Before you apply for the ORE
To apply for the ORE you will need to fill in the application form, and send in supporting documents at the same time.
Applicants are required to ensure they have read and understood the student fitness to practice guidance and exam rules as part of the application form:
Student fitness to practice guidance (160KB, PDF)
You are not expected to be familiar with the National Health Service (NHS) or British culture other than the ways in which it will affect your treatment of patients. You should be familiar with how people in the UK might behave, but you should not make assumptions about a patient based on issues such as gender or ethnic origin.
When you apply for the ORE, you should be certain that you have the overall clinical acumen to successfully complete a series of tests. The ORE will sample the Intended Learning Outcomes and your chances of passing will be improved if you have had a recent broad experience of clinical dentistry, rather than relying entirely on preparation courses. The exam is designed to determine whether you can safely practice dentistry in the UK and for this purpose you must be able to demonstrate the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes at one sitting.
Requirements
Before applying, you need to make sure you meet our clinical experience and English language requirement. You will need to send evidence of the following:
Clinical experience requirement
You must have at least 1600 hours of clinical experience where you have personally treated patients in the dental chair. The number of hours of this clinical experience will either be hours spent undertaking appropriate investigations and administering dental treatment:
during your dental degree;
during post-qualification experience; or
a combination of the two.
It could also be undertaken during temporary registration.
This cannot include time observing other dentists or assisting other dentists/dental students in undertaking diagnosis/treatment planning or provision of treatment.
English language requirement
You will need to submit a single, academic IELTS test report form with your application or we will be unable to accept it. Other language tests or qualifications and the length of time spent in an English-speaking country will not be considered. The form must:
be no more than two years old on receipt at the GDC;
show a minimum overall band score of 7.0; and
show no score lower than 6.5 in any section.
You are exempt from submitting an IELTS test report form if:
you are a national of the EEA (other than a UK national) ; or
you have enforceable community rights by virtue of having resided in another relevant European state as a worker, self-employed person, student or self-sufficient person. Refer to European Directive 2004/38/EC.