ADC Written Exam 2027: Dates, Fees, Application Windows and What to Expect
The Australian Dental Council has published its 2027 examination calendar. If you are planning to sit the Written Examination next year, the dates that matter most are not the exam days but the deadlines months earlier — your initial assessment must be approved before you can even apply. Here is the full 2027 timeline, the current fees and a summary of the exam itself, all from the ADC's own pages.
2027 ADC Written Examination dates
| Initial assessment deadline | Application window | Examination days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 Period 1 | 11 October 2026 | 8–15 December 2026 | Wed 17 – Thu 18 March 2027 |
| 2027 Period 2 | 11 April 2027 | 8–15 June 2027 | Wed 8 – Thu 9 September 2027 |
For reference, the last 2026 sitting ran on 16–17 September 2026. The pattern is stable: two sittings a year, each on two consecutive weekdays in March and September, with a one-week application window roughly three months earlier and an initial-assessment cut-off about two months before that.
The deadline that catches people: your initial assessment must be approved — not just submitted — by the deadline above, and it must still be valid at both the application period and the exam dates. The ADC quotes about eight weeks to process an initial assessment, so an application lodged in September for the March 2027 sitting is already late.
The three stages, and what each costs
| Stage | Current fee (AUD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Initial assessment | 647 | Eligibility check of your qualifications; valid for 7 years; allow ~8 weeks |
| 2. Written examination | 2,122 | Per attempt; no limit on attempts; a pass is valid for 5 years (sittings from March 2026) |
| 3. Practical examination | 4,775 | Taken after a written pass; the practical result does not expire |
| Review of a written result | 1,008 | Optional administrative review |
| Independent appeal | 5,305 | Optional |
Fees were last increased on 1 July 2024, and in June 2026 the ADC announced they would be held for a further 12 months, so these are the amounts to budget for the 2027 sittings unless the ADC announces otherwise. After all three stages you apply to the Dental Board of Australia through Ahpra for registration.
What the written exam looks like
- Two consecutive days at a Pearson VUE test centre — the ADC delivers it at more than 110 venues in over 30 countries, and you must book the same venue for both days.
- 280 questions in four sections of 70, two hours per section, two sections per day. 240 items are scored and 40 are unscored pilot items you cannot distinguish.
- Every item is scenario-based. A clinical vignette — frequently with bitewing, periapical or panoramic radiographs or clinical photographs — is followed by five single-best-answer questions. That is 56 scenarios per exam.
- No reschedules. If you do not attend you are treated as having withdrawn and forfeit some or all of the fee. No calculators, electronics or scrap paper are permitted and there is no late entry.
- Results are released through ADC Connect about six weeks after the exam, as a grade (A–D) for each of four competency clusters — you must pass all four.
A realistic timeline for the March 2027 sitting
- Now: confirm your initial assessment is approved and valid; if it is not, aim for the September 2027 sitting instead.
- 8–15 December 2026: apply through ADC Connect and pay AUD 2,122. Book your Pearson VUE venue for both days as soon as you are able — popular cities fill.
- December to February: work through the blueprint discipline by discipline (restorative dentistry alone is 14% of the paper), using the ADC's resource list — Therapeutic Guidelines: Oral and Dental, the ADA infection-control guidelines and ARPANSA radiation-safety code are the Australian-specific texts most candidates have not read.
- February: full-length mocks in the real format — 70 questions in two hours, four sections across two days — and review by cluster, not just by score.
- 17–18 March 2027: sit. Results around the end of April; the practical exam follows.
Train in the real two-day, four-section format
ADC Prep's mocks mirror the exam — 70 scenario-based questions per two-hour section with radiographs and clinical images — and grade you A–D in every competency cluster. Start with the free diagnostic.
Start free with ADC PrepFrequently asked questions
When is the next ADC written exam?
The 2027 sittings are 17–18 March 2027 (apply 8–15 December 2026; initial assessment deadline 11 October 2026) and 8–9 September 2027 (apply 8–15 June 2027; initial assessment deadline 11 April 2027).
How much does the ADC written exam cost in 2027?
AUD 2,122 per attempt under the current schedule, which the ADC has frozen until mid-2027. The initial assessment is AUD 647 and the practical examination AUD 4,775.
Can I reschedule my ADC written exam?
No. The ADC does not allow rescheduling; non-attendance is treated as withdrawal with partial or full forfeiture of the fee.
How long is an ADC written exam pass valid?
Five years for passes from the March 2026 sitting onward (previously three years). The practical examination result does not expire.
Where can I sit the ADC written exam?
At Pearson VUE test centres — the ADC reports more than 110 venues in over 30 countries. You must book the same venue for both exam days.
Sources
- ADC — Written examination (dates, format, results) — https://www.adc.org.au/internationally-qualified-dental-practitioners/dentists/written-examination/
- ADC — Assessment process for dentists — https://www.adc.org.au/assessments/dentists/
- ADC — Fees for international practitioners — https://www.adc.org.au/internationally-qualified-dental-practitioners/additional-information/international-practitioners-fees/
- ADC — Fee announcement, June 2026 — https://www.adc.org.au/?p=25870
- ADC — Written Examination Handbook for General Dentistry (PDF) — https://www.adc.org.au/files/assessment/handbooks/ADC_Written_Examination_Handbook_for_General_Dentistry.pdf
- ADC — Written exam pass validity extended to 5 years — https://www.adc.org.au/?p=22873
- ADC — Annual Report 2024–25 (venues and countries) — https://www.adc.org.au/files/corporate/annual-reports/ADC_Annual_Report_2024_2025.pdf
KeysMedic is an independent exam-preparation service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the Australian Medical Council (AMC), the Australian Dental Council (ADC) or Ahpra. Exam rules, fees and dates are set by those bodies and can change — always confirm current details on their official websites before you apply. Figures above are quoted from the official sources listed, as at 10 October 2026.