15 Lavanika Academy Candidates Clear the ADC Practical Exam in October 2026

There are some messages I never get tired of receiving.

“Dr, I passed.”

On 5 October 2026, nine candidates who had prepared with Lavanika Academy received that message. Ten days later, on 15 October, another six candidates received the same result.

That makes 15 Lavanika Academy candidates who successfully cleared the Australian Dental Council practical examination across the two October 2026 result releases.

What makes these results special to me is not simply the number. It is how different the journeys behind that number were.

The candidates came from different batches. Some were sitting Part 2 for the first time. Some were returning after a previous attempt. Their preparation with us was not identical either — across the group, candidates completed different combinations of Communication OSCE, Skilled OSCE, Technical Skills and mock examinations.

So there is no single formula I can honestly give the next candidate.

What I can share are the patterns I keep seeing: candidates improve when they understand why something needs to change, when they act on feedback, when they stop trying to memorise every possible OSCE, and when their preparation becomes more deliberate rather than simply more intense.

First, congratulations

For an overseas-trained dentist, passing the ADC practical examination is rarely just about two examination days.

By this point, most candidates have already spent a long time in the ADC pathway — document verification, initial assessment, the Written Exam, waiting for results, practical-exam applications, months of preparation and, for many, travel and time away from work or family.

Then comes another wait after the practical examination.

That is why a message saying “I passed” carries much more weight than those two words suggest.

The ADC practical examination is the final ADC assessment stage for internationally qualified dentists before they can become eligible to apply for registration with the Dental Board of Australia, subject to the Board’s requirements. Candidates should always use the current information published by the Australian Dental Council for examination and registration-related guidance.

To all fifteen candidates: congratulations. You worked for this. Enjoy it.

Fifteen candidates, fifteen different journeys

One thing I have learnt from teaching ADC candidates is that two dentists can be preparing for the same examination and need completely different help.

One candidate may have strong hands but struggle to organise a Communication OSCE naturally. Another may communicate beautifully but lose consistency once a technical task is timed. Someone else may know what to do in a Skilled OSCE but become hesitant under observation.

That is what we saw across these candidates as well — and the second October result release reinforced it.

Their preparation included different combinations of:

• Communication OSCE training
• Skilled OSCE preparation
• Technical Skills training
• mock examinations
• repeated roleplays
• individual feedback and correction between sessions

Not every candidate needed everything to the same extent.

That is important because practical-exam preparation can easily become a race to do more: more cases, more teeth, more mocks, more notes.

Sometimes the better question is much simpler:

What am I still doing poorly, even after all this practice?

That is usually where the next improvement is hiding.

Some were first attempts. Some were not.

I do not want to reduce these results to a first-attempt versus repeat-candidate statistic. Both journeys deserve respect.

For a first-time candidate, the challenge is often uncertainty. You can read the handbook, practise stations and hear other people’s experiences, but until you sit the practical examination yourself, you do not completely know what the pressure will feel like.

For a returning candidate, the challenge can be very different.

You already know the exam. You may also remember exactly where you think things went wrong. It is easy to replay one station or one technical task repeatedly and build the whole next preparation cycle around it.

Sometimes that is useful. Sometimes it is not.

What I want repeat candidates to ask is not simply, “How do I practise harder this time?” but:

“What do I genuinely need to change this time?”

That may be technique. It may be consistency. It may be communication structure, time management, decision-making or the ability to recover after one station goes badly.

We discuss that process more fully in our guide on preparing after an unsuccessful ADC practical examination.

The biggest lesson: feedback only works when you use it

This sounds obvious, but it is probably the clearest pattern I saw across these journeys.

Dentists are used to being competent professionals. Many ADC candidates have years of clinical experience behind them. So it is not always comfortable to hear that an explanation was confusing, that a patient cue was missed, or that a technical result which looked acceptable to you is still inconsistent.

The candidates who progress well eventually stop spending energy defending every mistake.

