# INBDE Day 2: The 140-Question Case Day, Explained

URL: https://dentovio.com/inbde/day-2

Day 2 of the INBDE is 140 case-based questions in a 4-hour-15-minute session. Structure, per the 2026 JCNDE Candidate Guide:

| Day 2 block | Questions | Time |
| --- | --- | ---: |
| Section 5 — case-based questions | 70 | 105 min |
| Scheduled break | — | 15 min |
| Section 6 — case-based questions | 70 | 105 min |
| Optional post-exam survey | — | 15 min |

## Key format facts

- Every Day 2 question is case-based and framed by the **Patient Box** — the on-screen panel of patient-visit information, not a physical box. A blank field means the information is unknown or not available (the Guide's example: no allergies listed means none are known), and candidates must consider everything the box shows.
- Pacing: 105 minutes per 70-question section is **90 seconds per question on average**, chart-reading time included — tighter than Day 1's case section (105 min for 60 case questions, 105 seconds each). Day 1 standalone sections average 63 seconds per question.
- Day 2 must occur **within 7 days of Day 1, at the same test center**; otherwise the candidate retests at their own expense.
- Across the whole 500-question exam, 200 questions are case-based: 60 in Day 1's Section 4 and 140 on Day 2.
- Scoring is one overall scaled score across both days — there is no separate Day 2 pass mark and no penalty for guessing. Some questions are unscored experimental items indistinguishable from scored ones.
- Outside the one scheduled break, unscheduled-break rules prohibit locker access, eating, drinking, and leaving the center.

## Training guidance (Dentovio strategy, not JCNDE advice)

Rehearse the format at length, not just the content: timed case blocks at 90 seconds per question, then full 70-question sections in 105 minutes, then at least one full dress rehearsal of both sections with the single 15-minute break. Chart-first and question-first reading orders are both workable — test each under a timer and keep whichever holds accuracy.

## Related public resources

- [INBDE Day 2 guide (full text)](https://dentovio.com/inbde/day-2)
- [How to pass the INBDE](https://dentovio.com/inbde/how-to-pass/index.html.md)
- [Free INBDE practice test with Patient Box items](https://dentovio.com/inbde/free-practice-test/index.html.md)
- [INBDE study schedules](https://dentovio.com/inbde/study-schedule/index.html.md)

Last verified: 2026-08-09.

Dentovio is an independent publisher and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the JCNDE or ADA. INBDE® is a registered trademark of the American Dental Association. This material is educational only; confirm examination requirements with the responsible organization. This page covers exam structure and test-taking strategy only — no clinical content — and it makes no reviewer claim.