DANB Exam Retake Policy

Covers DANB national exams — including CDA, NELDA, COA and their component exams — with notes on DANB-administered state exams. Last verified October 26, 2026.

• How many retakes? No DANB-wide limit. DANB's 2026 Candidate Handbook says there is no limit on how many times you may retake a failed exam. (Candidate Handbook, p. 4)
• How soon? The current handbook does not state a universal waiting period after an ordinary failed national exam. Your next step is a new application, subject to any state, exam-specific, eligibility, or disciplinary rule that applies to you.
• What does it cost? DANB's general failed-exam rule requires a new application and the full exam fee. For example, the 2026 fee is $270 for RHS, ICE or GC taken on its own, including DANB's $75 nonrefundable application fee.
• What can change that? Your state. DANB warns that state laws may require additional education after failed attempts. Check your state's requirements on DANB before you reapply.

The 60 days you keep seeing in DANB's rules is normally your testing window — the time you get to schedule and take an exam after DANB authorizes it. DANB's current national handbook does not describe that 60-day window as a blanket 60-day wait after failing.

Reapply only for what you failed

CDA, NELDA and COA are built from separately scored component exams. If you passed some components and failed others, you don't automatically start over. You can apply for the component or available combination you still need, as long as your passed components remain within the certification's completion period and you still meet the applicable eligibility requirements.

2026 DANB application fees
Each fee below includes the $75 nonrefundable application fee.

Sources: 2026 CDA Application Packet, pp. 11 and 15; 2026 NELDA Application Packet, p. 11; 2026 COA Application Packet, p. 11. DANB says it accepts these 2026 applications through December 31, 2026.

Failed two CDA components? Check the combination fee. Each 2026 two-exam CDA combination shown above costs $375 instead of $540 for two $270 single exams — a $165 difference. The active-military combination is $365 instead of $530 for two $265 singles, also a $165 difference.

Completion periods

Sources: CDA packet, p. 3; COA packet, p. 3; NELDA packet, p. 3; DANB CDA roadmap.

Those sources state the length of the completion period but do not, in the cited language, define a start-date formula you should calculate yourself. If an earlier component pass is getting close to the limit, confirm your exact remaining deadline with DANB before paying for another exam.

For CPFDA, CRFDA, CDIPC and DISIPC, DANB's general national failed-exam rule still applies, but the exam structure, eligibility, fees and timing differ. Use the current packet for your specific exam on DANB's Forms and Policies page.

Three common retake situations

You took the full CDA and failed only GC.
Your RHS and ICE passes can still count toward CDA if they remain within the five-year completion period. If you still meet GC eligibility, you can apply for GC alone: $270 in the 2026 packet, rather than another $450 full CDA application. GC pathways require DANB-accepted hands-on CPR, BLS or ACLS to remain current through the entire 60-day testing window. (CDA packet, pp. 3–4)

You failed GC and RHS but passed ICE.
If the ICE pass remains usable for your CDA timeline and you meet GC eligibility, the 2026 RHS/GC combination is $375. Two separate 2026 single applications would total $540.

You're working toward NELDA and failed AMP and RHS.
The 2026 packets price AMP at $245 and RHS at $270, or $515 total if taken as separate applications. NELDA is an entry-level credential: DANB says it will not award NELDA to someone who has completed a CODA-accredited program or accrued more than 3,000 hours of dental assisting work experience, even if all three component exams were passed. If your eligibility situation changes while you are retesting, recheck the NELDA requirements before paying for another component. (NELDA packet, p. 3)

Your first 7 days after a failed DANB exam

Some deadlines begin as soon as your official result is posted. Work through these in order.

1. Read your official result in your DANB account. DANB says official results are posted within 1–3 business days after the exam. You are not considered to have passed or failed until DANB issues the official result. (Candidate Handbook, p. 14)
2. Decide on hand scoring within 7 calendar days. DANB will hand score an exam on request if you submit the required form and fee within 7 calendar days after the result is posted to your online account. DANB says the hand-scored result is provided within 10 days of receipt, and the fee is refunded if the pass/fail status reverses. (Candidate Handbook, p. 14)
3. If you may appeal, note the separate 30-day rule. DANB's Level 1 Appeal deadline is 30 calendar days from the date on the DANB correspondence that prompts the appeal — for example, the date on your exam results — not necessarily 30 days from when you happen to open or notice the result. (Candidate Handbook, p. 15)
4. Check your state. If you're using the exam toward a state dental assisting credential or permitted duty, use DANB's state requirements page and the controlling state board or regulator. DANB specifically warns that state laws may require additional education after failed attempts.
5. Choose the correct application. If you failed one component of a multi-exam certification, check whether a single-component or combination application fits what you still need. If you are retaking GC or OA, also make sure required CPR/BLS/ACLS documentation will remain current through the testing window.
6. Reapply through DANB. For a failed national exam, the general rule is a new application and the full exam fee.
7. Schedule inside the new authorization window. DANB's handbook says candidates must take an authorized exam within the 60-day testing window. If you cannot schedule or reschedule before that window ends, DANB allows one new 60-day testing window when the request is submitted within 60 days after the original window ends. (Candidate Handbook, p. 5)

How soon should you retake?

For an ordinary failed national exam, the current Candidate Handbook does not state a universal post-failure waiting period. That does not mean every candidate is guaranteed an immediate new test date: you still need a new application and authorization, appointment availability can vary, state requirements can add conditions, and DANB disciplinary action can restrict future testing.