They start asking:

“Okay. What should I do differently next time?”

That is when feedback becomes useful.

It is also why I do not think completing a large number of sessions automatically means somebody is well prepared. Ten roleplays in which the same mistake is repeated are not necessarily better than three roleplays where the candidate understands the problem and genuinely changes the next attempt.

The same is true technically. Repetition matters, but corrected repetition matters more.

The unfamiliar case is where structure matters most

Candidates understandably worry about getting a case they have never seen before.

It happens in practice sessions all the time: someone performs confidently on familiar scenarios, then becomes visibly uncomfortable as soon as the case looks different.

That is why I repeatedly tell candidates not to prepare by trying to memorise a perfect response for every possible OSCE.

You cannot predict every scenario.

What you can take into the room is a way of thinking:

• What is happening here?
• What does the patient know already?
• What are they worried about?
• What information do I still need?
• What can I explain confidently now?
• Is there anything I genuinely need to check before giving a definitive answer?
• What is the safest and most patient-centred next step?

Sometimes the professional answer really is, “I would need to check that before I give you an accurate answer.”

That is very different from freezing because the case does not resemble a memorised script.

I was reminded of this after Dr Juhaina’s exam. She had earlier told me that she encountered a very new case on her day and remembered something we had discussed during preparation: if you genuinely do not know something, do not invent an answer — acknowledge it and say you would check.

That ability to stay calm and work through an unfamiliar case is far more useful than having memorised fifty flawless scripts.

Communication OSCE: learn the approach, not the speech

This links closely to Communication OSCE preparation.

A candidate can sound polished and still not be communicating well.

The difference often becomes obvious when the roleplayer says something unexpected.

A memorised candidate tries to return to the script.

A flexible candidate listens and responds.

The ADC’s published communication rubric looks at areas including demeanour, use of language, engagement with the patient, organisation of information and joint decision making. Candidates should use the current official rubric available through the ADC’s Handbooks & Materials page.

In practical terms, I want candidates to be able to:

• listen without mentally racing to the next memorised question;
• explain dental information in normal language;
• recognise what actually matters to the patient;
• pause and check understanding;
• discuss realistic options rather than deliver an information dump; and
• adapt when the conversation goes somewhere they did not expect.

We have covered this in more detail in 10 common ADC Communication OSCE mistakes.

Technical preparation is about the result you can reproduce

Technical preparation has its own version of the same problem.

Most candidates can eventually produce a tooth they are happy with.

The harder question is: can you reproduce that standard when you are timed, tired and only have one opportunity?

That is why I prefer to look at consistency rather than a candidate’s best attempt.

A useful technical session should identify why something keeps going wrong. Is the sequence inefficient? Is the candidate overcorrecting? Is there a recurring problem with margins, depth, contour, access or time management?

Then the next attempt should test whether the correction actually worked.

Otherwise practice can become very busy without becoming very productive.

Skilled OSCE deserves deliberate preparation too

The practical examination is not simply “communication plus tooth preparation”.

Skilled OSCE tasks ask candidates to combine knowledge, sequencing, safety, communication and practical execution. A dentist may know a procedure very well in normal clinical practice and still find that performing it in a timed, observed station requires a different level of structure.

That is why we treat Skilled OSCE preparation as its own area rather than assuming general dental experience will automatically translate into examination performance.

Mock exams show you what pressure changes

Mocks are useful for a reason that candidates sometimes underestimate.

They are not valuable because they can predict the exact cases you will receive.

They are valuable because they show you what happens to you when the conditions become more exam-like.

Do you rush?

Do you stop listening?

Do you spend too much time trying to perfect one technical detail?

Do you carry a bad station into the next one?

Do you know the material but suddenly struggle to organise it?

Those are difficult things to discover when every practice session is comfortable and somebody can stop the clock to help you.

Our ADC practical exam day walkthrough explains why becoming familiar with the experience of the exam matters as much as knowing what may be assessed.

