ADC Written Exam

It is a computer-delivered, multiple-choice question examination held over two days. It is delivered in partnership with Pearson VUE at test centres around the world, and all equipment and supplies you need are provided by the venue. You must bring one form of primary identification, and you must follow the Candidate Rules Agreement during the examination.

You need a successful, valid initial assessment with an expiry date later than the written examination date, plus the eligibility requirements of the advertised examination dates. Note that meeting the published initial assessment deadline is not a guarantee of eligibility, and incomplete applications may not be assessed in time for your chosen examination period.

The ADC publishes the written examination cost as $2,122 AUD. A pass in the written examination is valid for five years, and there are no limits on the number of times you can attempt the examination, so an unsuccessful attempt does not close off the pathway.

The examination is held twice a year, usually in March and September, with application periods and initial assessment deadlines published ahead of each period. Results are released via your ADC Connect profile approximately six weeks after your examination date. The ADC estimates roughly five months from the application period through to results release.

No. You must select the same venue for both examination days. Once booked, you can change your venue through Pearson VUE while the booking period is open, subject to availability. Some venues have limited capacity and are allocated on a first come, first served basis, and you may in some cases need to travel outside your home country.

Apply for a written examination place through your ADC Connect profile during the published application period and pay the application fee. In the weeks after a successful application you will receive an Authorisation to Test email from Pearson VUE explaining when you can log in and book your venue. Contact Pearson VUE immediately if you have booking problems.

The ADC states it does not recommend or endorse any proprietary or informal courses advertising themselves as preparation for the written examination, noting these are developed and run without ADC input. The safest starting point is the ADC's Written handbook for general dentistry, which gives a comprehensive overview of format, requirements and how the examination is graded.

The ADC describes the examination as assessing two areas: knowledge of the science and practice of dentistry, and clinical judgement and reasoning skills relevant to dental practice in Australia. The source does not publish a question count or a percentage split between the two areas, so plan your study around both rather than assuming one dominates.

Working backwards from the examination date rather than the application dates. You must lodge a complete initial assessment by the published deadline for your target period, apply for a seat inside the application window, then book a Pearson VUE venue promptly once authorised, because popular venues fill on a first come, first served basis.

No. The ADC states you do not need to complete an English test for any stage of the dental practitioner assessment process. However, the written and practical examinations are delivered in English, and candidates applying for registration must still meet the Dental Board of Australia's English language skills registration standard.