CDCA, WREB, CITA and ADEX: What the Names Mean in 2026

  • Dr. T
  • October 14, 2026
  • 0 Comments
Dental licensure · Updated October 2026

CDCA, WREB, CITA and ADEX: What the Names Mean in 2026

CDCA, WREB and CITA were regional testing agencies that merged into one body, CDCA-WREB-CITA, which then merged with ADEX (finalised 27 August 2025, effective 1 September 2025). Today there is one organisation, the American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX), and one exam, the ADEX Dental Examination. There is no such thing as a “CDCA licence”: your state dental board issues the licence, and the ADEX exam is one way to qualify for it.

1agency left: the American Board of Dental Examiners
48states, plus DC, that accept the ADEX Dental Examination
2states that do not: New York and Delaware
$2,995ADEX Dental exam fee, plus the clinic’s facility fee

The namesTimelineWhat you take nowState pickerOther routesInternational dentistsPrep plansFAQ
How The Study Boards helps you with ADEX

We prepare you for every exam on the way to ADEX

For an internationally trained dentist, ADEX comes after the INBDE and a CODA program, and its computer part is now the DLOSCE. The Study Boards covers both written steps: our INBDE course gives you faculty-created Modules, 35,000+ focused questions, daily tasks and the Master and Grand Test Series, and our DLOSCE course gives you 4,500 questions and 34 timed tests in 45 days.

Both courses are extremely personalised: red lines and assignments are given to you on the go, the course learns from the way you are studying, and faculty are there to assist you. Every night at 9 PM New York time you sit a live test, and US-licensed dentists answer your questions.

See the INBDE Blueprint

The short version

Four names, one exam

If you see CDCA, WREB, CITA or ADEX on a forum, a state board page or an old school handout, they all point to the same exam today.

CDCAStarted as NERB in 1969; renamed CDCA in 2015
WREBWestern Regional Examining Board; first dental exam 1978
CITACouncil of Interstate Testing Agencies; formed 2005
ADEXWrote the exam from 2004; now also runs it

Before

Writers and deliverers were separateADEX developed the national exam. CDCA, WREB and CITA delivered exams to candidates. ADEX itself “did not deliver examinations”.2

Now

One body does bothSince August 2025, the American Board of Dental Examiners both develops and administers the exam. The old cdcaexams.org site now says “CDCA is now The American Board of Dental Examiners” and sends you to adextesting.org.13

What is a “CDCA license”?It does not exist. A dental licence always comes from a state board. “CDCA licensure” is shorthand for qualifying for a state licence by passing the clinical exam CDCA used to give, which is the ADEX Dental Examination. Many state laws and older ADA pages still print “ADEX, CDCA-WREB-CITA” side by side, which is why the names stay confusing.10

How we got here

Timeline of the name changes

Every date below comes from ADEX’s own history page and press releases, the CRDTS merger notice, or state licensure records.

1969NERB is founded CDCA lineEight jurisdictions form the North East Regional Board of Dental Examiners in Washington, DC.2
1976 to 1978WREB forms in the West WREB lineUtah, Oregon and Arizona come together and give their first dental exam in 1978.2
2003 to 2006ADEX is created ADEXTesting agencies and states meet in 2003. ADEX forms in 2004 as an independent exam developer, and the first ADEX dental exams run in 2006.23
2005CITA forms in the South CITA lineBased in North Carolina, CITA first gives its own exam, then adopts the ADEX exam.2
9 January 2015NERB becomes CDCAThe Commission on Dental Competency Assessments takes over the NERB name.2
August 2021CDCA + WREB = CDCA-WREBBoth memberships vote unanimously for the merger.4
1 August 2022CITA joins: CDCA-WREB-CITAThe two agencies authorised to give the ADEX exam become one.5 The separate WREB exam ends on 31 December 2022.11
6 January 2025SRTA merges into CRDTSA separate family of exams. From 2026, CRDTS+SRTA gives the CRDTS exams.8
August 2025CDCA-WREB-CITA + ADEX = American Board of Dental ExaminersOne organisation now writes and runs the exam, at adextesting.org.3
14 April 2026The ADA’s DLOSCE joins the ADEX examADA and ADEX agree to put the DLOSCE inside the ADEX Dental Examination, replacing the old DSE OSCE. (Our DLOSCE prep plan.)6
1 August to 9 October 2026New rules take effectThe Periodontal exam becomes a required part of the series from 1 August. The DLOSCE stops being offered alone to new candidates after 1 August, and all standalone sittings ended after 9 October 2026.67

Why ADEX says it was “established in 1969”ADEX press releases now give 1969 as the founding year. That is the NERB-to-CDCA lineage carried into the merged body. ADEX as an exam developer dates from 2004.36

As of October 2026

What a candidate actually takes today

The ADEX Dental Examination is a series. You must pass every component to pass the series.7 All clinical parts are done on manikins, not patients.1

DLOSCE

Computer-based, at PrometricPatient-case questions, lifelike 3D models and two prescription tasks. Seat time is about 6 hours 45 minutes.9 Full breakdown: the ADEX exam and DLOSCE explained.