Then came another six passes on 15 October

The first result release on 5 October was already a very happy day for us. Then, on 15 October, another six Lavanika Academy candidates told us they had passed: Dr Aojaswi, Dr Sara, Dr Lujain, Dr Jyoti, Dr Ayesha and Dr Ratnanayaka.

I do not see these as a separate success story. They are part of the same broader picture. Different batches, different strengths, different weak points, different levels of experience — but the same examination asking candidates to bring clinical judgement, communication, practical skill and composure together under pressure.

Two of the messages from this second group stayed with me because they describe something beyond passing a test.

Dr Sara — learning to stop treating the journey as just another exam

“When I started this journey I was so anxious about it to be done, wanted to pass 2 exams and that’s it. But you cannot go through it like I have an exam!

It needs patience, kindness, respect and it deeply needs to be enjoyed to be able to go through it. I still remember Dr. Lavanika saying, ‘I don’t want you to do OSCEs, I want my candidates to enjoy OSCEs,’ and she is the best person to teach how to do it.

It does definitely need hard work, dedication, consistency and commitment but with your own personality and trusting what the journey will teach you and make you grow up, you will do whatever you promised to do.

This journey changes lives — that’s what Dr. Lavanika says always and it is really true. Not after the certificate, but through it.

And I was so lucky during my journey to start with the right people and mentor and to stick to whatever they’ve said. Dr. Lavanika and Dr. Mahmoud, I can’t be more grateful and thankful for what you did and what you taught me. Everyone here knows how Dr. Lavanika is the queen of OSCE and how her mocks can incredibly change your performance one day right to the exam, but she is one of the purest hearts I’ve ever met. ❤️❤️”

What I like most about Dr Sara’s reflection is that it captures a change in mindset. Part 2 preparation can become so consuming that candidates start measuring every day only by whether it moved them closer to a pass. Somewhere along the way, it helps to remember that communication, judgement and confidence are not just exam tricks. They are part of becoming the kind of clinician you want to be in Australia.

Dr Lujain — making OSCE feel less intimidating

“Dr Lavanika, I honestly don’t know how to thank you enough! I passed my ADC exam, Alhamdulillah ❤️ and I genuinely feel that your support, your belief in me, and the way you taught me made such a huge difference in this journey. ❤️

I tried learning from someone else before, but honestly, your approach is something else! You have this incredible ability to make OSCE feel so much easier and less intimidating. You simplify everything without making it complicated, and you teach with so much honesty, intelligence, and love. ❤️

I’m really so grateful I found you. You’re not just an amazing teacher; you make people believe in themselves and realise what they’re capable of. I wish I could give you the biggest hug right now! You’ll always be a special part of my ADC journey. ❤️❤️”

There is a line in that review that matters to me: “make OSCE feel so much easier and less intimidating.”

That does not mean making the exam simple. It means making the approach clearer. Once a candidate understands how to think through a station — rather than trying to remember a perfect speech — unfamiliar cases become much less frightening.

That is the same reason I keep coming back to structure, adaptability and honest communication throughout this article.

In their own words

I could summarise these results in my own words, but the candidates describe the experience better themselves.

With their permission, here are some of the messages and reviews they shared during or after their preparation.

Dr Dushyant — roleplays, feedback and confidence

“I’m really grateful to Dr. Lavanika for all her guidance and support throughout my ADC OSCE preparation. She helped me a lot with the roleplays, explaining concepts clearly and giving me constructive feedback that helped me improve my approach and communication skills. Her patience and encouragement made a real difference, especially during the challenging parts of my preparation.

I’m very happy to share that I’ve passed my ADC Part 2 exam, and I’m thankful to Dr. Lavanika for being part of this journey. The preparation wasn’t easy, but her guidance helped me become more confident and better prepared for the exam. Thank you, Dr. Lavanika, for your time, support, and encouragement. I would definitely recommend her to anyone preparing for the ADC OSCE. 😁😁”

What I like about Dr Dushyant’s message is that he mentions both the roleplays and what happened between the roleplays: explanation, feedback and changing his approach. That is where most of the real improvement happens.

