PassADC is an online study platform for the Australian Dental Council (ADC) Part 1 written exam. It includes 1,390 verified MCQs across all 10 subjects, 87 lessons, 33 OSCE clinical case walkthroughs, 3 full-length timed readiness trials and a 24/7 AI tutor - built for overseas-trained dentists.

How much does PassADC cost?

There's a free tier with all 87 lessons, 50 practice MCQs per day and one full 140-question readiness trial. Pro costs $49 AUD/month or $199 AUD per 6 months (about $33/month). Subscriptions cancel anytime and come with a 7-day money-back guarantee.

Does PassADC include full-length ADC-style mock exams?

Yes. PassADC includes 3 Practice-Readiness Trials that mirror the real ADC Part 1 format: 140 questions, a 4-hour timer and official blueprint subject weighting, with a full answer review after submission. Trial 1 is free.

What happens if I don't pass the ADC Part 1?

Members who complete the program and don't pass receive free Pro access until their next attempt - no forms, no questions.

How is PassADC different from cohort coaching courses?

There are no enrolment dates or cohorts to wait for - you start immediately, pay a fraction of the typical ~US$1,050 cohort price, and get a 24/7 AI tutor that explains any question in plain English instead of scheduled Zoom calls.

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ADC Part 1 Community Dentistry: High-Yield Topics, Example Questions & Study Tips

Community Dentistry carries roughly 4% of the ADC Part 1 written exam - ≈11 of 280 questions. Below: the high-yield topics to master, the classic traps that cost candidates marks, an ADC-style example question, and how to study this subject efficiently.

High-yield topics for Community Dentistry

Topic	What to focus on
Epidemiology indices	DMFT/dmft, CPI, what each measures and their limitations
Water fluoridation	optimal ~1 ppm, population-level evidence, ethics arguments both ways
Study designs	cohort vs case-control vs RCT - identify the design from a vignette
Screening principles	sensitivity vs specificity, PPV, Wilson & Jungner criteria
Health promotion	upstream vs downstream, common risk factor approach
Australian dental system basics	public vs private care, who accesses public dental services
Consent & ethics	valid consent elements, capacity, mandatory reporting concepts

Common areas candidates struggle with

Study design identification from vignettes (cohort vs case-control vs RCT vs cross-sectional)
Sensitivity vs specificity vs PPV vs NPV - and calculating each from a 2×2 table
DMFT vs DMFS vs CPI - what each measures and its limitations
Australian public dental care eligibility - who accesses public services
Valid consent components and capacity assessment principles

Classic exam traps

Mixing up sensitivity (disease detected) with specificity (healthy correctly cleared)
DMFT counts teeth, DMFS counts surfaces - vignettes swap them deliberately
Calling a case-control study a cohort because it 'follows people' - direction of inquiry decides

Example ADC-style question

Question

A researcher recruits 500 patients recently diagnosed with oral cancer and 500 age-matched patients without oral cancer, then asks both groups about their historical smoking and alcohol habits. What type of study is this?

Prospective cohort study
Retrospective cohort study
Case-control study
Randomised controlled trial

Answer: C

Cases (patients with the disease) and controls (patients without) are selected first and then exposure history is assessed - this is the hallmark direction of enquiry of a case-control study. A cohort study starts with exposed and unexposed groups and follows them forward (prospective) or backward (retrospective) for outcomes.

This is one worked example. There are hundreds more scenario-based community dentistry MCQs inside the PassADC question bank - with per-option explanations on the ones that matter most.

Key concepts to revise

Study design identification (cohort vs case-control vs RCT vs cross-sectional)
Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV - 2×2 table calculations
DMFT vs DMFS vs CPI
Water fluoridation - evidence and ethical arguments
Valid consent elements
Wilson & Jungner screening criteria
Common risk factor approach in health promotion

How to study Community Dentistry for the ADC Part 1

Lowest weighting - don't over-invest; one solid pass through indices + study designs covers most questions
Practise 2×2 table calculations until sensitivity/specificity/PPV take seconds

How to test your readiness in Community Dentistry

The exam tests this subject through clinical vignettes, so practise it the same way - scenario-based MCQs with explanations, not isolated fact recall. The fastest way to know whether community dentistry is a strength or a gap is to take a diagnostic across all 10 subjects and compare your accuracy in this subject against the exam weighting.

Once you know where you stand, target the weak areas above with daily practice, review every wrong answer's explanation the same day, and sit at least two full-length timed mocks before booking the real exam.

Want to see whether community dentistry is actually one of your weak areas?

6 ADC-style questions across the top subjects. Free, instant, no credit card.

Check my ADC readiness

Related ADC Part 1 resources

Start with the ADC Part 1 preparation hub, plan the next 8 weeks with the study guide, or drill more community dentistry MCQs in the question bank. Also see the full ADC Part 1 exam format guide and how to pass ADC Part 1.

Frequently asked questions

How is a case-control study different from a cohort study?

Case-control starts with people who have the disease (cases) and people who don't (controls), then looks backwards at exposure - direction of enquiry is disease → exposure. Cohort starts with exposed and unexposed groups and follows them forward (or in retrospective cohorts, uses historical data) for outcomes - exposure → disease.

What is the difference between DMFT and DMFS?

DMFT counts decayed, missing and filled teeth (unit = tooth). DMFS counts decayed, missing and filled surfaces (unit = surface). DMFS is more sensitive to small changes because a single tooth can contribute multiple surfaces. ADC vignettes commonly swap them deliberately.

What is sensitivity vs specificity?

Sensitivity is the proportion of people with the disease correctly identified by a test (true positive rate). Specificity is the proportion of people without the disease correctly identified as disease-free (true negative rate). High sensitivity minimises false negatives; high specificity minimises false positives.

What percentage of the ADC Part 1 is community dentistry?

Approximately 4% - about 11 of 280 questions. It's the lowest-weighted subject, so most candidates cover indices + study designs + basic ethics and move on.

Where do you actually stand?

30 questions weighted to the official ADC blueprint. Free, instant, no credit card.

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A week-by-week ADC written exam study plan for working dentists: diagnose weaknesses, master high-weight subjects, and rehearse full exam days.

PassADC is an independent study platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Australian Dental Council. Exam details change - always confirm current format and fees at adc.org.au.