The National Dental Assisting Examining Board (NDAEB) written exam is designed to evaluate your experience and knowledge in key areas of dental assisting, including clinical procedures, dental science and dental office administration.
Attempting the NDAEB written exam is often considered dreadful and challenging. However, it doesn’t have to be. Here’s everything you need to know about preparing and passing the NDAEB written exam.
What Topics Does the NDAEB Written Exam Cover?
The NDAEB written exam covers several key topics that test your all-around knowledge of dental assisting and clinical procedures. According to the NDAEB Exam guide, here are the topics, subtopics, and their expected question allocations in the exam.
| Section | Topic/Subtopic | Exam Question Allocation |
| Section 1 | Ethical and Legal Practice as a Dental Assistant | 5% |
| Section 2 | Dental Sciences | 7 – 12% |
| Section 3 | Clinical Support Procedures | 10 – 15% |
| Section 4 | Patient Records | 10 – 12% |
| Section 5 | Patient Care Procedures | 40 – 50% |
| Section 6 | Practice Management Procedures | 5 – 10% |
| Section 7 | Preventive Procedures | 15 – 20% |
Types of Questions to Expect in NDAEB Written Exam
According to the NDAEB Written Exam candidate handbook, you’ll face multiple choice questions (MCQs) in different formats, including stand-alone items, matching items, and vignettes.
The key to passing your NDAEB written exam is to know that MCQs are designed to test your recollection skills based on practical and theoretical knowledge, comprehension and application ability, as well as critical thinking skills for patient/situation evaluation, synthesis and analysis.
That said, you’ll need to watch out for common MCQ tricks like:
- Double negative statements like “Was the Dental Assistant not unfamiliar with the customer’s chart?” reading carefully would help you understand that this statement, in fact, means “Was the Dental Assistant familiar with the customer’s chart?”
- Practice answering without looking at the options. This can help you build confidence in what you’ve read and already know while also helping you troubleshoot common confusions. Once you have the answer in your head, look at the options to validate your choice.
How to Pass NDAEB Written Exam in One Sitting
Consult Recommended Texts
Recommended textbooks are a great way to reinforce your knowledge and reconfirm best practices. Some of the recommended textbooks to prepare you for the NDAEB written exam include;
- Modern Dental Assisting, 14th Edition
- Canadian Dental Assistants Association Code of Ethics
- Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)
- Dental Assisting, A Comprehensive Approach, 5th Edition
- Wilkins’ Clinical Practice of the Dental Hygienist, 13th Edition
- Health Canada Radiation Protection in Dentistry – Recommendation Safety Procedures for the Use of Dental X-Ray Equipment – Safety Code 30 (2022)
Leverage Practice Questions
Practice questions are a great way to familiarize yourself with the NDAEB written exam format and questions. They also help you understand the question distribution, mode, and what is expected on the exam itself.
Below are some recommended practice questions along with pros, cons, and pricing information.
| Provider | Pros | Cons | Price |
| NDAEB Prep Test | i. Scored at the end of the practice test | i. Does not cover the full syllabus ii. Limited Access iii. Only 75 questions iv. Only available after exam booking. | $730 (plus tokens) |
| Dental Training Canada Exam Prep | i. Full syllabus covered ii. 400 Practice Questions iii. 100 Flashcard style questions iv. 2 hours live session with experienced instructor v. 3 months access | i. Access for only 3 months ii. Encourages exam practice before NDAEB written exam registration. | $199 (HST inclusive) |
Join Study Groups
Study groups are a great avenue for students preparing for similar exams to share reading materials, knowledge and tips. Although not all students thrive in a study group environment, it may be an option to explore if you’re lacking motivation to read and prepare for the exam.
It is always possible to pair the study group experience with practice questions to ensure all bases are covered ahead of the NDAEB written exam.