoid venous plexus surrounds the lateral pterygoid muscle and communicates with the intracranial cavernous sinus via valveless emissary veins traversing the foramen ovale, foramen lacerum, and sphenoidal emissary foramen of Vesalius. It also connects via the deep facial vein to the facial vein and ophthalmic veins, providing an anatomical route for the intracranial spread of odontogenic infections.

4A severe odontogenic infection originating from the root apices of a mandibular second or third molar perforates the lingual cortical plate. Because the root apices lie inferior to the mylohyoid line, into which primary fascial space does the purulent exudate directly spread?

A.Submental space

B.Sublingual space

C.Buccal space

D.Submandibular space

Explanation: The mylohyoid line on the medial surface of the mandible slopes downward and forward, meaning that the root apices of mandibular second and third molars typically lie inferior to the mylohyoid muscle attachment. Consequently, lingual cortical perforations from these posterior molars track directly into the submandibular space, whereas infections from anterior mandibular teeth (apices superior to the mylohyoid line) enter the sublingual space.

5After exiting the stylomastoid foramen, the main trunk of the facial nerve (CN VII) enters which glandular structure before dividing into its terminal motor branches?

A.Parotid gland

B.Submandibular gland

C.Sublingual gland

D.Lacrimal gland

Explanation: The facial nerve exits the skull base through the stylomastoid foramen and promptly enters the posteromedial surface of the parotid gland. Within the substance of the parotid, it forms the parotid plexus (pes anserinus) and divides into its five terminal branches: temporal, zygomatic, buccal, marginal mandibular, and cervical.

6Parasympathetic secretomotor innervation to the parotid gland involves preganglionic fibers arising from the inferior salivatory nucleus that travel sequentially through which nerve, ganglion, and postganglionic carrier?

A.Facial nerve, pterygopalatine ganglion, and zygomatic nerve

B.Glossopharyngeal nerve (lesser petrosal nerve), otic ganglion, and auriculotemporal nerve

C.Chorda tympani, submandibular ganglion, and lingual nerve

D.Vagus nerve, ciliary ganglion, and short ciliary nerves

Explanation: Preganglionic parasympathetic fibers originating in the inferior salivatory nucleus exit the brainstem within the glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX), pass through the tympanic plexus as the lesser petrosal nerve, and synapse in the otic ganglion. Postganglionic parasympathetic fibers then hitchhike along the auriculotemporal nerve (a branch of CN V3) to supply secretomotor drive to the parotid salivary gland.

7Which extrinsic tongue muscle is NOT innervated by the hypoglossal nerve (CN XII)?

A.Genioglossus

B.Hyoglossus

C.Palatoglossus

D.Styloglossus

Explanation: All intrinsic and extrinsic muscles of the tongue are innervated by the hypoglossal nerve (CN XII) except for the palatoglossus muscle. The palatoglossus is anatomically a muscle of the soft palate and tongue, and it is innervated by the pharyngeal branch of the vagus nerve (CN X) via the pharyngeal plexus.

8In the human temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which type of movement takes place primarily in the superior (upper) joint compartment during wide mandibular opening?

A.Pure hinge rotation only

B.Side-to-side Bennett shift rotation

C.Static axial compression without displacement

D.Translational gliding movement (condyle-disc complex moving forward and downward along the articular eminence)

Explanation: The temporomandibular joint is a ginglymoarthrodial joint partitioned into two distinct synovial compartments by the articular disc. The lower compartment (between the condylar head and inferior surface of the disc) permits rotational hinge movement occurring during initial opening up to ~20-25 mm, whereas the upper compartment (between the superior disc surface and mandibular fossa/articular eminence) permits translational gliding as the condyle-disc complex moves anteriorly and inferiorly down the articular eminence.

9Which anatomical boundary forms the superior margin of the carotid triangle of the neck?

A.Posterior belly of the digastric muscle and stylohyoid muscle

B.Superior belly of the omohyoid muscle

C.Anterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle

D.Inferior border of the clavicle

Explanation: The carotid triangle is bounded superiorly by the posterior belly of the digastric muscle (supplemented by the stylohyoid muscle), anteroinferiorly by the superior belly of the omohyoid muscle, and posteriorly by the anterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. It contains the carotid sheath with the common carotid artery bifurcation, internal jugular vein, and vagus nerve.

