National Dental Hygiene Certification Examination
The NDHCE, explained.
Everything you need to understand and pass Canada’s dental hygiene certification exam — in plain language, kept current for 2026, and free.
The basics
What is the NDHCE?
The National Dental Hygiene Certification Examination (NDHCE) is the national, computer-based, multiple-choice exam that verifies a dental hygienist has the knowledge and clinical judgment to practise safely at an entry level. It’s administered by the Federation of Dental Hygiene Regulators of Canada (FDHRC) — the FORHDC in French — which absorbed the former National Dental Hygiene Certification Board (NDHCB) in 2022.
A pass is required to register as a dental hygienist in every province and territory except Quebec. It’s a knowledge exam, not a hands-on clinical test — and the certificate itself doesn’t license you: you register with your provincial regulator afterward. These pages walk through every part of it, from the blueprint to the fee schedule to a study plan that works.
At a glance
The NDHCE in one place
The essentials — each links out to the full detail.
| What it is | National computer-based multiple-choice certification exam |
|---|---|
| Administered by | FDHRC (formerly the NDHCB) |
| Required in | All provinces & territories except Quebec |
| Format | 200 questions · 2 locked sections · 4 hours + break |
| Scoring | Scaled 200–800 · pass ≈ 550 · pass/fail only |
| Sittings | ~3 per year (Jan, May, Sep) · test centres |
| Fee (2026) | $850 + tax · max 3 attempts |
| Languages | English and French |
The route
Your path to certification
For a graduate of a Canadian accredited program, it’s four steps.
Graduate
Finish a CDAC-accredited Canadian dental hygiene program.
Apply & register
Register for the next NDHCE sitting before the deadline and pick a test centre.
Pass the NDHCE
Sit the 200-question exam; results arrive in 4–6 weeks as pass or fail.
Register to practise
Apply to your provincial regulator to get licensed.
Internationally trained? Your route has extra steps — see the international pathway →
Explore
Everything, in one place
The whole exam, broken into focused, up-to-date pages.
What it is
What the exam is, who runs it (FDHRC), and where it’s required across Canada.
Read →Format
200 questions, two locked sections, the 7 blueprint domains and how they’re weighted.
Read →Scoring
The 200–800 scaled score, the ~550 pass mark, and why you can’t compute a raw cut-off.
Read →Fees
The full 2026 fee schedule, how to register, test day, results and appeals.
Read →Prepare
The prep resources that work, the Canada-specific gap, and study plans that pass.
Read →International
The equivalency assessment, the CPEDH clinical exam, costs and timelines.
Read →FAQ
Quick answers to the questions candidates ask most.
Read →The blueprint
What’s on the exam
Seven competency domains, weighted heavily toward clinical care and applied reasoning.
Clinical Therapy leads
The single biggest domain at 37–43% of scored items — where most study time belongs.
Prevention & health promotion
Another 17–23%: education, risk, and community oral health.
Application over recall
~80% of items test applying knowledge and critical thinking, not memorization.
Cases & independents
Scenario-based case sets with radiographs and charts, plus standalone questions.
How many questions are on the NDHCE?
200 multiple-choice questions in two sections of 100, two hours each, with a 15-minute break. 170 are scored; 30 are unscored pilot items you can’t identify.
What is the passing score?
A scaled score from 200 to 800, with a pass mark around 550. You are only told pass or fail — never your numeric score.
How much does it cost in 2026?
Registration is $850 CAD plus tax. The separate CPEDH clinical exam is $2,730 and the equivalency assessment is $1,075.
Is the NDHCE required everywhere in Canada?
It’s required in every province and territory except Quebec, which runs its own French-language equivalence process through the OHDQ.
How is it different from the US NBDHE?
Content overlaps ~70–80%, but the NDHCE uses Canadian FDI tooth numbering, Canadian law, ethics and drug references — so US-only prep leaves gaps.
Get started
Ready to begin?
Start with the fundamentals, then build your prep plan.