PhDc - how long can you use it if it has not been completed?
I'd guess that you need to spell it out more completely. PhDc isn't really recognized and it isn't a degree or anything like a degree.
In many institutions, you have a limited time to complete your degree unless you take some special actions. Seven years, perhaps, in the US, shorter elsewhere. After that time, you are no longer a candidate for anything. If they &quot;cut you off&quot; after five years, I doubt that the institution considers you a candidate and it would be dishonest to claim otherwise.
Perhaps there is some way you can get back in line for your degree. ABD is a descriptive term, not an honor. Perhaps you can use what you know to get in to a different program and complete it.