10Cell bodies of primary sensory neurons mediating proprioception from the periodontal ligament and muscle spindles of masticatory muscles are uniquely located in which brainstem structure?

A.Spinal trigeminal nucleus

B.Mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus

C.Chief (principal) sensory nucleus of V

D.Trigeminal (Gasserian) ganglion

Explanation: The mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus in the midbrain is unique in the central nervous system because it consists of primary pseudounipolar sensory neurons located inside the neural axis rather than in a peripheral ganglion. These neurons transmit proprioceptive feedback from muscle spindles of masticatory muscles and mechanoreceptors in the periodontal ligament, forming the afferent limb of the monosynaptic jaw-jerk reflex.

About the Iran Dental Basic Sciences Exam Exam

The Comprehensive Examination of Basic Dental Sciences (آزمون جامع علوم پایه دندانپزشکی) is the mandatory national gateway examination that dental students in the Islamic Republic of Iran must pass upon concluding their pre-clinical basic sciences curriculum (typically completed at the end of semester 4, covering 2 academic years). Administered semiannually by the National Center for Health Assessment (مرکز سنجش آموزش پزشکی - Sanjesh Pezeshki) in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Council for Dental and Specialized Education, achieving a passing score is a statutory requirement to transition into pre-clinical phantom head laboratories and clinical dental department rotations (بخش‌های کلینیکی) of the Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) program. The official examination consists of 200 four-option multiple-choice items administered over a single 200-minute testing window without negative scoring. The dental blueprint integrates general medical sciences with dental-specific disciplines across six fundamental domains: General and Dental Anatomical Sciences (Gross Anatomy of the Head and Neck, Neuroanatomy, Oral Histology and Embryology, Dental Anatomy and Morphology; ~26%), Medical and Oral Physiology (~20%), Medical Biochemistry and Oral Biology (~15%), Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Virology (~15%), General and Oral Pathology (~14%), and Dental Materials Science (~10%). Rather than imposing an arbitrary fixed cut score, the national passing standard (hadd-e nesab) is recalculated dynamically for each examination cohort at 70% of the average score of the top 5% of national test-takers, historically settling between 90 and 105 correct answers out of 200. This practice bank is an independent English-language multiple-choice study adaptation created by OpenExamPrep. It contains 100 rigorously authored practice questions with detailed pedagogical explanations and comprehensive distractor rationales to help dental students master core foundational concepts. The official Iranian licensing milestone is conducted exclusively in Persian; this resource is neither an official translation nor an official-format simulation, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Sanjesh Pezeshki or the Ministry of Health and Medical Education.

Exam sponsor: National Center for Health Assessment / Sanjesh Pezeshki (مرکز سنجش آموزش پزشکی) under the Secretariat of the Council for Dental and Specialized Education. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

The examination is administered nationwide semiannually (typically in late summer / Shahrivar and late winter / Esfand) under the auspices of the National Center for Health Assessment (مرکز سنجش آموزش پزشکی - Sanjesh Pezeshki) and the Council for Dental and Specialized Education. The test comprises 200 multiple-choice questions with four answer options. Crucially, there is NO negative marking: candidates are strongly advised to select an answer for every question. The qualifying passing score (hadd-e nesab) is determined dynamically following each administration at 70% of the mean raw score achieved by the top 5% of examinees nationwide.

Time Limit

200 minutes

Passing Score

Qualifying threshold set at 70% of the mean score of the top 5% of national examinees

Exam / Certification Fees

Set annually by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, payable online via sanjeshp.ir during official exam registration

Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Official sources

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

26%

General & Dental Anatomical Sciences (علوم تشریح عمومی و اختصاصی)

Head and neck gross anatomy (pterygopalatine fossa, infratemporal fossa, salivary triangles, cervical fascial spaces), cranial nerves (trigeminal, facial, glossopharyngeal, hypoglossal), neuroanatomy of the brainstem and trigeminal sensory complex, general histology, oral histology and embryology (stages of tooth bud development, amelogenesis, dentinogenesis, pulp biology, periodontal ligament, cementum, alveolar bone), and dental anatomy and morphology (tooth numbering, crown landmarks, root canal configurations, occlusion).

