INBDE Prometric Guide: Booking, Seat Availability and Rescheduling (2026)

  • Dr. T
  • October 14, 2026
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INBDE booking · Updated October 2026

INBDE Prometric Guide: Booking, Seat Availability and Rescheduling (2026)

You book the INBDE with Prometric, not with the JCNDE. Once the JCNDE emails you that you are eligible, you have six months to test, and you schedule both exam days on Prometric’s American Dental Association (ADA) page, using your DENTPIN as your eligibility ID.

6 monthsto test after the JCNDE processes your application
2 dayssame test center, Day 2 within 7 days of Day 1
$50 to $150to reschedule, based on business days’ notice
US + Canadaplus US territories: the only places you can sit it

Your windowHow to bookTest centersTwo daysSeatsRescheduleID rulesExam dayPrep plansFAQ
The short answer

Apply to the JCNDE, wait for your eligibility email, then book at prometric.com under the ADA program, 60 to 90 days before the date you want. Rescheduling costs $50 (30+ business days’ notice), $70 (5 to 29) or $150 (1 to 4), and must be done by the business day before your test and at least 24 hours ahead. Miss the appointment and you lose the full fee.12

How The Study Boards helps you

How The Study Boards helps you get ready for your test date

  • A plan that fits your window: daily tasks for the day cover every subject before your six-month window closes, and mentor coordination keeps you on schedule.
  • Rehearse the long days: the Grand Test Series of 8-hour mock exams and nightly live tests at 9 PM New York time train the timing and stamina you need at Prometric.
  • 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.

See how the course is built in the INBDE course blueprint.

Before you book

Your eligibility window: six months

You cannot book a seat until the JCNDE says you are eligible. After that, plan backwards from the day your window closes.

Step 1Apply to the JCNDE with your DENTPINInternational dentists pay the $890 exam fee plus a $435 processing fee: $1,325. ECE must confirm your degree.1 Walkthrough: INBDE registration step by step.
Step 2Get your eligibility emailApplications are processed Monday to Friday, in US business hours. Check your spam folder if the email seems late.13
Your window opensSix months to testYou are eligible for six months after processing, unless retest rules or program requirements make it shorter.1
First weeksBook your seatEvery date, including a rescheduled one, must fall inside your window.1
End of month 6Window closesIf you have not tested, your fee is forfeited and you must apply and pay again.1

Need more time?You can buy one 45-day extension per application for $150 in your DENTPIN account, under Submit Request. Cancel any scheduled appointment first, or the request is denied.1 Unsure you can apply at all? Read INBDE eligibility requirements.

Step by step

How to schedule the INBDE at prometric.com

Prometric lists the INBDE under its test sponsor, the American Dental Association. Search for “ADA”, not “INBDE” or “JCNDE”.

Open Prometric’s ADA pageGo to prometric.com/test-takers/search/ada, titled “American Dental Association (ADA)”.4
Click ScheduleUnder “Test Center Exam” there are four buttons: Locate, Schedule, Reschedule/Cancel and Confirm.4
Choose a country and statePick where you want to test.25
Enter your DENTPIN as the eligibility IDThen choose the INBDE option.2 Lost it? Our DENTPIN guide shows how to recover it.
Pick Day 1 and Day 2 at the same centerDay 2 must fall within seven days of Day 1.1 Check both dates are open before you pay.
Save your confirmationCheck it with Confirm, and keep every notice Prometric sends you.1
Need testing accommodations?Do not book until they are approved. Accommodations cannot be added to an existing appointment, so you would have to cancel and pay a cancellation fee.1

Test centers

Where you can take the INBDE (and where you cannot)

The JCNDE offers the INBDE only at Prometric centers in the US, its territories and Canada.2 Prometric’s ADA booking tool listed these places when we checked on 14 October 2026:5

United States50 states + DC Canadanot Quebec Puerto RicoUS territory GuamUS territory US Virgin IslandsUS territory
No INBDE test centers outside these placesYou cannot sit the INBDE in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, the Middle East or the UK. It is also no longer offered in Quebec.2 If you live abroad, sort out your visa and travel before you lock in a date, so the date stays inside your window.

The tool covers every ADA test, so confirm the INBDE shows at your chosen center before you plan travel. Exam format and fees: INBDE fees, schedule and exam day procedures.

