Western Regional Examining Board

What Western Regional Examining Board does

Western Regional Examining Board (WREB) is a non-profit Arizona corporation founded in 1976 that develops and administers clinical competency examinations for dental and dental hygiene professionals seeking licensure in member states. The organization operates as part of CDCA-WREB-CITA, formed in 2022 through the merger of WREB with the Commission on Dental Competency Assessments (CDCA) and the Central Regional Dental Testing Service (CITA). WREB's core products are clinical board examinations covering dental candidate sections (Operative, Endodontics, Periodontal Treatment, Prosthodontics, and Comprehensive Treatment Planning) and dental hygiene candidate sections (Dental Hygiene, Local Anesthesia, Restorative, and EFDA Restorative), with the computer-based Local Anesthesia Didactic Exam delivered through Prometric Test Centers and clinical exams administered at 19+ partner dental school sites across the United States.

WREB's technology stack centers on an online candidate registration and profile portal (wreb.org and adextesting.org) through which candidates apply, upload documentation, pay by credit card, and access scores. The organization uses onsite electronic scoring during clinical examinations to enable same-day provisional results, with official results typically posted within 72 hours. Supporting digital services include an unlimited-attempt practice test platform, pre-exam webinars hosted via GoToMeeting, educator forums, and course certification forms. Professional liability insurance ($1,000,000/$3,000,000) is provided at no charge to candidates during exams.

WREB's revenue model is fee-based and transactional. Candidates pay one-time exam fees per session (e.g., $2,560 for the full dental exam plus a variable school use fee paid to the host institution), with retake fees ranging from $500 to $2,000 per section and a $500 late application fee. Secondary revenue comes from score reporting services including Individual Performance Reports, Sealed Success Reports, Dental Examination History reports, Certificates of Passing, and Louisiana Licensure Letters. The organization does not employ traditional paid advertising; demand generation relies on state board referrals, dental school partnerships, candidate-focused digital touchpoints, and direct email communications. WREB is governed by member state dental boards rather than external investors, with no venture capital funding or equity ownership structure.

Name

Western Regional Examining Board

Legal name

Western Regional Examining Board

Website

https://wreb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Western Regional Examining Board is a non-profit Arizona corporation, founded in 1976 and now part of CDCA-WREB-CITA, that develops and administers clinical board examinations for dental and dental hygiene candidates seeking state licensure, operating across 19+ US dental school sites and Prometric Test Centers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Licensing Examinations

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Dental Schools (EDAHAGAF)

Keywords

• Dental licensure examinations
• Clinical board testing
• Dental hygiene assessment
• Professional competency exams
• State board exam administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Clinical Examination Fees: WREB charges examination fees for dental and dental hygiene clinical board exams. Fees are one-time, per-exam-session charges. The Full Dental Exam (including Operative, Endodontics, Periodontics, Prosthodontics, and CTP) is $2,560 plus a variable School Use Fee. Individual clinical section retakes range from $500 to $2,000. Fees are collected online via credit card at the time of registration.
2. Score Report and Certification Fees: WREB charges fees for various score reporting and certification services, including Individual Performance Reports, Sealed Success Reports, Dental Examination History reports, Non-Attempt Verifications, Certificates of Passing, and Louisiana Licensure Letters. Current processing time for score requests is up to 10 business days.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WREB develops and administers standardized clinical competency examinations for dental and dental hygiene candidates seeking state licensure. The exam programs cover Operative, Endodontic, Periodontal Treatment, Prosthodontic, and Comprehensive Treatment Planning (CTP) sections for dental candidates, and Dental Hygiene, Local Anesthesia, Restorative, and EFDA Restorative sections for hygiene candidates. Clinical exams are administered at partner dental school host sites across the United States, while computer-based didactic exams are delivered through Prometric Test Centers.

