TL;DR: The Dentist Licensure Examination (DLE) is administered by the PRC Board of Dentistry under Republic Act No. 9484. It has a written phase covering nine subject areas and a separate practical phase testing hands-on procedures, and you need a 75% general weighted average with no subject below 50% to pass. The PRC reported an 88.84% passing rate for the May 2026 session.
Introduction
If you're finishing a dentistry degree in the Philippines, the DLE is the exam standing between your diploma and the right to practice. Clinics and hospitals can only let licensed dentists treat patients, so passing this exam is the one non-negotiable step after graduation.
This guide walks through who administers the exam, what you need to qualify, exactly what the written and practical phases cover, how much it costs, when it's given, and how recent passing rates have looked. Every figure here comes from Republic Act No. 9484 (the Philippine Dental Act of 2007), official PRC schedule releases, and PRC results announcements — where a detail changes year to year, such as exact dates or the latest passing rate, we point you to the PRC's own pages so you can confirm the current numbers before you plan around them.
Who administers the Dentist Licensure Exam?
The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) administers the DLE through the PRC Board of Dentistry, currently chaired by Dr. Merlin A. Go. The legal basis is Republic Act No. 9484, the Philippine Dental Act of 2007, which regulates the practice of dentistry, dental hygiene, and dental technology in the Philippines and sets the scope, subjects, and passing standard the Board still applies.
What are the eligibility requirements?
To sit for the DLE, you need to have completed a dentistry course from a CHED-recognized school. Historically this was a four-year Bachelor of Science in Dentistry built on top of a separate pre-dental bachelor's degree. Today, most dental schools have shifted to the Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD), a straight six-year program under CHED Memorandum Order No. 3, series of 2018. Since the transition happened school by school, confirm with your registrar whether your program is credentialed as BS Dentistry or DMD before you file your PRC application.
Beyond the academic requirement, applicants must be Filipino citizens (or qualified foreign nationals under reciprocity rules) of good moral character and good health. For first-time takers, the PRC typically asks for:
- PSA birth certificate
- PSA marriage contract (for married female applicants)
- Transcript of records with the "For Board Examination Purposes" remark and scanned photo
- Valid NBI clearance
- Examination fee (PHP 900 for the written phase, PHP 400 for the practical phase)
Figures and requirements change per school year — verify the current list and fees with the PRC before you file.
How much does the Dentist Licensure Exam cost?
The written phase costs PHP 900, and the practical phase costs an additional PHP 400 — but only examinees who pass the written phase pay for and sit the practical phase, bringing the combined total to roughly PHP 1,300. This is separate from PRC's LERIS processing fees and any refresher course cost you may need if you're a repeat taker.
What subjects does the written phase cover?
The written phase tests nine core subject groupings drawn from your dentistry curriculum:
| Subject area | Covers |
|---|---|
| General and Oral Anatomy and Physiology | Head, neck, and dental anatomy; physiological systems |
| General and Oral Pathology; Microscopic Anatomy and Microbiology | Disease processes, histology, microbial agents |
| Restorative Dentistry; Public Health and Community Dentistry | Fillings and restorations, population-level oral health |
| Prosthetic Dentistry | Crowns, bridges, dentures, dental materials |
| Roentgenology, Oral Diagnosis, and Oral Surgery | Dental imaging, diagnosis, extractions and surgery |
| Anesthesiology and Pharmacology | Local/general anesthesia, drug interactions |
| Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics | Child dental care, tooth alignment and correction |
| Dental Jurisprudence, Ethics, and Practice Management | Laws, professional conduct, clinic operations |
| Periodontics and Endodontics | Gum disease treatment, root canal therapy |
RA 9484 also allows the Board of Dentistry to "recluster, rearrange, modify, add or exclude and prescribe" subjects as the profession evolves, so treat this list as the current standard grouping and verify the latest Table of Specifications with the PRC or your review center.
What does the practical phase involve?
Only examinees who pass the written phase move on to the practical (manipulative) phase, held at a separate testing period, typically at a single location (NCR). Based on published PRC exam structure, the practical phase generally tests three hands-on components:
- Class II amalgam preparation and restoration — cavity preparation and filling on a tooth
- Fixed partial denture preparation — crown and bridge tooth preparation
- Removable partial denture design — designing a removable prosthetic appliance
This phase is why dentistry is one of the few PRC exams where passing the written test alone doesn't make you a licensed dentist — you need to demonstrate the manual skills too.
What is the passing grade?
