The Dentist Licensure Examination (DLE) is one of the most important professional board examinations for dental graduates. Conducted in multiple phases and examination cycles, it determines whether candidates are qualified to practice dentistry. Over the years, the pass rates and number of examinees have shown noticeable variations, reflecting changes in examination structure, candidate preparedness, and assessment methods.
This article presents a comprehensive statistical analysis of Dentist Licensure Examination results from 2010 to 2025, based on officially released data. It focuses on pass percentages, number of passers, total examinees, and long term trends.
Dentist Licensure Examination Pass Rate History (2010–2025)
| Name of the Examination | Year | Month | Passers | Total Candidates | Pass Percentage |
| Dentist Licensure Examination | 2010 | DECEMBER | 251 | 787 | 31.89% |
| Dental Technologists | 2010 | OCTOBER | 406 | without exam | No data |
| Dental Hygienists applicants | 2010 | OCTOBER | 60 | without exam | No data |
| Dentist Licensure Examination | 2010 | JUNE | 242 | 340 | 71.18% |
| Dentist Licensure Examination | 2011 | JUNE | 175 | 183 | 95.63% |
| Dentist Licensure Examination | 2012 | MAY | 157 | 511 | 30.72% |
| Dentist Licensure Examination ( Practical Phase) | 2012 | DECEMBER | 201 | 204 | 98.53% |
| Dental Technologist Licensure Examination | 2013 | DECEMBER | 15 | 26 | 57.69% |
| Dentist Licensure Examination (Practical Phase) | 2013 | MAY | 254 | 266 | 95.49% |
| Dental Hygienist Licensure Examination | 2013 | JULY | 38 | 51 | 74.51% |
| Dental Technologist Licensure Examination | 2013 | DECEMBER | 23 | 29 | 79.31% |
| Dental Hygienist Licensure Examination | 2014 | JUNE | 29 | 50 | 58.00% |
| Dentist Licensure Examination (Practical Phase) | 2014 | JUNE | 245 | 249 | 98.39% |
| Dental Technologist Licensure Examination | 2014 | DECEMBER | 8 | 13 | 61.54% |
| Dental Hygienist Licensure Examination | 2015 | JUNE | 32 | 53 | 60.38% |
| Dentist Licensure Examination (Practical Phase) | 2015 | JUNE | 294 | 295 | 99.66% |
| Dental Technologist Licensure Examination | 2015 | DECEMBER | 9 | 41 | 21.95% |
| Dentist Licensure Examination (Practical Phase) | 2016 | JANUARY | 425 | 449 | 94.65% |
| Dental Hygienist Licensure Examination | 2016 | JUNE | 34 | 40 | 85.00% |
| Dentist Licensure Examination | 2016 | SEPTEMBER | 7 | 29 | 24.14% |
| Dental Technologist Licensure Examination | 2016 | DECEMBER | 41 | 48 | 85.42% |
| Dentist Licensure Examination (Practical Phase) | 2017 | JANUARY | 609 | 613 | 99.35% |
| Dental Hygienist Licensure Examination | 2017 | JUNE | 36 | 47 | 76.60% |
| Dentist Licensure Examination (Practical Phase) | 2017 | MAY | 394 | 402 | 98.01% |
| Dental Technologist Licensure Examination | 2017 | DECEMBER | 52 | 63 | 82.54% |
| Dentist Licensure Examination | 2018 | JANUARY | 762 | 1,484 | 51.35% |
| Dental Hygienist Licensure Examination | 2018 | JUNE | 26 | 38 | 68.42% |
| Dentist Licensure Examination (Practical Phase) | 2018 | MAY | 509 | 521 | 97.70% |
| Dental Hygienist Licensure Examination | 2019 | JUNE | 19 | 29 | 65.52% |
| Dentist Licensure Examination (Written Phase) | 2019 | MAY | 461 | 1,077 | 42.80% |
| Dentist Licensure Examination (Practical Phase) | 2019 | MAY | 427 | 580 | 73.62% |
| Dentist Licensure Examination (Practical Phase) | 2019 | DECEMBER | 541 | 687 | 78.75% |
| Dental Technologist Licensure Examination | 2019 | DECEMBER | 6 | 76 | 7.89% |
| Dentist Licensure Examination | 2022 | NOVEMBER | 1,431 | 2,341 | 61.13% |
| Dental Technologist Licensure Examination | 2022 | DECEMBER | 10 | 16 | 62.50% |
| Dental Technologists Licensure Examination | 2024 | DECEMBER | 48 | 58 | 82.76% |
| Dental Hygienists Computer-Based Licensure Examination | 2025 | MAY | 61 | 73 | 83.56% |
| Dental Technologists Computer-Based Licensure Examination | 2025 | DECEMBER | 101 | 118 | 85.59% |
General Pass Rate Trends
From 2010 to 2025, Dentist Licensure Examination pass rates varied widely:
Lowest recorded pass rate:
| Examination | Year | Month | Passers | Total | Pass Percentage |
| Dental Technologist Licensure Examination | 2019 | December | 6 | 76 | 7.89% |
Highest recorded pass rates:
Practical phase examinations, many exceeding 98%, with peaks above 99%
| Examination | Year | Month | Passers | Total | Pass Percentage |
| Dentist Licensure Examination (Practical Phase) | 2015 | june | 294 | 295 | 99.66% |
Largest examination volume:
November 2022 – 2,341 examinees, with 1,431 passers (61.13%)
Trend Patterns and Observations
Extreme Variability
The data show sharp contrasts between examination cycles, with pass percentages jumping from below 25% to above 95% in different periods. This confirms that the Dentist Licensure Examination is not uniformly predictable year to year.
Presence of Very High Success Cycles
Multiple cycles achieved pass percentages above 98%, indicating periods of high candidate readiness or assessment alignment, often linked with practical examinations.
Highest vs Lowest: Quick Comparison
| Category | Pass Percentage |
| Highest Recorded | 99.66% |
| Lowest Recorded | 7.89% |
| Difference | 91.77 |