Product overview

Western Regional Examining Board (WREB) is a national dental and dental hygiene testing agency that operates as part of CDCA-WREB-CITA. The organization provides a comprehensive suite of clinical board examinations for dental and dental hygiene candidates seeking licensure. The core offerings include dental candidate exams (Comprehensive Treatment Planning/CTP, Operative, Endodontic, Periodontal Treatment, and Prosthodontic) and hygiene candidate exams (Dental Hygiene, Local Anesthesia, Restorative, and EFDA Restorative). Supporting services include pre-exam webinars, educator forums, course certification forms, and score reporting services. Exams are administered at various dental schools and universities across the United States, with computer-based written components offered through Prometric Test Centers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dental Candidates Exam Program Comprehensive clinical board examination program for dental candidates covering Operative (patient or manikin), Endodontic (manikin), Periodontal Treatment, Prosthodontic, and Comprehensive Treatment Planning (CTP) sections. Administered at partner dental school sites across the United States; passing score 75 or above. Targeted at graduating dental students and foreign dental graduates seeking licensure in WREB-accepting member states.
• Hygiene Candidates Exam Program Clinical board examination program for dental hygiene candidates covering Dental Hygiene, Local Anesthesia, Restorative, and EFDA Restorative Examinations. Includes required course certification submission and clinical exam attendance at host dental schools. Targeted at graduating dental hygiene students and practicing hygienists seeking expanded-scope certifications.
• Local Anesthesia Didactic Exam Computer-based written examination administered at Prometric Test Centers, consisting of approximately 55-60 discipline and case-based multiple choice items with a passing score of 75 or above. Targeted at dental hygiene candidates completing the local anesthesia certification pathway.
• Local Anesthesia Clinical Exam Hands-on clinical examination assessing candidate proficiency in local anesthesia injection techniques, administered at clinical exam sites. Targeted at dental hygiene candidates seeking local anesthesia certification.
• DH Restorative Clinical Exam Clinical examination for dental hygiene candidates assessing restorative dentistry skills, including preparation and restoration placement on typodonts or patients. Targeted at dental hygienists seeking restorative function certification.
• Score Reporting and Certification Services Standalone fee-based score report request service offering Sealed Success Reports, Individual Performance Reports, Dental Examination History, Certificates of Passing, Non-Attempt Verifications, and Louisiana Licensure Letters. Current processing time is up to 10 business days. Targeted at licensure candidates needing documentation for state board applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Onsite electronic scoring enables provisional exam results to be posted online at the end of each exam day; official results typically available within 72 hours after the last exam day.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• PrometriccoreTechnology or IntegrationPrometric serves as the testing center network for WREB's computer-based examinations, including the Comprehensive Treatment Planning (CTP) exam and the Local Anesthesia Didactic Exam. WREB issues eligibility numbers to enrolled candidates, who then contact Prometric to schedule their computer-based exam at a Prometric Test Center location. The Prometric network provides standardized, secure testing facilities for the written/didactic portions of WREB exams.
• Dental Schools and Universities (Exam Host Sites)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWREB partners with dental schools and universities across the United States to serve as physical host sites for clinical board examinations. In 2022, exam sites included Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health, UCLA, USC, UCSF, University of Texas, Case Western Reserve, Tufts University, OHSU, University of Washington, and 12+ others. Host schools provide clinical facilities, equipment, and materials for exam administration. Schools assess a variable 'School Use Fee' to cover their hosting expenses.
• State Dental and Dental Hygiene Boards (Member Boards)coreOthersWREB is accepted by multiple state dental and dental hygiene boards as a testing agency for licensure. WREB automatically reports examination results to member state boards through an online, secure database. Each member state board determines which WREB exam sections are required for licensure in that state. The organization is part of CDCA-WREB-CITA, which represents member state boards at a national level.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Prometric: Prometric is a global test delivery partner that operates the test center network used by WREB for computer-based exams (CTP, Local Anesthesia Didactic). Not a direct competitor but a critical infrastructure partner in WREB's exam delivery model.
• Pearson VUE: Pearson VUE operates a global test center network for high-stakes professional and certification exams. Comparable to Prometric as a delivery infrastructure partner; could become a competitor if WREB sought alternative delivery channels.

Direct peers

• Central Regional Dental Testing Service (CITA): CITA was a regional dental testing agency that administered clinical board exams for dental and dental hygiene licensure in member states. Merged with WREB and CDCA in 2022 to form CDCA-WREB-CITA.
• Commission on Dental Competency Assessments (CDCA): CDCA was a regional dental testing agency that merged with WREB and CITA in 2022. Operated the same clinical board exam model serving dental and dental hygiene candidates at U.S. host schools.
• American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX): ADEX develops and administers clinical dental licensure examinations accepted by multiple state boards. Directly comparable to WREB in mission, candidate pool, and state-board-driven business model.
• CDCA-WREB-CITA: CDCA-WREB-CITA is the merged national dental testing agency that now includes WREB, CDCA, and CITA. It is effectively WREB's parent organization and the most direct comparable, administering the same clinical board exams through the same channel structure.

Broad incumbents

• National Board Dental Examination (NBDE / INBDE): Administered by the ADA and Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations, the NBDE/INBDE provides the written component of dental licensure that complements WREB's clinical exams. Highly comparable in mission and state-board-driven demand.
• National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME): NBME develops and administers the USMLE and other medical licensure assessments. Comparable as a high-scale, non-profit professional competency assessment organization with state-board-accepted exams.
• Educational Testing Service (ETS): ETS develops and administers standardized tests including GRE, TOEFL, and various professional certification exams. Comparable as a non-profit, large-scale assessment organization with similar candidate registration and score reporting infrastructure.
• National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) - NCLEX: NCLEX is the standardized nursing licensure exam administered by NCSBN. Highly analogous business model: national competency assessment accepted by state boards, with computer-based delivery via third-party test centers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WREB1

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Western Regional Examining Board