Free NBDHE Practice Test 2026
200 original dental hygiene board questions on the JCNDE test specifications, with written patient cases: periodontics, radiography, pharmacology, prevention and more. Four 50-question mock exams. Tuned for mobile. No account needed.
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The NBDHE exam at a glance
The National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE) is the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations' written board exam for dental hygienists, used by US licensing jurisdictions as part of dental hygiene licensure. It has 350 multiple-choice questions in two sessions: 200 discipline-based questions in 3 hours 30 minutes and 150 case-based questions on 12 to 15 patient cases in 4 hours, about 9 hours in all with breaks. Under the updated specifications scheduled for November 2026, the discipline-based questions are Scientific Basis 56, Clinical Dental Hygiene Services 124 and Research Principles and Community Health 20. Results are pass or fail; scale scores run from 49 to 99 and 75 is the minimum passing score.
Tigertest has 200 NBDHE practice questions with explanations, all free with no account required.
- Questions
- 350 multiple choice (200 discipline-based, 150 case-based)
- Time
- 3 h 30 min + 4 h of testing, about 9 hours with breaks
- Pass mark
- Scale score of 75 (scale 49 to 99), reported pass or fail
- Content
- Scientific Basis 56, Clinical Services 124, Research and Community Health 20, Cases 150
- Patient cases
- 12 to 15 cases: geriatric, periodontal, pediatric, special needs, medically compromised
- Where
- Pearson VUE test centers in the US and Canada, year-round
- Run by
- Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE)
Updated by the Tigertest team. Practice questions follow The JCNDE NBDHE 2026 Candidate Guide (updated September 17, 2026) and the JCNDE NBDHE page, checked November 2026. Exam rules change, so confirm current details with JCNDE: NBDHE.
How It Works
Train by Category
Six training sets follow the test specifications: the scientific basis; assessment, radiography and care planning; periodontics, prevention and supportive care; professional responsibility and community health; and two sets of patient cases. Questions you miss come back until you have mastered them.
Weighted Mock Exams
Four mock exams of 50 questions, each mixing discipline-based questions with written patient cases. Aim for 75% or better. No question appears in more than one test, and every one comes with an explanation.
Built on the JCNDE Test Specifications
The JCNDE publishes how many of the 350 questions come from each area. The counts below are the updated specifications scheduled for November 2026 (before the update they were 61, 115 and 24 for the discipline-based areas). Every mock exam here gives 17 of its 50 questions to written patient cases and spreads the rest across the discipline areas; the real exam leans a little more on cases. Dental hygiene program faculty can set Tigertest as board review at tigertest.io/teach and see which topics the class misses most.
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Share FeedbackHow to Pass the NBDHE
1. Practice reading the patient box
The case section is 150 questions. Read the age, medical history, medications and vital signs before the question, since they decide premedication, anesthetic choice, positioning and home care. If an area is blank, the guide says to treat it as unknown or not present.
2. Know periodontal staging cold
Clinical services is the biggest discipline area. Calculate clinical attachment level and attached gingiva without hesitating, stage and grade periodontitis on the 2017 classification, and match each Gracey curette and furcation grade to its use.
3. Drill the numbers that come up
Local anesthetic doses in milligrams, maximum cartridges by weight, fluoride concentrations and the probably toxic dose, blood pressure categories and emergency drug doses are all quick points once you can work them on paper.
4. Fix your misses, then retest
Tigertest tracks your accuracy by area. Aim for 75% or better on every mock exam before your exam date. After each test, drill the questions you missed and retrain the weakest set.
NBDHE Frequently Asked Questions
What is the NBDHE?
The National Board Dental Hygiene Examination is the written board exam of the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE). It tests the knowledge a dental hygienist needs to practice safely, and US licensing jurisdictions use it as part of dental hygiene licensure, alongside a clinical exam and any state law exam.
How many questions are on the NBDHE and how is it scored?
The NBDHE has 350 multiple-choice questions in two sessions: 200 discipline-based questions in 3 hours 30 minutes, then 150 case-based questions on 12 to 15 patient cases in 4 hours, about 9 hours with breaks. Results are reported as pass or fail. Scale scores run from 49 to 99 and 75 is the minimum passing score, which is not the same as 75 percent correct, so the 75 percent line on these practice tests is a readiness target. There is no penalty for guessing.
What is on the NBDHE?
Under the updated test specifications the JCNDE scheduled for November 2026, the 200 discipline-based questions are Scientific Basis for Dental Hygiene Practice 56, Provision of Clinical Dental Hygiene Services 124 and Research Principles and Community Health 20. The 150 case-based questions cover patient assessment, radiography, care planning, periodontal disease management, preventive agents, supportive treatment and professional responsibility for geriatric, periodontal, pediatric, special needs and medically compromised patients.
How are the patient cases handled in this practice test?
On the real NBDHE each case comes with a patient history, a dental chart, radiographs and clinical photographs, and several questions follow one patient. Here each case question opens with a short written patient box and the findings are described in words, so no images are shown. About a third of every mock exam is case questions; the real exam is closer to 43 percent.
Are these the real NBDHE questions?
No. Every question is original, written by Tigertest from the JCNDE's published test specifications, so it covers the same knowledge without copying the exam. Tigertest is not affiliated with the JCNDE or the American Dental Association, and this free practice does not replace your program's board review.
I teach a dental hygiene program. Can my students use Tigertest?
Yes, for free. Make a class at tigertest.io/teach, post one link, and students join with just their name. You see who practiced, their test scores and the topics your class misses most.
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