DANB separately states that most of its exams use computer adaptive testing (CAT), with reported scores from 100 to 900 and 400 as the passing score. DANB also says the average test taker answers around half of the questions correctly on its CAT exams, so a raw "percent correct" feeling is not a reliable way to judge how close you were. (DANB, “4 important details to know about DANB exams”)

A practical retake rule: do not choose a date just because you are allowed to reapply. Rebook when you have identified the topics you missed or felt weakest on and can answer representative practice questions on those topics for the right reasons, not by guessing.

If you are working toward CDA, these free Castleport resources may help:

• DANB CDA exam prep guide
• Free DANB CDA practice test

Is there a DANB retake discount?

DANB announced an RHS-specific retake discount on January 14, 2025: a candidate who did not pass the Radiation Health and Safety exam on the first try could receive a one-time 33% discount off the regular RHS exam price, with eligible candidates contacted directly by DANB. (DANB announcement)

DANB also referred to a retake discount in a 2026 article, but the current 2026 Candidate Handbook still states the general failed-exam rule as reapplying and paying the full exam fee, and the live RHS exam page does not explain the discount's eligibility mechanics. If you just failed RHS for the first time, check your DANB messages or confirm eligibility with DANB before submitting a full-price RHS retake. Do not assume the discount applies to a different exam.

DANB also offers reduced application fees for active military personnel when the applicable exam packet lists a military rate. The handbook says proof of active duty is required to receive the military discount. (Candidate Handbook, p. 4)

Failed vs. missed: different rules

If you never actually took the exam, the failed-exam retake rule may not be the rule you need. DANB has a separate missed-appointment process.

Source: Candidate Handbook, pp. 5–6.

More DANB retake questions

Can I retake a DANB exam I already passed to get a better score?

Generally, no. DANB says candidates may take and pass a DANB exam only once unless specific circumstances apply. If a state board or employer is asking you to retake an exam you already passed, DANB directs candidates to docreview@danb.org for additional information. (Candidate Handbook, p. 4)

Can I switch to Spanish or English for my retake?

Yes, for the national exams DANB currently offers in Spanish: RHS, ICE, RHS/ICE and Coronal Polishing (CP). DANB says that if you fail in either English or Spanish, you may retake the exam in the same language or the other language. You still need to reapply and pay the exam fee. Once you pass the exam, you cannot retake it in the other language just to pass it again. (DANB Exams in Spanish)

Will my employer or school find out I failed?

If someone else paid for your exam, DANB's handbook says it can confirm to that payer the receipt of the application, the date received, and the pass/fail status of exams leading to certifications or certificates. The payer cannot cancel an exam or testing window or request a refund on your behalf. (Candidate Handbook, p. 4)

I failed a DANB-administered state exam. Same rules?

The 2026 State Candidate Handbook also says there is no limit on how many times a candidate may retake a failed exam, and it gives the same warning that state laws may require additional education after failed attempts. But the state handbook does not restate the national handbook's "full exam fee" sentence in its retake paragraph, and each state exam's application packet can add its own requirements. Read the packet for your specific state exam and the controlling state rule before you reapply. (2026 State Candidate Handbook, p. 5)

Does DANB ever change a fail to a pass after scoring review?

It can. DANB says exam questions are statistically reviewed, and if a question does not perform as expected, credit may be given retroactively. DANB says it notifies candidates whose status changes from fail to pass because of such an adjustment. (Candidate Handbook, p. 13)

Related DANB guides

• DANB CDA exam requirements — useful if you need to re-establish or confirm GC eligibility.
• Dental assistant certification — useful if you are deciding whether CDA, NELDA or a state credential fits your goal.
• DANB CDA exam prep guide — useful if your next step is preparing for a CDA component retake.
• Free DANB CDA practice test — useful for practice after you identify the component you need to retake.

Sources

• DANB, 2026 Candidate Handbook (updated June 22, 2026): retaking failed and passed exams and military discount, p. 4; testing windows and missed exams, pp. 5–6; exam integrity, p. 13; official results and hand scoring, p. 14; appeals, p. 15
• DANB, 2026 State Candidate Handbook (updated June 1, 2026): state programs and retake rule
• DANB, 2026 CDA Application Packet (updated May 13, 2026): five-year rule and GC requirements, pp. 3–4; fees, pp. 11 and 15
• DANB, 2026 NELDA Application Packet (updated May 15, 2026): three-year rule and eligibility, pp. 3–4; fees, p. 11
• DANB, 2026 COA Application Packet (updated May 14, 2026): five-year rule and OA requirements, pp. 3–4; fees, p. 11
• DANB, Free RHS study guide plans and more (January 14, 2025)
• DANB, Exams in Spanish
• DANB, Your CDA Certification Roadmap
• DANB, 4 important details to know about DANB exams
• DANB, State Requirements and Forms and Policies

Last verified October 26, 2026, against the DANB sources listed above. Dollar amounts shown are 2026 application fees and should be refreshed when DANB publishes new application packets.

By the Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team.

Castleport Test Prep is an independent exam prep publisher. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc. (DANB). Exam and credential names identify the subjects discussed; trademarks belong to their respective owners. Confirm rules that affect your application directly with DANB and, when applicable, your state dental board or regulator.