The schedule

Two exam days, one test center

The INBDE takes 12 hours 30 minutes over two days, including the optional tutorials, breaks and survey. Each section runs for 105 minutes.1

Day 1: 8 hours 15 minutes

TutS1 · 100 itemsBS2 · 100 itemsBreakS3 · 100 itemsBS4 · 60 case items

Day 2: 4 hours 15 minutes

TutS5 · 70 case itemsBS6 · 70 case itemsSrv
Standalone itemsCase-based itemsOptional breaksOptional tutorial or survey

The two-day ruleDay 2 must happen within seven days of Day 1, at the same test center. It does not have to be the next day. Break either rule and you must retest at your own expense.1 Our advice: book back-to-back days, so you travel once and keep your focus. Rehearse the format with INBDE simulation exams.

Seat availability

Checking seats, and what to do when centers are full

The Locate button on Prometric’s ADA page opens its seat-availability tool.4 Compare centers and dates before you commit.

1

Book earlyThe JCNDE advises 60 to 90 days ahead.2 Book in the first weeks of your window, not the last.

2

Search more than one stateIf you are flying in anyway, a neighbouring state or Canada may have seats sooner.

3

Check both days togetherA free Day 1 is no use without a Day 2 seat at the same center within seven days.

4

Check back oftenOther candidates cancel and reschedule, so seats open up. Look again every few days.

Do not call the local centerLocal centers cannot schedule, reschedule or cancel. A message to them does not count. Use Prometric’s website or central contact details.12

Rescheduling and cancelling

INBDE reschedule and cancellation fees (2026)

The fee depends on business days’ notice. Weekends do not count, so 30 business days is about six weeks. You pay Prometric directly, and sales tax may apply.12

$5030+ business days
$705 to 29 business days
$1501 to 4 business days
Full feeno-show or 30+ min late

If you cancel or reschedule Fee (as of October 2026)
30 or more business days before your test $50
5 to 29 business days before $70
1 to 4 business days before $150
No-show, or more than 30 minutes late and refused Full testing fee forfeited
The hard deadlineChange your date no later than the business day before your test, and at least 24 hours before your start time. For a Monday test, act by Friday.1

How many days before your exam are you rescheduling?

Pick your situation to see the rule and the fee.

Choose an option above to see what happens.
Cheapest option$50

Use Reschedule/Cancel on Prometric’s ADA page. Rebook both days at the same center, inside your window, and save the new confirmation.

Moderate fee$70

If you know you are not ready, move now, before you slip into the $150 band. Count business days only.

Highest reschedule fee$150

You can still move, but only until the business day before your test and at least 24 hours ahead. Sales tax may be added.

Deadline passedNo reschedule

Not turning up now counts as a no-show, and you forfeit all testing fees. The one exception is a test-day emergency, such as sudden illness or a death in your immediate family: email [email protected] with documents within five business days, or call 800.232.1694.

Fee forfeitedStart again

You lose the full testing fee and must submit a new application. For an international candidate that is another $890 plus $435: $1,325. If a test-day emergency caused it, email [email protected] with documents within five business days.

Extension$150 for 45 days

Cancel your appointment first (fee by notice), then request the 45-day extension in your DENTPIN account. One per application. Weekends and holidays count in the 45 days.

What happens if you miss your appointment

If you do not appear and did not cancel in time, you forfeit all testing fees and must apply and pay again. Arriving more than 30 minutes late can get you refused, with the same result. A name that does not exactly match your ID also means no test, and you lose the appointment and application fee.1 If you sat the exam and did not pass, different rules apply: see INBDE retake rules 2026.

What to bring

ID rules: two IDs, and your name must match your DENTPIN

ID 1

Primary IDGovernment issued, with your photo, name and signature. A passport works. Every ID except a passport must be in English.1

ID 2

Secondary IDAny ID with your name and signature, such as a debit, credit or library card.1

Original, physical and currentExpired IDs are refused, even with proof that a new one is coming. Photocopies and digital copies are refused too.1

Your DENTPIN record, application and IDs must show the same name. For a middle name, use the full name or its initial.1 Prometric’s ADA page gives these examples in its DAT checklist, and the INBDE uses the same exact-match rule:4

Application ID Result
Joseph Anthony Smith Joseph A. Smith Match
J. Anthony Smith Joseph A. Smith No match
Joseph Anthony Smith Joseph Anthony Smith-Johnson No match

To fix a mismatch, use “Update Detail” in your DENTPIN account and upload documents, at least ten business days before your test.1 If your passport shows only one name, check it against your DENTPIN record the day you register.

