ADEX Dental Exam 2026: Cost, Dates and How to Register
As of October 2026, the ADEX Dental Examination costs $2,995 plus a facility fee set by the clinical site, and you register online through a candidate profile at adextesting.org. As an internationally trained dentist, you can only sit it once you are in, or have finished, a CODA-accredited US program, such as an Advanced Standing DDS/DMD, a 2-year GPR or AEGD, or a specialty residency.
How The Study Boards helps you with the ADEX exam
- The DLOSCE part: our DLOSCE course gives you 4,500 questions and 34 timed tests in 45 days for $399, with nightly live tests at 9 PM New York time and a free re-teach guarantee.
- Before ADEX: you need the INBDE and a place in a US program first. Our INBDE Premium Boards course and our CAAPID application program cover both steps.
- Personal help: The Study Boards courses are extremely personalised. Red lines and assignments are given to you on the go, the course learns from the way you study, and faculty are there to assist you.
We do not run a course for the five hands-on clinical exams, and this guide tells you how to prepare for them. See our full plan.
Who runs the ADEX exam now
Older guides send you to CDCA, WREB or CITA. Those names are gone.
In August 2025, CDCA-WREB-CITA and ADEX finished merging into one body, the American Board of Dental Examiners, which now writes and runs the exam.1 Its website is adextesting.org; the old cdcaexams.org site points there.2
The computer-based half is the DLOSCE (our DLOSCE prep plan). The American Dental Association (ADA) owns it, the JCNDE oversees it, and ADEX uses it under an exclusive ADA licence.5 All DLOSCE sittings now run through ADEX.9
What the ADEX Dental Examination includes
| Part | What you do | Time allowed | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| DLOSCE | Computer-based clinical cases, 3D models and 2 prescription tasks | About 6 h 45 min seat time | Prometric test centre |
| Periodontal | Calculus detection, calculus removal on an assigned quadrant, probing depths | Up to 90 min | Clinical site |
| Endodontic | One anterior and one posterior procedure | Up to 3 h | Clinical site |
| Fixed Prosthodontic | All-ceramic crown prep on a central incisor, zirconia crown preps on a premolar and a molar | Up to 4 h | Clinical site |
| Anterior Restorative | Class III preparation and restoration on a maxillary incisor | Up to 3 h | Clinical site |
| Posterior Restorative | Class II preparation and restoration on a mandibular molar or premolar | Up to 3.5 h | Clinical site |
Clinical work is done on ADEX-supplied typodonts in a manikin, not on patients. Periodontal became required on 1 August 2026, and amalgam is no longer used.36 As an outside candidate you take the Traditional Format, with all clinical parts over two days; the Curriculum Integrated Format is only for the host school’s own students.47
For what each part tests and how it is graded, read our ADEX exam explainer.
Which states accept the ADEX exam
ADEX publishes an acceptance map. In the version updated on 9 September 2026, ADEX names Delaware and New York as jurisdictions that do not accept the ADEX Dental Examination for initial licensure.8 If you plan to work in either state, ask that state’s dental board which clinical route it wants instead.
Clinical exams run at sites across the US and at a few sites in Jamaica, Mexico, Nova Scotia, Puerto Rico and Saudi Arabia.4 Results are pass or fail and do not expire, but some states limit how old a result can be.7
Eligibility for internationally trained dentists
A foreign BDS or DDS on its own does not make you eligible. You need a link to a CODA-accredited US program. Pick the line that describes you.
Current student of a CODA-accredited US DDS/DMD program, including Advanced Standing. At account set-up, choose ENROLLED. Your school’s designated representative authorizes you.4
In the final academic year of a CODA-accredited US 2-year GPR or AEGD: choose RESIDENT; your program authorizes you. Already completed one: choose NOT-ENROLLED and upload your diploma, certificate or official transcript.4
ADEX says a 2-year program. If yours is 1 year, ask ADEX before you pay.
