INBDE Study Schedule: 6-Week, 3-Month and 6-Month Plans
A 6-week INBDE schedule works if you study full time (about 8 hours a day) and you have already covered the subjects once. Spend weeks 1 to 3 on subjects with daily timed question blocks, sit full 2-day simulations at the end of weeks 3 and 5, and use week 6 to fix errors and rest. If you are starting from scratch or working, use the 3-month or 6-month plan instead.
Your daily plan, questions and simulations, ready every morning
A schedule only works if the work for each day is ready when you sit down. In The Study Boards INBDE course, you get your tasks for the day, a nightly live test at 9 PM New York time, subject tests, 8-hour Grand Tests and two full 2-day simulation exams. The course is extremely personalised: red lines and assignments are given to you on the go, the course learns from the way you are studying, and our faculty are there to assist you when you fall behind. See how it is built in the INBDE course blueprint.
Is a 6-week INBDE schedule right for you?
Six weeks is enough time to sharpen, test and rehearse. It is not enough time to learn dentistry again from the beginning. At The Study Boards, we give this plan to students who have already finished one full pass of the subjects.
Six weeks fits you if
- You have already studied every subject once, in the last year
- You are retaking and have a fail report that shows your weak areas
- You graduated recently and the clinical material is still fresh
- You can give 7 to 9 hours a day, 6 days a week
Choose a longer plan if
- You graduated several years ago and have not studied since
- You work full time or have a clinic to run
- You have not yet finished one full pass of subject tests
- Your exam date is not booked yet, so there is no hard deadline
The schedule is built around the real exam. The INBDE has 500 questions over two days: 300 standalone questions and 60 case questions on Day 1 (8 hours 15 minutes), and 140 case questions on Day 2 (4 hours 15 minutes). Every section lasts 105 minutes.1 That is why the daily question block below is 100 questions in 105 minutes: you train at the exact pace of one exam section.
The daily blocks
Use this pattern on every subject day in weeks 1 to 5. Move the clock times to suit you, but keep the order. These are the same timed focus blocks we train our students in inside the course.
Redo the questions you got wrong yesterday without looking at the answers. Recalling them a day later, before you forget them completely, is what makes them stick.
Read the Module for the subject, not three different sources. After each topic, close it and write down what you remember. Fill gaps, then move on.
One sitting, no pausing, no checking answers in between. This is one INBDE section in length and pace.
Review right answers as well as wrong ones. A guess that happened to be right is a weak spot. Log each miss with its cause (did not know, misread, changed answer, ran out of time).
A shorter session on a weak topic from your error log, or the second subject of the day. Finish with 20 to 50 extra questions if you have the energy.
15 to 30 minutes on your red lines and error log, or the 9 PM New York time live test if you are in our course, then stop. Seven to eight hours of sleep is part of the plan, not a reward.
For the techniques behind these blocks, read our guide to active recall, spaced repetition and timed focus for the INBDE.
The 6-week INBDE study schedule, week by week
Tap a week. Each table shows the focus for every day, the question target and the simulation days. Question numbers are targets, not limits; full review matters more than volume.
Find your baseline, then cover the big restorative and surgical subjects
| Day | Focus | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baseline test: 200 mixed questions in two timed 105-minute blocks. Afternoon: review all 200 and start your error log. | 200 |
| 2 | Operative dentistry and dental materials | 100 |
| 3 | Prosthodontics: fixed, removable and implants | 100 |
| 4 | Endodontics, with pulpal and periapical diagnosis | 100 |
| 5 | Periodontics, including staging and grading | 100 |
| 6 | Oral surgery, local anesthesia and medical emergencies | 100 |
| 7 | Light day: 100 mixed questions from this week’s subjects, redo the error log, then take the afternoon off | 100 |
End-of-week check: rank this week’s six subjects from weakest to strongest using your Block 2 scores. Keep the list; you will use it in week 4.
