ADC Practical Exam 2026 — Format, OSCE, Tasks & How to Prepare

The ADC Practical Examination is the final hurdle. It is a two-day clinical assessment held exclusively in Melbourne, Australia. Day 1 tests your technical skills on manikins. Day 2 is a 10-station OSCE testing your clinical reasoning, communication, and patient management. Here is what to expect and how to prepare.

Exam structure: two days, two skill sets

The Practical Exam assesses you across the full range of competencies expected of a newly qualified dentist in Australia. It is not a repeat of the Written Exam — it tests whether you can do dentistry safely, not just whether you know dentistry.

Day 1: technical skills

On the technical skills day, you perform approximately six dental procedures on typodont models mounted in manikin heads. The tasks are designed to test procedural skills essential to restorative dentistry and general dental practice in Australia.

Example tasks (these vary between sittings and are not predictable) include: preparation of a carious tooth, restoration with resin composite, restoration with amalgam, preparation and/or temporisation for an indirect restoration, and endodontic access and instrumentation.

Each task is scored using a task-specific checklist of up to 15 criteria. Examiners observe you during some tasks and evaluate the final result for others. You also receive a global rating for your overall performance on each task — this is a holistic assessment, not just a checklist sum.

Breaks can be taken throughout the day at your discretion. The exam is designed with sufficient time for regular breaks, and the ADC encourages you to take them.

Day 2: clinical skills (OSCE)

On the clinical skills day, you complete a 10-station OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination). Each station is set up in a designated room with a specific clinical scenario or skill demonstration. You are allocated a defined amount of time at each station before moving to the next.

Stations may involve: interacting with standardised simulated patients (actors trained to present specific symptoms), watching video-based clinical scenarios and answering questions, performing procedures on manikins, or demonstrating clinical reasoning verbally to an examiner.

Key areas assessed in the OSCE include: diagnosis and management planning, patient communication, medical history interpretation, infection control knowledge, emergency management, radiographic interpretation, treatment prioritisation, and ethical decision-making.

Eligibility and how to apply

You are eligible to apply for the Practical Exam once you have passed the ADC Written Exam. From March 2026 onward, your Written pass is valid for 5 years (previously 3 years). Applications are submitted via ADC Connect during specific application periods — check the 2026 exam calendar for dates.

Practical exam date assignment works through a selection process — you indicate your preferred dates during a date-selection period, but assignment is not guaranteed for your first choice. Book early and remain flexible.

Melbourne logistics

Since the Practical Exam is held exclusively in Melbourne, you need to budget for travel and accommodation on top of the AUD $4,775 exam fee.

Arrive in Melbourne at least 2–3 days before your exam. This gives you time to adjust to the timezone, familiarise yourself with the area around the ADC centre, and settle in without last-minute stress. The ADC examination centre is located in Melbourne's CBD area.

How to prepare

Read the official handbooks first. The ADC publishes a Practical Examination Handbook and an Information Package — both are available as PDFs on adc.org.au. These documents describe the exam format, task types, marking rubrics, and include example scenarios. Read them completely before you begin preparing.

Clinical reasoning is what the OSCE tests. The OSCE is not about memorising management protocols — it is about demonstrating that you can think through a clinical problem systematically. The ADC wants to see that you follow a structured approach: history, examination, investigation, diagnosis, management, and patient communication.

Practise on manikins. The technical skills day requires you to perform actual dental procedures. If you have been out of clinical practice for a while, find a lab with manikin access and practise your operative skills. Speed and accuracy both matter.

Build your clinical reasoning now. The Written Exam and the Practical Exam test the same clinical reasoning foundation — the Written tests it through SBQs, the Practical tests it through live scenarios. If you are preparing for the Written Exam, you are already building the reasoning skills the Practical requires.

Frequently asked questions