Taiwan Dentist Licensing Examination
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ExploreAbout this exam
The Taiwan Dentist Licensing Examination (牙醫師考試), formally part of the Senior Professional and Technical Examination system, is the credentialing examination that a graduate of a recognized dental program must pass to practice dentistry in Taiwan. It is administered under the Ministry of Examination (考選部), and candidates typically sit it after completing their dental degree and any required clinical training. The exam is broad rather than specialty-focused: it samples basic medical and dental sciences, oral and maxillofacial anatomy and histology, dental materials, operative dentistry and endodontics, fixed and removable prosthodontics, periodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery and oral pathology, orthodontics and pediatric dentistry, and public health, jurisprudence, ethics, and infection control. Most items are multiple choice, and administration may be computer-based or paper-based depending on the sitting. Preparation rewards breadth and discipline: work from the standard Taiwanese dental textbooks and your school's curriculum, build a spaced-repetition system for the basic sciences, and drill past-style questions by domain so weak areas surface early. Because this page is an independent study resource, it is not affiliated with the Ministry of Examination or any university; always confirm current rules, scheduling, and scoring on the official site before you register.
What you'll study
About Taiwan Dentist Licensing Examination preparation
Is this exam the same as a dental specialty board?
No. It is the general licensure examination required to practice dentistry in Taiwan. Specialty training and specialty board certification come later and are separate processes with their own requirements and examinations.
How many questions are on the exam, and how long do I have?
The Ministry of Examination sets and publishes the current structure for each sitting, including paper structure and testing time. Those details change between administrations, so check the official announcement for your exam year rather than relying on secondhand figures.
What score do I need to pass?
The passing standard is determined and published by the Ministry of Examination, and it is not fixed forever. Confirm the current requirement, including any rules on averaging across subjects or minimum subject scores, on the official site before you plan your target.
Can I retake the exam if I fail?
Retake rules, including any limits on attempts or eligibility windows, are set by the Ministry of Examination and can be revised. Read the current examination regulations for your category and year, and keep your registration documents in order so a retake does not cost you a cycle.
Is the exam computer-based or on paper?
Administration format varies by sitting, and both computer-based and paper-based delivery have been used. Your admission notice states the format for your sitting, so prepare with that in mind and practice reading long item stems on screen if your sitting is computer-based.
How difficult is it, and how long should I study?
It is a broad undergraduate-level examination, not a specialty exam, so difficulty comes from coverage rather than depth. Most candidates need several months of structured review. Start with the basic sciences early, since they decay fastest, and keep clinical subjects in rotation rather than cramming them at the end.
What order should I study the subjects in?
A workable sequence is anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, microbiology and immunology, and pathology first, then oral anatomy and histology, then the clinical blocks: materials, operative and endodontics, prosthodontics, periodontics, surgery and oral pathology, orthodontics and pediatric dentistry. Finish with public health, jurisprudence, ethics, and infection control, which are high-yield and quick to consolidate.
What are the most common ways candidates lose points?
Three patterns dominate: neglecting the basic sciences because they feel unrelated to clinical work, memorizing isolated facts without connecting them across subjects, and skipping public health and jurisprudence as low priority. Time management on long item stems and misreading negatives in the question also cost easy marks.
Where do I confirm registration dates, fees, and eligibility?
Only the Ministry of Examination publishes authoritative information on registration periods, fees, eligibility, and results. This page is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with the Ministry or any dental school, so verify every administrative detail on the official site before acting.