The assessments
Fees are the NDEB's fees effective 1 July 2025, in Canadian dollars. The NDEB reviews them every year.
| Step | What it tests | Format | NDEB fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFK | Biomedical and applied clinical science knowledge | 200 single-answer questions, two 2-hour parts; February and August | C$1,000 |
| ACJ | Diagnosis, treatment planning, clinical decisions, radiographic interpretation | 120 to 150 single- and multi-answer questions, 5.5-hour session; May and November | C$1,350 |
| NDECC | Clinical skills and situational judgment | Clinical skills component and situational judgment component | C$6,500 (C$3,250 per component) |
| Virtual OSCE | Clinical judgement for certification | Taken after the Equivalency Process is complete | C$1,750 |
Step by step
- Create an NDEBConnect account and apply to the Equivalency Process (C$900 one-time application fee). The NDEB verifies your dental degree.
- Register for the AFK once your application is approved. Seats can fill before the deadline, and a second registration period opens about 6 to 8 weeks before each exam for freed-up seats.
- Pass the AFK (maximum three attempts), then register for the ACJ (maximum three attempts).
- Pass both components of the NDECC to complete the Equivalency Process.
- Take the Virtual OSCE for NDEB certification.
- Apply for a licence to the dental regulatory authority of the province or territory where you want to practise.
What it costs
One attempt at each NDEB step costs about C$11,500 in NDEB fees at the July 2025 rates (C$900 application, C$1,000 AFK, C$1,350 ACJ, C$6,500 NDECC, C$1,750 Virtual OSCE), before any certification application fee, retakes, travel, credential documents, language tests and provincial licensing fees. Withdrawing from the AFK or ACJ costs 50% of the exam fee before the registration deadline and 100% after it (since 1 September 2026). Always check current fees on the NDEB website.
See where you stand in 10 minutes
Take the free AFK practice test. 15 questions, every answer explained.
Timing and limits
- You must pass the AFK before you can take the ACJ, and the ACJ before the NDECC.
- The AFK and ACJ each run only twice a year, so a failed sitting usually costs six months.
- Each of the AFK and ACJ can be taken a maximum of three times.
- From May 2027, candidates who haven't passed both NDECC components within five years of first passing the ACJ cease to be Equivalency Process candidates and can't reapply (NDEB By-law 2 and notice of 27 January 2026).
The other route: university programs
Several Canadian dental schools run qualifying or degree-completion programs for internationally trained dentists. Graduates of these accredited programs take the Certification Process (the Virtual OSCE) instead of the Equivalency Process. Places are limited and expensive, and each program sets its own admission requirements.
How to study for the written assessments
- Start with the free NDEB Protocol for your assessment: it lists the content areas, weights and reference texts.
- For the AFK, rebuild your biomedical sciences first. It's the largest area and the most forgotten.
- Drill doses, classifications and values with flashcards every day.
- For the ACJ, practise reading cases: history, medications, vitals and radiographs, then the question.
- Take at least two full timed mock exams before the real one.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the NDEB Equivalency Process take?
It depends on exam dates and results. The AFK and ACJ each run twice a year and must be passed in order, followed by the NDECC and the Virtual OSCE, so even passing everything first time takes well over a year from your first AFK.
Do I need to live in Canada to take the NDEB exams?
No. The NDEB says it has no residency requirement for its processes, and the AFK and ACJ are also offered at Prometric centres in Australia and New Zealand.
Can I take the AFK online from home?
No. The AFK is taken at a Prometric test centre or as a paper booklet at select sites in Canada. There is no remote-proctored option.
Does passing the NDEB exams give me a licence?
No. NDEB certification is a requirement for licensure, but the licence itself comes from the dental regulatory authority in each province or territory, which may have extra requirements such as language proficiency and jurisprudence.
Official sources
- NDEB: Entry-to-Practice for graduates of non-accredited dental programs
- NDEB: Equivalency Process fees
- NDEB: Assessment of Clinical Judgement
- NDEB: Changes to the Exam Registration Process (13 Aug 2026)
- NDEB: Recommendations on EP Application and Examination Validity (27 Jan 2026)
Practice tests for these certifications
NDEB Assessment of Fundamental Knowledge (AFK)
The first of three assessments in the NDEB Equivalency Process for dentists who graduated from a non-accredited dental program.
NDEB Assessment of Clinical Judgement (ACJ)
The second NDEB Equivalency Process assessment, open once you've passed the AFK. It tests clinical judgement: diagnosis, treatment planning and decision-making from case histories, periodontal charts, photographs and radiographs, plus radiographic interpretation in every section.
This guide is general information, checked November 2026, not legal advice. the National Dental Examining Board of Canada rules change; confirm with the National Dental Examining Board of Canada before you apply.
