3.3 Examination Requirements, Application Process, and Eligibility Expiration

Examination Requirements, Application Process, and Eligibility Expiration

Structure of the California Dental Hygiene Law and Ethics Examination

The California Dental Hygiene Law and Ethics Written Examination is a mandatory statutory licensing requirement for every prospective Registered Dental Hygienist in California. Designed to verify that candidates understand their legal boundaries, scope of practice, ethical obligations, and consumer protection duties, the examination is governed by Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations (16 CCR § 1121).

The examination is administered exclusively as a computer-based test (CBT) through PSI Services LLC, a professional testing vendor contracted by the Department of Consumer Affairs. Testing is conducted year-round at dedicated, proctored PSI testing centers located throughout California and at authorized testing facilities nationwide.

The examination specifications published in the January 2026 candidate information bulletin include:

• Total Test Items: The examination consists of sixty (60) four-option multiple-choice questions.
• Scored vs. Unscored Questions: Of the 60 questions, exactly fifty (50) items are scored questions that determine candidate performance. The remaining ten (10) items are unscored experimental or "pretest" questions. Pretest items are embedded throughout the examination to collect statistical calibration data on item difficulty and discrimination before potential use as scored items on future forms. Candidates cannot identify which questions are scored versus unscored and must treat every item as scored.
• Testing Duration: Candidates are allotted ninety (90) minutes (1.5 hours) of active testing time. This provides an average pace of 1.5 minutes per question.
• Passing Standard: 16 CCR § 1121(c) provides that "an applicant shall be deemed to have passed the examination with a minimum score of seventy-five percent (75%)." On a 50-item scored form, 75% is 37.5 items, so a candidate must answer at least 38 of the 50 scored items correctly (38 / 50 = 76%). Performance on the 10 pretest items has no effect on the score. The same 75% standard applies to the RDH, RDHAP, and RDHEF versions of the examination, because 16 CCR § 1121 requires a license-class-specific law and ethics examination for each.

Application Workflow and the BreEZe Registration Portal

Eligibility to sit for the Law and Ethics examination requires formal application through the California Department of Consumer Affairs online licensing portal, BreEZe (www.breeze.ca.gov). The application workflow proceeds through distinct administrative stages:

1. BreEZe Account Creation and Profile Setup: Candidates create an individual user profile within the BreEZe platform, ensuring that their legal name matches their government-issued identification exactly.
2. Submitting the RDH Application: The applicant completes the initial application for licensure as a Registered Dental Hygienist, certifying educational enrollment or graduation from an approved dental hygiene program, disclosing any past criminal or administrative disciplinary history, and paying the non-refundable DHBC application fee. The DHBC application checklists set the RDH application fee at $200.00 for both Licensure by Clinical Examination and Licensure by Credential; the RDHAP pathway is a $100 application fee plus a $150 initial licensure fee ($250 total). BPC § 1944(a)(1) caps the original application and issuance fee at $250.
3. Board Review and Eligibility Authorization: DHBC staff review the submitted application, official transcripts, Live Scan fingerprint clearances, and educational certifications. Once the Board confirms eligibility, it transmits candidate authorization data electronically to PSI Services LLC.
4. Candidate Scheduling with PSI: Upon receiving testing eligibility approval, the candidate receives an Examination Authorization Notice via email. The candidate then accesses the PSI candidate portal at test-takers.psiexams.com/cadhc (or calls PSI at (877) 392-6422) to schedule an appointment and pays the separate PSI examination fee, listed at $32.07 in the January 2026 candidate information bulletin. The fee is charged per registration whether the candidate is testing for the first time or repeating, and registration fees are neither refundable nor transferable. An appointment may be cancelled and rescheduled without forfeiting the fee only if PSI receives the cancellation notice two days before the scheduled examination date; a voicemail or email is not an acceptable cancellation.

Score Reporting and the One-Year Eligibility Window

Upon completing the examination and submitting all responses at the PSI testing workstation, the testing software immediately tabulates candidate performance.

