The Overseas Registration Examination (ORE) is the General Dental Council's route for overseas-qualified dentists whose qualifications are not automatically recognised to gain registration and practise in the UK. It has two parts, and Part 1 is the computer-based written exam — two papers of single best answer questions that you must pass in the same sitting before progressing to the practical Part 2. This guide covers the Part 1 format, eligibility, the pass rate, the 2026 booking changes, and how to prepare.
What the ORE is and who sits it
The ORE is a two-part examination conducted by the GDC for overseas-qualified dentists seeking UK registration; passing both parts allows you to apply for full registration on the dentists register. Part 1 is a written knowledge exam, while Part 2 is a multi-day practical assessment that includes manikin operative tests, a diagnosis and treatment planning exercise, a medical emergencies and basic life support station, and OSCE-style stations. The scale of demand is significant: the GDC has reported around 8,000 overseas dentists at various stages of the ORE, with only roughly 400 to 450 completing both parts each year, and places are capped per sitting — so planning and early booking matter. It helps to see Part 1 as one stage in a longer journey: document assessment and eligibility checks with the GDC, then Part 1, then the multi-day practical Part 2, and finally the application for registration — a process that often takes a year or more given limited places and the five-year limit on completing Part 2 after first attempting it. An alternative route for some is the Licence in Dental Surgery offered by the Royal College of Surgeons, though the ORE remains the main pathway.
Part 1 format
Part 1 is computer-based and consists of two papers, Paper A and Paper B, each of 100 single best answer questions and around two hours. You must pass both papers in the same sitting to progress to Part 2. The papers assess clinical science, human disease, clinical dentistry, and law, ethics and health and safety. Because the questions are mapped to UK practice, candidates whose training was overseas often find the clinical science manageable but the UK-specific law, ethics and health-and-safety content less familiar, and that is reflected in where marks are lost. You are allowed up to four attempts at each part, and you must pass Part 2 within five years of first attempting Part 1.
Eligibility
You need a recognised primary dental qualification and around 1,600 hours of clinical experience. Applications and document assessment go through the GDC, with a separate processing and assessment fee in addition to the exam fee. The clinical-experience requirement and the document checks mean eligibility is best confirmed with the GDC well before you plan to book, since gathering and verifying the paperwork can itself take time.
Pass rates
Part 1 is challenging: pass rates have been reported at around 50%, reflecting both the standard of the exam and the gap many candidates face in UK-specific law, ethics and practice rather than core clinical knowledge. Treat the figure as indicative and check the current GDC data. The combination of a sub-60% Part 1 pass rate, capped places and a substantial backlog of candidates means that passing first time has real practical value, shortening what is otherwise a long and competitive route to registration.
2026 booking and fees
From 2025 the ORE has run under a new GDC contract, with fees set on a full-cost-recovery basis under the relevant 2026 fee regulations, and candidates now book through their MyGDC account. The booking window for the August 2026 Part 1 sitting opens on 30 June 2026, and candidates near the five-year Part 2 limit, along with those who have refugee status, are given priority access. Exam and processing fees apply separately, so confirm the current amounts and dates on the GDC site. Last reviewed June 2026. As a separate development, the government has consulted on a provisional-registration route that could let some overseas dentists practise under supervision without the ORE; this has not replaced the ORE pathway. Until any such change is in force, the ORE remains the route the overwhelming majority of overseas dentists must take.
How to prepare
Build your revision around the UK context: law, ethics, health and safety, and clinical practice as delivered in the UK are where overseas candidates most often lose marks, even when their clinical knowledge is strong. Drill single best answer questions across both papers' domains and review each miss back to the underlying principle or UK guideline. Practise to time, because two 100-question papers in a session reward pace and accuracy as much as knowledge. Give the law, ethics and health and safety material dedicated time rather than treating it as background, and use UK guidance and the GDC's own standards as your reference points, since this is the content least likely to have been covered by an overseas training.
Where iatroX fits
iatroX offers an ORE Part 1 bank, on iatroX's subscription (£29/month or £99/year), built around a Socratic tutor that works back through the reasoning behind a miss; questions mapped meticulously to the Part 1 domains; spaced repetition; adaptive sequencing that targets your weak areas — UK law, ethics and practice especially; and a mobile app. It supports the written Part 1; Part 2 needs hands-on clinical preparation. Used alongside focused revision of UK law and ethics, it targets exactly the content overseas candidates most often find unfamiliar.
A few common questions
How many papers is ORE Part 1? Two — Paper A and Paper B, each 100 single best answer questions, passed in the same sitting.
How many attempts do I get? Up to four per part, with Part 2 to be passed within five years of first attempting Part 1.
Who runs the ORE? The General Dental Council.
Is iatroX's ORE Part 1 bank free? Not in full — the bank is on iatroX's subscription (£29/month or £99/year), with free sample questions to try first.
Practise ORE Part 1 on iatroX →
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