The NDEB AFK in numbers

The AFK is the first exam for graduates of non-accredited dental programs who want an NDEB certificate. Every number here comes from an NDEB page, with the date we last checked it.

Quick answer

200 single answer questions in 2 parts of 2 hours, with one break.
A test equated score of 75 passes. Wrong answers cost nothing and you may sit the AFK 3 times.
52.29% of 1,549 candidates passed in 2025.
The next sitting is Friday 5 February 2027. The exam fee is $1,000 CAD.

The AFK at a glance

Key AFK facts
Fact	Value	Details
Pass rate in 2025	52.29% of 1,549 candidates	Open
Pass mark	Equated score of 75	Open
Questions	200 in 2 parts of 2 hours	Open
Exam fee	$1,000 CAD	Open
Next sitting	Friday 5 February 2027 in Canada	Open
Attempts	3 at most	Open

Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB AFK Protocol 2026, NDEB exam results, NDEB fees, NDEB exam dates and locations.

What the AFK is

The Assessment of Fundamental Knowledge is a written exam run by the National Dental Examining Board of Canada. NDEB describes its purpose as testing your knowledge of biomedical science and applied clinical science. A passing grade is required before you can continue to the other exams of the Equivalency Process.

It has 200 single answer multiple-choice questions in 2 parts of 2 hours, taken in one day with one scheduled break. It is delivered on paper at sites in Canada and on computer at Prometric test centers in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. A passing result is an equated, re-scaled score of 75. A wrong answer costs nothing, so you answer every question.

NDEB offers the AFK twice a year, in February and August. The number of attempts is limited to 3, and after a third failure a candidate cannot be redesignated as an Equivalency Candidate.

Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB AFK page, NDEB AFK Protocol 2026.

Who it is for

The AFK is for dentists who graduated from a non-accredited dental program, which NDEB defines as an undergraduate dental program at a university authorized by its government but not accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada. NDEB's Equivalency Process is one of three routes these graduates can take toward NDEB certification, and the one that starts with the AFK. Graduates of non-accredited programs can also complete an accredited qualifying or degree completion program at a Canadian faculty, or the BTDPC program if they started the Equivalency Process and have not yet passed the NDECC.

Graduates of accredited programs, including programs in the United States, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia, follow the Certification Process and do not sit the AFK. Applicants do not need to be Canadian citizens or permanent residents to apply to the Equivalency Process or to sit its exams.

NDEB certified 745 Equivalency Process graduates in 2025. Choose the sitting you can prepare for first. The pathway page shows the exams that come after the AFK. If you studied in India, Pakistan, Iran or Egypt, our country pathway guides add the documents NDEB lists for your country and the fees in your currency.

Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB Equivalency Process, NDEB FAQ.

How to start

Apply to the Equivalency Process. Create an NDEBConnect account and submit your documents. Credential verification takes about 10 weeks when everything is correct. The pathway page lists the document rules.
Choose a sitting. Registration opens on posted dates and seats can fill early. The exam dates page has the sittings, a countdown and the registration steps.
Take a baseline. A timed mock shows where you stand. The free mini mock and placement check is a short first step that needs no card.
Learn the format. Read NDEB's protocol, watch the electronic exam orientation and use the format page for the exam day rules.
Budget. Add the fees of a first attempt and a possible retake. The fees page shows five paths, in Canadian dollars with an estimate in your currency.
Plan by weight, then adjust. Give each blueprint area time in proportion to its share, then shift hours toward the areas where your mocks show the most lost points.

Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB how to apply, NDEB AFK page, NDEB exam resources.

Studying by blueprint weight

NDEB publishes the share of questions for each of nine content areas, each with a margin of 5 percentage points either way.