20%

Medical & Oral Physiology (فیزیولوژی پزشکی و دهان)

Cardiovascular electrophysiology and hemodynamics, pulmonary mechanics, ventilation-perfusion relationships, renal tubular transport and acid-base homeostasis, endocrine regulation (PTH, calcitonin, vitamin D, thyroid, adrenal), autonomic regulation of salivary gland secretion (parotid, submandibular, sublingual), physiology of mastication, swallowing reflexes, and temporomandibular joint biomechanics.

15%

Medical Biochemistry & Oral Biology (بیوشیمی پزشکی و بیولوژی دهان)

Enzymology and bioenergetics, metabolic pathways of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleotides, molecular genetics, biochemistry of hard tissue mineralization (hydroxyapatite crystal chemistry, carbonate substitution, fluoride uptake and fluorapatite formation), collagen synthesis and post-translational modification, and salivary proteome (amylase, mucins, histatins, statherins, proline-rich proteins) and buffering systems.

15%

Medical Microbiology, Immunology & Virology (میکروب‌شناسی، ایمونولوژی و ویروس‌شناسی)

Bacterial cell structure and physiology, major systemic pathogens, oral biofilm succession and etiology of dental caries (Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus) and periodontal diseases (Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, Tannerella forsythia, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans), virology (HSV-1, VZV, EBV, CMV, HPV, hepatitis viruses, HIV), medical mycology (Candida albicans), antimicrobial mechanisms and resistance, and innate and adaptive mucosal immunity (secretory IgA, complement, phagocytosis).

14%

General & Oral Pathology (آسیب‌شناسی عمومی و دهان)

Cell injury, apoptosis vs. necrosis, hemodynamic disorders, acute and chronic inflammation, tissue repair, neoplasia mechanisms (oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes), odontogenic cysts (radicular, dentigerous, odontogenic keratocyst), odontogenic tumors (ameloblastoma, odontoma, cementoblastoma), oral mucosal pathology (leukoplakia, erythroplakia, oral squamous cell carcinoma, lichen planus, pemphigus vulgaris), and salivary gland neoplasms (pleomorphic adenoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma).

10%

Dental Materials (مواد دندانی)

Mechanical and physical properties of dental biomaterials (stress-strain, modulus of elasticity, viscoelasticity, thermal expansion, biocompatibility), dental polymers and resin-based composites (monomers, polymerization shrinkage, photoinitiators), dental cements (zinc phosphate, zinc polycarboxylate, glass ionomer cements, resin cements), dental amalgam and casting alloys, impression materials (irreversible hydrocolloid alginate, addition and condensation silicones, polyether), and dental gypsum products (plasters, dental stones, die stones).

Preparing for the Iran Dental Basic Sciences Exam Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: Qualifying threshold set at 70% of the mean score of the top 5% of national examinees
Assessment: The examination is administered nationwide semiannually (typically in late summer / Shahrivar and late winter / Esfand) under the auspices of the National Center for Health Assessment (مرکز سنجش آموزش پزشکی - Sanjesh Pezeshki) and the Council for Dental and Specialized Education. The test comprises 200 multiple-choice questions with four answer options. Crucially, there is NO negative marking: candidates are strongly advised to select an answer for every question. The qualifying passing score (hadd-e nesab) is determined dynamically following each administration at 70% of the mean raw score achieved by the top 5% of examinees nationwide.
Time limit: 200 minutes
Exam / certification fees: Set annually by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, payable online via sanjeshp.ir during official exam registration Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

Work through all 100 available questions
Review every answer and explanation
Track weak areas and revisit them
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

Iran Dental Basic Sciences Exam: Suggested Study Strategy

1Master high-yield dental disciplines early: Dental Materials, Oral Histology, and Dental Anatomy together account for a substantial portion of the exam and feature highly consistent, testable principles regarding material setting reactions, enamel-dentin interfaces, and pulp biology.

