FAAID Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt

What the Fellow Exam Actually Is (and Is Not)

Before you open a single textbook, get the format straight. The Fellow of the AAID (FAAID) designation, awarded by the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, is earned through a virtual oral/case examination administered by AAID examiner teams. You will not sit a timed multiple-choice test. Instead, you will discuss five standardized clinical cases presented to you and defend five cases that you treated on different patients and submitted in advance.

That distinction shapes everything about how you prepare. Candidates who treat this like a written board exam tend to over-invest in memorizing facts and under-invest in the thing examiners actually probe: your clinical reasoning, your documentation, and your ability to explain and defend decisions you made on real patients. If you have already passed the Associate Fellow Part 1 written exam, do not assume the same study habits transfer. The Part 1 weighted written blueprint is a separate scope from the Fellow oral/case examination, and this guide covers only the Fellow pathway.

For a candid look at what makes this credential demanding, see our breakdown in How Hard Is the FAAID Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.

Clearing the Eligibility Gate First

The smartest first step in any FAAID study plan is confirming you qualify, because the eligibility requirements are specific and some take years to satisfy. Applicants must be licensed dental practitioners and must either be AAID Associate Fellows in good standing or have passed Associate Fellow Part 1 and meet Fellow eligibility.

That last row matters more than it looks. You cannot submit a case you merely supervised or planned from a distance; you must have provided surgical and/or prosthetic treatment for each one. For the full checklist and how to document each element, read FAAID Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.

Building the Five-Case Portfolio

The single biggest determinant of readiness is not how many hours you study but whether your five submitted cases satisfy the requirements. Each of the five cases must meet these baseline conditions:

• A final prosthesis in function for at least one year by the examination period
• Implants at least 3 mm in diameter
• A written narrative
• Diagnostic photographs and radiographs
• Signed patient releases

On top of those shared conditions, the five cases must cover specific case types:

1. A removable full-arch implant overdenture
2. Posterior maxilla with sinus augmentation
3. Anterior maxilla
4. Extraction with immediate placement, or ridge preservation with delayed placement
5. A fixed complete implant prosthesis

One caution on sources: AAID's legacy FAQ still describes an older submitted-case and rating scheme. The current five-case requirements take precedence, so do not plan from the old FAQ. Build your portfolio against the current Fellow requirements page and credentialing guidebook.

The Four Case-Report Headings

The Fellow Examination Case Report Outline organizes your written preparation under four principal headings. Each submitted case should be documented so that a reviewer can walk the full arc from first exam to long-term result. For a deeper treatment of how these map to preparation, see FAAID Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 4 Content Areas.

Remember the caveat from earlier: these four lines are the principal headings of the case-report outline, not a complete blueprint of everything an examiner might ask during the oral. Strong preparation covers the headings and the broader clinical knowledge underneath them.

What Happens on Exam Day

The examination is delivered virtually, in English. AAID's guidebook describes approximately three hours for the examination itself and up to four hours once equipment testing is included, so protect a full half-day. If English is not your first language, an AAID-supplied interpreter may be arranged at the candidate's expense.

Equipment and setup

You will need an Internet-capable computer with a webcam, plus a cellular device, and you should complete a prior equipment check before exam day. Do not treat the equipment test as a formality. A frozen webcam or unstable connection during a case defense creates avoidable stress. Test your setup on the same network, in the same room, at roughly the same time of day you will sit the exam, and keep your cellular device charged and nearby.

The two halves of the exam

Plan separately for the two formats you will face:

• Standardized cases: You discuss five cases presented by the examiners. Here the skill is rapid, structured clinical reasoning on material you have not prepared in advance. Practice narrating a diagnosis, plan, and risk assessment out loud from an unfamiliar set of records.
• Your submitted cases: You defend five cases on different patients. Here the skill is command of your own documentation. You should be able to explain any radiograph, any decision point, and any complication without hunting for the answer.

As for scoring, no current numeric passing threshold has been verified, so avoid any source that claims one. Our article on the FAAID passing score explains what is and is not publicly confirmed, and FAAID Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows addresses why no pass-rate statistic should be quoted as fact.

Application Window, Fees, and Timeline

As of October 7, 2026, the next application window opens in November 2026 and closes on February 1, 2027. The Fellow oral/case examination is scheduled virtually for April 3, 2027. Because the application deadline falls well before the exam, your portfolio must be essentially complete by the time you apply, not by the time you sit. Confirm current dates on the AAID exam schedule, and see FAAID Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling for planning guidance.

Fee information is where candidates most often get tripped up, because AAID's own documents disagree.

A Preparation Schedule Built Around the Case Report

Because the exam rewards case mastery over memorization, your schedule should follow the four headings rather than generic topic rotation. The sequence below assumes you have already confirmed eligibility and have all five cases identified. Adjust the pacing to your own calendar, working backward from the application deadline and exam date.

Phase 1 comes first for a practical reason: an eligibility or case-type gap is the one problem that study cannot fix quickly. For broader prep resources, our FAAID cheat sheet offers a one-page review of must-know facts, and you can pressure-test your clinical knowledge with practice questions on the main practice test site.

After the Exam: Election, Induction, and Dues

Passing the oral does not immediately make you a Fellow. Election follows approval by the Admissions and Credentials Board and a vote of the Board of Trustees. Successful oral candidates must then attend an Annual Business Meeting for induction within two years. The authorized designation is FAAID, Fellow of the AAID.

Maintaining the credential requires active AAID membership. Regular Fellow dues are USD 695 annually, payable January 1. If you are weighing the return on those costs, our ROI analysis of the FAAID certification walks through the considerations qualitatively, and our FAAID salary guide explains why no specific earnings figure should be assumed. If you need a refresher on the basics, start with What Is FAAID?.

Frequently Asked Questions

Start by auditing your five cases against the requirements, then build outward from there. For a consolidated overview of the pathway, revisit our FAAID study guide, and keep your clinical knowledge sharp with questions from the FAAID Exam Prep practice test platform.