Test-day rules

Exam day at Prometric: what to expect

Check-in

Biometrics and securityPhoto, fingerprint or palm vein scan. Staff inspect glasses and may wand you.1 Checks repeat after every break.6

Locker

Nothing at your deskPhone, watch, bag, food and jacket go in a locker. Only wedding and engagement rings are allowed. Religious attire is allowed.1

Boards

Note boards, not paperTwo note boards and two markers. No writing before the test starts or on scheduled breaks. Boards are erased each day.1

Breaks

Stick to scheduled breaksOn an unscheduled break you may not use your locker, eat, drink, use a phone or leave.1

Timer

Loading time is freeThe timer pauses while a question loads.1

Report

Speak up before you leaveReport any problem to the test administrator before you leave the center.2

Never tested at Prometric?Prometric sells a 30-minute Test Drive, with check-in and a 15-minute generic sample test.1

Your INBDE exam-day checklist

Tick as you goNight before and morning of

We teach the INBDE

How to prepare: our full plan

A booked date is strong motivation. The Study Boards fills the months before it with a plan that covers every area of the exam.

INBDE

INBDE Premium BoardsThe complete course, built by US-licensed dentists:

  • 12 sequenced sections, 35,000+ focused questions
  • 8-hour Grand Test mock exams
  • Nightly live tests at 9 PM New York time
  • Pass Guarantee

See the INBDE Course Blueprint

Plan

Work back from your test datePick a schedule that fits your life:

Open the INBDE Study Plan

After you pass

Where the INBDE takes you in the US

Advanced Standing (IDP)Two to three years to a US DDS or DMD, through ADEA CAAPID. See the INBDE and CAAPID timeline.
AEGDThrough ADEA PASS. Some states give a limited licence after it; rules vary by state.
Residency through PASSStraight into a residency. More competitive.
TeachingFaculty roles at dental schools are another route.

Advanced Standing 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, or one of the few international lenders that need no co-signer. Read your roadmap after the INBDE.

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

Can I take the INBDE outside the US?
Only in Canada (except Quebec) and the US territories. Prometric’s ADA tool lists the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and Guam, plus the US Virgin Islands. There are no INBDE centers in South Asia or the Middle East.
What are the INBDE exam dates for 2026?
There are no fixed national dates. The INBDE runs year-round at Prometric centers, so your dates depend on open seats inside your six-month window.
How much does it cost to reschedule the INBDE?
$50 with 30 or more business days’ notice, $70 with 5 to 29 and $150 with 1 to 4, paid to Prometric. A no-show forfeits the full testing fee.
How far ahead should I book?
The JCNDE advises 60 to 90 days before your desired date. If you are travelling from abroad, book as soon as your eligibility email arrives.
Do I have to take Day 1 and Day 2 back to back?
No. Day 2 must be within seven days of Day 1, at the same center. Otherwise you retest at your own expense.
What if no seat fits my eligibility window?
Search other states and Canada and check back often. If nothing fits, cancel any appointment you hold and buy the one-time 45-day extension for $150.
INBDE Registration Step by StepApply, pay and get your eligibility email INBDE Fees, Schedule and Exam DayThe full exam format in one place DENTPIN GuideRegister, log in or recover your DENTPIN INBDE EligibilityWho can sit the exam and how
Pass on your first attempt

INBDE Premium Boards by The Study Boards

99% of students who complete the course pass on their first attempt. US-licensed dentists, not AI, answer your questions. Finish on time with no overdue days and 60%+ on every test, and if you still do not pass, we refund the course and your exam registration fee (about $1,000).

12 sections35,000+ questionsNightly 9 PM NY live testsPass Guarantee

See the Blueprint

Stuck on booking or dates?

Tell us your eligibility window and where you plan to test. Our Admin Team with Dr. T and Dr. Kaur will contact you over WhatsApp.

Message the Admin Team on WhatsApp

References

  1. Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE). INBDE 2026 Candidate Guide: fees, eligibility window, extension, rescheduling fees, no-show and late arrival, administration schedule, identification policy, test center rules. jcnde.ada.org
  2. JCNDE. Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE): test center locations, Quebec, scheduling 60 to 90 days ahead, reschedule and cancellation fees, emergency cancellations. jcnde.ada.org/inbde
  3. JCNDE. Apply for the INBDE: application steps and eligibility email. jcnde.ada.org/inbde/inbde-apply
  4. Prometric. American Dental Association (ADA) program page: Locate, Schedule, Reschedule/Cancel and Confirm; test-day checklist and name-matching examples. prometric.com
  5. Prometric. ADA program seat-availability tool, country and state list, checked 14 October 2026. securereg3.prometric.com
  6. Prometric. Test Center Policies: security checks on every entry to the test room. prometric.com

Current as of October 2026. Fees and policies can change, so confirm the latest rules with the JCNDE and Prometric before you book.

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