The Virtual OSCE is the exam of the NDEB Certification Process. For a graduate of a non-accredited program it comes after the AFK, the ACJ and the NDECC. This guide covers its format, blueprint, eligibility, sittings, fees and what a pass leads to.
Quick answer
The Virtual OSCE has about 200 questions in one six hour day: about 50 single answer and about 150 case based, on a computer.
The fee is $1,750 CAD. NDEB's FAQ says three attempts; By-law 2 s.7.4 may end candidacy sooner, so confirm with NDEB. It is offered in November, March and May.
An Equivalency Process graduate can be designated a Certification Candidate within 60 months of completing the process.
A pass leads to NDEB certification, which is required for licensure in Canada. A provincial regulator issues the license.
What the Virtual OSCE is and who takes it
NDEB describes the Virtual OSCE as a summative exam of the problem solving and critical decision making skills that beginning dental practitioners in Canada need, and as the national standard of competence for dentists in Canada. It leads to NDEB certification and is required for licensure in Canada. By-law 2 says neither the Written Examination nor the OSCE has been given since 1 January 2023, and a candidate who failed one of them must take the Virtual OSCE if still eligible.
It is the one exam that every route to NDEB certification ends with. Graduates of accredited programs go straight to it, and graduates of non-accredited programs reach it after the Equivalency Process, which the Equivalency Process guide describes, after a qualifying or degree completion program, or after the BTDPC. NDEB's annual report counts applications to the Certification Process.
Applications to the Certification Process, fiscal year 2024-25
Group
Applications
Graduates of Canadian programs
592
Graduates of CODA accredited programs in the United States and elsewhere
185
Graduates of accredited programs in Australia
123
Graduates of accredited programs in New Zealand
7
Graduates of accredited programs in Ireland
46
Graduates of non-accredited programs who completed the Equivalency Process
455
The total is 1,408. Graduates of the Equivalency Process are about a third of it, by our arithmetic, so the exam is mostly taken by candidates who came through accredited programs. That matters for the pass rates below, since NDEB reports them for everyone together.
The 2026 Virtual OSCE Protocol says the exam is computer based, with approximately 200 questions in a single day: approximately 50 standard single answer questions and approximately 150 case-based questions, in six hours with one scheduled break. NDEB's page gives the same split, 200 questions with 50 single answer and 150 case based, and says the questions can include photos, radiographs, charts and other supporting material. The protocol says approximately for each number. Six hours for about 200 questions is about 1.8 minutes a question, and the length of the break comes off that, which NDEB does not give.
A case-based question can be a single answer multiple choice question, a multi-answer multiple choice question or a short-answer question such as writing a prescription. Prescription questions are worth four marks and use a blank prescription form on screen, in which every box expands to fit the text and "0" is entered for no repeats.
A single answer question has no penalty for a wrong answer, so NDEB tells candidates to answer every question. A multi-answer question scores at most 1 and at least 0: the candidate must pick all the correct answers for 1, partial picks earn part marks, and any wrong pick scores 0. The ACJ guide shows a worked example of that multi-answer scoring, which the two exams share.
Case-based questions use the Virtual OSCE Frameworks (revised 29 January 2026), which illustrate the question formats. NDEB says the Frameworks do not show the proportion of test items, that not every framework appears on a given form, that one framework can support more than one question and that long distractor lists will not all appear on one question.
The protocol defines a differential diagnosis as up to three likely diagnoses, immediate management as what the case needs at this appointment, initial treatment as the first step of a more complex plan, investigations as all tests such as laboratory tests, radiographs and biopsies, and next step as the next step in managing that case.
Virtual OSCE blueprint, 2026 protocol: approximate share of questions
Operative Dentistry16 ± 5%
Periodontics14 ± 5%
Oral Medicine and Pathology12 ± 5%
Pain12 ± 5%
Prevention and management of medical emergencies including management of medically complex patients12 ± 5%
Endodontics10 ± 5%
Prosthodontics10 ± 5%
Surgery8 ± 5%
Orthodontics6 ± 5%
Each share is approximate and can differ by 5 points either way. The bars run from 0 to 20%.
