INBDE Pass Rates: What the Data Actually Shows

If you're preparing for the INBDE, you've probably searched for pass rates and found a mess of conflicting numbers, outdated stats, and vague reassurances. I get it! When I was studying for the INBDE, I wanted the same thing.

So here's what the numbers actually look like, pulled directly from the JCNDE's most recent annual report, and what they mean for you as a test-taker in 2026.

What is the current INBDE pass rate?

For first-time candidates from CODA-accredited dental programs, the pass rate was approximately 95.2% in 2024. For first-time candidates from non-accredited programs (which includes most international dental graduates), the pass rate was 74.7% in 2024.

Those are the headline numbers. They don't tell the full story, though, because 2024 was a turning point.

What changed in 2024?

In June 2024, the JCNDE implemented a new, more rigorous performance standard for the INBDE. This was expected. It was part of a planned 5-year evaluation roadmap announced when the INBDE launched in August 2020.

The backstory: the INBDE's initial pass rates were extraordinarily high compared to the old NBDE exams it replaced. First-time failure rates for accredited-program candidates were just 1.3% in 2021, 0.8% in 2022, and 0.4% in 2023. Those rates were 5 to 15 times lower than historical NBDE norms. The JCNDE's own data showed the exam wasn't differentiating at the level they intended.

So in January 2024, the JCNDE convened a panel of 10 subject matter experts (practitioners, faculty, deans, and board members) facilitated by Dr. Gregory Cizek, a nationally recognized authority on standard-setting methodology. In May 2024, the JCNDE approved the panel's recommendation to raise the bar. The new standard went live in June 2024.

An important detail: the passing score is still 75 on the 49-99 scaled score. What changed is the underlying performance level that maps to that 75. The INBDE Candidate Guide confirms that when standards are updated, a corresponding modification is made to the scoring scale so that a 75 continues to represent the minimum passing level. In practical terms, candidates now need to answer more questions correctly to reach the same scaled threshold.

INBDE failure rates by year (2021-2024)

Here's the official data from the 2025 JCNDE Annual Report, which covers testing through 2024. I've broken the JCNDE's single table into separate views to make it easier to read.

First-time candidates - CODA-accredited programs

2021: 2,018 candidates · 1.3% failure rate

2022: 5,837 candidates · 0.8% failure rate

2023: 6,648 candidates · 0.4% failure rate

2024:* 6,636 candidates · 4.8% failure rate

First-time candidates - non-accredited programs

2021: 1,340 candidates · 33.1% failure rate

2022: 2,144 candidates · 25.3% failure rate

2023: 3,277 candidates · 16.0% failure rate

2024:* 4,137 candidates · 25.3% failure rate

Retake candidates - CODA-accredited programs

2021: 245 candidates · 16.0% failure rate

2022: 234 candidates · 13.2% failure rate

2023: 136 candidates · 14.0% failure rate

2024:* 168 candidates · 32.1% failure rate

Retake candidates - non-accredited programs

2021: 971 candidates · 55.8% failure rate

2022: 1,145 candidates · 44.7% failure rate

2023: 1,212 candidates · 33.8% failure rate

2024:* 919 candidates · 52.8% failure rate

Total (all candidates, all attempts)

2021: 4,578 candidates · 22.3% failure rate

2022: 9,385 candidates · 12.1% failure rate

2023: 11,308 candidates · 8.7% failure rate

2024:* 11,860 candidates · 16.1% failure rate

• A new performance standard was introduced in 2024, based on updated standard-setting activities.

Source: 2025 JCNDE Annual Report (PDF, published by the ADA). No 2025 testing-year data has been published as of March 2026.

What do these numbers actually mean?

A few things are worth calling out.

The real post-June failure rate is likely higher than 4.8%. The 2024 annual figures blend candidates who tested before June (under the old standard) and after June (under the new one). Candidates who sat the exam before the change were scored more leniently. The post-June failure rate for accredited first-time candidates is almost certainly higher than the reported annual average. In raw numbers, roughly 318 accredited-program students failed on their first attempt in 2024, compared to about 27 in 2023.

