If you are an internationally qualified dentist looking to practise in the United Kingdom, the ORE is the exam you need to pass. This page explains what it is, how it works, and how to get started.
What the ORE is
ORE stands for Overseas Registration Examination. It is administered by the General Dental Council and is the mandatory pathway for internationally trained dentists to register and practise dentistry in the UK. Without passing the ORE, you cannot register with the GDC and you cannot work as a dentist in the United Kingdom.
The ORE has two parts. Part 1 is a written exam testing applied dental knowledge. Part 2 is a clinical exam testing practical dental skills. You must pass Part 1 before you can sit Part 2.
ORE Part 1 format
Part 1 consists of 150 single best answer (SBA) questions delivered across two papers in a single day, totalling approximately three hours. The questions cover all areas of dental practice — oral medicine, oral surgery, periodontology, restorative dentistry, endodontics, prosthodontics, orthodontics, paediatric dentistry, pharmacology, medical emergencies, and dental public health.
All questions are framed in UK clinical context. Drug names follow UK conventions (Amoxicillin, Lidocaine, Metronidazole). Management pathways follow NICE dental guidelines and SDCEP recommendations. Legal and ethical scenarios reference GDC Standards for the Dental Team.
Sitting schedule and fees
ORE Part 1 sits three times per year — typically January, May, and September. The exam is delivered at Pearson VUE test centres in the UK and at selected international centres. The fee is approximately £800 to £1,000 per attempt.
The GDC is expanding ORE capacity from approximately 600 places per year to 4,200 by 2028, meaning more candidates will have the opportunity to attempt the exam in coming years.
Pass rates
ORE Part 1 pass rates range from 51 to 78 per cent depending on the sitting. The variation reflects cohort composition rather than changes in exam difficulty.
How to prepare
The biggest challenge for internationally trained dentists is adapting to UK dental practice standards. Your clinical knowledge may be strong, but the UK-specific framing — drug names, guidelines, legal framework — may differ from your training. A UK-aligned question bank is essential for closing this gap.
iatroX offers a dedicated ORE Part 1 question bank with over 1,500 questions aligned to the GDC syllabus and UK dental guidelines. The adaptive algorithm identifies your weakest areas across all dental disciplines. All included at £29 per month or £99 per year alongside every other exam on the platform.