Applied Biomedical Sciences: about 20%, or roughly 40 questions.
Restorative, Prosthodontics, Implants: about 16%, or roughly 32 questions.
Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology: about 15%, or roughly 30 questions.
Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Local Anesthesia, Medical Emergencies: about 14%, or roughly 28 questions.
Orthodontics, Pediatric Dentistry, Geriatric Dentistry, Special Needs Patient: about 8%, or roughly 16 questions.
Periodontics: about 8%, or roughly 16 questions.
Oral Surgery, Trauma, Orofacial Pain, Dental Emergencies: about 8%, or roughly 16 questions.
Endodontics: about 6%, or roughly 12 questions.
Evidence-Based Dentistry, Prevention, Infection Control, Ethics and Jurisprudence: about 5%, or roughly 10 questions.

The largest area, Applied Biomedical Sciences, carries about 20% of the exam. A baseline mock helps you check whether the basic sciences are losing you points. The format page lists example topics under each area and explains how the questions are written.

Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB AFK Protocol 2026.

What NDEB does not tell candidates

NDEB's public pages leave some common questions unanswered. These are the gaps we found.

NDEB's results page shows the numbers without explaining the year-to-year movement of the AFK pass rate, and its news posts we read give no reason either.
NDEB's results page splits candidates into all, first-time and repeat takers. It shows no split by country of training.
NDEB gives no length for the scheduled break in the AFK protocol.
NDEB reports no subject-level breakdown of a result. A pass or fail is reported, with the score for candidates below 75.
NDEB gives no fixed length for the Equivalency Process. Credential verification takes about 10 weeks when everything is correct, and the rest depends on when seats are available and how many attempts each exam takes.
The pages we checked do not state a waiting period between attempts.

Where a page on this site says NDEB does not state something, we found no statement on the pages we checked and left the gap open. If you need an answer, NDEB's contact details are on its site: info@ndeb-bned.ca or 613-236-5912.

Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB exam results, NDEB AFK Protocol 2026, NDEB FAQ.

Pick a topic

AFK pass rate: 52.29% in 2025. Pass rates by year, for first-time and repeat takers.
AFK exam dates 2027. Sittings, regions and registration deadlines, with a countdown.
AFK fees: $1,000 CAD to sit the exam. Exam, application, re-application and score verification fees.
AFK scoring: 75 passes. What equated and re-scaled mean, and why 75 is the line.
AFK format: 200 questions in 2 parts. Questions, parts, timing and the nine blueprint areas.
AFK, ACJ and NDECC, then the Virtual OSCE. From the AFK to the ACJ, the NDECC, the Virtual OSCE and a license.

Questions candidates ask

What does AFK stand for?

Assessment of Fundamental Knowledge. It is the first exam of the NDEB Equivalency Process, and it tests biomedical science and applied clinical science.

Is the AFK the same as the NDEB written exam for Canadian graduates?

No. Graduates of accredited programs enter the Certification Process and sit the Virtual OSCE. The AFK belongs to the Equivalency Process for graduates of non-accredited programs.

Do I need to pass the AFK to become a dentist in Canada?

If you graduated from a non-accredited program and take the Equivalency Process route, yes. The exams of the Equivalency Process must be taken in order, beginning with the AFK. A passing grade on the AFK is required before the ACJ, and a pass on the ACJ before the NDECC. NDEB also describes other routes for these graduates, such as a qualifying or degree completion program at a Canadian faculty.

Is MolarPath connected to NDEB?

No. MolarPath is an independent study app. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by NDEB. Every figure on these pages comes from an NDEB page, linked at the end of each section, with the date we last checked it.

Where do I start if I have eight months and a full-time job?

Check that your application is approved, choose the sitting you can prepare for, take a timed baseline and plan your weeks by blueprint weight. The exam dates page has a month-by-month plan counted back from a sitting.

Can a practice score tell me if I will pass?

No. NDEB's passing score is set by a panel and then equated, so no practice percentage converts to an NDEB score. A trend across timed mocks and your results by subject are the signals to use.

Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB AFK page, NDEB Equivalency Process.

MolarPath is an independent study app. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the NDEB. The figures here come from NDEB pages, linked at the end of each section, and NDEB can change them.