NDEB · AFK
AFK prep in Canada, calibrated to the NDEB style.
Lumen's AFK preparation is built on three pillars: a question bank calibrated to the NDEB Released Item Bank style, full-length timed mocks that mirror the AFK blueprint, and a weak-topic dashboard that tells you what to study next. No theatre, no padding, no bundled video courses you will not watch.
Items in bank
900+
Full-length mocks
3
Domains
12
Free diagnostic
20 Q
01 — The approach
Calibrate, mock, review, repeat.
Most AFK prep tools throw a giant question bank at you and call it a day. The signal in the AFK isn't volume — it's calibration. A bank that drifts harder than the real exam wastes weeks of your prep cycle on questions you will never see. A bank that drifts easier hides gaps that cost you marks on the day. We tune our items against the published Released Item Bank style, not against an inflated difficulty curve.
- Calibrate. Sit the free diagnostic cold. The 20-item topic breakdown becomes the map for everything that follows.
- Mock. One full-length timed mock per week, under exam conditions. No pausing, no checking notes, no second-passes.
- Review. Walk every miss with the rationale, write the why in your own words, and bookmark the items that exposed concept gaps.
- Repeat. Drill the bottom two topics from the dashboard until they ranks move. Then re-mock.
02 — Topic coverage
Twelve domains, mapped to the NDEB blueprint.
We mirror the AFK competency document directly. Every item in the bank carries a topic tag and a sub-topic tag, which is what lets the dashboard surface the gaps that compound on exam day. Approximate item counts as of the current build — the bank grows weekly.
Biomedical sciences
149+
Anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology, pathology
Pharmacology
108+
Common drug classes, contraindications, dental-relevant interactions
Operative dentistry
96+
Caries management, restorative materials, isolation
Endodontics
82+
Diagnosis, access, instrumentation, obturation
Periodontics
78+
Diagnosis, classification, non-surgical and surgical therapy
Prosthodontics
74+
Fixed, removable, and implant-supported prostheses
Oral surgery
68+
Extractions, complications, medical considerations
Pediatric dentistry
61+
Behaviour management, pulp therapy, growth and development
Orthodontics
54+
Diagnosis, classification, mechanics fundamentals
Oral medicine and radiology
62+
Lesions, differential diagnosis, imaging interpretation
Public health and behavioural sciences
48+
Epidemiology, communication, ethics, professionalism
Dental materials
44+
Composites, ceramics, alloys, bonding systems
03 — What you get
Tools that move your score.
Mocks
Full-length, timed, blueprinted
Three full 150-item mocks structured against the published AFK domain weights. Pause-disabled, exam-style timer, deferred review.
Topic practice
By domain, by sub-topic
Drill any of the twelve domains in 10/20/30-item slices. Sub-topic filters narrow the loop further when a gap shows.
Dashboard
Weak-topic ranking
Live ranking of your weakest domains across all sessions. The bottom two are always the highest-leverage hour of study.
Rationales
Right and wrong, explained
Every item carries a rationale for the correct answer plus a per-distractor explanation, with citations to standard references.
04 — Editorial method
Lumen's bank is calibrated to NDEB Released Item Bank style.
Every Lumen item is written against the published NDEB AFK competency document. Each one is reviewed by a licensed clinician for clinical accuracy before it reaches you, and the stem-and-options structure mirrors the released NDEB sample items — short clinical anchors, single best answer, four to five options, distractors that punish surface-level recall. We do not use recalled exam content. We do not pretend to be the NDEB. What we do is build practice that feels indistinguishable on the page.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- What is the AFK exam?
- The AFK (Assessment of Fundamental Knowledge) is a 150-item, computer-based multiple-choice exam administered by the NDEB. It is the first stage of the Canadian equivalency process for internationally trained dentists.
- How is Lumen's bank calibrated?
- Every Lumen item is written against the published NDEB AFK competency document and reviewed by a licensed clinician. We mirror the official Released Item Bank style — short clinical stems, single best answer, four to five options — without using recalled exam content.
- How long should I prepare for the AFK?
- Most candidates run 8 to 12 weeks of focused prep. The candidates who pass first time tend to start with a cold diagnostic, then spend weeks 2 to 6 on content sweep and weeks 7 to 12 on timed mocks plus weak-topic loops.
- Can I prepare for the AFK from outside Canada?
- Yes. The AFK is delivered at Pearson VUE centres worldwide on published windows. You do not need to be in Canada for the AFK or the ACJ — only the ACS requires travel to Ottawa.
- Do I need a paid plan to start?
- No. The 20-question diagnostic and topic samples are free. You only need a paid plan for full-length mocks, the per-topic question bank, and the weak-topic dashboard.
- What pass rate should I aim for in mocks?
- A consistent 70%+ on full-length, timed Lumen mocks, with no single topic below 60%, is a reasonable readiness signal. Two consecutive mocks above that threshold tend to correlate with first-time AFK passes.
Start now
Twenty questions. Free. No card.
The 20-question diagnostic gives you a topic-level read on your current AFK readiness in about fifteen minutes. The score is not the point — the topic ranking is.
Independent study tool. Not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by the National Dental Examining Board of Canada. AFK is a trademark of its respective owner. We do not promise passing scores.