# How to Pass the California RDH Law and Ethics Exam in 2026

Which exam this is (and which it is not), who must take it, how to apply through the Dental Hygiene Board, what the 60-question test day looks like, the 2025 outline, real pass rates, what changed in the law, and what happens after you pass. Every claim on this page traces to a DHBC or PSI document, a statute, or a regulation — not forum lore.

Last verified 2026-07-22. Published by Dentovio, an independent publisher — not the Dental Hygiene Board of California, PSI, or any government agency. This guide summarizes publicly available California dental hygiene law as of the date above; laws change, so confirm current requirements with the Dental Hygiene Board of California before acting.

## Key facts

- **Format:** 60 items in 90 minutes — 50 scored + 10 unscored pretest items, computer-based at PSI test centers.
- **Passing standard:** 75% minimum — a real, fixed percentage — Set by regulation, 16 CCR §1121(c). Unlike the dentist exam, this one really does have a fixed passing score.
- **Total exam cost:** $200 + $32.07 per sitting — $200 DHBC application fee + $32.07 to PSI for each sitting, first attempt or retake.
- **Results:** On-site at the PSI center — The license is not automatic — DOJ and FBI background clearance comes first.
- **Eligibility window:** 1 year to sit the exam — Miss it and the application is deemed abandoned; you reapply and pay again.
- **Recent pass rates:** 80–89% (FY 2018–22) — Per the board's 2023 sunset review — the only published pass-rate data.
- **2025 outline:** 35% / 35% / 30% — Consent, confidentiality & privacy 35%; professional practice standards 35%; obligations to the patient and profession 30%.

## Make sure this is your exam (California runs several “law and ethics” exams)
This guide covers one exam: the **Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH) Laws and Ethics Written Examination**, required by Business and Professions Code **section 1917(d)** and run by the **Dental Hygiene Board of California (DHBC)** through its testing vendor, PSI Services LLC. It is a computer-based, closed-book, multiple-choice exam on California dental hygiene law and professional ethics, defined in regulation at **16 CCR §1121**.

California runs several exams that all get called "the law and ethics exam," under two different boards, and search results and AI answers mix them together constantly. The confusion runs **both ways**: the numbers that are true for this exam — **60 questions, 90 minutes, 75% to pass** — are flatly false for the dentist exam, and dentist-exam facts (no published question count, no fixed percentage) are false here.

| Exam | Who takes it | Board | Format | Status |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **RDH Laws and Ethics Written Examination** (this guide) | RDH licensure candidates | Dental Hygiene Board of California | **60 items / 90 min / 75%** | Active — [PSI CIB](https://www.dhbc.ca.gov/formspubs/candidate_handbook.pdf) |
| RDHAP Laws and Ethics Written Examination | RDHAP applicants | Dental Hygiene Board of California | 60 items / 90 min / 75%, **different content outline** | Active — [separate PSI CIB](https://test-takers.psiexams.com/api/content/bulletin/1670); see the [RDHAP section](#rdhap) |
| RDHEF examination | Extended-functions applicants | Dental Hygiene Board of California | — | The board **does not currently administer** extended-functions exams; the [RDHEF license is not currently attainable](https://dhbc.ca.gov/consumers/duties_rdhef.shtml) |
| Dentist California Law and Ethics Examination | DDS/DMD licensure candidates | **Dental Board of California — a different board** | No published question count; criterion-referenced passing score, **not 75%** | Active — [our dentist-exam guide](/guide/california-dentistry-law-ethics-exam/how-to-pass) |
| Board of Behavioral Sciences law and ethics exam | Therapists | Board of Behavioral Sciences | 75 questions, 90-day retake wait | A frequent search-result contaminant; none of its rules apply here |

Note the board names carefully. Dentists are licensed by the Dental Board of California (DBC). Hygienists are licensed by the **Dental Hygiene Board of California (DHBC)** — a separate board within the Department of Consumer Affairs, with its own statutes (the Dental Hygiene Practice Act, BPC **§§1900–1966.6**), its own regulations (16 CCR Division 11), and its own exam contract with PSI.