Operative Dentistry is the largest area at about 16%, then Periodontics at 14%. Oral Medicine and Pathology, Pain, and the prevention and management of medical emergencies together with management of medically complex patients carry about 12% each. Endodontics and Prosthodontics follow at 10%, then Surgery at 8% and Orthodontics at 6%. Every blueprint category has questions on diagnosis, treatment planning and management, including pharmacology and therapeutics, for patients of all ages and patients with special needs. Radiology and dental anesthesia questions are spread across categories, and questions on the principles behind the scientific literature, health promotion and professionalism may also appear.
The Virtual OSCE shows periodontal charts (probing depth, clinical attachment loss, recession, bleeding on probing, furcation class and Miller mobility), endodontic charts (percussion, palpation, cold test, electric pulp test with a maximum of 80, bite test, heat test and discoloration) and orthodontic charts with the mean North American value beside the patient's angles. Clinical images appear as the clinician sees the patient.
The blueprint differs from the AFK's nine areas and from the ACJ's six. It is organized by clinical field, with Pain and medical emergencies as areas of their own. The AFK format page and the ACJ blueprint show the other two for comparison.
A graduate of a non-accredited program who has completed the Equivalency Process can be designated a Certification Candidate if not more than 60 months have passed since completing it. NDEB's Certification Process how to apply page says a person who has successfully completed the Equivalency Process is not required to create a Certification Process application, and that the existing NDEB account and ID number can be used to register for the Virtual OSCE.
NDEB's Certification Process dates page lists application deadlines: for the 1 March 2027 Virtual OSCE, applications open 5 October 2026 and close 5 January 2027; for 20 May 2027, they open 26 January 2027 and close 5 April 2027; for 22 November 2027, they open 6 May 2027 and close 18 August 2027. Documents must arrive by the deadline or the candidate cannot register. The page does not say whether the deadlines apply to graduates of the Equivalency Process, who are not required to create a Certification Process application. Check with NDEB before you assume either way, because missing a deadline means you cannot register for that sitting.
A person who is or has been registered or licensed with a dental regulator gives NDEB proof of good standing at the time of the application. A person whose license issued by any dental regulator has been or is suspended or cancelled, or who is on probation in any licensing jurisdiction, is ineligible. NDEB's Certification Process fees page lists a $450 CAD application fee. NDEB does not state outright whether a graduate who completed the Equivalency Process pays it, so we left it out of the totals on this site.
The Equivalency Process guide explains how the 60 month window sits beside the NDECC clock. NDEB cannot help with visas or other documents required for travel, so use the IRCC pages for those questions. Nothing here is immigration or legal advice.
NDEB describes the Virtual OSCE as a one day exam offered three times a year across Canada and in some international locations. NDEB's registration page says the Virtual OSCE is held at Prometric test centers in Canada and the United States in May and November. It does not say where the March sitting is held. The sittings list Canada, the United States, Australia and Ireland among the regions.
Upcoming Virtual OSCE sittings, from NDEB's dates page
Exam date
Regions
Registration
Deadline
Monday 23 November 2026
United States, Canada and Australia
Open now
26 October 2026, 21:00 ET
Monday 1 March 2027
United States and Canada
Opens 3 November 2026
18 January 2027, 21:00 ET
Monday 1 March 2027
Australia and Ireland
Opens 10 November 2026
18 January 2027, 21:00 ET
Thursday 20 May 2027
United States and Canada
Opens 26 January 2027
19 April 2027, 21:00 ET
Monday 22 November 2027
Canada
Opens 25 May 2027
25 October 2027, 21:00 ET
To register, a candidate with an approved application logs in to NDEBConnect, selects registration, then new registration, picks a location (only locations with space are shown) and pays. At a Prometric test center the candidate then books a seat time after NDEB's email. The information memo in the registration holds the schedule and exact location.
A candidate can transfer to another location through NDEBConnect before the registration deadline at no charge. NDEB says a candidate can also withdraw and register at another location straight away if places are available and registration is open. NDEB also says it is not unusual for exams to fill before the registration deadline. The pathway guide shows these sittings beside the ACJ ones.
