The question formats on the NBDHE
- Single best answer: a question and several choices, with one best answer.
- EXCEPT and NOT questions: all the choices are true but one, and you pick the one that isn't. Read these twice.
- Case sets: a patient case with a history, dental charts and radiographs, followed by a set of questions about that patient. Today 150 of the exam's 350 questions are case‑based.
- Testlets: a scenario with a set of questions. Research principles and community health questions come this way.
The four NBDHE question formats: single best answer, with one best choice; EXCEPT and NOT, where every choice is true but one; case sets, a patient's history, charts and radiographs followed by several questions; and testlets, a community health scenario with a set of questions.
Where to find practice questions you can trust
Start with the source. The JCNDE publishes free NBDHE sample questions and paid practice test modules, delivered through Pearson VUE. They're the closest thing to the real exam's style.
Go to the JCNDE's NBDHE page (opens in a new tab)
For volume, use a question bank written from named textbooks and published sources, with a full explanation for every choice and practice in every format above.
Questions to avoid
NBDHE questions are confidential. Getting, using, discussing or posting remembered questions or answers, in whole or in part, is prohibited and can lead to voided results and legal action. Skip any “recalls” you see shared online.
Also be wary of questions without explanations, or explanations that cite old guidelines. The exam uses current guidelines, including the 2017 periodontal classification.
How to use practice questions
- Start with a timed mixed set across every area to see where you stand.
- Study your weakest area, then do a set on just that area.
- Read the explanation for every choice, including the ones you got right.
- Keep a short list of the facts you missed, and review it with flashcards.
- Every week, do a mixed timed set and a case set, so you don't lose your strong areas.
- In the last weeks, do full‑length timed sets at exam length.
A weekly loop with four steps that repeat: a timed mixed set to see where you stand; study the weakest area, then a set on just that area; read the explanation for every choice, including the ones you got right; and flashcards for the facts you missed. Then back to a timed mixed set.