> **Quick check before you spend a dollar on prep:** if a study resource for *this* exam tells you there is no fixed passing score, or quotes dentist-exam fees ($125 + $27.23), it was written for the wrong exam. If a resource for the *dentist* exam tells you "60 questions, 75%," same problem in the other direction.

## Who must pass it — every route into California hygiene licensure
Everyone entering California dental hygiene licensure passes this exam. There is no exam-exempt pathway — a point worth stressing because the *dentist* licensing scheme does have one (licensure by credential), and that fact bleeds into hygiene search results where it is wrong.

| Pathway | Clinical exam | Law and Ethics exam | Authority |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| RDH initial licensure (CA graduate) | **Waived if you apply within 3 years of graduation** (AB 1257, eff. 1/1/2024); otherwise a WREB, ADEX, or CRDTS score | **Required** | [BPC §1917(b)(2), (d)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=1917.) |
| Licensure by credential (licensed in another state) | **Waived** | **Required — the L&E exam is NOT waived** | BPC §1917.1(a)(4) |
| RDHAP | — | **Required** (the separate RDHAP version) | BPC §1922 |
| RDHEF | — | Required in statute, but the board does not currently administer extended-functions exams | BPC §1918(c) |
| Out-of-state faculty special permit | — | **Required** | BPC §1902.3(d) |
| Military spouse/partner temporary license | — | **Required** | 16 CCR §1114(b)(3) |

The row that surprises people is licensure by credential: an RDH licensed elsewhere skips the clinical exam entirely, but **still sits this written exam**. California law and ethics is the one thing the board tests everyone on, no matter where you trained or how long you have practiced.

The other statutory requirements ride alongside the exam, not instead of it: the **National Board Dental Hygiene Examination** is always required (BPC §1917(c)), plus board-approved courses in **soft-tissue curettage, local anesthesia, and nitrous oxide** (§1917(f)) and — since AB 1257 — a current **basic life support (BLS)** certification (§1917(g)).

## How to apply: DHBC application, fees, and the 1-year clock
A first sitting costs **$232.07**: a **$200** application fee to the Dental Hygiene Board plus **$32.07** to PSI for the exam itself. (Ignore the "$125 application fee" that circulates in AI-generated answers — that figure appears nowhere in the DHBC's own [application checklists](https://www.dhbc.ca.gov/formspubs/rdh_informational.pdf), which state **$200** for both the clinical-exam and credential pathways.)

The sequence, per the DHBC's ["How To Qualify for a RDH License" flowchart](https://www.dhbc.ca.gov/formspubs/rdh_informational.pdf) and the [PSI Candidate Information Bulletin](https://www.dhbc.ca.gov/formspubs/candidate_handbook.pdf):

| Step | What happens | Who | Cost |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Apply to the DHBC — online via [BreEZe](https://www.breeze.ca.gov/) (PDF/JPEG uploads, credit card only) or on paper by mail to DHBC, 2005 Evergreen St., Ste. 1350, Sacramento, CA 95815 | You | **$200** |
| 2 | The board reviews your application and deems you **eligible** | DHBC | — |
| 3 | The DHBC notifies PSI; PSI mails you a scheduling notice | DHBC / PSI | — |
| 4 | Register and schedule at [test-takers.psiexams.com/cadhc](https://test-takers.psiexams.com/cadhc) | You | **$32.07** (non-refundable, non-transferable) |
| 5 | Sit the exam; results delivered on-site | You | — |
| 6 | License issues **after** DOJ and FBI background clearance — passing alone does not issue it | DHBC | — |

**The clock that matters: one year.** The CIB's words: "Your examination eligibility expires and your application is deemed abandoned if you fail to take the RDH written examination within one year after being deemed eligible." Miss the window and you start over — new application, new **$200**.

Two housekeeping rules from the CIB worth knowing before you pay: cancellations must reach PSI at least **2 days** before your appointment, and a no-show or late cancellation forfeits the **$32.07** fee.

One fee footnote for 2026: SB 861 (eff. 1/1/2026) restructured the statutory fee caps in BPC §1944. The DHBC's checklists still state **$200** as of July 2026; if the board opens a fee rulemaking, the number could change — confirm the current fee on the [DHBC applicant page](https://www.dhbc.ca.gov/applicants/rdh_clincial.shtml) before applying.