Dr Zen — bringing all three areas together

After passing the ADC practical examination, Dr Zen shared this Google review:

“Highly Recommended for ADC Exam Preparation!

I’m extremely grateful to Dr. Lavanika and Dr. Mahmoud for their knowledge, dedication and support throughout my ADC preparation journey. I completed the Technical Exam course with Dr. Mahmoud and the Skilled OSCE and Communication OSCE courses with Dr. Lavanika, and I’m very happy to say that I passed my exams!

Both doctors are incredibly knowledgeable and genuinely committed to helping their students succeed. Dr. Lavanika’s clear explanations, valuable guidance and attention to detail, combined with Dr. Mahmoud’s excellent technical teaching and practical advice, made a real difference to my preparation.

I truly appreciate the time, effort and experience they share with their students. Their guidance helped make a challenging journey more structured and manageable.

I genuinely recommend Lavanika Academy to any dentist preparing for the ADC examinations. If you’re looking for knowledgeable, dedicated instructors who genuinely care about your progress, this is an excellent choice.

Thank you, Dr. Lavanika and Dr. Mahmoud, for your outstanding teaching and support. Your efforts are truly appreciated, and I wish you continued success!”

Dr Zen’s preparation is a good example of why Part 2 cannot be reduced to one area. Technical Skills, Skilled OSCE and Communication OSCE ask different things of the candidate. They eventually have to come together in the same examination journey.

Dr Rachel — the right mentorship at the right time

After receiving her result, Dr Rachel wrote:

“I praise God Almighty for the strength and the right mentorship at the right time! I can’t believe it, Dr! This success is mine as much as it is yours, Dr.”

I would never claim a candidate’s result as my own. They are the ones who sit the exam and do the hard work. But being trusted to guide somebody through such an important stage of their career is something I value enormously.

Dr Juhaina — noticing the small things

“I’m truly grateful to Dr. Lavanika for all her help and support with my ADC Part 2 preparation. I attended both her mock OSCEs and technical sessions, and she was incredibly thorough with her assessments. I made sure to work on every tiny mistake she picked up, and her detailed feedback helped me refine my skills and improve my confidence.

Beyond being so knowledgeable and thorough, she is such a warm and wonderful person who genuinely wants you to do well. She makes sure you understand where you need to improve and gives you the confidence and reassurance you need before the exam.

I would highly recommend Dr. Lavanika’s mock OSCE and technical sessions to anyone preparing for the ADC exam. Her attention to detail, honest feedback, and supportive approach make a real difference. Thank you so much, Dr. Lavanika! ❤️”

The phrase that stands out to me is “every tiny mistake”.

Those small repeated errors matter. Candidates often stop seeing them because they have practised the same way so many times. A fresh set of eyes can identify them, but the candidate still has to go away and make the correction stick.

Dr Juhaina did that.

And her exam experience also reinforced another lesson: when an unfamiliar case appears, structure and professional judgement matter more than trying to remember a pre-written answer.

Dr Chaitrali — sometimes support matters as much as another case

“Really love you. It’s not always the coaching, but unspoken support and motivation can benefit more. So thank you for that, ma’am.”

I kept this message because it says something important that is easy to leave out of exam-preparation articles.

Candidates are not machines. There are days when another lecture is not what somebody needs. Sometimes they need reassurance after a poor practice session, perspective when they are overthinking, or simply somebody who understands why this exam has become so important to them.

Dr Sindhu — even late preparation can reveal something important

Before her result, Dr Sindhu sent this after one of her sessions:

“Yesterday’s session was an eye-opener, though I approached you way too late. The sweetest smiling attitude of yours, I will never forget.”

Of course I would rather candidates come early enough to practise, receive feedback and then have time to apply it repeatedly.

But people do not always reach us at the ideal time.

