AFK scoring: 75 passes

The pass mark is 75

NDEB uses test equating and re-scaling to put raw scores on the scale of a reference examination, with a standardized passing score of 75. You need a minimum test equated, re-scaled score of 75 to pass.

Results are reported as Pass or Fail. Candidates who score below 75 also receive their test equated re-scaled score.

The same line applies to the other exams. NDEB says it maintains a standardized passing score of 75 on all examinations, and the ACJ reports a pass at 75 or above in the same way.

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

Standard setting, rescaling and equating in plain words

Three separate steps sit behind the number on your result, and NDEB names each of them on its scoring page.

Standard setting

A panel of dentists from across Canada reviews every question and sets the score a minimally competent dentist would earn. That passing score is rescaled to 75. The panel sees the real questions, so the passing score follows the difficulty of the content and the skill expected of a beginning dentist in Canada. NDEB describes the purpose as setting the minimum acceptable level of performance in the competency domains the exam targets.

Rescaling

The passing score is then reported as 75. NDEB calls rescaling a consistent way of reporting a score that has no effect on who passes. In NDEB's simplified example, if the panel sets the minimum at 55%, a candidate with a raw 55% receives a rescaled 75. Every other raw score is adjusted on the same scale.

Equating

Test equating is a standardized statistical process so that each version of an exam is of equal difficulty and results from different versions are comparable. Questions that did not perform as expected statistically may be removed. After the answer sheets are scanned, NDEB staff and chief examiners analyze each question statistically. Because one version may be a little easier or harder than another, equating makes sure that the performance needed to reach 75 is the same on every version.

Where the questions come from is also on the page. A committee mostly of general dentists recommended by provincial dental regulators selects the questions. Content experts, mostly faculty of Canadian dental faculties, develop and review them.

Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB scoring and equating.

Why a raw score is not the pass mark

Two exam forms can differ a little in difficulty. Equating adjusts for that, so the same level of knowledge reaches the same score on either form. Move the switch to see the idea.

Three things follow. A rescaled 75 is not 75 percent of the questions correct, and a score of 74 can be one or several questions away from passing. NDEB exams are not graded on a curve and are not built to pass or fail a set share of candidates. And no one outside NDEB can turn a practice percentage into an NDEB score, because the passing score belongs to the panel that reviewed the exam and the equating that followed.

Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB AFK Protocol 2026, NDEB scoring and equating.

Points and guessing

• Each question has a value of one. The lowest score for any question is zero.
• There is no penalty for incorrect answers. Select the most likely or most appropriate answer, and always answer, even when you are unsure.
• All 200 questions are single answer multiple choice, so each one has one correct option.

Unanswered questions score zero, the same as a wrong answer, so leaving one blank has no benefit. When you are unsure, remove the options you can rule out and choose among the rest. On the format page you will find how long you have per question, which shapes how long you can spend on a hard one.

Some NDEB exams use a multi-answer format, in which one question has one or more correct answers. In a multi-answer question the grade depends on whether the candidate picks all, some or an incorrect set of the correct answers. NDEB uses that format on the ACJ. The AFK does not use it.

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

What the score report shows

A result is reported as pass or fail. A candidate who scores below 75 also receives the test equated, re-scaled score. NDEB gives the score only to candidates below 75. It states that no further breakdown of results is available, which means no subject scores, no list of missed questions and no percentile.

That has a practical meaning. A failing report tells you how far under 75 you finished, and nothing about where. To find the weak areas you need your own evidence: your practice results by subject, your error log and the blueprint weights on the format page. A mini mock and later full mocks give you a subject profile NDEB does not.

NDEB may also withhold results while a candidate's application is under review by the Registrar for misrepresentation. Misrepresentation means giving NDEB false, misleading, inaccurate or incomplete information, on purpose or by mistake. It can make a candidate ineligible for future exams.

Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB AFK Protocol 2026, NDEB AFK page, NDEB examination and appeal policies.