## Exam format and the test-center day: 60 items, 90 minutes
The exam is **60 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes**, computer-based, at a PSI test center. Of the 60, **50 are scored and 10 are unscored pretest items** — questions PSI is trialing for future forms. (The [CIB](https://www.dhbc.ca.gov/formspubs/candidate_handbook.pdf) itself hedges the pretest count as "five to ten" in one place and "10" on its sample-questions page; either way, pretest items do not count toward your score and are not flagged on screen, so answer everything as if it counts.)

What the CIB commits to about the day itself:

- **Up to 15 minutes of tutorial time** before the exam starts, not counted against your 90 minutes.
- **In-person only.** PSI administers this exam at roughly **22 California sites plus about 25 out-of-state sites** (Albuquerque, Atlanta, the Bronx, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Nashville, the Philadelphia area, and more). **No remote or online proctoring is offered** — a relocating or out-of-state candidate books the nearest center, not a webcam session.
- **English only.** The exam is not offered in other languages (2023 sunset review, p. 12).
- **Results on the spot.** Your result prints at the test center when you finish and is also transmitted to the DHBC. A pass does **not** issue your license — see [after you pass](#after-you-pass).

Pace math: 90 minutes for 60 items is **1.5 minutes per question** — generous for one-line recall items, tight for scenario items. Flag what you are unsure of and come back; the tutorial time does not eat into it.

## What the exam covers: the official 2025 outline, block by block
The current outline is dated **2025**, developed with the Department of Consumer Affairs' Office of Professional Examination Services (OPES) from an occupational analysis of practicing California hygienists. It spans **29 tasks and 61 knowledge statements** across three areas ([PSI CIB](https://www.dhbc.ca.gov/formspubs/candidate_handbook.pdf), outline pages):

| Block | Name | Weight | What it actually covers |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1A | Informed Consent and Patient Rights | **20%** | Consent for treatment, patient rights, capacity, minors |
| 1B | Patient Privacy and Protected Health Information | **9%** | HIPAA, California confidentiality rules, PHI handling, **telehealth privacy** |
| 1C | Limits to Confidentiality and Mandated Reporting | **6%** | Child, dependent-adult, and elder abuse reporting duties |
| **Area 1** | **Consent, Confidentiality, and Patient Privacy** | **35%** | |
| 2A | Scope of Practice, Professional Conduct, and License Requirements | **20%** | What an RDH may do under which supervision level, unprofessional conduct, licensing and renewal duties |
| 2B | Professional Practices | **15%** | Record-keeping, billing and fees, advertising rules |
| **Area 2** | **Standards for Professional Dental Hygiene Practice** | **35%** | |
| 3A | Obligation to the Patient | **20%** | Duty of care, patient-first obligations, referral duties |
| 3B | Obligations within the Professional Role | **10%** | Conflicts of interest, practitioner impairment, colleague misconduct |
| **Area 3** | **Obligation to the Patient and Professional Role** | **30%** | |

Study-strategy read: **1A + 2A + 3A alone are 60% of the exam** — consent, scope-and-supervision, and duty to the patient. If your time is short, master those three 20% blocks before anything else.

One warning about older materials: the outline **changed in 2025**. Prep keyed to the previous outline's framing and weights describes an exam that no longer exists — treat any resource that does not reference the 2025 areas above as stale.

## What to study: the official (free) reading list, and how scope maps to Area 2
The CIB names exactly three references this exam is written from, and the main one is free:

1. **The [2025 DHBC Laws and Regulations book](https://www.dhbc.ca.gov/lawsregs/new_dhbc_2025_laws_and_regulations_book.pdf)** — the board's own compilation of the Dental Hygiene Practice Act and 16 CCR Division 11. This is the de-facto official study text, it costs **$0**, and — said plainly — **it can genuinely be enough to pass**. The costs are your time (it is raw statute and regulation, not a course) and the absence of practice questions or any signal about what changed recently.
2. **The [CDHA Code of Ethics](https://www.cdha.org/)** (California Dental Hygienists' Association).
3. **The [ADHA Code of Ethics](https://www.adha.org/)** (American Dental Hygienists' Association).