Current or completed CODA-accredited US specialty certificate program (for example prosthodontics, oral surgery or orthodontics), or a hospital residency, fellowship or postdoctoral program affiliated with a CODA-accredited US dental program. Choose NOT-ENROLLED and upload a State Board Authorization Letter that names the exam.4
The letter is valid for up to 18 months from its date, and only for the exams it names.4
The Candidate Guide lists no route for a graduate of a non-CODA school who has no US program.4 Your first steps are the INBDE and a place in a US program. Two exceptions: King Abdulaziz University (Saudi Arabia, graduates after 1 August 2019) and Yeditepe University (Turkey, graduates after 1 February 2024) are CODA-accredited, so their graduates apply like US graduates.4
Where ADEX fits in your US route
Every route starts with the INBDE. If you have not passed it yet, start with our INBDE course blueprint. After the boards, these are your options:
Advanced Standing / IDP2 to 3 years to a US DDS/DMD through ADEA CAAPID; you take ADEX as an enrolled student. See our CAAPID program.
AEGD or GPRThrough ADEA PASS. Some states give a limited licence after an AEGD; rules vary. A 2-year program opens ADEX eligibility.
Specialty residency through PASSMore competitive. ADEX eligibility comes with a State Board Authorization Letter.
TeachingSome schools hire internationally trained dentists as faculty. Licence rules depend on the state.
How to register for the ADEX exam
Your registration checklist
Every ADEX dental exam fee
All figures are from ADEX’s own fee list.3
| Fee | Amount | When you pay it |
|---|---|---|
| ADEX Dental series fee | $2,995 | At registration. Covers all 5 clinical exams and the DLOSCE, plus one free retake per clinical procedure. |
| Facility fee | Varies by site | Set by the host school to cover its costs. Shown for each clinical location. |
| Typodont fee | $150 per procedure | On your free second clinical attempt, for each procedure you redo. |
| Third clinical attempt | $1,495 | Perio, Endo and/or Prosth: $1,495. Anterior and Posterior Restorative: $1,495. Plus any facility fee. |
| DLOSCE retake | $695 | Second or third attempt. |
| Extended Registration and Transfer Fee | $345 | Requests after the clinical registration deadline. |
| Prometric reschedule or cancel | $50 or $100 | $50 at 6 to 30 days out, $100 at 1 to 5 days out. Under 24 hours: not allowed, fee lost.4 |
Before the deadline: full refundWithdraw before the clinical registration deadline and you get everything back. After it, you get a refund minus $345, but only if you have not attempted any part.
2 years to use itRegistration credit must be used or refunded within two years of the original payment. Once you attempt any part, unused parts are not refunded.3
Not on ADEX’s list: travel, your own instruments, practice typodonts, a fee-based score report if your state wants one, and your state licence fee.4
ADEX cost planner
Pick a scenario to see what you would pay ADEX. Add your site’s facility fee to each total.
Fail one crown prep and you redo all three, because the Prosthodontic exam is graded as one part.4
A third failure of the same part fails the whole series, and you start again and pay again.4
How to find ADEX test dates
There is no single national date. Each clinical site sets its own, and the live calendar at adextesting.org shows real-time seats and deadlines.11 We do not copy dates here because seats change daily. Log in and press “Register for an Exam” to see only the sites open to you.
How fast results arrive7
Key dates in the 2026 changes
The DLOSCE inside the ADEX exam
The DLOSCE is no longer a separate exam you buy on its own. It is part of the ADEX Dental series, and you cannot register for it separately.7 You take it at a Prometric centre. The JCNDE’s 2026 schedule sets out the format:13
| Section | Content | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 37 questions | 75 |
| 2 | 37 questions | 75 |
| 3 | 2 prescription tasks (one antibiotic, one analgesic) | 10 |
| 4 | 37 questions | 75 |
| 5 | 37 questions | 75 |
ADEX’s own manual gives a total seat time of about 6 hours 45 minutes, including a 25-minute introduction and tutorial and three optional scheduled breaks.5 You see “pass” or “fail”. Behind that is a scale score from 49 to 99, and 75 is the minimum pass. If you fail, your report shows your scale score.5
The DLOSCE is the part you can prepare for with questions and timed tests. Our DLOSCE course blueprint is the full prep plan. For study habits, read how to study for the DLOSCE and our 12 DLOSCE preparation tips.
Retake rules and the 18-month rule
These rules apply across the whole ADEX examination series, computer-based and clinical.