NDEB says the Virtual OSCE can be taken a maximum of three times, and that attempts at the Written Examination and the OSCE count toward the three. Section 7.4 of By-law 2 says a person who does not pass the Virtual OSCE while designated as a Certification Candidate under section 7.1.2 (graduates of accredited programs and BTDPC completers) or section 7.1.3 (Equivalency Process graduates) automatically ceases to be a Certification Candidate. Section 7.5 says a person who has failed the Virtual OSCE three times automatically ceases to be a candidate. NDEB's FAQ and Virtual OSCE page say the exam can be taken a maximum of three times. These statements conflict, and NDEB's pages do not reconcile them. Confirm with NDEB, in writing if your plans turn on it, how many attempts you have.
Section 8.2 of By-law 2 says a person who ceases to be a Certification Candidate under section 7.4 may apply to the Executive Committee for Special Consideration. The Committee may grant it if the person shows, with supporting documents, that they have continuously maintained the currency of their dental knowledge and clinical skills. NDEB designates no one as a Certification Candidate more than twice.
A person who has failed the Virtual OSCE three times can be redesignated by completing the Equivalency Process, an accredited qualifying or degree completion program, or a dental residency program after the third failure, within 60 months of completing it. NDEB designates a person as a Certification Candidate no more than twice.
A redesignated Certification Candidate who fails the Virtual OSCE three further times, or once at least 60 months have passed since completing the qualifying program, residency or Equivalency Process, ceases to be a candidate and may not take further exams. A person who has failed three times and completes the Equivalency Process again is designated an Equivalency Candidate, and the Equivalency Process guide covers what that does to earlier results. A candidate who has passed and holds the certificate may not retake the exam unless a provincial regulator asks.
Virtual OSCE results are normally released within eight weeks as Pass or Fail, with the score for a candidate below 75. A candidate who fails has one month from release to request a verification of the score. 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 verification window is one month for the Virtual OSCE and 30 days for the ACJ and NDECC.
Virtual OSCE results, all certification candidates
Period
Candidates
Passed
First time
Repeat
Calendar 2025
1,576
90.36%
91.12%
82.22%
Fiscal 2024-25
1,465
89.42%
90.59%
78.10%
NDEB's Virtual OSCE statistics cover all certification candidates together. The pages we read give no pass rate for graduates of the Equivalency Process alone. The pass rate is far higher than any Equivalency Process exam, but it comes from a pool that is mostly graduates of accredited programs, by our reading of the applications table. NDEB gives no split, so the figure says little about Equivalency Process graduates alone.
NDEB's certification fees page lists the Virtual OSCE at $1,750 CAD, effective 1 July 2025, a one time application fee of $450, a $200 score verification, a $75 replacement certificate and a $30 proof of certification letter, all in Canadian dollars. NDEB reviews fees yearly and they can change.
NDEB charges 50% of the fee to withdraw before the registration deadline, 100% after it or for failing to appear, and 25% for serious medical or unanticipated exceptional circumstances. A candidate who does not attend does not lose an attempt. For a graduate of the Equivalency Process, the NDEB fees up to this point are $9,750 CAD for one pass of each earlier exam, so the Virtual OSCE brings the total to $11,500 CAD, before the $450 CAD certification application fee if it applies. The fees page and the pathway cost calculator show the paths with retakes.
After a pass NDEB checks that it has the proof of graduation where one is needed. It then mails the certificate to the address in the online profile, adds the name to the National Register and lets provincial regulators read the certification information there. NDEB issues a certificate after the Virtual OSCE is passed. A graduate of a non-accredited program who completed the Equivalency Process does not have to send proof of graduation.
NDEB certification does not give a license. A candidate applies to the dental regulatory authority of the province, which may ask for more documents, jurisprudence tests and proof of language proficiency. About 50% of the candidates certified each year received their general dentistry education outside Canada. The pathway guide covers licensing, and its regulator list links each province's regulator. NDEB certification, or components of the certification process, is also accepted for licensure in some US states. NDEB tells candidates to contact the state licensing board.
NDEB says the process takes 6 to 18 months from the time a candidate can take the certification exams, depending on how many attempts are needed.