That is the entire official list. No board-affiliated prep course exists. Third-party question banks and PDF "dumps" circulate; anything sold as *actual* exam questions is a red flag — obtaining or sharing live exam content is exam subversion under **BPC §123**, which is printed in the PSI bulletin itself and can cost you the license you are studying for.

**How the law maps to the outline.** Area 2's 35% lives mostly in one run of statutes — the RDH scope block, **BPC §§1907–1915**. Learn it as a supervision ladder:

| Supervision level | What an RDH may do | Statute |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Direct supervision** (dentist physically present) | The trio: **soft-tissue curettage, local anesthesia, nitrous oxide–oxygen** | §1909 |
| **General supervision** (dentist's order, not presence) | The standard duty set; general supervision is also the **default** where nothing else is specified | §§1910, 1912 |
| Dental-office and public-health/telehealth settings | **Determining which radiographs to perform** and placing **interim therapeutic restorations** | §1910.5 |
| **No supervision** | Specified services in specified public-health settings | §1911 |
| No supervision | **Fluoride varnish** under a prescription | §1911.5 |

Add the practice definition and its exclusions (**§1908** — including that an RDH cannot prescribe), and you have the skeleton the scope questions hang on. Area 1 and Area 3 draw on the consent, privacy, mandated-reporting, and unprofessional-conduct material in the same laws book, plus the two ethics codes.

## How hard is it, really? What the pass-rate data says
Most candidates pass: the published pass rates run **80–89%** across the four most recent reported years. The only published source is the Legislature's [2023 sunset review of the DHBC](https://abp.assembly.ca.gov/sites/abp.assembly.ca.gov/files/3-16%203.%20Dental%20Hygiene%20Board%20-%20Sunset%20Background%20Paper%20(2023).pdf) (pp. 12–13):

| Fiscal year | RDH candidates | RDH pass rate | RDHAP candidates | RDHAP pass rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2018–19 | 988 | **82%** | 53 | 82% |
| 2019–20 | 811 | **80%** | 39 | 69% |
| 2020–21 | 917 | **89%** | 97 | 81% |
| 2021–22 | 895 | **85%** | 95 | 66% |

Two honest readings of that table. First, this is a passable exam — four of five candidates clear it, and the free official laws book plus the two ethics codes cover everything it tests. Second, **roughly one candidate in six or seven still fails a sitting**, and the failure modes are predictable: studying the *dentist* exam's rules (a different board, different scope statutes, different scoring), studying pre-2024 materials that miss the [recent law changes](#what-changed), or underestimating the scenario items in the ethics blocks. Note also the RDHAP column: smaller cohorts and **lower, more volatile pass rates** (66–82%) — the alternative-practice exam is not the formality its sibling's numbers might suggest.

The board has published nothing newer; the next sunset review is due before **January 1, 2028**. The exam is offered in **English only**, which the sunset paper notes explicitly — if English is not your first language, budget the 90 minutes accordingly.

A fail costs **$32.07** plus rescheduling time — the mechanics are in [the retake section](#if-you-fail). The rational prep play is not maximum spend; it is making sure what you study is **current and written for this exam**.

## What changed in 2024–2026 (where old prep fails you)
California rewrote a meaningful amount of testable hygiene law in the last two years. If your study source predates these, it will teach answers that are now wrong:

| Topic | What old materials say | The current rule | Authority |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Clinical exam | Every RDH applicant needs a WREB/ADEX/CRDTS score | **CA-program graduates applying within 3 years of graduation need no clinical exam** | AB 1257 (Ch. 677, Stats. 2023), BPC §1917(b)(2), eff. 1/1/2024 |
| BLS | Course requirement varies | **BLS certification is a statutory licensure requirement** | BPC §1917(g) (AB 1257) |
| Exam outline | Pre-2025 outline framing | **New 2025 outlines** for both RDH (35/35/30) and RDHAP (30/40/30) | PSI CIBs, 2025 outlines |
| RDHAP in a DHPSA | Losing the shortage-area designation ends the practice | An RDHAP **may continue practicing if the DHPSA certification is removed**, giving patients an annual list of area dentists | SB 1451 (Ch. 481, Stats. 2024), BPC §1926, eff. 1/1/2025 |
| Mobile clinics | No dedicated regs | **Mobile dental hygiene clinic regulations effective 1/1/2025** | 16 CCR §1116 et seq.; BPC §§1926.1–1926.2 |
| Military spouses | No temporary-license route | Temporary licensure reg effective 4/1/2024 — and it **requires this exam** | 16 CCR §1114(b)(3) |
| Renewal fee | $160 biennial | **$300** biennial (since July 1, 2022; delinquency $150) | 2023 sunset review, p. 8 |
| Fee caps | Combined $250 application cap | Restructured caps: application ≤$100, initial licensure ≤$150, renewal ≤$500 — watch for a DHBC fee rulemaking | SB 861 (Ch. 592, Stats. 2025), BPC §1944, eff. 1/1/2026 |

One cross-contamination trap deserves its own paragraph: **SB 607's expanded opioid-counseling duty is dentist-exam material, not RDH-exam material.** It applies to prescribers, and an RDH **cannot prescribe** (BPC §1908(b)(4)). Prep that imports dentist prescribing duties — CURES, opioid counseling, controlled-substance rules — into RDH study materials is teaching you the wrong exam.

Dentovio tracks these on a running [what-changed hub](/what-changed), and [The Dental Pulse](/newsletter) sends a short note when a California dental or hygiene law change affects an exam.

## The RDHAP exam: same format, different outline
Applying in Alternative Practice? The RDHAP Laws and Ethics Written Examination (required by **BPC §1922**) is a **separate exam with its own [PSI Candidate Information Bulletin](https://test-takers.psiexams.com/api/content/bulletin/1670)** — same 60 items, 90 minutes, **75%** minimum, and **$32.07** PSI fee, but a different 2025 content outline:

| Area | RDH exam | RDHAP exam |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 — Consent, Confidentiality, and Patient Privacy | 35% | **30%** |
| 2 — Standards for Professional Dental Hygiene **Alternative** Practice | 35% | **40%** (2A 15%, **2B Alternative Practices Standards 10%**, 2C Professional Practices 15% incl. third-party claims) |
| 3 — Obligation to the Patient and Professional Role | 30% | **30%** |

The 2B block is the RDHAP-specific material: **written prescriptions, mobile and portable clinics, nontraditional practice settings, and hiring**. Behind it sits the RDHAP statute block, BPC **§§1922, 1925–1931**: authorized settings including residences of the homebound, schools, residential facilities, shortage areas, and dental offices (**§1926**); the documented-dentist-consultation requirement for curettage and local anesthesia (**§1926.01**); the **18-month rule** and the prescription valid **no more than 2 years** (**§1931**); and the required relationship with a dentist (**§1930**).

Remember the pass-rate table above: RDHAP cohorts are small and rates dipped as low as **66%** — proportionally more RDHAP candidates fail than RDH candidates. The 40% alternative-practice area is exactly the material a standard RDH study pass never touches, which is the most plausible reason. Study the RDHAP CIB's own outline, not the RDH one.

## If you fail: fees, the missing waiting period, and the 1-year window
A failed sitting is recoverable and cheap by licensing-exam standards. What the primary sources establish:

1. **You get a failed score report at the test center**, along with an application to retake the examination ([CIB](https://www.dhbc.ca.gov/formspubs/candidate_handbook.pdf), p. 8).
2. **PSI charges $32.07 for every registration** — the CIB's words: "whether you are taking the examination for the first time or repeating."
3. **No waiting period exists in regulation.** We read 16 CCR Division 11, Article 6 in full: no section imposes a wait between attempts on the written exam (§1127's appeal rules cover the clinical exam only). Any "90-day wait" you see in search results belongs to the Board of Behavioral Sciences exam.
4. **Your 1-year eligibility window keeps running.** All attempts must fit inside the year after you are deemed eligible, or the application is abandoned and you restart with a new **$200** application.

