Exam guide

Coronal Polishing exam: format, domains and how to study

The DANB® CP exam is one of three component exams of the CPFDA® certification, with Sealants and Topical Fluoride; Dentalingo covers the CP exam only. It has 80 multiple-choice questions and a 60-minute time limit.

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Format

Questions	80 multiple-choice
Time	60 minutes
Delivery	Computer-adaptive testing (CAT), at a test center or with remote online proctoring
Outline in effect	Since March 12, 2025

The CP exam page on danb.org gives 80 questions in 60 minutes; the outline PDF, in effect since March 12, 2025, still prints 75. Plan for 80.

Content domains and weights

Each candidate gets the same share of questions from each domain. At 80 questions, that is roughly:

Domain	Weight	About
Evaluation	15 %	12 questions
Equipment and Supplies	20 %	16 questions
Procedures	39 %	31 questions
Administration	26 %	21 questions

Source: the CP exam outline and the exam page on danb.org. Exam facts read from danb.org on October 15, 2026.

How to study for it

Study in proportion to the weights. The DANB® exam-preparation page advises starting from the exam outline and its percentages; here Procedures alone is 39 % of the exam.
Keep one textbook from the outline’s reference list. The CP exam outline lists the textbooks and reference materials used to develop the exam, and the same page suggests having at least one recommended dental assisting textbook.
Practise against the clock. 80 questions in 60 minutes leaves about 45 seconds a question.
Give it time. According to the same page, many test-takers say they studied for at least one to two months, and it suggests setting aside a few hours each week; it also offers a demo exam to show the screens beforehand.

Source: Prepare for Exams, danb.org.

Practice questions

A free practice test across the exam’s domains, drawn from Dentalingo’s 200 questions for it. Each answer is explained the moment you choose, with the public source it was checked against.

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Free reference

Tooth numbering chartAll 52 permanent and primary teeth in the Universal, Palmer and FDI systems, with a converter and a source for every rule.Open the tooth numbering chart

The app

Practise for the Coronal Polishing exam in Dentalingo

200 practice questions for the DANB® CP exam, in short lessons across its four domains, each answer explained and checked against a cited source.

A timed mock exam of 80 questions in 60 minutes, spaced review of what you miss, and readiness for each domain.

The first 7 questions are free. After that, full access is a Study Camp subscription; the App Store shows the price in your country. More about the app

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Dentalingo's Practice screen: daily quests and the questions due for spaced-repetition review.

Dentalingo's question screen: a chairside question about a blood pressure reading, answered correctly, with the explanation below the options.