NDEB points Virtual OSCE candidates to the Frameworks, the Virtual OSCE Orientation video, the reference text list and a bank of released single answer questions. NDEB's Virtual OSCE page offers an information session video on the format, content and grading of the exam. All of it is for personal use only, and NDEB is not affiliated with any third-party preparation course.
Start with the protocol and the frameworks, then watch the orientation and information session videos. Work through case-style questions by field, and practice writing prescriptions that a general dentist in Canada commonly writes, since a prescription question is worth four marks. NDEB gives no recommended study time.
MolarPath is an independent study app and is not affiliated with NDEB. Our questions follow the AFK blueprint and do not claim to match the Virtual OSCE's case format. A free mini mock shows where your basic science and clinical knowledge stand.
Where the March sitting is held, and which regions each sitting serves beyond its dates page.
A pass rate for graduates of the Equivalency Process alone.
Whether the Certification Process application deadlines apply to a graduate who completed the Equivalency Process, and whether the $450 CAD application fee applies. NDEB does not state the fee outright.
How By-law 2 section 7.4 and section 7.5 apply together, for graduates of accredited programs and of the Equivalency Process, and how they fit NDEB's statement of three attempts.
The proportion of questions that are prescriptions, or how many answers a multi-answer question can have.
Ask NDEB at info@ndeb-bned.ca or 613-236-5912 when your plan depends on one of these.
No. By-law 2 says neither the Written Examination nor the OSCE has been given since 1 January 2023. The 2026 Virtual OSCE Protocol says the exam is computer based, with approximately 200 questions in a single day: approximately 50 standard single answer questions and approximately 150 case-based questions, in six hours with one scheduled break. A candidate who failed the older exams still counts those attempts toward the maximum of three.
How many questions and how much time?
NDEB's page says 200 questions: 50 single answer multiple choice and 150 case based. The 2026 Virtual OSCE Protocol says the exam is computer based, with approximately 200 questions in a single day: approximately 50 standard single answer questions and approximately 150 case-based questions, in six hours with one scheduled break.
Is there a penalty for guessing?
A single answer question has no penalty for a wrong answer, so NDEB tells candidates to answer every question. A multi-answer question scores at most 1 and at least 0: the candidate must pick all the correct answers for 1, partial picks earn part marks, and any wrong pick scores 0.
How long do I have to take the Virtual OSCE after the Equivalency Process?
A graduate of a non-accredited program who has completed the Equivalency Process can be designated a Certification Candidate if not more than 60 months have passed since completing it.
How many times can I take it?
NDEB's FAQ and Virtual OSCE page say a maximum of three times, and attempts at the Written Examination and the OSCE count toward that number. By-law 2 differs. Section 7.4 of By-law 2 says a person who does not pass the Virtual OSCE while designated as a Certification Candidate under section 7.1.2 (graduates of accredited programs and BTDPC completers) or section 7.1.3 (Equivalency Process graduates) automatically ceases to be a Certification Candidate. Section 7.5 says a person who has failed the Virtual OSCE three times automatically ceases to be a candidate. NDEB's FAQ and Virtual OSCE page say the exam can be taken a maximum of three times. These statements conflict, and NDEB's pages do not reconcile them. Section 8.2 of By-law 2 says a person who ceases to be a Certification Candidate under section 7.4 may apply to the Executive Committee for Special Consideration. The Committee may grant it if the person shows, with supporting documents, that they have continuously maintained the currency of their dental knowledge and clinical skills. NDEB designates no one as a Certification Candidate more than twice. Confirm with NDEB which rule applies to you.
Does passing give me a license?
NDEB certification does not give a license. A candidate applies to the dental regulatory authority of the province, which may ask for more documents, jurisprudence tests and proof of language proficiency. After a pass NDEB checks that it has the proof of graduation where one is needed. It then mails the certificate to the address in the online profile, adds the name to the National Register and lets provincial regulators read the certification information there.
Can I take the Virtual OSCE before finishing the Equivalency Process?
The pages we read describe the Virtual OSCE as the step after the Equivalency Process for graduates of non-accredited programs, and By-law 2 bases their eligibility on having completed it. We found no route that skips it.
How long does certification take?
NDEB says the process takes 6 to 18 months from the time a candidate can take the certification exams, depending on how many attempts are needed.
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.