AFK or INBDE: the Canadian and American dental exams
The AFK is one step of a Canadian route for internationally trained dentists. The INBDE is the national board exam that US states use for licensure. Their jobs differ, and so do their length, price and retake rules. The figures here come from NDEB and the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations.
Quick answer
- The AFK has 200 questions in two 2-hour parts. The INBDE has 500 items in six sections of 105 minutes, over two days.
- The AFK passes at an equated score of 75. The INBDE reports pass or fail, on a scale from 49 to 99 where 75 is the minimum passing score.
- The AFK allows 3 attempts. The INBDE has a five years or five attempts rule, then one try every six months.
- The AFK costs $1,000 CAD. The INBDE costs USD 890 (about $1,250 CAD), plus USD 435 (about $610 CAD) for graduates of non-accredited programs.
The two exams side by side
| Topic | AFK (Canada) | INBDE |
|---|---|---|
| Regulator | National Dental Examining Board of Canada (NDEB) | Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE), American Dental Association |
| Place in the route | First exam of the Equivalency Process | A national board exam that US states use for licensure |
| Items | 200 single answer multiple choice questions | 500 multiple choice items |
| Length and layout | two 2-hour parts, 4 hours in all, one break | Six 105-minute sections over two days |
| Delivery | Prometric computer centers, or paper at select sites | Prometric centers in the US, its territories and Canada, year round |
| Sittings | February and August | Year round, with 60 days between failed attempts |
| Scoring | Pass or fail, equated score of 75 to pass | Scale 49 to 99, pass at 75; reported as pass or fail |
| Attempts | 3 attempts | Five years or five attempts, then one try every six months |
| Results | Normally within eight weeks | Within four weeks, usually three |
| Exam fee | $1,000 CAD, effective 1 July 2025 | USD 890 (about $1,250 CAD), plus USD 435 (about $610 CAD) for non-CODA programs |
| What follows | ACJ, then NDECC, then the Virtual OSCE | A state board decides; every state and territory recognizes it |
Estimates in CAD use fixed rates from the European Central Bank reference rates, read on 22 October 2026. They are not live rates.
Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB AFK Protocol 2026, NDEB fees, JCNDE INBDE 2026 candidate guide, JCNDE INBDE page, European Central Bank reference rates.
Which to pick
Pick the AFK if
- You want to practice in Canada. The AFK is the first exam of the route NDEB sets for graduates of non-accredited programs.
- You prefer 4 hours at the exam to 10.5 hours of testing over two days.
- You want a fixed sitting to plan around: the AFK runs in February and August.
Pick the INBDE if
- You want to practice in a US state. The INBDE is the exam state boards accept for all or part of the written requirement.
- You want to choose your own date. The exam runs year round at Prometric centers in the United States, its territories and Canada outside Quebec.
- You want more room to retake: five attempts or five years, then one try every six months, against three AFK attempts.
- You want case items: 200 of the 500 items are cases.
The AFK fees page and the pathway cost calculator price the NDEB route against the INBDE fee. The free mini mock and placement check start AFK practice.
Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB AFK Protocol 2026, NDEB fees, JCNDE INBDE 2026 candidate guide, JCNDE INBDE page.
Who each exam is for
The AFK is for graduates of non-accredited dental programs who enter the NDEB Equivalency Process. It is the first of three exams and must be passed before the ACJ. The Equivalency Process ends with eligibility for the Certification Process, whose Virtual OSCE leads to NDEB certification and is required for licensure in Canada. Applicants need no Canadian citizenship or permanent residence, and NDEB gives no visa help.
The INBDE is a licensure examination that US state dental boards accept for all or part of the written examination requirement. Students and graduates of CODA-accredited programs take it, and so do graduates of programs that are not accredited. Candidates educated in non-CODA-accredited programs must have their degree confirmed through Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE).
The jobs differ. The AFK is an entry exam in a Canadian route for internationally trained dentists, and an INBDE pass is one input to a state license. A pass at one does not satisfy the other country's regulator.
Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB Equivalency Process, JCNDE INBDE page, JCNDE INBDE 2026 candidate guide.
Format and length
The AFK has 200 single answer multiple choice questions in 2 parts of 2 hours with one scheduled break, which is 4 hours of testing. The question types and the nine blueprint areas are on our AFK format page.
The INBDE is much longer. The INBDE runs over two days and six sections: three of 100 standalone items, one of 60 case items on day one, and two of 70 case items on day two. Each section lasts 105 minutes. All items are multiple choice with one correct response. That is 500 items and 10.5 hours of testing. The JCNDE gives a total administration time of 12 hours and 30 minutes, which includes an optional tutorial, scheduled breaks and a post-exam survey. Both days must be at the same test center, within seven days of each other.
200 of the 500 INBDE items are case items, and the guide says some questions use a patient box that presents the information available to the dentist. The AFK has no case section. NDEB tests clinical decisions later, in the ACJ, a separate computer exam.
Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB AFK Protocol 2026, JCNDE INBDE 2026 candidate guide.
Delivery and sittings
NDEB offers the AFK in February and August. Registration closes weeks before each sitting and seats can fill earlier. The AFK exam dates page lists every sitting and its deadline.