When the exam is close, the goal cannot be to fix everything. It becomes about identifying the few changes that are most likely to improve the candidate’s performance and making those changes clear enough to use immediately.

Dr Sneha — understanding how to approach a case

“I just want to thank you for all your efforts in helping me pass this exam. I learned a lot about communication from you, especially the way you approach the cases.

Your new cases were really helpful, and the way you prepared them made everything easier to understand and remember.

I honestly feel that I passed because of what I learned from you. Thank you so much for everything! ❤️”

This is one of the parts of Communication OSCE teaching I care about most.

I do not want a candidate to leave a session remembering only what to say in that one case.

I want them to understand why the case was approached that way, so that when the wording, patient or clinical problem changes, they still have something reliable to fall back on.

That is how you handle a case you have never seen before.

Dr Neeharika and Dr Zaid

We also congratulate Dr Neeharika and Dr Zaid, who were among the nine Lavanika Academy candidates who successfully cleared the ADC practical examination in the 5 October result release.

I have not added words on their behalf. If they choose to share their experience later, I would much rather include what they actually say than manufacture a testimonial for the sake of completing the list.

From the 15 October result release, we are equally delighted for Dr Aojaswi, Dr Sara, Dr Lujain, Dr Jyoti, Dr Ayesha and Dr Ratnanayaka. Dr Sara and Dr Lujain have shared reflections above; I have not invented comments for the others.

These testimonials have been kept close to the candidates’ original wording. They describe their individual experiences and should not be taken as a guarantee that any course or preparation method will produce the same examination result for another candidate.

What I would tell the next group preparing for Part 2

Seeing fifteen candidates pass across two result releases is a wonderful feeling. But if you are preparing now, their results should not make you panic about your own timeline or copy somebody else’s preparation plan.

Instead, take a few simple lessons from them.

Be willing to find out where you are weak.

Practise that weakness deliberately.

Do not confuse familiarity with competence.

Do not rely on a memorised Communication OSCE script when the patient in front of you is telling you something different.

Do not judge technical readiness from your best attempt alone.

And when you receive feedback, use it in the very next attempt rather than collecting it in a notebook and continuing exactly as before.

That sounds less exciting than a secret exam strategy, but it is much closer to what good preparation actually looks like.

What happens after passing?

Successfully completing the ADC practical examination makes an internationally qualified dentist eligible to apply for registration with the Dental Board of Australia, subject to the Board’s registration requirements. The ADC currently states that the practical-examination result does not expire. Candidates should check the current ADC practical examination information and Dental Board guidance for their own circumstances.

For many overseas dentists, however, this result is the milestone that once felt furthest away.

Initial assessment.

Written examination.

Practical preparation.

Exam day.

Waiting.

And then, finally:

Passed.

To our fifteen successful candidates

Dr Dushyant, Dr Zen, Dr Rachel, Dr Juhaina, Dr Chaitrali, Dr Neeharika, Dr Sindhu, Dr Sneha, Dr Zaid, Dr Aojaswi, Dr Sara, Dr Lujain, Dr Jyoti, Dr Ayesha and Dr Ratnanayaka — congratulations.

You came through different batches, different exam dates and different preparation journeys. Some of you needed more work in one area than another. Some of you were facing the practical examination for the first time; some had already experienced how difficult it is to come away without the result you wanted and then start again.

Thank you for trusting Dr Mahmoud, me and Lavanika Academy with part of that journey.

Most importantly, enjoy what you have achieved before rushing immediately to the next step.

You earned this one.

If you are preparing for a future ADC practical examination, you can read more about our Communication OSCE, Technical Skills and mock examination programs, or contact us if you are unsure which part of your preparation needs the most attention.

📧 info@lavanika.academy 📲 WhatsApp: +61468434447

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Lavanika Academy is an independent ADC examination preparation provider and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Australian Dental Council. Examination requirements and assessment information can change. Candidates should always refer to the current official ADC practical examination and Handbooks & Materials pages for authoritative information.