The Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE) is a new written, cognitive examination for dental licensure scheduled to replace the previous National Board Dental Examination (NBDE) Part I and Part II examinations. The INBDE has the same overall purpose as the NBDE Part I and Part II: to assist state boards of dentistry in evaluating candidates for dental licensure. By integrating content covering the basic, behavioral, and clinical sciences, the INBDE is expected to be more relevant than the current NBDE Part I and Part II examinations.
The INBDE is open to both foreign and domestic dental graduates. It is common for US-based dental students to pursue the exam during their junior year of their postgraduate study, whereas international students are often required to pass in order to apply for state-side postgraduate courses or residency programs. Additionally, dental professionals who acquired their dental degree from an institution not accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) will need their qualifications verified by the Educational Credential Evaluators.
Test items on the INBDE will require candidates to draw from their knowledge of basic science, behavioral science, and clinical competencies to answer them correctly. For example, INBDE questions will ask about patient care, how dentists approach the practice of dentistry, and how dentists keep up with advances in the profession. The Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE) has issued a formal notification that the Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE) has been available for administration since August 2020. The NBDE Part I was discontinued on July 2020, and the NBDE Part II was discontinued in August 2022.
EXAM STRUCTURE
The INBDE is a 500-item examination (compared with a total of 900 questions on the NBDE Part I and Part II) which will be administered via computer at test centers throughout the United States and US territories. It will take one and a half days to complete. Essentially, the content of the exam is the same, but the packaging is different.
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- All the topics and content of the NBDE Part 1 and 2, but restructured.
- Computer based, 500 multiple choice questions over a day and a half vs 900 questions over two and half days.
- A new user interface with an emphasis on case based questions.
Topics are compartmentalized based on the “Domains of Dentistry.” and integrates undergraduate content in order to achieve a more comprehensive evaluation of a candidate’s dental understanding. The exam extends over two days.
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- Day 1 – 3 sets of 100 questions and 1 set of 60 case-based questions (360).
- Day 2 – 2 sets of 70 case-based questions (140).
The total exam time is 12.5 hours, which includes exam orientation and breaks.
NEW QUESTION STRUCTURE
The new INBDE is a restructured condensation of NBDE part I and II, reorganized into 3 main categories:
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- Practice and profession.
- Diagnosis and treatment planning.
- Oral Health Management.
The following tables contain a comprehensive breakdown of the content of each section.
Test items on the INBDE will require candidates to draw from their knowledge of basic science, behavioral science, and clinical competencies to answer them correctly. For example, INBDE questions will ask about patient care, how dentists approach the practice of dentistry, and how dentists keep up with advances in the profession. The JCNDE has issued a formal notification that the Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE) will be available for administration beginning on August 1, 2020. The NBDE Part I will be discontinued on July 31, 2020, and the NBDE Part II will be discontinued on August 1, 2022.
The INBDE is a 500-item examination (compared with a total of 900 questions on the NBDE Part I and Part II) which will be administered via computer at test centers throughout the United States and US territories. It will take one and a half days to complete.
Essentially, the content of the exam is the same, but the packaging is different.
-
- All the topics and content of the NBDE Part 1 and 2, but restructured.
- Computer based, 500 multiple choice questions over a day and a half vs 900 questions over two and half days.
- A new user interface with an emphasis on case based questions.
NEW QUESTION STRUCTURE
The new INBDE is a restructured condensation of NBDE part I and II, reorganized into 3 main categories:
-
- Practice and profession.
- Diagnosis and treatment planning.
- Oral Health Management.
The following tables contain a comprehensive breakdown of the content of each section.