Under RA 9484, you need a general weighted average of at least 75%, with no individual subject rating below 50%. PRC Board of Dentistry Resolution No. 02, series of 2021, further splits this into a 60% weight for the written phase and a 40% weight for the practical phase, with the same no-rating-below-50% rule applying within each phase. This is the passing formula the Board still applies today.
When is the Dentist Licensure Exam given, and what's next in 2026?
The DLE is generally offered twice a year — a first-semester and second-semester session, each split into a written and practical phase weeks apart.
| Session | Written phase | Practical phase | Application window |
|---|---|---|---|
| First 2026 session | May 4-6, 2026 | May 11-18, 2026 | Already closed |
| Second 2026 session | November 22-24, 2026 | November 28-December 5, 2026 | August 24-October 23, 2026 |
Testing centers for the written phase are typically NCR, Baguio, Cebu, and Davao, while the practical phase is usually held in NCR only. Since exam dates and application windows are released annually through a new PRC resolution, always confirm the current schedule at prc.gov.ph rather than assuming these dates repeat every year. For the full 2026 PRC exam calendar across all professions, see our board exam schedule guide.
What is the passing rate for the Dentist Licensure Exam?
Passing rates vary by session and cannot be predicted in advance. For recent, verified data points:
- May 2026 DLE: The PRC announced that 796 out of 896 examinees, or 88.84%, passed, with results released four working days after the last exam day.
- November 2025 DLE: 1,282 out of 1,474 examinees, or 86.97%, passed.
As the PRC put it in its official release: "The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announces that 796 out of 896 passed the Dentists Licensure Examination given by the Board of Dentistry in N.C.R., Baguio, Cebu and Davao this May 2026."
Passing rates depend on factors like the difficulty of that session's questions, the preparation of that batch of examinees, and how many repeaters retook the exam. Check the PRC's official results releases for the most current figures rather than assuming a trend continues.
How to become a licensed dentist: step by step
- Finish a Doctor of Dental Medicine or BS Dentistry program from a CHED-recognized school.
- Secure your PRC application requirements early: PSA birth certificate, transcript of records with the board-exam remark, NBI clearance.
- File your application within the PRC's posted window and pay the written phase fee.
- Take the written phase at your assigned testing center.
- If you pass, pay the practical phase fee and prepare for the hands-on exam.
- Take the practical phase, usually held in NCR a week or two after written results are released.
- Check final results on the PRC website and register for your Professional Identification Card once cleared.
Tips for preparing for the DLE
- Don't treat the written and practical phases as separate efforts. The subjects you study for the written exam (restorative dentistry, prosthodontics, periodontics) are the same procedures you'll be tested on hands-on, so build both knowledge and manual skill together during your review.
- Log extra chairside hours before the practical phase. Since only written-phase passers sit the practical, use the gap between phases to drill the specific procedures (amalgam restoration, fixed and removable partial dentures) rather than general review.
- Weight your study time toward the heavier written subjects, especially Restorative Dentistry, Prosthetic Dentistry, and Roentgenology/Oral Surgery, while still covering ethics and jurisprudence since a single weak subject below 50% can sink an otherwise passing average.
- If you've failed multiple times, plan for the refresher course requirement. Examinees who fail three times within five years, or who haven't taken the exam in five years, must complete a refresher course covering both phases at a CHED-recognized dental school before retaking the DLE.
- Compare review center options if you're considering formal review, and check how a structured program stacks up against self-review for your study style and budget.
Disclaimer
Exam dates, fees, subject coverage, and passing rates are set and updated by the PRC and can change from year to year. Always confirm current details with the PRC (prc.gov.ph) before filing your application or finalizing your review plan.
Ready to find the right school? Browse schools or compare tuition and reviews across hundreds of Philippine schools on SchoolFinderPH.
Sources
- PRC: May 2026 Dentists Licensure Examination Results Released in Four (4) Working Days
- PRC: November 2025 Licensure Examination for Dentists Results Released in Four (4) Working Days
- PRC: 2026 Schedule of Examination
- Republic Act No. 9484, Philippine Dental Act of 2007 (LawPhil)
- PRC Board of Dentistry Resolution No. 02, s. 2021 (written/practical phase weighting)
- CHED: CMO No. 3, Series of 2018 — Policies and Standards for the Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) Program
- Filcil: Dentist Licensure Board Exam — Application Requirements, Coverage, and Schedule
Related reading: PRC board exam schedule 2026, PRC license renewal guide, how long to review for a board exam, how to choose a review center.