Diagnosis, drugs and patient care
| Day | Focus | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pharmacology: analgesics, antibiotics, local anesthetics, interactions and medically complex patients | 120 |
| 2 | Oral pathology and oral medicine | 120 |
| 3 | Oral radiology and radiation safety | 100 |
| 4 | Pediatric dentistry and orthodontics | 120 |
| 5 | Patient management, ethics, jurisprudence and infection control | 100 |
| 6 | Research methods and biostatistics in the morning; mixed clinical block in the afternoon | 100 |
| 7 | Light day: 140 mixed questions from weeks 1 and 2 (two timed blocks of 70, the size of a Day 2 section), redo the error log | 140 |
End-of-week check: every clinical subject has now had one focused day. Add this week’s six subjects to your weak-to-strong ranking.
Foundation sciences, then your first full simulation
| Day | Focus | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Head and neck anatomy, dental anatomy and occlusion | 100 |
| 2 | Physiology and biochemistry, kept to what a dentist uses | 100 |
| 3 | Microbiology and immunology | 100 |
| 4 | General pathology and systemic disease in the dental patient | 100 |
| 5 | Genetics and development in the morning. Afternoon: 60 case questions in 105 minutes. Early night. | 100 |
| 6 | Simulation 1, Day 1 format: 3 blocks of 100 standalone questions plus 60 case questions, each 105 minutes, with breaks of 15, 30 and 15 minutes. Start at your real exam start time. | 360 |
| 7 | Simulation 1, Day 2 format: 2 blocks of 70 case questions, 105 minutes each, one 15-minute break. Afterwards, write a short note on which sections felt hardest. Save the full review for week 4. | 140 |
For how to run a simulation properly, read how to take INBDE simulation exams.
Review Simulation 1 and repair your three weakest areas
| Day | Focus | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deep review of Simulation 1, Day 1 format. Group misses by subject and by cause. Pick your three weakest subjects. | Review 360 |
| 2 | Deep review of the case questions. Note where you lost time: reading the case, the charts, or the question itself. | Review 140 |
| 3 | Weak area 1: re-learn, then 100 subject questions and 50 mixed | 150 |
| 4 | Weak area 2: same pattern | 150 |
| 5 | Weak area 3: same pattern | 150 |
| 6 | Stamina day: three timed blocks of 100 mixed questions with exam breaks, then review | 300 |
| 7 | Light day: 100 mixed questions, error log, rest | 100 |
Second repair pass, case practice, and your second simulation
| Day | Focus | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Weak areas 4 and 5 from your ranking and error log | 150 |
| 2 | Case day: two timed blocks of 70 case questions, then full review | 140 |
| 3 | Mixed clinical block weighted to Oral Health Management and Diagnosis and Treatment Planning | 150 |
| 4 | One timed block of 100 mixed questions, light review, early night | 100 |
| 5 | Simulation 2, Day 1 format (360 questions, real timings and breaks) | 360 |
| 6 | Simulation 2, Day 2 format (140 case questions) | 140 |
| 7 | Rest. A short surface review only: which sections felt better than Simulation 1, and which did not. | 0 |
Fix the last errors, then taper into the exam
| Day | Focus | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deep review of Simulation 2, Day 1 format | Review 360 |
| 2 | Deep review of Simulation 2 cases. Redo every error-log question marked “did not know”. | Review 140 |
| 3 | Last weak-topic pass, then 100 mixed questions | 100 |
| 4 | 100 mixed questions at your exam start time; read your own summary notes | 100 |
| 5 | Light: error log only, 50 questions at most. Check your ID, test centre route and appointment times. | 50 |
| 6 | Rest day. No new material. | 0 |
| 7 | INBDE Day 1. Day 2 must be within 7 days of Day 1, at the same test centre.1 | Exam |
For the exam days themselves, read our INBDE test day guide.
| Week | Main goal | Practice questions | Simulation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baseline plus restorative, prosthodontic and surgical subjects | ~800 | No |
| 2 | Pharmacology, pathology, radiology, pediatrics, ethics, research | ~800 | No |
| 3 | Foundation sciences | ~500 | Simulation 1 (500) |
| 4 | Review and repair three weakest areas | ~850 | No |
| 5 | Second repair pass and case practice | ~540 | Simulation 2 (500) |
| 6 | Fix errors and taper | ~250 | Real exam |
How to adjust when you fall behind
Almost everyone loses a day or two in six weeks. What matters is how you recover. Pick the situation closest to yours.
