AFK fees: $1,000 CAD to sit the exam

Fees in Canadian dollars

NDEB says all fees are subject to change. It gives an effective date of 1 July 2025 for the exam fees and none for the others.

Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB fees, NDEB Certification Process fees.

A rough price in your currency

What each fee is for

NDEB's fees page does not itemize what each charge pays for. Its FAQ says exam fees are set separately for each exam from exam-specific costs, including exam development and administration, with overhead shared by the time and effort each exam needs, and that one exam's fee is not meant to pay for another. The descriptions below say what each fee is for, using NDEB's own labels.

The application fee, $900

You pay it once when you apply to the Equivalency Process, and it is non-refundable. Applying starts credential verification, which checks that your documents are authentic, confirms your identity and confirms that you graduated from a recognized dental program. NDEB's fee list shows no second application fee for the later exams of the process.

The AFK exam fee, $1,000

You pay it every time you register for an AFK sitting, whether on paper or at a Prometric center. A retake means another $1,000. The AFK can be taken three times.

The re-application fee, $400

NDEB lists it for the Equivalency Process re-application and marks it non-refundable. Examinees who failed the earlier Assessment of Clinical Skills three times may re-apply to the Equivalency Process and pay the non-refundable re-application fee. From 1 May 2027 a candidate who failed it three times can no longer re-apply. For the AFK, NDEB's by-law says a candidate who fails it three times cannot be redesignated, so check with NDEB whether re-application is open to you.

Score verification, $200

One fee for a verification of an AFK, ACJ or NDECC score. You request it within 30 days of the release of a failing result. For an electronic exam, responses are compared by hand with the answer key and the score is recalculated by hand. For a paper AFK, the answer sheet is compared by hand with the key and the score recalculated. If a verification gives a passing result, the registration for that exam is withdrawn and the exam fee is refunded.

The ACJ and the NDECC

The ACJ costs $1,350 per sitting. The NDECC costs $6,500 for both components, or $3,250 for the Clinical Skills component alone and $3,250 for the Situational Judgement component alone. The NDECC is the largest single cost on the route.

Appeals and paperwork

An appeal of the conduct of an examination costs $1,200, and so does an appeal of a misconduct decision. Proof of successful completion costs $30 per copy. The administrative fee of $200 is the amount kept from a refunded duplicate application.

The Certification Process, after the Equivalency Process

The Virtual OSCE costs $1,750. NDEB lists a one-time $450 application fee for the Certification Process, a $200 score verification and a $75 replacement certificate, all non-refundable. NDEB's pages do not say whether someone who has completed the Equivalency Process pays the application fee, so ask NDEB before you plan on it. The pathway page covers the order of the exams.

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

Refunds, withdrawals and non-refundable fees

Three fees are marked non-refundable: the application fee, the re-application fee and fees for service requests. A person who creates more than one application to the same process is refunded the application fee less the administrative fee.

Exam fees follow the withdrawal rules. Since 1 September 2026 the AFK withdrawal fee is 50% of the exam fee before the registration deadline and 100% after it, which is $500 and $1,000 on the AFK. NDEB's FAQ says that if you withdraw after the deadline, the full exam fee applies.

The exceptional-circumstances route carries a lower withdrawal fee. You withdraw in NDEBConnect before the exam starts and email a refund request within 7 days with documents. Health care documentation must be issued at the time of illness or injury by a licensed provider, on official letterhead, with a diagnosis, a statement that the candidate is not fit to take the exam and an expected recovery date, in English or French. Handwritten letters and diagnoses based on self-report are not accepted. The withdrawal fee for this route is 25% of the exam fee.

A few other cases involve money. A compassionate appeal, if granted, may include a refund of fees, and the exam result is voided. A conduct appeal that is dismissed because the candidate passed does not return its $1,200 filing fee. If a verification of a failing score turns out to be a pass, the registration is withdrawn and the exam fee refunded. A request to change the language of an exam goes by email to NDEB before the exam. If the change cannot be made, the candidate may withdraw at no charge or take the exam in the original language. The exam dates page shows how the deadlines work.

Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB fees, NDEB withdrawal page, NDEB examination and appeal policies, NDEB FAQ.

Budget scenarios

These totals add NDEB fees only, at the amounts in the table above, and assume you pay the $900 application fee once. They leave out the $450 Certification Process application fee, withdrawal fees, travel and anything paid to a third party. The estimates use 1 CAD = 0.71 USD and 67.57 INR. To price your own route, with your own number of tries at each exam, use the pathway cost calculator.

A retake of the AFK adds $1,000 while a retake of the NDECC adds $3,250 to $6,500.

Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB fees, NDEB Certification Process fees.

Costs NDEB does not charge

NDEB's fee list does not cover everything an applicant pays. Which of the following applies to you depends on your country and plans, and NDEB gives no amounts for them.

• Credential verification documents. NDEB lists no separate fee for credential verification, but its rules call for notarized copies, certified translations and official records from your university and licensing body. Notaries, translators, universities and couriers charge their own prices.
• Travel. The AFK is held at Prometric centers in Canada, Australia and New Zealand and on paper at Canadian sites, and the NDECC is held in Ottawa. NDEB cannot help with visas or other travel documents. Visa fees, flights and lodging are yours.
• Accommodation costs. The candidate pays any extra expenses that an accommodation plan creates.
• An inactive NDEBConnect account. 24 months with no exam activity makes an account inactive, and NDEB asks for a fee to reactivate it without stating the amount.
• Currency and card costs. NDEB charges in Canadian dollars, and your bank may add a conversion margin or a foreign transaction fee.
• Preparation. NDEB resources are not identical to what appears on exam day and are not meant to be. NDEB says using outside preparation services is optional and not required to succeed. A paid course, a question bank or tutoring is your choice, and the prices vary. The MolarPath pricing page shows ours, and the free mini mock needs no card.

Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB how to apply, NDEB required documents, NDEB examination and appeal policies, NDEB news, 28 July 2026.

How fees change

NDEB reviews its fees each year and adjusts them as needed, and its page says all fees are subject to change. The exam fees shown here took effect on 1 July 2025. NDEB does not say when the next review will be, so check the NDEB fees page before you pay, and treat any total here as an estimate based on the figures we last checked.

The estimates in other currencies move with exchange rates. We use one dated rate for each estimate, and the date shown is the day we read the rate.

Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB fees, NDEB FAQ.

Questions candidates ask

Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB fees, NDEB FAQ, NDEB withdrawal page.