5 clinical

Hands-on, on a manikinPeriodontal, Endodontic, Prosthodontic, Anterior Restorative and Posterior Restorative. Tips for each: ADEX clinical exam preparation.

1 licence

Then your state boardThe exam result goes to the state you apply to. Each board adds its own rules, such as how many years old your result can be.

ADEX Dental fees, as of October 20261

Item Cost
Exam fee (all 5 clinical parts + DLOSCE; one free retake per clinical procedure) $2,995
Typodont fee, per procedure, on your free second attempt $150
Facility fee Varies by location
DLOSCE retake (second or third attempt) $695
Clinical third attempt, per group of procedures $1,495
Late registration or transfer $345

For dates, booking steps and the full fee picture, read ADEX dental exam cost, dates and registration.

Do I need the DLOSCE as well as ADEX?The DLOSCE is now part of ADEX. Since all standalone sittings ended after 9 October 2026, a new candidate meets the DLOSCE inside the ADEX series, not as a separate exam.6 Our DLOSCE prep plan is built for exactly this part. The JCNDE now sends candidates to ADEX for every administration.12

Pick your state

Which states accept ADEX, and what else they allow

ADEX’s portability map (updated 9 September 2026) shows every state except Delaware and New York accepting the ADEX Dental Examination for initial licensure.13 The detail below covers only the states we checked line by line. Tap one.

Choose a state above to see its routes.
No ADEX

New York

  • New York does not accept ADEX, or any clinical exam, for initial licensure. It stopped accepting exams such as NERB after 31 December 2006.14
  • The route is an approved dental residency of at least one year (PGY-1), general dentistry or a listed specialty, plus the national boards.14
  • International dentists: if your school is unaccredited, you must also complete at least two academic years at an accredited dental school, certified at graduate level.14
ADEX accepted

California

  • Routes: ADEX; WREB (only if every section was taken before 31 December 2022); Licensure by Residency after at least 12 months of a CODA-approved GPR or AEGD; Licensure by Credential for dentists licensed elsewhere.1115
  • ADEX results must be from the five years before you apply.11
  • International dentists: the board stopped taking new foreign-school approval applications on 1 January 2020. Check your board for your own case.15
ADEX required

Florida

  • Florida law names the ADEX exam as its clinical exam. ADEX results taken outside Florida must be from 2 October 2011 or later.16
  • International dentists: you can sit the exams only after a DDS/DMD from an accredited US dental school, or after at least 2 consecutive full-time years in a CODA-accredited supplemental general dentistry program.16
ADEX accepted

Texas

  • Accepts CDCA-WREB-CITA (designated from 1 August 2022) and CRDTS-SRTA (from 6 January 2025). Results count for seven years.17
  • International dentists: a non-CODA graduate can qualify after at least two years of training in an ADA-recognised specialty in a CODA-accredited program, plus the national boards and a clinical exam. You need the board’s written permission before you register for the clinical exam.17
ADEX accepted

New Jersey

  • Accepts the ADEX dental exam, including the Periodontal part, passed within the past 5 years.18
  • International dentists: graduates of unapproved schools must first complete at least two years at a board-approved dental school and receive its dental degree.18
ADEX accepted

Washington

  • Accepts ADEX or CRDTS+SRTA results from the past 5 years, and NDEB results for graduates of accredited Canadian schools.19
  • PGY-1 route: a CODA GPR, AEGD or pediatric residency of at least one year, in a setting that serves mainly low-income patients in Washington State.19
  • International dentists: check your board.
ADEX accepted

Minnesota

  • Accepts ADEX or CRDTS+SRTA, all components passed within 5 years before you apply.20
  • PGY-1 route: the board waives the clinical exam for CODA dental school graduates who complete a CODA GPR or AEGD of at least one year.20
  • International dentists: state law says a foreign graduate is not barred from the exam only because of foreign training, if the board judges the training equivalent. Ask the board early.20
ADEX accepted

Connecticut

  • Routes: ADEX, CRDTS+SRTA, or one year of a CODA-accredited GPR or specialty residency.21
  • International dentists: the foreign-graduate route needs at least two years of CODA-accredited residency, plus three more years of residency or fellowship in a Connecticut dental school, or three years as full-time faculty there.21
ADEX accepted