The 18-month ruleYou must pass every part within 18 months of your first attempt at any part. Miss it and you repeat the whole series.4
10-day waitAt least 10 days between a failure and the next attempt, for both clinical and DLOSCE parts.4
3-time fail policyThree failed attempts in a row at the same part fail the whole series. You restart and pay for every part again.4
After 3 DLOSCE failsWait at least 6 months from the last failed DLOSCE before trying it again in a new series.5
Endo and Prosth: redo everythingFail one procedure and you redo every procedure in that exam. Anterior and Posterior Restorative are graded separately, so you redo only the one you failed.4
Remediation rulesADEX does not ask for remediation proof, but many states do. California requires it after a third failure. Virginia needs board approval before a 4th attempt.7
How to prepare: our full plan
ADEX has two halves. We teach one of them, and we are honest about the other.
DLOSCE course by The Study BoardsBuilt for the computer-based half of the ADEX exam:
- 4,500 DLOSCE questions and 34 timed tests
- Prescription practice for the two Rx tasks
- Nightly live tests at 9 PM New York time
- Questions answered by a US-licensed dentist on our faculty, not AI
- $399 for 45 days. Score 60% or more in our tests and still do not pass? We teach you again at no cost.
The five hands-on examsWe do not run a course for the ADEX clinical exams. Start here instead:
- Practise every procedure to the ADEX criteria sheets under the real time limits.
- Read our 12 ADEX clinical exam tips.
- Have a question about your situation? Message us on WhatsApp. Our Admin Team with Dr. T and Dr. Kaur will contact you over WhatsApp.
The ADEX manuals you need (2026 to 2027 season)
ADEX tells you to rely only on its official publications. For exams from 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2027, the Manuals and Forms page has:6
- Candidate Guide: eligibility, registration, fees, ID, 18-month rule and results.
- Dental Clinical Examination Manual: the five clinical exams, timings, instruments and penalties.
- DLOSCE Computer-based Examination Manual: content, question types, scoring and test-centre rules.
- Criteria sheets and scoring rubrics for each procedure, plus sample candidate worksheets.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the ADEX dental exam cost in 2026?
Can I take the ADEX exam with only my BDS from India or Pakistan?
Is the DLOSCE still a separate exam?
Where can I download the ADEX manual?
What happens if I do not pass every part within 18 months?
Does New York accept the ADEX dental exam?
DLOSCE Course by The Study Boards
4,500 questions, 34 timed tests and prescription practice, with US-licensed dentists answering your questions.
Not sure if you are eligible yet?
Tell us your degree, your US program and the state you want. Our Admin Team with Dr. T and Dr. Kaur will contact you over WhatsApp.
References
- American Board of Dental Examiners. CDCA-WREB-CITA, ADEX finalize merger, 27 August 2025. adextesting.org
- cdcaexams.org: notice that CDCA is now the American Board of Dental Examiners, with a link to adextesting.org. cdcaexams.org
- ADEX. ADEX Dental: examination fees, retake fees, refunds, Periodontal requirement. adextesting.org
- ADEX. Candidate Guide, exam year 2026 (version 20260723): eligibility, profile, ID, registration, scheduling, 18-month rule, retakes, formats, locations. adextesting.org
- ADEX. DLOSCE Computer-based Examination Manual, 2026 (version 20260727): licence from the ADA, content weights, seat time, scoring, retake waits. adextesting.org
- ADEX. Dental Clinical Examination Manual, 2026 to 2027 season, and the Manuals and Forms page. Clinical manual · Manuals and Forms
- ADEX. FAQs: formats, registration, attempts, results timing, DLOSCE and DSE OSCE, remediation. adextesting.org
- ADEX. Acceptance Maps, dental map last updated 9 September 2026. adextesting.org
- JCNDE. DLOSCE page: all administrations conducted through ADEX. jcnde.ada.org
- JCNDE. INBDE page: accepted in all US states and territories. jcnde.ada.org
- ADEX. Exam Calendars: real-time availability and outside-candidate status. adextesting.org
- ADEX. ADA and ADEX Advance Dental Licensure Through New Agreement, 14 April 2026. adextesting.org
- JCNDE. 2026 DLOSCE Candidate Guide (now marked for historical reference): administration schedule. jcnde.ada.org
- The Study Boards: DLOSCE course facts. DLOSCE course blueprint
Current as of October 2026. Fees, dates and eligibility rules change; confirm with ADEX and your state dental board before you register. The cost planner shows fees paid to ADEX only and is an illustration, not a quote.