NBDHE exam-day guide
NBDHE · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring the original, unexpired photo ID in the exact name under which you registered. Confirm with the test provider (Pearson VUE / ADA JCNDE) which ID forms are accepted and whether a second form of identification is required before test day - do not assume a student ID or expired document will work.
Appointment confirmation / eligibility number
Have your scheduling confirmation, testing appointment number, or eligibility record accessible (printed or on your phone for the check-in desk only). Confirm the exact document the provider wants you to present at check-in.
Know the test center location and route
Do a dry run or map the route in advance, note parking options and building/room entry, and plan to arrive well before your appointment time. Confirm the provider's recommended arrival window (commonly about 30 minutes early, but verify for your site).
Read the official candidate guide and testing regulations
Review the current JCNDE/ADA candidate guide and the test center's rules on prohibited items, calculator use, scratch materials, and break policy. Anything you are unsure about on scratch paper, calculators, or reference material must be confirmed with the provider - do not bring items on the assumption they are allowed.
Leave prohibited items at home or in the car/locker
No notes, textbooks, flashcards, smartwatches, fitness trackers, phones, or other electronic devices in the testing room. Most centers provide a small locker for personal items; confirm the site's storage policy if you are bringing a bag.
Layer clothing
Testing rooms are often cool and you generally cannot leave to fetch a jacket once seated. Wear comfortable, quiet layers and avoid clothing with pockets or metal that slows security screening.
Snack, water, and any needed medication for breaks
Pack a light snack and water in your locker for scheduled or unscheduled breaks, plus any personal medication you may need. Confirm with the provider whether food, drink, and medication can be accessed during breaks and whether the exam clock stops during breaks.
Practice with the exam software tutorial
Complete the free tutorial/demo for the computer-based delivery format so you know how to flag items, move between questions, review marked items, and use the on-screen tools before the clock starts.
Confirm your score reporting path
Know how and roughly when results are released and how they are transmitted to your state licensing board. Confirm the current reporting timeline with ADA/JCNDE - do not rely on secondhand timelines.
Plan a backup transportation option
Identify a backup ride, a transit alternative, and the test center's phone number in case of delay, so a flat tire or traffic jam does not cost you the appointment.
Plan the post-exam day
Keep the evening after the exam light. The NBDHE is a long, cognitively demanding session; scheduling obligations immediately afterward adds avoidable stress.
Plan the day
Stop learning new content. Spend time only on consolidating high-yield areas, reviewing your own summary sheets, and doing a limited number of timed practice blocks to keep pacing sharp.
Re-read the official candidate guide and the test center's rules once; verify ID requirements and your appointment details, and confirm the arrival time and address.
Shift your sleep schedule so you are waking at your test-day time, and taper caffeine to the level you will actually have on exam morning. Do not pull all-nighters.
Set out your ID, appointment confirmation, clothing layers, snack, and water in one place so morning-of is a grab-and-go.
Do a light review only - skim your condensed notes or a short list of frequently missed concepts. No new material, no full-length practice exam.
Confirm the appointment time, address, parking, and route; check the weather and any transit disruptions; set two alarms.
Eat a normal dinner, avoid heavy alcohol, hydrate, and go to bed at a reasonable hour. If you cannot sleep, rest quietly - lying still is still recovery.
Eat a real breakfast with protein and complex carbohydrate; bring water. Take routine medications as prescribed.
Leave earlier than the map says. Arrive within the provider's recommended window so check-in, ID verification, and locker storage are unhurried.
Do not cram in the parking lot. A last-minute panic review raises anxiety more than it raises your score. Use the waiting time for slow breathing instead.
Use the first minutes to settle: confirm the timer and on-screen tools, then work at a steady pace. For a roughly 350-item exam, aim to keep moving rather than perfecting every item.
Answer every item - there is no advantage to leaving a question blank unless the provider's rules say otherwise. Flag uncertain items and return to them only if time allows.
Take the breaks that are offered. Use them to stand, move, drink water, and reset; on case-based sections, read the patient data carefully before answering the cluster of questions.
If you hit a block of unfamiliar content, mark, guess, and move on. Do not let one hard item consume time budgeted for several easier ones.
Rules to check
Bring acceptable, unexpired government-issued photo identification in the exact name on your registration; if your ID name does not match, resolve it with the provider before test day, not at the check-in desk.
Do not bring notes, study materials, phones, smartwatches, or any electronic device into the testing room, and do not attempt to record, photograph, or reproduce exam content in any form - doing so is a test-security violation.
Follow all proctor and test center instructions immediately, including emptying pockets, using only approved scratch materials, and remaining seated unless excused.
Break policy varies by site and format: confirm with the provider whether breaks are scheduled or unscheduled and whether the exam clock continues to run during breaks before you decide to leave your seat.
The NBDHE is reported as pass/fail against a standard set by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations, not as a raw percentage or percentile; do not compare your practice scores to a 'passing percentage.'
Results and score reporting to state boards are handled through the official process - confirm current release timing and any fee or transcript steps with ADA/JCNDE rather than relying on peer reports.
If something goes wrong on test day - a technology failure, a schedule disruption, or a personal emergency - notify the test center staff and document what happened immediately; then contact the provider about options.