A 25-year-old has a deep occlusal carious lesion in tooth 36 reaching the inner quarter of dentine radiographically. The tooth is asymptomatic and responds normally to cold. What is the recommended caries removal strategy?

Selective removal to soft dentine over the pulp

Non-selective removal to hard dentine

Stepwise removal with re-entry at 1 week

Pulpotomy followed by restoration

A monolithic zirconia crown is to be adhesively cemented. Which intaglio surface treatment is most appropriate?

Alumina air abrasion then MDP-containing primer

Hydrofluoric acid etching then silane

Phosphoric acid etching then silane

Why do high-copper dental amalgams show better marginal integrity and corrosion resistance than low-copper alloys?

They largely eliminate the weak gamma-2 phase

They contain no free mercury once set

They bond chemically to enamel and dentine

They show marked expansion during setting

When placing a composite with a universal adhesive in self-etch mode, which step most improves bond durability to uncut enamel margins?

Selective phosphoric acid etching of enamel

Applying a second layer of adhesive only

Using a higher curing light intensity

Free DHA Restorative Dentistry mock test

12 original exam-style questions from our Restorative Dentistry bank, timed at the exam’s own pace, scored against the 60% DHA pass mark. They span 8 of the 9 blueprint domains, so you will see exactly where you are weakest - free, no sign-up.

Free diagnosticNo sign-up · no email · results instantly

Sit 12 original exam-style questions at real exam pace

These are 12 original questions taken from our Restorative Dentistry bank, spread across 8 of the 9 domains of the published blueprint. You get 72 seconds per question, which is exactly the pace of the real RES5221 exam (14 minutes for 12). At the end you will see which domains you are weakest in, and the full worked reasoning for every question.

12: questions
14:24: time limit
60%: DHA pass mark

A short diagnostic cannot predict whether you will pass - only the real exam does that. It will show you, honestly, where you currently stand.

What the real Restorative Dentistry licensing exam looks like

Candidates for a Restorative Dentistry licence in the UAE sit a computer-based multiple-choice examination - DHA exam code RES5221, delivered through Prometric for DHA, MOHAP and SHA, and through Pearson VUE for DOH Abu Dhabi. The DHA pass mark is 60% (DHA CBT Guideline, Sep 2026); other authorities set their own, so confirm yours before booking. The result is reported to you as pass or fail only - your score is never released.

Pass marks at a glance: DHA exam codes and pass marks for all written exams in one sourced table.

The paper is built to a published blueprint, which is why a domain-by-domain diagnostic is more useful than a raw percentage. Your questions above were drawn from across Aesthetic Dentistry, Cariology and Minimally Invasive Dentistry, Implant Dentistry, Infection Control, Ethics and Patient Safety and 4 more - the same areas the real paper weights.

Before you can book the exam at all you need Dataflow primary source verification of your degree, licence and experience, which typically runs several weeks. Candidates routinely underestimate this and end up sitting the exam sooner after study than they planned. Check where you stand with our free eligibility checker or confirm whether your title even requires an exam using the Prometric exam checker.

You get three attempts in total across all UAE authorities - not three each - under the Unified Professional Qualification Requirements. At roughly AED 1,030 per attempt, plus the licensing delay each failure adds to your visa and start date, the cost of going in underprepared is not really the exam fee.

What is on the Restorative Dentistry exam: the full blueprint

The published blueprint splits into 9 domains and 55 testable sub-topics. The diagnostic above samples across them, which is why its breakdown maps onto the structure the real paper is built from.

Cariology and Minimally Invasive Dentistry~15%7 topics
Dental Materials and Adhesion~15%7 topics
Fixed Prosthodontics~15%7 topics
Removable Prosthodontics~12%6 topics
Implant Dentistry~10%6 topics
Occlusion, Tooth Wear and TMD~10%6 topics
Periodontal and Endodontic Considerations in Restoration~10%6 topics
Aesthetic Dentistry~8%5 topics
Infection Control, Ethics and Patient Safety~5%5 topics

Questions: 150 multiple-choice (DHA RES5221)
Duration: 3 hours, including registration
DHA pass mark: 60% - reported as pass or fail only

Figures for the DHA exam, from the DHA CBT Guideline, Sep 2026. DOH, MOHAP, SCFHS, QCHP, NHRA and OMSB set their own length, timing and pass mark. See the DHA exam guide and pass marks for every DHA exam.

A worked Restorative Dentistry exam question

Every question in the diagnostic and in the paid bank is written to this standard: a clinical stem, four plausible options and the reasoning for the answer, with its source.

Aesthetic Dentistry

When should shade selection be carried out for a single anterior crown?

AAfter rubber dam placement and preparation
BAt the start of the appointment before isolationCorrect
CAfter a long appointment when the teeth are dry
DOnly under the operating light

Why: Shade should be taken at the start of the appointment before isolation, because teeth dehydrate quickly and appear lighter and less translucent. Operating lights and dehydrated teeth both distort shade perception.

Source: Sturdevant's Art and Science of Operative Dentistry, 7th ed.

Restorative Dentistry sample questions with answers

4 more original exam-style Restorative Dentistry questions, worked in full. They are not real or recalled exam questions, and none of them is in the diagnostic above, so sit that first if you have not.