Retakers were hit hardest. The accredited retake failure rate more than doubled, from 14.0% in 2023 to 32.1% in 2024. For non-accredited retakers, it climbed from 33.8% to 52.8%. More than half of international retakers failed again. If you're retaking, the same study approach you used the first time is unlikely to produce a different result under the new standard.

International candidates face a structurally different challenge. First-time failure rates for non-accredited program candidates have ranged from 16.0% to 33.1% over the past four years. This has nothing to do with intelligence or clinical skill. It reflects the gap between how different programs prepare students for an integrated, case-based exam format that is distinctly American in its design. If you trained outside the U.S., your study approach needs to account for that gap explicitly.

Volume has stabilized after rapid growth. Total INBDE administrations went from 4,578 in 2021 to 11,860 in 2024, driven by the NBDE Part II retirement at the end of 2022. The accredited first-attempt pool has essentially plateaued at around 6,600-6,650 candidates. The continued growth comes from non-accredited candidates, who now represent 42.6% of all test-takers, up from 35.1% in 2022. The INBDE is increasingly an international exam.

How is the INBDE scored?

The INBDE is a pass/fail exam. Your performance is converted to a scaled score between 49 and 99, with 75 as the minimum passing score. If you pass, you're told "pass" with no number and no percentile. If you fail, you receive your scaled score along with performance breakdowns across 3 clinical content areas and 10 foundational knowledge topics, which is genuinely useful for targeting your retake prep.

A few things that commonly trip people up:

A scaled score of 74 doesn't mean you were one question away. The INBDE uses a 3-parameter scoring model that weights each question by difficulty, discrimination, and susceptibility to guessing. There's no linear relationship between number correct and scaled score. Different exam forms have different questions, and the scoring accounts for this.

Not all 500 questions count. Of the 500 questions, 400 are scored and 100 are experimental items being evaluated for future use. You won't know which are which because they look identical. This is standard practice in high-stakes testing, but it catches people off guard when they encounter questions that feel oddly niche.

You are not penalized for guessing. Answer every question.

Is the INBDE getting harder?

Based on the data, yes it seems that way. And there's a historical parallel worth knowing about.

When the JCNDE raised the NBDE Part I standard in late 2016, the Part I failure rate for accredited first-time candidates spiked from roughly 4.5% to 10.6% in 2017. The INBDE's trajectory in 2024 follows the same pattern: a planned standard-setting review followed by a significant jump in failure rates.

The INBDE's 4.8% failure rate for accredited first-timers now sits close to where the NBDE Part I was before its 2017 spike, and well below the NBDE Part II's terminal rate of 11.7% in 2022. The new standard brings the INBDE closer to historical board exam difficulty without surpassing it.

The standard-setting process also isn't finished. The JCNDE's published roadmap calls for a comprehensive dental practice analysis in 2026, followed by new subject-matter expert panels in 2027 to recommend updated performance standards. The threshold could shift again. The JCNDE is also exploring multi-stage adaptive testing as a way to shorten the exam while maintaining rigor. The INBDE is still evolving.

What about the INBDE passing score - is it 75%?

This is one of the most common misconceptions. The passing score is 75 on a scaled score, not 75% correct. Because of how the scoring model works, the percentage of questions you need to answer correctly to reach a scaled 75 varies depending on which exam form you receive. There's no publicly available conversion table.

Students in online communities report that you can miss a significant number of questions and still pass. The number isn't fixed, though, and chasing a specific percentage threshold is the wrong mindset going in. Genuine understanding of the material will serve you better than trying to game a number you can't predict.

How much does the INBDE cost?

The current INBDE registration fee is roughly $890, though fees have increased incrementally over time. Earlier sources citing $845 or $880 reflect prior years. Always check the JCNDE website for the most current pricing.

For international dental graduates, the total cost is significantly higher. Non-CODA candidates pay an additional $435 processing fee, plus $110-$199 for the required ECE credential evaluation, bringing the total to approximately $1,435-$1,524 before any rescheduling fees or score report requests. Each retake is another $890.

If you're a retaker, here's what matters

The data is unambiguous: retake failure rates are high and got significantly higher in 2024. If you've failed once, studying more of the same material won't cut it. You need to study different material, or study the same material in a fundamentally different way.