2Thoroughly review Head and Neck Gross Anatomy and Cranial Nerves: Pay special attention to the infratemporal fossa, pterygopalatine fossa, pathways of the mandibular nerve (V3) and maxillary nerve (V2), local anesthesia landmarks (inferior alveolar nerve block, PSA block), and facial spaces vulnerable to odontogenic infection spread.

3Capitalize on the absence of negative marking: Never leave any question unanswered on your answer sheet. Eliminate improbable distractors systematically and select the best answer for every item.

4Focus on oral biofilm microbiology and odontogenic lesions: Memorize the Socransky red complex organisms (P. gingivalis, T. denticola, T. forsythia), cariogenic virulence factors of Streptococcus mutans, and distinctive histopathological features of odontogenic keratocysts, ameloblastomas, and pleomorphic adenomas.

5Complement this practice bank with Persian past papers: Use this OpenExamPrep question bank for conceptual mastery and English terminology reinforcement, while practicing with previous national test booklets (Daftarcheh Azmoon) released by Sanjesh Pezeshki to become familiar with Persian exam phrasing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Comprehensive Basic Sciences Dental Exam (Azmoon Jame Oloom Payeh Dandanpezeshki)?

The Comprehensive Basic Sciences Dental Exam is a mandatory nationwide gateway examination administered semiannually by the National Center for Health Assessment (Sanjesh Pezeshki) in Iran. Iranian dental students take this milestone typically at the end of semester 4 (completion of the pre-clinical basic sciences stage, spanning 2 academic years). Passing this examination is a strict legal prerequisite to register for phantom head pre-clinical operative courses and enter clinical dental department rotations (بخش‌های کلینیکی) in the DDS curriculum.

How many questions are on the official exam, and what is the testing time limit?

The official national examination consists of exactly 200 four-option multiple-choice questions administered in a single continuous session lasting 200 minutes (exactly 60 seconds per question).

Is there negative marking on the Iranian Dental Basic Sciences Exam?

No. Unlike the Iranian university entrance examination (Konkur) or civil service recruitment tests, the Comprehensive Basic Sciences Dental Exam has no negative marking penalty. An incorrect answer yields zero points without deducting marks from correctly answered questions. Examinees are strongly advised to answer all 200 questions.

How is the qualifying passing score (hadd-e nesab) calculated?

The passing score (hadd-e nesab) is not a fixed percentage. Rather, it is calculated dynamically for each nationwide examination sitting as 70% of the mean raw score achieved by the top 5% of examinees across all Iranian dental schools. In recent sittings, the passing threshold has typically settled between 90 and 105 correct answers out of 200.

How does the dental basic sciences exam differ from the medical basic sciences exam?

While both exams share core biomedical foundational topics (such as general gross anatomy, systemic physiology, biochemistry, and general pathology), the dental examination dedicates significant weighting to stomatognathic disciplines: Oral Histology and Embryology, Dental Anatomy and Morphology, Oral Biology and Salivary Chemistry, Oral Microbiology and Periodontopathogens, Oral Pathology and Odontogenic Lesions, and a dedicated 10% section on Dental Materials Science (polymers, cements, amalgam, alloys, and impression materials). Furthermore, dental students take the exam at the end of year 2 (semester 4), whereas medical students take their basic sciences exam at the end of semester 5 (2.5 years).

What happens if a dental student does not pass the examination?

Students who do not achieve the qualifying threshold are not permitted to advance to clinical patient treatment or phantom pre-clinical courses. They are required to remediate and retake the examination during subsequent national administrations (held twice yearly in Shahrivar and Esfand), subject to maximum attempt limits established by the educational bylaws of the Council for Dental and Specialized Education.

Is this OpenExamPrep question bank an official Sanjesh Pezeshki resource?

No. This question bank is an independent English-language MCQ study adaptation developed by OpenExamPrep for conceptual review and test preparation. The official Iranian milestone examination is administered in Persian by Sanjesh Pezeshki. This resource is not an official translation, not an official examination simulation, and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Sanjesh Pezeshki or the Ministry of Health and Medical Education.