Colorado

  • Accepts all US clinical exams on manikins or patients, including ADEX, CRDTS, SRTA, WREB, Delaware and OSCEs. Periodontal testing is required.22
  • A PGY-1 or portfolio can replace the exam, but only if you are first fully licensed in the state where you completed it, or another state that accepted it.22
  • International dentists: check your board.
No ADEX

Delaware

  • Delaware gives its own practical exam and does not accept ADEX.1013
  • You also need a degree from a CODA-accredited school, one year in a CODA GPR (or a qualifying CODA specialty residency), the national boards and the Delaware jurisprudence exam.23
ADEX accepted

Massachusetts, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan

  • All four list ADEX (CDCA-WREB-CITA) and CRDTS+SRTA as accepted clinical exams for initial licensure. Massachusetts adds date limits for older CRDTS and SRTA results.24
  • International dentists: check your board.
Check your board

Every other state

ADEX’s map shows the ADEX exam accepted in every state except New York and Delaware, but we have not checked each state’s extra rules line by line. Open the ADEX portability map and the ADA licensure map, then confirm with the state board itself. ADEX is clear that this is your responsibility, not theirs.7

Not the only door

Other routes to a US dental licence

The ADA lists four kinds of clinical route. Each state board picks which ones it accepts.10

PGY-1

A residency year instead of an examRequired in New York. Accepted as an option in states such as California, Washington, Minnesota, Connecticut and Colorado, each with its own conditions (see the picker).

CRDTS

CRDTS+SRTAThe one other national testing family. SRTA merged into CRDTS in January 2025, and from 2026 the merged body gives the CRDTS exams.8 Many states accept it alongside ADEX.

State

State-specific examsDelaware runs its own practical exam.10 Some states also need a laws and rules (jurisprudence) test.

Other

Portfolio and OSCE routesThe ADA lists the 2014 California Portfolio Exam and the NDEB OSCE as routes some boards accept.10

“CDA dental exam” is something elseThe CDA is the Certified Dental Assistant exam from DANB, made up of three exams (RHS, ICE and GC). It is a dental assisting credential, not a dentist’s licence, and has nothing to do with CDCA.25

For dentists trained outside the US

When an internationally trained dentist can sit ADEX

Your BDS alone does not make you eligible. Under ADEX’s 2026 rules, a graduate of a non-CODA school can register only through one of these routes:7

State board letters are valid for up to 18 months.7 So the order for most international dentists is: pass the INBDE, get into a CODA program, then sit ADEX. Our INBDE course blueprint covers the first step.

Your routes after the INBDE

Advanced Standing (IDP): 2 to 3 years to a DDS/DMDYou apply through ADEA CAAPID. This is the most common route, and Advanced Standing students can sit ADEX while enrolled. Compare programs in Advanced Standing programs for international dentists.

AEGD or GPR through ADEA PASSA 2-year CODA GPR or AEGD opens ADEX eligibility. Some states also accept a residency as a route to a licence, but rules vary and many expect a CODA dental degree. See AEGD programs for international dentists.

Specialty residency through PASSMore competitive. In Texas, a 2-year CODA specialty program is itself a route for non-CODA graduates.17 CAAPID or PASS: how to pick.

TeachingSome states license dentists who teach at their dental schools. Connecticut, for example, counts three years as full-time faculty at a Connecticut dental school, on top of two years of CODA residency.21

On cost, without the panicAn Advanced Standing degree usually costs roughly $250,000 to $450,000 all-in. Almost everyone finances it with loans: private loans, co-signer loans with a US citizen or green-card holder, and a few international lenders that need no co-signer. It is a big number, and thousands of dentists before you have managed it. Here is the full cost breakdown.

We teach these exams

How to prepare: our full plan

ADEX now has a computer part and a hands-on part. Plan both, and plan the INBDE before them.

DLOSCE

The Study Boards DLOSCE courseFor the computer part of ADEX:

  • $399, 45 days of full access
  • 4,500 questions and 34 timed tests
  • Nightly live tests at 9 PM New York time
  • Score 60%+ in our tests and still do not pass? We teach you again free

See the DLOSCE Blueprint

Study

Study the DLOSCE wellA beginner’s method for the case-based format:

Read the Study Guide

INBDE

The Study Boards INBDE courseThe exam that comes first for international dentists:

  • 12 course sections, 35,000+ questions
  • 99% first-attempt pass rate for students who complete the course
  • Questions answered by US-licensed dentists