Results timing and delivery

Results are normally released within eight weeks of the examination. NDEB emails when results are available in the online profile. Results are not given by phone, email or fax, and NDEB cannot say anything before release.

NDEB's FAQ says results are released based on the time stated in the exam protocol, and for the AFK that time is the 8 weeks above. If your result has not arrived by then, write to NDEB at info@ndeb-bned.ca or call 613-236-5912. NDEB cannot tell you your score by telephone, and it will not release any information before the release date.

The release date starts two clocks. One is the 30 days you have to ask for a verification. The other is the registration schedule for the next sitting, which can open before your result arrives. The exam dates page covers the second.

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

Verification and appeals

Verification of score

After a failing grade there are 30 days from the day results are released to request a verification of the score. The request goes through NDEBConnect with the $200 CAD fee paid at the same time. 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.

NDEB emails the outcome in about 6 weeks. If a verification gives a passing result, the registration for that exam is withdrawn and the exam fee is refunded. The score after verification is final. NDEB does not give a candidate the exam, the answer key or the score sheet, on a verification or at any other time.

Set expectations before you pay. A verification is a check of the calculation, so it can find a calculation error and nothing else. NDEB's appeals page says the NDECC version is unlikely to change a final grade, because every failing NDECC result has already been verified, and the page does not say that about the AFK either way.

Other appeals

NDEB lists three more appeals. A compassionate appeal is for a problem during the exam itself. A compassionate appeal is open to a candidate who did not complete the exam because of an unforeseen circumstance beyond their control, told onsite staff when leaving and whose departure time staff recorded. If granted, the result is voided. It must be filed within 7 days of the exam. An appeal of the conduct of an exam covers an irregularity in how the exam was run. It needs a report to staff on the day, a filing within 7 days and the $1,200 CAD fee. An administrative measures appeal applies if the Registrar has assigned measures to you.

Anxiety alone does not support a compassionate appeal. It must be a diagnosed disorder.

Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB AFK Protocol 2026, NDEB appeals, NDEB examination and appeal policies, NDEB fees.

After a fail

A fail counts as one of three attempts. The AFK runs in February and August, so the next sitting is usually about six months away. This order of work fits that gap.

1. Read the equated score on the report and note how far under 75 it is. A score close to 75 and one far from it call for different plans, though neither tells you how many questions you missed.
2. Decide whether to request a verification. You have 30 days, and the fee is $200 CAD.
3. Write down what you remember about the exam, in general terms such as timing and the areas that felt heavy. Do not write out questions. Candidates read and agree to a Confidentiality and Non-disclosure Agreement before starting. It bars them from sharing any part of the exam in any form.
4. Check the dates for the next sitting and register early, as seats go quickly.
5. Take a timed mock and compare your subject results with the blueprint weights, then rebuild your plan around the gaps.

Keeping to exam confidentiality matters for another reason. Breaking exam rules can lead to cancelled registration, suspended eligibility, voided results, a zero or fail on questions, a ban from future exams and legal action.

Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB AFK Protocol 2026, NDEB examination and appeal policies.

Attempts and the third failure

The AFK can be taken a maximum of 3 times. A candidate who fails the AFK three times ceases to be an Equivalency Candidate and cannot be redesignated as one. The same limit of 3 attempts applies to the ACJ, and the Virtual OSCE has a maximum of 3.

An attempt is counted when you sit. If you do not attend the examination, you will not lose an attempt. That is why NDEB tells candidates with a health problem or personal circumstance before the exam to withdraw, even though a withdrawal carries a fee.

NDEB's pages do not set a waiting time between attempts, so the pace is set by the sitting calendar. After a third failure, the Equivalency Process page describes other routes for graduates of non-accredited programs. 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. Whether one of those suits you depends on your own history, and NDEB or a Canadian dental faculty can advise.

Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB AFK Protocol 2026, NDEB By-law 2, NDEB Equivalency Process.

Questions candidates ask

Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB scoring and equating, NDEB AFK Protocol 2026, NDEB examination and appeal policies, NDEB appeals.