CRDTS Clinical Exams

CRDTS - Central Regional Dental Testing Service

Central Regional Dental Testing Service

This is a testing service made up of 18 State dental board joining forces to develop and administer fair, valid and reliable examinations of competency to practice dentistry and dental hygiene. Those states are: Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Exam Eligibility:

- Accredited Graduates: If candidates are taking the examination for the first time, they must present proof of enrollment in or graduation from an accredited dental school. Candidates applying for the Curriculum Integrated Format must be currently enrolled, as a rising junior or senior, in an educational program that leads to the successful completion of a DDS/DMD degree from a educational program accredited by the ADA Commission on Dental Accreditation, or have graduated from such a program and are currently enrolled in a post-graduate program or residency and must furnish proof of the above enrollment as a student of record. Candidate applying for the Traditional Format must furnish proof of graduation from an accredited dental school or provide a Letter of Certification (a form provided by CRDTS). The Letter of Certification must be completed by the Dean of the school to verify that the candidate has demonstrated sufficient clinical competence, is in good standing, and it is anticipated that all school requirements will have been completed and the student will be recommended for graduation within 90 days of the date of the examination for which the application is being made. Alterations to this letter or misrepresentation of any application requirements may result in elimination of the candidate's application.


- Non-accredited Graduates: The results of the CRDTS examination for graduates of non-accredited dental schools are recognized only by states which allow licensure of such non-accredited graduates. Candidates with a degree from an educational program not accredited by the ADA Commission on Dental Accreditation applying for examination must be authorized to take the examination by at least one state which accepts the results of the CRDTS' examination and are only eligible for the Traditional Examination Format. Therefore, non-accredited graduates must furnish a letter indicating that they are eligible for licensure in that state upon successful completion of the CRDTS examination and examination results will be reported separately. In addition, a copy of the candidate's dental diploma with an English translation must be provided.


Registration Deadline: 40 days before the date of the exam. Examination calendar.

Exam fee: $2095 (for 2014).

Exam Content & Scoring: The examination consists of five individual, skill-specific parts. Each examination part is listed below, for scoring information click here.

• PartI: National Dental Board Examination - Part I & II
• Manikin-Based Examination

1. Part II: Endodontics
2. Part III: Prosthodontics

• Patient-Based Examinations

1. Part IV: Periodontics
2. Part V: Restorative

Forms and manuals can be found here.