Question 1 · Cariology and Minimally Invasive Dentistry
A 25-year-old has a deep occlusal carious lesion in tooth 36 reaching the inner quarter of dentine radiographically. The tooth is asymptomatic and responds normally to cold. What is the recommended caries removal strategy?
1. ANon-selective removal to hard dentine
2. BSelective removal to soft dentine over the pulp
3. CStepwise removal with re-entry at 1 week
4. DPulpotomy followed by restoration
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Selective removal to soft dentine over the pulp
In deep lesions in vital, asymptomatic teeth, selective removal to soft dentine over the pulp with peripheral removal to hard dentine and a good seal reduces the risk of pulp exposure. Non-selective removal to hard dentine increases exposure risk without benefit.
Reference: International Caries Consensus Collaboration (ICCC) Recommendations 2016
Question 2 · Dental Materials and Adhesion
A monolithic zirconia crown is to be adhesively cemented. Which intaglio surface treatment is most appropriate?
1. AHydrofluoric acid etching then silane
2. BPhosphoric acid etching then silane
3. CAlumina air abrasion then MDP-containing primer
4. DPumice and water only
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Alumina air abrasion then MDP-containing primer
Zirconia is a polycrystalline ceramic with no glass phase, so hydrofluoric acid does not etch it; low-pressure alumina air abrasion and an MDP-containing primer give a durable chemical bond. Hydrofluoric acid etching with silane is the protocol for glass ceramics such as lithium disilicate.
Reference: Blatz MB et al. J Dent Res 2018 (resin bonding to high-strength ceramics)
Question 3 · Dental Materials and Adhesion
Why do high-copper dental amalgams show better marginal integrity and corrosion resistance than low-copper alloys?
1. AThey contain no free mercury once set
2. BThey largely eliminate the weak gamma-2 phase
3. CThey bond chemically to enamel and dentine
4. DThey show marked expansion during setting
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. They largely eliminate the weak gamma-2 phase
In high-copper amalgams copper reacts with tin, eliminating or greatly reducing the weak, corrosion-prone gamma-2 (Sn-Hg) phase. Amalgam does not bond chemically to tooth structure, and set amalgam still contains mercury in its phases.
Reference: Phillips' Science of Dental Materials, 13th ed.
Question 4 · Dental Materials and Adhesion
When placing a composite with a universal adhesive in self-etch mode, which step most improves bond durability to uncut enamel margins?
1. ASelective phosphoric acid etching of enamel
2. BApplying a second layer of adhesive only
3. CAir-drying dentine thoroughly
4. DUsing a higher curing light intensity
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Selective phosphoric acid etching of enamel
Mild self-etch adhesives etch uncut enamel poorly, so selective phosphoric acid etching of enamel improves enamel bond strength and marginal integrity. Desiccating dentine does not improve enamel bonding and may impair dentine bonding.
Reference: Van Meerbeek B et al. Dent Mater 2020 (adhesion review)

Last reviewed September 2026. About these questions: every item is original, written to the published blueprint, with a rationale and a reference, and no recalled or leaked exam content is used. How we write our questions.

How to use this diagnostic properly

1Sit it cold, once. Do not look anything up. A diagnostic you help yourself through tells you nothing. The number you get is only useful if it is honest.
2Read every rationale - especially the ones you got right. Getting a question right by elimination is not the same as knowing it. The worked reasoning is free above, whether or not you buy anything.
3Work weakest domain first. The breakdown orders your domains worst-first for exactly this reason. Studying what you are already good at feels productive and moves nothing.
4Re-sit under full exam conditions later. The real paper is far longer than this and stamina matters. Full-length timed papers are what the paid bank is for.

Frequently asked questions

Is this Restorative Dentistry mock exam really free?

Yes. All 12 questions, your score, the domain breakdown and the full worked answers are free, with no sign-up and no email required. The paid bank is a separate, much larger set of 450 questions.

Are these real Restorative Dentistry exam questions?

No. They are original questions written to the official Restorative Dentistry blueprint and drawn from our full bank - not leaked or recalled items, which would breach exam security and are frequently out of date. They follow the exam's format and domain weighting.

What is the pass mark for the Restorative Dentistry exam?

60% for the DHA Restorative Dentistry exam (RES5221), as published in the DHA CBT Guideline, Sep 2026. Other authorities set their own pass marks, so confirm yours before booking. DHA reports only pass or fail - your actual score is never released to you, which is why a diagnostic like this is useful for seeing where you stand.

Does passing this mock mean I will pass the real exam?

No, and we will not claim otherwise. 12 questions cannot predict a full-length paper. What it does reliably show is which blueprint domains you are currently weakest in.

How many attempts do I get at the real exam?

Three in total across all UAE authorities under the Unified Professional Qualification Requirements - not three per authority. Each attempt costs roughly AED 1,030.

What topics does the Restorative Dentistry exam cover?

The published blueprint splits into 9 domains covering 55 testable sub-topics: Cariology and Minimally Invasive Dentistry, Dental Materials and Adhesion, Fixed Prosthodontics, Removable Prosthodontics, Implant Dentistry, Occlusion, Tooth Wear and TMD, Periodontal and Endodontic Considerations in Restoration, Aesthetic Dentistry, Infection Control, Ethics and Patient Safety. The full weighting table is on this page.

How long is the Restorative Dentistry exam and how many questions?

The DHA Restorative Dentistry exam (RES5221) is 150 multiple-choice questions in 3 hours, including registration and the introduction, as published in the DHA CBT Guideline, Sep 2026. Other authorities set their own length and timing, so confirm theirs in the current candidate bulletin.

Do I need to create an account to take this mock exam?

No. There is no sign-up, no email capture and no payment. The questions, your score, the domain breakdown and the full worked answers are all free, and nothing is held back behind a form.