What the NDAEB Theory Examination covers, and how to study for it

What the exam is

The NDAEB Theory Examination is the national written exam for dental assistants in Canada. It is run by the National Dental Assisting Examining Board (NDAEB). Passing it, with the other requirements, earns the NDAEB Certificate. Registration and licensing are decided by each province's regulator, so check yours.

How it is built

• 200 multiple-choice questions, each with four options and one correct answer. Every question is worth one mark and there is no penalty for guessing.
• Up to four hours, with no scheduled break. The clock keeps running if you step out.
• Many questions are tied to a short case. A case usually carries three to six questions, and there are stand-alone questions and matching questions too.
• Teeth are named with the FDI two-digit system (11 to 48).
• Held four times a year, in March, June, September and December, over a few days at test centres across Canada. Results arrive within about six weeks.
• Up to three attempts. The passing score is set for each exam form and usually falls in the low to mid 60s percent.

What is on it: the seven areas

Questions follow the NDAEB Domain Description (2023). These are the published weights, not ours. The largest area is Patient Care Procedures (40-50%).

Who can sit it

You need to have completed a dental assisting program the NDAEB recognises, including the Level I skills and the Level II intra-oral skills and your practicum. You can apply before you graduate with a letter from your school, as long as your program ends before the exam date. Since January 2026, most graduates of programs that are not accredited by the CDAC must pass the NDAEB's practical evaluation first (some existing programs are exempt until the end of 2030). Read the NDAEB's own pages for the rules that apply to you.

A way to study in short sessions

• Start with the heavy area. Patient Care Procedures carries the most weight, so time spent there pays off most.
• Learn the terms, then use them. Many questions ask for a name, a step or a number. Others ask what to do in a short case. Practise both.
• Let reviews come back. Revisit a question when you are about to forget it. A miss should return soon. This is called spaced repetition.
• Sit a timed mock now and then. Four hours with no break is long. A mock shows where you lose points and how the time feels.
• Use the NDAEB's own tools too. Registered candidates get the NDAEB Preparation Test and a demo of the exam screen.

How PocketPass fits

PocketPass is an independent practice app for the NDAEB Theory Examination. It gives you practice questions a person has read before they ship, spaced reviews, trouble spots and timed mocks built to the Domain Description. See how it works and how we make questions. PocketPass is not affiliated with the NDAEB, its questions are not exam questions, and it does not predict whether you will pass.

Official sources