One honest gap: the DHBC does not publish the mechanics of the retake application itself — whether a board fee attaches or how long processing takes between attempts. Before you plan a quick turnaround, **confirm the retake steps with the DHBC directly** ([dhbc.ca.gov](https://www.dhbc.ca.gov/)); the only fee the bulletin itself guarantees you will pay again is PSI's **$32.07**.

Use the gap between attempts on the outline math: the failed score report shows your weaker areas, and the [2025 outline weights](#blueprint) tell you what each is worth. A candidate who failed on Area 2 material needs the [scope ladder](#what-to-study), not another full read of everything.

## After you pass: background clearance before a license number
Passing the exam does not issue your license. The result transmits to the DHBC, and the license issues only **after your DOJ and FBI criminal-history clearance comes back**. The board's own guidance: if you have passed and have no license after about **30 days**, contact the DHBC. (Ignore blog claims that the license goes active "within 24–72 hours of passing" — no primary source supports that.)

Once the number issues, the obligations that keep it alive — all testable Area 2A material, so you may as well retain them:

- **Renewal is biennial and costs $300** (raised from $160 on July 1, 2022 — a favorite stale-prep number). The delinquency fee is **$150**.
- **Continuing education: 25 hours every 2 years** (BPC §1936.1; 16 CCR §§1016–1017), including the mandatory courses in the **Dental Practice Act, infection control, and basic life support**.

Both live in the same [2025 laws book](https://www.dhbc.ca.gov/lawsregs/new_dhbc_2025_laws_and_regulations_book.pdf) you studied from, which is the last honest study tip on this page: the book that gets you through the exam is the same one that governs your first renewal cycle. Keep it.

## Dentist candidates: your exam has different rules — and a different guide
If you are a DDS/DMD licensure candidate, almost nothing on this page applies to you. Your exam is the **California Dental Law and Ethics Examination** run by the **Dental Board of California** — a different board, with **no published question count, no fixed 75% rule** (its passing score is criterion-referenced, set per test form), different fees, and a two-year eligibility window instead of one.

Read the dedicated guide instead: [How to Pass the California Dental Law and Ethics Exam in 2026](/guide/california-dentistry-law-ethics-exam/how-to-pass). And if you arrived here from a study resource that mixed the two exams' numbers, treat that as a signal about the rest of its content.

## Questions candidates actually ask

### Is the California RDH Law and Ethics Exam really 60 questions with a 75% passing score?

Yes — unlike the dentist exam, both numbers are real here. The PSI Candidate Information Bulletin states **60 questions in 90 minutes**, with **50 scored and 10 unscored pretest items** (the bulletin's own text hedges the pretest count as "five to ten" in one place). The **75% minimum passing score** is set by regulation, [16 CCR §1121(c)](https://www.dhbc.ca.gov/lawsregs/new_dhbc_2025_laws_and_regulations_book.pdf).

### Do out-of-state RDHs applying by credential have to take this exam?

Yes. Licensure by credential waives the **clinical** exam, but Business and Professions Code §1917.1(a)(4) still requires passing the California Law and Ethics examination. Every route into California hygiene licensure — initial, credential, RDHAP, faculty permits, even military-spouse temporary licenses — includes this exam.

### Is there a waiting period before retaking the exam?

No waiting period appears anywhere in the regulations — 16 CCR Division 11, Article 6 imposes none for the written exam (§1127's appeal rules apply to the clinical exam only). The "90-day wait" in some search results belongs to the Board of Behavioral Sciences exam. One caveat: the DHBC does not publish the retake application's processing mechanics, so confirm the steps with the board before planning a fast turnaround.

### How much does the exam cost in 2026?

**$200** to the Dental Hygiene Board for the application (per the [DHBC's own checklists](https://www.dhbc.ca.gov/formspubs/rdh_informational.pdf)) plus **$32.07** to PSI for each sitting — first attempt and retakes alike, non-refundable. The "$125 application fee" that circulates in AI answers does not appear in any DHBC document.

### Is the RDHAP Law and Ethics exam different from the RDH one?

Yes — same format (60 items, 90 minutes, 75%, $32.07) but a **separate exam with its own Candidate Information Bulletin and a different 2025 outline**: 30% consent/privacy, **40% standards for alternative practice** (including written prescriptions, mobile and portable clinics, and nontraditional settings), 30% obligations. RDHAP pass rates have also run lower (66–82% vs. 80–89%).