- Move the missed subject into that week’s Day 7.
- Do not do two subject days in one day. Two tired blocks teach less than one good one.
- Keep the 30-minute error-log warm-up every day, even on the day you catch up.
- Shorten Block 1 to 90 minutes and learn from your error log instead of the full chapter.
- Merge two smaller subjects into one day (for example radiology with oral pathology).
- Never drop question review. Do 70 questions instead of 100 if you must, but review all of them.
- Do not move either simulation.
- Drop the lowest-weight foundation topics to one mixed block, and spend the saved days on clinical subjects.
- Keep Simulation 1 at the end of week 3 even if not every subject is done; it shows you where to spend the remaining time.
- If you are more than a week behind after Simulation 1, consider moving the exam and switching to the 3-month plan. Your application gives a six-month eligibility period, and a one-time 45-day extension costs $150.1 Check the rules in Prometric booking and rescheduling before you move anything.
- Sort every miss by subject and by cause. Knowledge gaps need re-learning; misreads and changed answers need slower reading and trusting your first reasoned answer.
- Spend week 4 on the three subjects that cost the most marks, not the three you like least.
- If Simulation 2 shows no improvement, move the exam rather than sitting it unready. A fail means a 60-day wait before you can retest.1
The 3-month and 6-month INBDE plans
These plans are already written in full on our site. Here is how they differ from the 6-week schedule, so you can pick the right one.
| Plan | Best for | Shape |
|---|---|---|
| 6 weeks | Full-time, already studied once, or retaking | Subjects in weeks 1 to 3, two 2-day simulations, taper in week 6 (this page) |
| 3 months | Full-time, exam date close, first serious attempt | Foundation (weeks 1 to 4), practice by subject and diagnosis (5 to 8), revision and full-syllabus tests (9 to 10), Grand Tests and both 2-day simulations (11 to 13)2 |
| 4 months | Most full-time students | One month each for foundation, practice by subject, diagnosis and revision, and full simulations2 |
| 6 months | Working dentists, or full-time students who want a buffer | The same order, spread out, with protected days off for Grand Tests and simulations2 |
Not sure how much time you need? Read when to start studying for the INBDE.
Your week-zero checklist
How to prepare: our full plan
The Study Boards INBDE courseThe full course behind every schedule on this page:
- 12 course sections, 35,000+ focused questions
- Subject tests, cumulative tests and 8-hour Grand Tests
- Two full 2-day simulation exams
- US-licensed dentists answer your questions
Guides that go with this schedule
Frequently asked questions
Is 6 weeks enough to study for the INBDE?
How many hours a day should I study on a 6-week plan?
How many practice questions should I do in 6 weeks?
When should I take full simulation exams?
Do the two INBDE days have to be back to back?
How does The Study Boards help you follow a 6-week INBDE schedule?
Can I follow a 6-week schedule while working?
Want this schedule built around your exam date?
Message us on WhatsApp. Our Admin Team with Dr. T and Dr. Kaur will contact you over WhatsApp.
References
- Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE). INBDE 2026 Candidate Guide (updated 08/04/2026): administration schedule, test specifications, eligibility period and extension, retest rules. jcnde.ada.org
- The Study Boards. INBDE Study Plan (2026): Month-by-Month Schedule, and the 6-month plans for full-time students and working dentists. parmjitllc.com
Current as of October 2026. The weekly question targets and daily blocks are our suggestions, not JCNDE requirements. Confirm exam rules with the JCNDE before you book.