• Results at the Test Center: The candidate receives the result of the written examination at the PSI test center, and the result is also sent to the DHBC. A candidate who fails receives a failed score report together with an application to retake the examination.
• Eligibility Expiration — the One-Year Rule: The DHBC/PSI candidate information bulletin states the operative deadline plainly: "Your examination eligibility expires and your application is deemed abandoned if you fail to take the RDH written examination within one year after being deemed eligible by the Board." That one-year clock runs from the date on the Board's eligibility letter, and the deadline is printed on the address label of the Notice of Eligibility. When eligibility expires, the candidate must reapply to the Board to be considered eligible again. Neither the DHBC nor PSI publishes a separate expiration date for a passing score on the Law and Ethics examination — do not assume one.
• Licensure Is Not Automatic: Passing both examinations does not by itself produce a license. The bulletin warns that "licenses will not automatically be issued once you pass both examinations. DHBC must first complete its criminal history investigation of each applicant." A candidate who has already taken the clinical examination and then passes the written examination should contact the DHBC if no license has arrived roughly 30 days later.
• A Separate Three-Year Clock: BPC § 1917(b) imposes its own recency requirement for initial RDH licensure: within the preceding three years, the applicant must have either passed an approved clinical or dental hygiene examination or graduated from a California accredited dental hygiene college approved by the board. That three-year window governs the clinical credential, not the law and ethics score.

Retake Policies and Waiting Periods

Candidates who do not achieve the required 75% passing score must re-examine. Under DHBC policy:

• Waiting Period: Neither BPC § 1917 nor 16 CCR § 1121 imposes a fixed waiting period between written examination attempts. In practice the candidate must wait for the failing result to reach the DHBC and for the Board to reissue eligibility to PSI. The PSI fee is charged again for each registration.
• Re-application Procedure: The candidate must log into their BreEZe account, submit an application for re-examination, receive updated Board authorization, and pay the PSI test scheduling fee to book a new appointment date.
• Preparation Recommendation: The bulletin lists three official references for the written examination: the DHBC's current Dental Hygiene Board of California Laws and Regulations publication (dhbc.ca.gov/lawsregs), the California Dental Hygienists' Association Code of Ethics, and the American Dental Hygienists' Association Code of Ethics. Study those three sources directly rather than commercial summaries.

Examination Security Protocols and Subversion Sanctions (BPC § 123)

The integrity of the licensing examination is critical to public protection. PSI testing centers implement strict biometric and environmental security protocols:

• Identification Verification: PSI requires one (1) form of identification: a non-expired government-issued identification card (state or military), a non-expired passport or U.S. government-issued passport card, a resident alien card, a non-expired Mexican Consulate identification (Matrícula Consular ID or B1/B2 visa/border crossing card), or an Employment Authorization Card. The name on that identification must match exactly the name on the Notice of Eligibility. A candidate who cannot provide the required identification must call PSI at least three weeks before the appointment to arrange an alternative; arriving without it is treated as a missed appointment and forfeits the fee.
• Prohibited Items: Candidates are strictly forbidden from bringing personal items into the testing room. Cell phones, smartwatches, recording devices, fitness bands, tablets, calculators, paper, notes, textbooks, study guides, backpacks, jackets, and food/beverages are strictly barred. All personal effects must be locked inside secure lockers provided at the testing center. Testing sessions are continuously recorded via closed-circuit video surveillance and monitored in person by proctors.
• Subversion of Licensing Examinations (BPC § 123): Under California Business and Professions Code Section 123, any candidate who engages in conduct that subverts or attempts to subvert the administration of a licensing examination is guilty of a misdemeanor crime. Subversion encompasses:
  • Removing, copying, photographing, memorizing, or reproducing examination questions or materials;
  • Communicating with another examinee or using unauthorized notes, devices, or crib sheets during the test;
  • Impersonating a candidate or arranging for an imposter to take the examination;
  • Disclosing, distributing, selling, or receiving examination content before, during, or after the test.

In addition to misdemeanor criminal prosecution, individuals guilty of examination subversion face immediate administrative denial of their license application, revocation of any existing licenses, civil liability of up to $10,000 plus litigation costs to the Board, and permanent disqualification from dental hygiene licensure in California.

Law and Ethics Examination Logistics and Security Summary