Your score report tells you exactly which foundational knowledge areas and clinical content domains cost you points. Use it. Build your entire study plan around your weakest areas rather than re-reviewing material you already know.

Targeted, active practice (drilling questions in your weak areas until you can recognize patterns and reason through unfamiliar scenarios) is what moves the needle for retakers. Passive review of the same content rarely does. The 60-day waiting period between attempts (not 90 days, which is a common misconception) gives you enough time to meaningfully restructure your approach, but only if you use it intentionally.

If you're an international dental graduate

I say this as someone who trained outside the U.S. - the INBDE is a different kind of exam than what most international programs prepare you for. It tests integration across disciplines and application to clinical scenarios, not fact recall and reproduction.

The 25.3% first-time failure rate for non-accredited candidates in 2024 doesn't reflect your competence as a clinician. It reflects a gap between how you were trained and how this particular exam tests knowledge. The JCNDE's own report states that the difference between accredited and non-accredited performance indicates that "candidates educated by CODA-accredited dental programs are well-prepared to challenge the INBDE, as compared to those educated by non-accredited programs." Closing that gap takes deliberate practice with integrated, case-based questions. More hours with textbooks alone won't get you there.

Give yourself a realistic study timeline. Most international graduates I've spoken with need 6-12 months of focused preparation. And know that you're part of a growing cohort. Non-accredited candidates now make up over 42% of all INBDE test-takers. You're not an edge case, you're a core audience for this exam.

A note on outdated advice

If you're reading INBDE advice on Reddit or Student Doctor Network from before mid-2024, treat it with caution. Posts advising minimal study or describing the exam as straightforward were written under a fundamentally different standard. The failure rate for accredited first-timers was 0.4% in 2023. In 2024, it jumped to 4.8%, and it's likely higher for anyone who tested after June.

Some dental schools that previously reported 100% first-time pass rates (including NYU, University of Florida, and Case Western Reserve for their Class of 2023) will almost certainly see lower numbers going forward. The environment has changed, and study advice should reflect that.

What this all seems to mean

The INBDE got harder in 2024. The pass rate for well-prepared, first-time candidates from accredited programs is still above 95%, though. The exam is more demanding than it was. It's far from impossible.

The candidates most affected by the new standard are retakers and international graduates, groups who were already facing higher failure rates and for whom the 2024 adjustment widened the gap further. And with the JCNDE's roadmap calling for another round of standard-setting in 2027, the bar may shift again.

Regardless of which group you're in, the most effective preparation strategy is the same: understand the exam format, identify your weak areas early, and spend the majority of your study time actively drilling questions rather than passively reviewing content. The data is clear that the INBDE rewards applied clinical reasoning over memorization, and that the students who struggle most are the ones who treat it like a test you can cram for.

Sources

All pass rate data and failure rate figures in this post are drawn from official JCNDE publications. These are freely available PDFs, and I'd encourage you to review the primary data yourself!

• 2025 JCNDE Annual Report (PDF) - Table 1 contains the INBDE failure rate data by candidate group and year (2021-2024). This is the most current official data available as of March 2026.
• INBDE Technical Report (PDF) - Covers the INBDE's psychometric design, scoring methodology, test construction, and standard-setting procedures.
• 2026 INBDE Candidate Guide (PDF) - The authoritative reference for eligibility, fees, retake rules, scoring details, and exam-day procedures. Updated December 2025.
• JCNDE Unofficial Report of Major Actions - May 2024 (PDF) - Documents the May 17, 2024 approval of the new INBDE performance standard.
• JCNDE Fall Webinar: Dental Examinations Update - October 2024 (PDF) - Slides from the JCNDE's public presentation on exam performance trends and the roadmap through 2028.

This post was last updated in March 2026. INBDE policies, fees, and performance standards are subject to change. Always check jcnde.ada.org for the most current information.

Dr. Silppa is a practicing endodontist who trained in India, earned her MPH in the U.S., and passed the INBDE on her first attempt. She writes and clinically reviews every question on Blip Dental.