See the INBDE Blueprint

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

What is a CDCA license?
There is no CDCA licence. CDCA was a testing agency. Your licence comes from a state dental board. Passing the ADEX Dental Examination, which CDCA used to give, is how you qualify in 48 states and DC.
Is the CDCA exam the same as ADEX?
Yes. CDCA, and later CDCA-WREB-CITA, gave the ADEX Dental Examination. Since August 2025 the merged American Board of Dental Examiners gives it.
ADEX vs CDCA: which one do I register for?
ADEX. Registration is through your candidate account at adextesting.org. The old cdcaexams.org site redirects there.
Is the WREB dental exam still offered?
No. WREB merged into CDCA-WREB in 2021, and California records the separate WREB exam as no longer offered after 31 December 2022. Older WREB results may still count in some states within their time limits.
Is the CITA dental exam still offered?
Not as a separate exam. CITA joined CDCA-WREB on 1 August 2022, and that body merged into ADEX in 2025.
Can I take ADEX with only my BDS?
No. You need a CODA US program first: Advanced Standing or another DDS/DMD, a 2-year GPR or AEGD, or a specialty or postdoctoral program with a state board letter.
Prepare for the computer part of ADEX

DLOSCE Prep Course by The Study Boards

4,500 questions, 34 timed tests and nightly live tests, with US-licensed dentists answering your questions personally. $399 for 45 days.

4,500 questions34 timed tests9 PM NY live testsFree re-teach guarantee

See the Blueprint

Not sure which route fits you?

Tell us your degree, your target state and where you are now. Our Admin Team with Dr. T and Dr. Kaur will contact you over WhatsApp.

Message the Admin Team on WhatsApp

ADEX Dental Exam 2026DLOSCE + clinical, explained ADEX cost, dates and registrationFees and booking steps US dental schools for international dentistsThe full list INBDE eligibilityWho can sit the exam and how

References

  1. American Board of Dental Examiners. ADEX Dental exam page: components, manikin format, fees. Checked 14 Oct 2026. adextesting.org/adex-dental; and cdcaexams.org redirect notice cdcaexams.org
  2. American Board of Dental Examiners. History. adextesting.org/about/history
  3. ADEX. CDCA-WREB-CITA, ADEX finalize merger, 27 Aug 2025. adextesting.org
  4. CDCA. CDCA, WREB Announce Merger, 4 Aug 2021. adextesting.org
  5. CDCA-WREB. CDCA-WREB, CITA Announce Combination, 18 Jul 2022. adextesting.org
  6. ADA and ADEX. ADA and ADEX Advance Dental Licensure Through New Agreement, 14 Apr 2026. adextesting.org
  7. ADEX. Candidate Guide, Exam Year 2026 (version 20260723): exam series components, required-component dates, eligibility for internationally trained dentists. Via adextesting.org
  8. CRDTS. SRTA has merged with CRDTS and press release of 6 Jan 2025. crdts.org/srta
  9. ADEX. DLOSCE Dental Candidate Manual, 2026 (version 20260727), and DLOSCE test prep page. adextesting.org
  10. American Dental Association. Licensure for dental students. ada.org
  11. ADA. California Laws and Rules (updated 7 Oct 2026). ada.org
  12. JCNDE. DLOSCE page. jcnde.ada.org/dlosce
  13. ADEX. About Us: ADEX Exam Portability Maps (dental map updated 9 Sep 2026). adextesting.org/about
  14. New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions. Dentistry: License Requirements. op.nysed.gov
  15. Dental Board of California. Become licensed as a dentist. dbc.ca.gov
  16. ADA. Florida Laws and Rules (updated 7 Oct 2026), citing Florida Statutes 466.006. ada.org
  17. ADA. Texas Laws and Rules (updated 24 Oct 2025), citing Texas Administrative Code Rule 101.2. ada.org
  18. ADA. New Jersey Laws and Rules (updated 29 Nov 2025). ada.org
  19. ADA. Washington Laws and Rules (updated 8 Oct 2026). ada.org
  20. ADA. Minnesota Laws and Rules (updated 9 Oct 2026), citing Minnesota Statutes 150A.06. ada.org
  21. ADA. Connecticut Laws and Rules (updated 7 Oct 2026), citing CGS 20-107 and 20-108. ada.org
  22. ADA. Colorado Laws and Rules (updated 7 Oct 2026). ada.org
  23. ADA. Delaware Laws and Rules (updated 7 Oct 2026), citing 24 Del. C. 1122. ada.org
  24. ADA. Laws and Rules for Massachusetts, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
  25. Dental Assisting National Board. Certified Dental Assistant. danb.org

Current as of October 2026. Licensure rules change, and the state board’s own rules always govern. Confirm with your board and with adextesting.org before you register.

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