ADC Exam Pass Rates: Historical Results from FY2020 to FY2025
For overseas-trained dentists, the Australian Dental Council assessment pathway is a major step toward practising in Australia. One of the most common questions candidates ask is simple:
How many candidates actually pass the ADC exams?
The Australian Dental Council publishes historical pass-rate data in its annual reports. The latest available ADC Annual Report, covering July 2024 to June 2025, includes written examination and practical examination results for FY2020 to FY2025. The ADC annual reports are published on the ADC website under its Annual Reports section. (The Australian Dental Council)
Important note: these figures show exam candidates / sittings reported for each financial year. They do not show how many attempts an individual candidate needed before passing.
Written Examination Pass Rates: FY2020–FY2025
| Financial year | Candidates | Passed | Failed | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | 686 | 343 | 344 | 50% |
| FY2021 | 1,169 | 516 | 653 | 44% |
| FY2022 | 1,284 | 307 | 977 | 24% |
| FY2023 | 2,246 | 536 | 1,710 | 24% |
| FY2024 | 2,925 | 1,209 | 1,716 | 41% |
| FY2025 | 3,325 | 404 | 2,921 | 12% |
The ADC reported that 3,325 candidates completed the written examination in FY2025 across more than 113 venues in 33 countries. The written examination pass rate for FY2025 was 12%, with 404 passes and 2,921 fails.
Practical Examination Pass Rates: FY2020–FY2025
| Financial year | Candidates | Passed | Failed | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | 940 | 180 | 760 | 19% |
| FY2021 | 580 | 209 | 371 | 36% |
| FY2022 | 990 | 266 | 724 | 27% |
| FY2023 | 1,385 | 257 | 1,128 | 19% |
| FY2024 | 1,703 | 253 | 1,450 | 15% |
| FY2025 | 1,880 | 205 | 1,675 | 11% |
For the practical examination, the ADC reported 1,880 candidates in FY2025, with 205 passes and 1,675 fails. The practical examination pass rate for FY2025 was 11%.
What the numbers show
The published ADC data shows that both the written and practical examinations have had low pass rates in recent years.
The written examination pass rate fell from 41% in FY2024 to 12% in FY2025. The practical examination pass rate also declined, from 15% in FY2024 to 11% in FY2025.
Across the six financial years shown in the ADC report:
| Exam | Total candidates | Total passes | Overall pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written examination | 13,635 | 3,315 | 24.3% |
| Practical examination | 7,478 | 1,370 | 18.3% |
These totals are calculated from the ADC’s published FY2020–FY2025 tables. They are useful for understanding the overall difficulty of the pathway, but they should not be interpreted as individual candidate success rates.
What the numbers do not show
The ADC tables do not show:
- how many candidates were sitting for the first time;
- how many were repeat candidates;
- the average number of attempts before passing;
- how many candidates stop attempting the exams;
- how many candidates eventually become registered dentists in Australia.
So while the data clearly shows that the ADC exams are challenging, it does not tell us the full candidate journey from first application to final registration.
Source
Data in this article is taken from the Australian Dental Council Annual Report 2024/25, published on the ADC website. The ADC Annual Report page lists the most recent annual report for July 2024 – June 2025 and previous annual reports. (The Australian Dental Council)