### Does the dentist Law and Ethics exam follow the same rules?

No — and this is the most common cross-contamination error in prep materials. The dentist exam is run by a different board (the Dental Board of California), publishes **no question count**, and uses a **criterion-referenced passing score set per test form — not 75%**. The 60-question/90-minute/75% facts are true only for the hygiene exams. Dentist candidates should read [the dentist-exam guide](/guide/california-dentistry-law-ethics-exam/how-to-pass).

### What is the pass rate?

Per the Legislature's 2023 sunset review of the DHBC — the only published source — RDH pass rates were **82%** (FY2018–19), **80%** (FY2019–20), **89%** (FY2020–21), and **85%** (FY2021–22), on cohorts of roughly 800–990 candidates a year. No newer figures have been published; the next sunset review is due before January 1, 2028.

### Can I take the exam remotely or outside California?

There is no remote or online proctoring — every sitting is in person at a PSI test center. PSI offers roughly **22 California sites and about 25 out-of-state sites** (Albuquerque, Atlanta, the Bronx, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Nashville, the Philadelphia area, and others), so out-of-state candidates can usually test near home.

### What should I study?

The Candidate Information Bulletin's reference list has exactly three items: the free [2025 DHBC Laws and Regulations book](https://www.dhbc.ca.gov/lawsregs/new_dhbc_2025_laws_and_regulations_book.pdf) (the de-facto official study text — it can genuinely be enough), the CDHA Code of Ethics, and the ADHA Code of Ethics. Weight your time by the 2025 outline: the three 20% blocks — informed consent, scope of practice, and obligation to the patient — are 60% of the exam.

### Do I get my license right after passing?

No. Results print at the PSI center and transmit to the DHBC, but the license issues only **after DOJ and FBI background clearance**. The board's guidance: contact the DHBC if you have no license about **30 days** after passing. Claims of a license going active "within 24–72 hours" have no primary source.

### What about the RDHEF exam?

It exists in statute and regulation (BPC §1918(c); 16 CCR §1121(a)), but the board states it **does not currently administer extended-functions examinations**, and the 2023 sunset review lists the RDHEF license as no longer issued. In practice, the RDHEF pathway is **not currently attainable**.

### Is the exam offered in languages other than English?

No — the exam is offered in **English only**, a fact the 2023 sunset review notes explicitly. There is no translated form and the CIB describes no language-assistance option, so non-native speakers should budget the 90 minutes with that in mind.

## Primary sources

- **H1** — [PSI Candidate Information Bulletin — RDH Laws and Ethics Written Examination (January 2026)](https://www.dhbc.ca.gov/formspubs/candidate_handbook.pdf)
- **H2** — [PSI Candidate Information Bulletin — RDHAP Laws and Ethics Written Examination](https://test-takers.psiexams.com/api/content/bulletin/1670)
- **H3** — [DHBC 2025 Laws and Regulations book (Dental Hygiene Practice Act + 16 CCR Division 11)](https://www.dhbc.ca.gov/lawsregs/new_dhbc_2025_laws_and_regulations_book.pdf)
- **H4** — [16 CCR §1121 — supplemental written examination in California law and ethics; 75% minimum passing score (in the DHBC laws book)](https://www.dhbc.ca.gov/lawsregs/new_dhbc_2025_laws_and_regulations_book.pdf)
- **H5** — [Business and Professions Code §1917 — RDH licensure requirements (leginfo)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=1917.)
- **H6** — [DHBC “How To Qualify for a RDH License” informational and application checklists ($200 fee, process flowchart)](https://www.dhbc.ca.gov/formspubs/rdh_informational.pdf)
- **H7** — [Joint Sunset Review Background Paper — Dental Hygiene Board of California (2023; pass rates, fees, English-only)](https://abp.assembly.ca.gov/sites/abp.assembly.ca.gov/files/3-16%203.%20Dental%20Hygiene%20Board%20-%20Sunset%20Background%20Paper%20(2023).pdf)