How to Study for the DLOSCE

What is the DLOSCE?

The DLOSCE is a computer-based clinical exam and a required part of the ADEX Dental Examination. If you're taking ADEX, you're taking the DLOSCE.

The basics:

• Questions: 150 items: 148 multiple-choice questions and 2 prescription tasks, mostly clinical cases built around photos, radiographs, and 3D models
• Time: 6 hours and 45 minutes at a Prometric test center, all taken in 1 day
• Scoring: Pass/fail
• Results: Usually within 2–3 business days

What's tested on the DLOSCE?

Here's how the exam content breaks down:

What changed in 2026?

The DLOSCE replaced the old ADEX DSE OSCE. If you studied for the DSE OSCE or read older advice, here's what's different now:

• The DSE OSCE is gone. ADEX retired it on August 1, 2026. Every ADEX Dental Examination now includes the DLOSCE instead.
• No more standalone DLOSCE. After August 1, 2026, new candidates can only take the DLOSCE as part of ADEX. All standalone administrations ended after October 9, 2026.
• The hands-on part of ADEX hasn't changed. You still take the clinical hand-skills exams.

DLOSCE vs. INBDE

These are two separate exams with different jobs. Passing one does not replace the other.

Most U.S. dental students will take both: the INBDE during dental school, and ADEX (with the DLOSCE) near graduation.

DLOSCE exam format and timing

Plan for a long day. Your total appointment time is 6 hours and 45 minutes:

There are also 3 optional scheduled breaks of 10, 30, and 10 minutes.

Two pacing numbers to remember:

• About 2 minutes per question in the 37-question sections
• About 5 minutes per prescription task. Both tasks share one 10-minute section, so you can't linger.

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The 3 question types you need to know

Every DLOSCE question is one of three types. Check the instructions on each question so you know which one you're answering.

1. Single-answer questions

This is the normal question type: one correct answer, 1 point. The catch is that the answer lists can be long, sometimes more than a dozen options, so process of elimination won't save you. You need to actually know the answer.

Most cases come with a patient box. If a section of the box is blank, assume that information is unknown or not available. For example, no allergies listed means no known allergies.

2. "Select one or more" questions

This is the question type that trips people up. There can be more than one correct answer, and here's how scoring works based on the answers you select:

• All correct, no incorrect: full credit
• Some correct, no incorrect: partial credit
• ANY incorrect answer: zero, even if you also picked every correct one
• Neutral answers: don't help or hurt you

On some questions, multiple correct answers will earn full credit on their own. Each question is still only worth 1 point max though.

DLOSCE Tip: One wrong answer will make the whole question incorrect. If you're truly unsure about an option, it's usually safer to leave it unselected and take the partial credit.

3. Prescription tasks

You'll get two prescription tasks: one antibiotic and one analgesic. Both share a single 10-minute section. Each task has two parts.

Part 1: Classify each medication. You review the patient box and rate each drug on a supplied list as first-line therapy, acceptable but not preferred, or contraindicated.

Part 2: Complete the regimen. For the medications you choose, fill in:

• Tablet or capsule strength (e.g., 500 mg)
• Total number dispensed
• Number taken per dose
• Frequency and duration (e.g., twice daily for 7 days)

Each task is worth up to 4 points, and partial credit is possible. Know your go-to antibiotic and analgesic regimens cold, including what changes for allergies and medically complex patients.

How to study: do a lot of questions

The DLOSCE tests how you think through a case, and the fastest way to get better at that is practice. You don't need a 200-page review book.

Our advice is simple: work through the DLOSCE Bootcamp question bank and review the explanations.

Here's how to get the most out of it:

• Start right away. Don't wait until you've "finished reviewing" to do questions. Your first test shows you where you stand and what to focus on.
• Read every explanation. Even for questions you got right. Our explanations cover every answer choice, and knowing why the wrong answers are wrong is exactly what keeps you from losing points on "select one or more" questions.
• Check your performance after every test. Performance tracking shows your strongest and weakest areas and how you compare with other dental students. Spend your time on the weak areas, especially the high-weight ones like restorative and prosthodontics.
• Watch your pace. You have around 2 minutes per question on the DLOSCE. Pace tracking shows whether you're on track to finish on time, so you can fix it before test day.

Why DLOSCE Bootcamp

We built DLOSCE Bootcamp from the ground up for this exam. Here's what you get:

• Realistic practice questions with clinical photos and interactive 3D models
• An identical exam interface, with every question type covered, including prescription tasks
• Exam-accurate scoring, so "select one or more" questions give partial credit and zero for a wrong pick, just like the real thing
• Detailed explanations for every answer choice
• Performance and pace tracking that compares you with other dental students and shows exactly where to focus next
• Weekly updates based on student feedback
• Written and reviewed by dentists and specialists, from the team behind INBDE Bootcamp, the #1 prep product for the INBDE

Want to study with other students? Join the DLOSCE Bootcamp Study Group on Facebook.

Start studying for free

Log in with your Bootcamp account and create your first test at app.bootcamp.com/dlosce.

Good luck, doctor! You got this!