CCE Practice Test

The CCE (Certified Ceramist) is taken by dental laboratory technicians who want to be certified in ceramics through the National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology. This page gives you free practice sets for each content area, worked answers to sample questions, the delivery, fee and retake facts, and a study plan.

CCE Exam at a Glance

What the CCE is and how it works

According to National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology, “Be a high school graduate (or the documented equivalent)”^[1]

The CCE credential is offered by the National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology and covers ceramics work in the dental laboratory. Candidates must be a high school graduate or hold the documented equivalent.

The exams can be taken in any order, and all of them must be passed within 4 years of the date the first exam was passed.

The Practical exam costs $650. It can be taken remotely at a dental laboratory of your choice, supervised by the proctoring service MonitorEDU. Practical windows run in Jan, Mar, May, Jul, Sep and Nov, from the first day of the month through the last.

The written exams are computer-based with remote proctoring. The general written exam costs $275, and the Written Specialty exam in Ceramics costs $275 per attempt. Written windows run from the first day of each month through the last day.

Applications are due on the 20th of the month before the testing window you want. If an exam is not passed on the first attempt, you must submit a new application and fee before retaking it.

We have not verified passing scores, question counts or time limits, so this page does not state them. Check the National Board's page at nbccert.org/become-a-cdt for those details and for any fee changes.

CCE content outline and where to practise each area

The content areas below are copied from the official CCE content outline published by National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology. The right-hand column shows which of our practice sets covers it.

Worked examples: how to reason through CCE questions

These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.

Example 1

Question: What is the PRIMARY purpose of obtaining CCE certification in Certified Computer Examiner?

1. To satisfy a personal achievement goal
2. To demonstrate verified competency and adherence to professional standards
3. To guarantee employment
4. To bypass educational requirements

Answer: B. To demonstrate verified competency and adherence to professional standards

Explanation:

The correct answer is that certification demonstrates verified competency and adherence to professional standards. That is what a credential is for: an outside body confirms that you meet a defined standard.

Personal achievement may be a fine motive, but it is not the primary purpose of the credential. Guaranteeing employment is wrong because no certification can promise a job. Bypassing educational requirements is wrong because certification generally builds on requirements rather than replacing them.

The question's wording refers to Certified Computer Examiner, a different credential from the ceramist exam, so treat it as general reasoning about certification. The rule to remember: when asked why a credential exists, pick the answer about verified competence and standards, and reject answers that promise outcomes.

Example 2

Question: What is the MOST important reason for Certified Computer Examiner professionals to maintain continuing education?

1. To increase billing rates
2. To stay current with evolving standards, practices, and regulations
3. To satisfy employer preferences
4. To accumulate credentials for prestige

Answer: B. To stay current with evolving standards, practices, and regulations

Explanation:

The correct answer is to stay current with evolving standards, practices and regulations. Continuing education exists so that a professional's knowledge does not fall behind the field.

Increasing billing rates is a possible side effect, not the reason. Satisfying employer preferences may happen along the way, but it is not the most important reason. Accumulating credentials for prestige is about appearance rather than competence.

As with the previous sample, the wording refers to Certified Computer Examiner, so read it as a general professional-practice question. The rule to remember: when several options sound plausible, choose the one that serves the quality of the work and the people relying on it, not the one that benefits the professional's status or income.

Example 3

Question: Which finishing method is preferred to achieve the highest surface smoothness on feldspathic porcelain before glazing?

1. Coarse diamond bur adjustment followed by direct glazing
2. Sequential polishing with decreasing grit silicone points and diamond pastes
3. Sandblasting with 50 µm alumina
4. Acid etching with hydrofluoric acid

Answer: B. Sequential polishing with decreasing grit silicone points and diamond pastes

Explanation:

The correct answer is sequential polishing with decreasing grit silicone points and diamond pastes. Each step removes the scratches left by the step before it, so the surface gets smoother before the glaze firing.

Coarse diamond bur adjustment followed by direct glazing leaves deep scratches that the glaze may not hide. Sandblasting with 50 µm alumina roughens the surface, which is the opposite of what is wanted here. Acid etching with hydrofluoric acid is used to create a retentive surface for bonding, not to smooth a surface, and it is hazardous.

The rule to remember: for a smooth ceramic surface, move through progressively finer abrasives, and do not use techniques meant to roughen.

How to use these practice tests

Start with the official material. Read the National Board's page at nbccert.org/become-a-cdt so you know the application deadline, your testing window and the fees before you plan anything else.

Then take CCE Fundamentals & Core Concepts as a baseline and note which areas feel weakest. Work through the content-area sets next, giving the most time to your weakest ones: Preliminary & Diagnostic Work Up, Substructure for Ceramics, and Ceramic Application & Contouring. Add Color Science & Shade Matching, Firing Protocols & Kiln Management and Finishing & Surface Characterization for practical detail.

After each set, read the explanation for every question you missed and write down the rule behind it in your own words. Retake a set only after a few days, so you are recalling rather than recognising answers.

Because the Practical exam is done at a lab of your choice, spend bench time on the steps you have been reading about. Our questions are written by us and are not real exam questions, so use them to find gaps rather than to predict the test.

Sources & last verified

1. National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology — exam fee, retake policy, validity, delivery (official source). “Practical examination: $650” Verified Oct 25, 2026 · source checked Oct 21, 2026.
2. National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology — other (official source). “ceramic application & contouring” Verified Oct 28, 2026.

How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.