DANB Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) Exam Exam Guide

The CDA exam is made up of three components taken together in a single sitting: Radiation Health and Safety (RHS), Infection Control (ICE), and General Chairside (GC). Rather than being a separate, optional section, each component contributes its own set of questions and time allotment to the overall exam, so candidates need to be prepared across all three subject areas rather than just one.

• Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) — covers safe radiographic practices in the dental office.
• Infection Control (ICE) — covers sterilization, hazard prevention, and clinical safety protocols.
• General Chairside (GC) — covers the broader chairside assisting skills used in day-to-day patient care.

Traditional candidates pay a $450 exam fee plus a separate, non-refundable $75 application fee. If an application is canceled after the exam has already been authorized, DANB retains an additional $40 fee. For pathway-specific fees or any fee changes, check DANB's official CDA application packet and fee schedule.

The CDA exam totals 245 questions with a 195-minute time limit, covering the RHS, ICE, and GC components together. Within that total, the RHS section carries 75 questions with a 60-minute limit, and the GC section carries 95 questions with a 75-minute limit. DANB publishes its own passing standard for the exam, so candidates should confirm current scoring criteria through DANB's official CDA candidate guide rather than assuming a fixed cutoff.