The INBDE has no fixed calendar. The INBDE is computer delivered at Prometric test centers in the United States and its territories and in Canada, outside Quebec, and is available year round. The guide asks candidates to wait at least 60 days between unsuccessful attempts, and the JCNDE page advises booking 60 to 90 days before the date you want. Rescheduling costs USD 50 when it is 30 or more business days ahead, USD 70 from 5 to 29 business days and USD 150 from 1 to 4 business days.
The AFK is an event with a date to plan around. The INBDE can be booked for a date you choose inside the eligibility rules. The study planner works from the AFK date you give it.
Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB exam dates and locations, NDEB Equivalency Process dates and locations, JCNDE INBDE 2026 candidate guide, JCNDE INBDE page.
How each exam is scored
The AFK gives pass or fail. A panel of dentists from across Canada sets the score a minimally competent dentist would earn, and NDEB rescales it to 75. A rescaled 75 is not 75 percent correct, and a candidate below 75 also receives the rescaled score. See our AFK scoring page.
The INBDE result rests on a scale. Scale scores run from 49 to 99 and 75 is the minimum passing score. A scale score is not the number of questions answered correctly. Results are reported as pass or fail, and candidates are not penalized for guessing. Some questions are experimental and are not scored, and look the same as scored ones. Both exams pass at 75 on a rescaled score, but two regulators built the two scales from two different exams, and neither is a percentage of questions answered correctly.
A mock score on either exam is an estimate and no prediction. The readiness figure in our app is our own estimate and never an NDEB score. The AFK pass rate page shows the rates NDEB publishes. The JCNDE page and guide give no pass rate.
Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB scoring and equating, NDEB AFK Protocol 2026, JCNDE INBDE 2026 candidate guide.
Attempts and retake rules
NDEB allows 3 attempts at the AFK. A candidate who fails the third time ceases to be an Equivalency Candidate and cannot be redesignated. After a fail the next chance is the next sitting NDEB offers.
A candidate must pass within five years of the first attempt or five attempts, whichever comes first. After that a candidate may test once every six months. There must be at least 60 days between unsuccessful attempts, with at most four in one year. The JCNDE says these limits are not subject to appeal, and that a candidate who has passed may not retake the exam unless a dental board or regulator requires it. It encourages formal remediation before re-examination.
The AFK stops at three failed attempts. The INBDE keeps a slow road open after five. At the INBDE a failed attempt costs at least 60 days.
Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB AFK Protocol 2026, JCNDE INBDE 2026 candidate guide.
Fees in each currency
The AFK costs $1,000 CAD and the NDEB application fee of $900 CAD is paid once. The INBDE exam fee is USD 890 (about $1,250 CAD), which the guide says covers official results reporting to the candidate, to three licensing jurisdictions when requested at application, and to the candidate's dental program. A candidate from a non-CODA program pays USD 435 (about $610 CAD) more, so the two come to USD 1,325, about $1,860 CAD.
USD 105 for a results audit, USD 150 to extend an eligibility period and USD 55 for each extra results report. The guide says all fees are in US dollars and are non-refundable and non-transferable.
The AFK is one of four NDEB steps, and the NDEB route from application to NDECC costs $9,750 CAD, with the Virtual OSCE at $1,750 CAD more. The INBDE is a single exam, and the guide says nothing about the cost of a state license. Rates are dated estimates, so check each regulator's page before you pay.
Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB fees, JCNDE INBDE 2026 candidate guide.
What follows each exam
After the AFK come the ACJ, the NDECC at the NDECC Test Centre in Ottawa and the Virtual OSCE of the Certification Process, which leads to NDEB certification. 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 the INBDE the next step belongs to a state. Acceptance of the INBDE is at the discretion of each licensing jurisdiction. All 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the US Virgin Islands recognize it, and candidates should check each dental board. State rules for graduates of non-accredited programs are outside this page, and the state board is the authority.
Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB Equivalency Process, NDEB Certification Process, JCNDE INBDE 2026 candidate guide.
Questions candidates ask
Is the INBDE harder than the AFK?
Neither regulator publishes anything that settles it. The INBDE is longer, with 500 items over two days against 200 questions in four hours. NDEB publishes AFK pass rates by year. The JCNDE gives none.
Does an INBDE pass count in Canada?
NDEB lists no such rule. Its route for graduates of non-accredited programs starts with the AFK, so ask NDEB before you rely on another exam.
Can I take the INBDE in Canada?
Yes, at Prometric centers outside Quebec. It is a way to sit the US exam and does not lead to a Canadian license.
How many times can I retake each exam?
Three times at the AFK. The INBDE allows five attempts or five years, whichever comes first, then one try every six months.
How much does each exam cost?
$1,000 CAD for the AFK. For the INBDE, USD 890 (about $1,250 CAD) plus USD 435 (about $610 CAD) when your program is not accredited by CODA. Fees can change.
Does MolarPath have INBDE practice?
Not yet. MolarPath covers the AFK today and has a waitlist for the INBDE. We never use NDEB released questions.
Where does this information come from?
From the National Dental Examining Board of Canada (ndeb-bned.ca) and the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (jcnde.ada.org), including its 2026 INBDE candidate guide. Each section shows the date we read it. A regulator can change a fee or a rule at any time.
Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB AFK Protocol 2026, NDEB fees, JCNDE INBDE 2026 candidate guide, JCNDE INBDE page.
MolarPath is an independent study app. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any exam regulator named here.