National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE) Exam Prep
Our catalog now includes full practice for the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE) (administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations): 1,500 original practice questions built to the updated test specifications in the JCNDE’s 2026 NBDHE Candidate Guide — the scientific basis for dental hygiene practice, the provision of clinical dental hygiene services, community health and research principles, and a large case-based component of original patient cases presented with histories, dental chart findings and radiographic findings, in the style of the real examination’s patient cases.
What’s included
- 1,500 original practice questions covering every area of the updated test specifications — anatomic sciences, physiology, biochemistry and nutrition, microbiology and immunology, pathology and pharmacology; patient assessment, dental radiography, care planning, periodontal disease management, preventive agents, supportive treatment services and professional responsibility; community health and research principles — with explanations on every question
- 643 case-based practice questions built on original patient cases — geriatric, adult-periodontal, pediatric, special-needs and medically compromised patients — each presenting the patient’s history and findings before asking for the decision
- Four portion practice drills (10 questions each) — one per portion, so you can target your weakest area
- A full 350-question timed simulation (450 minutes) — the same number of questions and testing time as the real examination, drawn at the updated specification distribution
- Detailed explanations for every question, with the full computation shown on calculation items (anesthetic doses, fluoride amounts, radiographic exposure and clinical measurements)
- Free sample questions (12 questions) — no account needed to try them
Price: $59 for 6 months of access.
Practice by portion
| Portion | Practice questions | In the simulation |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Basis for Dental Hygiene Practice | 240 | 56 |
| Provision of Clinical Dental Hygiene Services | 531 | 124 |
| Community Health & Research Principles | 86 | 20 |
| Case-Based Component | 643 | 150 |
About the real National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE)
The National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE) (administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations) has 350 multiple-choice questions — 200 discipline-based and 150 case-based items built on 12 to 15 patient cases — with 7 hours 30 minutes of testing time in two sessions inside a 9-hour appointment, taken at a Pearson VUE test center. Jurisdictional boards use the result, reported as pass or fail, as part of dental hygiene licensure; licensure also has educational and clinical examination requirements that vary by jurisdiction. Updated test specifications take effect in November 2026, rebalancing the discipline-based items to 56 scientific basis, 124 clinical dental hygiene services and 20 research principles and community health, with the case-based component unchanged at 150 items — this practice bank is built to that updated distribution.
How passing works: the NBDHE is criterion-referenced and results are reported as pass or fail. The passing standard is a scaled score of 75 on a scale that runs from 49 to 99. That 75 is a scaled score — it is not a percentage and not a count of questions answered correctly.
Fees: the examination fee is $600 per attempt, non-refundable and non-transferable; an additional processing fee applies to candidates from programs not accredited by CODA. Confirm the current fees in the JCNDE’s current NBDHE Candidate Guide before you apply. PassProfessor is a study provider only: we do not administer the examination and we do not enroll candidates — you apply through the JCNDE with your DENTPIN and sit the examination at Pearson VUE.
How our practice scoring works
Our simulation presents 350 questions in 450 minutes — the real examination’s published size and testing time — drawn across the four portions at the updated distribution (56 scientific basis, 124 clinical dental hygiene services, 20 community health and research principles, 150 case-based). Because the real examination reports only pass or fail against a scaled standard, our simulation is scored against a 70% PassProfessor practice benchmark only — a study target we set, not the examination’s passing standard, which is the scaled score of 75 described above. Use the portion drills to find weak areas and the simulation to build timing and judgement across a full examination day.
PassProfessor is an independent study provider and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations, the American Dental Association or Pearson VUE. All practice questions in this course are original works written for this course, including every patient case; they are not JCNDE questions, and no official examination content is reproduced.