1.1 INBDE Format, Administration, Scoring & Retesting

INBDE Format, Administration, Scoring & Retesting

Quick Answer: The Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE) is a 500-item, all-multiple-choice examination given over two days (12 hours 30 minutes total) at Prometric test centers. Scale scores range from 49 to 99, and 75 is the minimum passing score. Results are reported as pass/fail only. The examination fee is $890, and every U.S. licensing jurisdiction accepts the INBDE.

The INBDE replaced NBDE Part I (basic sciences) and NBDE Part II (clinical sciences) with a single integrated examination. The governing body is the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE), an agency of the American Dental Association (ADA). The examination is built and analyzed by the ADA's Department of Testing Services (DTS) and administered by Prometric in the United States and Canada. Knowing the machinery matters on test day: pacing, break strategy, and scheduling decisions all follow from the published administration schedule.

Administration Schedule

Administrations occur over two days, and the second day must fall within seven days of the first — the two days do not have to be consecutive, but they must occur at the same test center. A candidate who misses that window is required to retest at their own expense.

Do the arithmetic yourself. Three 100-item sections plus a 60-item case section give 360 items on Day 1; two 70-item case sections give 140 items on Day 2, for 500 items total. Every scored section allows 105 minutes, so a 100-item standalone section runs at roughly 63 seconds per item, while the 60-item case section allows 105 seconds per item — deliberately more generous, because case items require reading a patient box and often a dental chart.

Pacing checkpoints

• On a 100-item section, you should be at item 50 by the 52-minute mark. Falling 10 items behind that pace is the single most common source of unanswered items.
• Breaks are optional but scheduled. Any break taken outside a scheduled break is an unscheduled break, during which you may not access personal belongings, study, use a phone, eat, drink, or leave the test center. Locker access during an unscheduled break is strictly prohibited, and violations can void results.
• The test timer pauses while an item loads, so screen lag does not consume your time.

Scoring

All JCNDE examinations are criterion-referenced: the passing standard is set by subject-matter experts through formal standard-setting studies, not by ranking candidates against each other. There is no curve and no fixed failure percentage.

• Scale scores range from 49 to 99, with 75 as the minimum passing score.
• A scale score is not a raw score. A 74 does not mean one more correct item would have passed you; scoring weighs item difficulty, item quality, and susceptibility to guessing.
• Candidates are not penalized for guessing. Answer every item.
• Some items are experimental (unscored) pretest items that look identical to scored items. You cannot identify them, so treat every item as scored.
• When the passing standard is updated, the scale is re-anchored so that 75 always represents the minimum passing score.

Results reporting

Results are reported as pass or fail. Candidates who pass receive only "pass" — no number. Candidates who fail receive their overall scale score plus remediation-oriented performance feedback at three levels: overall, for the three clinical content areas, and for the ten foundation knowledge areas. The pass/fail decision rests solely on the overall scale score, never on a subarea. JCNDE strives to report results within four weeks of the examination date, and in most cases reports within three weeks, viewable through the candidate's DENTPIN account.

All prior National Board attempts — NBDE Part I, NBDE Part II, and INBDE — are reported alongside INBDE results. Candidates cannot void a score after beginning any part of the examination.

Eligibility Pathways

Canadian programs accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada (CDAC) are treated the same as CODA programs under a reciprocal agreement for candidates seeking U.S. licensure. Every candidate needs a DENTPIN before applying, and a new application and fee are required for each attempt. Once processed, an application confers a six-month eligibility window.

Fees

All fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. Arriving more than 30 minutes after the scheduled start time forfeits the full testing fee.

Retesting Policy

1. Candidates who passed may not retake the INBDE unless a dental board or regulatory agency requires it.
2. An attempt is defined as any administration in which the candidate was seated at a test-center computer and electronically agreed to the confidentiality statement.
3. Minimum 60 days must elapse between unsuccessful attempts, with a maximum of four administrations in any 12-month period. A candidate who uses all four must wait until 12 months have passed from the first of those attempts.
4. Under the 5 Years/5 Attempts Eligibility Rule, a candidate must pass within five years of the first attempt or within five attempts, whichever comes first. After the fifth year or fifth attempt, testing is limited to once every six months.
5. INBDE attempts are counted independently of prior NBDE attempts — a candidate who failed NBDE Part I or Part II five or more times still receives a full five years/five attempts on the INBDE.
6. The 60-day, four-per-year, and five/five restrictions are not subject to appeal.

Planning implication: Because unsuccessful attempts are separated by at least 60 days and capped at four per year, a candidate who fails in January realistically has attempts available in March, May, and July of the same year. Build remediation into that calendar rather than rebooking immediately.