New to the ADC? Start Here: The Complete Beginner's Guide for Overseas Dentists

Every week, we receive messages that sound like this one, from a dental surgeon in Malaysia:

“I am planning to attend ADC exams. Kindly help me how to prepare, and also for document verification, and also for the practicals. What all things do I have to do? How much fees? At what time? Kindly tell me.”

Everything, all at once — because when you have just heard about the ADC, you don’t yet know which questions to ask in which order. That is completely normal, and it is exactly what this guide is for. Read it once, and you will understand the whole road ahead. No prior knowledge assumed.

What is the ADC, in one paragraph?

The ADC — Australian Dental Council — is the official body that assesses whether overseas-trained dentists are ready to practise in Australia. If your dental degree (BDS or equivalent) is from India, the Gulf, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Singapore, or most other countries, you cannot simply register and work in Australia. You must first pass the ADC’s assessment process. Once you complete it, you receive the ADC certificate, which lets you register with the Dental Board of Australia and work as a dentist there.

So when people say “the ADC exam” or “Australia dental licensing,” this process is what they mean. The ADC’s own website is adc.org.au — bookmark it now, because it is the official source for everything, and it is free.

”Part 1” and “Part 2” — decoding the words you’ve heard

In WhatsApp groups and among seniors, you will hear “ADC Part 1” and “ADC Part 2.” The ADC itself uses different names, and knowing both saves a lot of confusion:

What candidates say	Official name	What it is
—	Initial assessment	Document verification. The ADC checks your degree, transcripts and registration. No exam.
”Part 1”	Written examination	A computer-based exam testing your dental knowledge and clinical reasoning. Held twice a year.
”Part 2”	Practical examination	A hands-on exam over two days in Australia — technical dental work plus patient-communication scenarios.

The three stages happen strictly in this order. You cannot sit Part 1 until your documents are verified, and you cannot sit Part 2 until you pass Part 1.

Am I eligible? The two questions that matter

Before anything else, check two things:

1. Is your degree a four-year, full-time university dental degree? BDS from a recognised university in India, and equivalent degrees from most countries, generally qualify. Shorter or non-university programs may not.

2. Do you have (or are you eligible for) full, unrestricted registration as a dentist in your country? Your dental council registration, in other words.

If yes to both, you can begin. If you are unsure about either — for example, your university’s recognition — resolve that question before paying any fees. The ADC’s website explains the requirements in detail, and you can also message us and we will point you in the right direction.

Step one: document verification (the initial assessment)

Your ADC journey starts with paperwork, not study. You create an account on ADC Connect (the ADC’s online portal), upload your documents, and pay the assessment fee. The ADC then verifies that you are eligible to sit the written exam. Processing takes roughly eight weeks once your documents are complete.

The documents include your passport, degree certificate, full academic transcripts, internship certificate (where your country requires one, as India does), and evidence of your dental council registration. Anything not in English needs an official translation. We have written a complete document checklist with the common mistakes to avoid — read it before you upload anything, because document errors are the number-one cause of early delays.

One thing worth knowing from the start: you apply directly to the ADC yourself, online. The process is designed for candidates to do on their own. Some people use consultants for convenience, but there is nothing in the application a careful candidate cannot do personally — and doing it yourself keeps you in control of your own file.

Step two: the written exam (“Part 1”)

Once approved, you can book the written examination — a computer-delivered, multiple-choice exam based on clinical scenarios, held over two days at Pearson VUE test centres in many countries (you do not travel to Australia for this stage). It runs twice a year, usually March and September, and results come about six weeks after you sit.

It is a genuinely demanding exam — most candidates prepare for four to six months alongside work. Our study plan and book guide cover preparation in detail when you reach this stage.

Step three: the practical exam (“Part 2”)

The final stage is held in Australia over two days: one day of technical dental tasks on model teeth, and one day of clinical stations including patient-communication roleplays. This is the hardest stage — reported pass rates are low — and it is where serious preparation matters most. Our complete Part 2 guide explains it fully.

Pass it, and you hold your ADC certificate. After that, registration with AHPRA (the health-practitioner registration agency) is an administrative process, and you can begin working as a dentist in Australia.

What does it all cost?

Two separate kinds of cost — and candidates new to the process often mix them up, so let’s be clear:

ADC official fees (paid to the ADC, unavoidable): roughly $650 for the initial assessment, $2,100 for the written exam, and $4,800 for the practical — around AUD 7,500 in total, plus an English test if you need one. These are set by the ADC and published at adc.org.au.

Preparation costs (coaching, books, travel — your choice how much): highly variable. Some candidates self-study Part 1 with textbooks alone. For Part 2, most successful candidates invest in structured coaching and mock exams, because a failed attempt costs more than the preparation. Travel and accommodation for the practical exam add more if you are coming from overseas.

Realistically, budget AUD 15,000 or more for the complete journey. Our full cost breakdown itemises everything.

How long does it take?

Best case — documents ready, first-attempt passes, no waiting between stages — about 14–18 months. Typically, 1.5 to 3 years. The stages are sequential and the exams run on fixed calendars, which is why an organised candidate moves through the process dramatically faster than a drifting one. The full timeline breakdown shows where the time goes.

Can I do this while working full-time?

Yes — nearly all of our candidates do, including government dentists, practice owners and new graduates. The written exam is prepared for around a job with a disciplined study schedule. Coaching for the written exam and communication stages is available online in the evenings (our live sessions run at times chosen for candidates joining from Asia and the Gulf), so you do not need to leave your job or travel for classes. The only stage that requires travel is the practical exam itself, in Australia.

Your first three steps, starting this week

1. Read the official information. Spend one evening on adc.org.au reading the dentist assessment pages. Free, and it will make everything else clearer.
2. Start collecting your documents. University transcripts and registration certificates take weeks to obtain, especially from Indian universities. Begin now, even if you plan to apply months from now. Use our document checklist.
3. Sketch your personal timeline. Which written exam sitting are you aiming for — March or September? Work backwards: six months of preparation before it, and roughly three months of document processing before you can book. That tells you what to do this month.

Still have questions? That’s what we’re here for

We answer beginner questions every day — freely, on WhatsApp, whether or not you ever join a course. If something in your situation is unclear — your degree, your documents, your timeline — send us a message and we will give you a straight answer.

📲 WhatsApp: +61468434447 📧 info@lavanika.academy

And when you are ready to prepare seriously, that is what Lavanika Academy does: Written Exam coaching, Communication OSCE coaching, technical skills training, and mock exams, all designed for overseas dentists on exactly this journey.

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Eligibility rules, fees and processes are set by the ADC and change periodically. Always verify current details at adc.org.au — the official source — before applying.