If you’re about to write the National Dental Hygiene Certification Examination (NDHCE), one of the first things you’ll want to know is how many people actually pass. The short answer: most do. The overall pass rate has sat comfortably in the mid-80% range every year from 2021 through 2025 — but the averages hide a clear seasonal pattern that’s worth understanding before you pick a sitting.
The five-year picture
The FDHRC (Federation of Dental Hygiene Regulators of Canada, which runs the exam) publishes results by sitting. Here is the full record for 2021–2025:
| Sitting | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 86% | 80% | 84.5% | 86.7% | 84.9% |
| May | 88% | 87.8% | 89.3% | 88.5% | 90.4% |
| September | 84% | 84.6% | 78.5% | 83.1% | 83.7% |
| Overall | 86% | 84.9% | 85.5% | 86.6% | 87.1% |
Two things stand out. First, the overall pass rate is remarkably stable — never straying far from 85%. Second, candidate volume is growing: the total number of writers climbed from 1,551 in 2021 to 2,165 in 2025, roughly 40% more people sitting the exam in five years.
The seasonal pattern nobody tells you about
Look down the columns and a consistent rhythm appears:
- May is always the strongest sitting. It has both the highest volume and the highest pass rate every single year, peaking at 90.4% in May 2025.
- September is always the weakest. It posts the lowest pass rate in four of the five years, dropping as low as 78.5% in September 2023.
- January sits in the middle.
Why? The FDHRC doesn’t publish the breakdown, but the most likely explanation is who writes in each window. May follows the spring graduation cycle, so it’s dominated by fresh graduates on their first attempt — the best-prepared cohort, with the material still fresh. September and January skew toward re-sit candidates and internationally-trained writers, groups whose pass rates are typically lower.
What the averages hide
Here’s the important caveat: the published rate blends first-time and repeat writers together. The FDHRC does not separate them. On virtually every licensure exam, repeat-attempt pass rates are meaningfully lower than first-attempt rates, which means a first-time, well-prepared graduate’s real odds are probably better than the ~85% headline — while someone on a second or third attempt faces steeper numbers.
That matters because you get a maximum of three attempts at the NDHCE. If you’re weighing whether to write before you feel ready, the statistics quietly argue for patience.
How to land on the right side of the numbers
The pass rate isn’t luck — it tracks preparation. A few evidence-aligned takeaways:
- Prepare like a May candidate. The cohort that passes at 90% is the one that studies while the material is fresh and treats the exam seriously. Build a real plan — see how to prepare for the NDHCE.
- Understand how scoring actually works. The exam is pass/fail on a scaled score, and you can’t compute a simple “number I can miss.” Read how the NDHCE is scored so you’re not chasing the wrong target.
- Know the blueprint. Roughly 80% of the exam tests application, not recall, and Clinical Therapy alone is ~40% of your marks. The format and blueprint page shows where to spend your hours.
- If it’s your final attempt, defer until ready. With only three tries and lower repeat pass rates, writing before you’re prepared is the single most avoidable mistake.
The bottom line
The NDHCE is a passable exam — a clear majority succeed, and the rate has been stable for years. But “most people pass” is not the same as “everyone passes,” and the ~15% who don’t are disproportionately under-prepared or on a repeat attempt. Treat it as the serious professional exam it is, prepare against the blueprint, and you put yourself firmly in the 85–90% who walk away certified.
Sources: Federation of Dental Hygiene Regulators of Canada (FDHRC), Overview of the National Dental Hygiene Certification Examination (NDHCE), historical results table (2021–2025). Always confirm current figures at fdhrc.ca.