ORE Part 1 Study Plan: 12 Weeks From Blueprint to Mock Exams
A realistic, week-by-week plan for ORE Part 1 that covers Paper A and Paper B, builds each topic with questions from the first week, and leaves room for three full mock exams before the sitting.
By the Socket Science editorial team · Reviewed by a qualified dentist
Independent resource. DentistUP is not affiliated with or endorsed by any examination authority. Always check the official exam body for current format, dates and eligibility. Educational content, not patient-specific clinical advice.
What ORE Part 1 tests
The Overseas Registration Examination is the GDC route to UK registration for dentists who qualified outside the UK and are not eligible for registration by another route. Part 1 is the written stage. According to the GDC, it has two computer-based papers of three hours each:
- Paper A covers dental science and human disease: anatomy, bacteriology, biochemistry, dental anatomy and embryology, dental materials, immunology, pathology and human disease, pharmacology, physiology and statistics.
- Paper B covers aspects of clinical dentistry, including law and ethics and health and safety.
Questions are extended matching questions (EMQs) and single best answer questions (SBAs). You must pass both papers to progress to Part 2, and the GDC currently allows four attempts at Part 1. Always check the GDC website for current dates, venues and rules before you book.
Before you start: three decisions
How many hours per week. This plan assumes roughly 25 to 30 focused hours a week. If you are working full time, keep the same order and stretch each week into two.
Which paper needs more time. Candidates who have been in clinical practice for years often find Paper A harder, because the basic sciences fade quickly without use. A diagnostic exam in week 1 tells you where the balance should lie.
How you will track gaps. Keep one list of every question you got wrong or guessed, grouped by topic. That list, not the syllabus, becomes your guide in weeks 11 and 12.
The 12-week plan
Week 1
Diagnose and plan
Read the GDC ORE Part 1 guidance and syllabus. Take one diagnostic practice exam without preparing for it. List every branch by score and decide which weeks each belongs to. Set a daily routine you can keep for twelve weeks.
Week 2
Anatomy and physiology (Paper A)
Head and neck anatomy first: cranial nerves, blood supply, fascial spaces, TMJ and the muscles of mastication. Then orofacial physiology: saliva, swallowing, pain pathways. Study from diagrams, then answer questions on each topic the same day.
Week 3
Biochemistry, embryology and oral histology (Paper A)
Collagen and mineral chemistry, enamel and dentine formation, tooth development, pharyngeal arches. These topics are visual and fact-dense; short daily question sets work better than long reading sessions.
Week 4
Microbiology, immunology and pathology (Paper A)
Oral microbiome and biofilm, caries and periodontal pathogens, hypersensitivity, inflammation, neoplasia, and the systemic diseases that change dental management.
Week 5
Pharmacology and dental materials (Paper A)
Analgesics, antimicrobials, local anaesthetics, drug interactions and prescribing in medically compromised patients. Materials: mechanical properties, impression materials, cements, ceramics and alloys.
Week 6
Restorative dentistry and endodontics (Paper B)
Caries management, preparation principles, adhesion, pulpal and periapical diagnosis, endodontic treatment and complications.
Week 7
Periodontology, prosthodontics and implants (Paper B)
2017 classification with staging and grading, non-surgical and surgical therapy, fixed and removable prosthodontics, implant planning and peri-implant disease.
Week 8
Oral surgery, oral medicine, radiology (Paper B) and first mock
Extractions and third molars, infections, mucosal disease, imaging selection and interpretation. Sit your first full mock at the end of the week and list every topic behind a wrong answer.
Week 9
Paediatrics, orthodontics and special care (Paper B)
Behaviour management, pulp therapy in primary teeth, trauma, space maintenance, growth, malocclusion and care of patients with additional needs.
Week 10
Law, ethics, health and safety (Paper B) and second mock
Consent and capacity, confidentiality, record keeping, raising concerns, infection control, radiation protection and medical emergencies. These topics are often underestimated. Second full mock at the end of the week.
Week 11
Targeted repair
No new topics. Work only on the topics your two mocks exposed, using focused question sets and your review list. Sit a third mock at the end of the week.
Week 12
Consolidate and rest
Light review of your review list and high-yield summaries. No new material in the last three days. Plan travel to the London venue and sleep well before both papers.
A typical study day
- Session 1 (about 90 minutes): read a short lesson on one topic, then answer 10 questions on it immediately and review every answer.
- Session 2 (about 90 minutes): repeat for a second topic, or a second question set on the same topic if the first went badly.
- Session 3 (about 45 minutes): your review list only. Answer flagged questions again; remove them only when you are confident.
- Once a week: a mixed set across everything covered so far, to check that earlier topics are holding.
Getting EMQs and SBAs right
SBAs reward precision: several options may be partly true, but only one is the best answer for the stem. Read the last line of the question first so you know what is being asked, then look for the detail in the stem that separates the two most plausible options.
EMQs give a list of options and several short scenarios. Work through the scenarios one at a time and cover the option list until you have formed your own answer; this stops a long list from pulling you towards familiar-sounding distractors.
Three Paper A and Paper B style questions
These are single best answer questions from the DentistUP bank. Try each before opening the explanation.
Question 1 · Dental Materials · Mechanical Properties
Which mechanical property is represented by the slope of the elastic portion of a stress–strain curve?
- AUltimate strength
- BFracture energy
- CElastic modulus
- DThe elastic limit
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. Elastic modulus
Elastic modulus is the ratio of stress to strain within the linear elastic region. A steep slope indicates a stiff material that deforms little under load, whereas strength values describe the stress associated with yielding or failure rather than the rigidity of the elastic response.
Concept to remember: Elastic modulus is stiffness, the slope of the elastic region; strength describes the stress at yielding or failure.
Question 2 · Histology & Embryology · Dentin
A developing oral tissue shows tertiary matrix made by replacement odontoblast-like cells. Which structure or stage is identified?
- AReparative dentin
- BStriae of Retzius
- CApposition stage
- DSecondary dentin
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. Reparative dentin
Reparative dentin is identified because it shows tertiary matrix made by replacement odontoblast-like cells; its principal role is barrier formation after original odontoblast death. Its microscopic appearance and developmental role distinguish it from adjacent oral tissues.
Concept to remember: Reparative (tertiary) dentine is formed by odontoblast-like cells after the original odontoblasts die; reactionary dentine is formed by surviving odontoblasts.
Question 3 · Infection Control · Disinfection
A team member assumes wiping an operatory surface with an intermediate-level disinfectant will destroy bacterial spores on that surface. Why is this assumption incorrect?
- ANot reliably sporicidal at that level
- BEffective only against viruses
- CUnable to survive outside the body
- DEffective only on plastic surfaces
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. Not reliably sporicidal at that level
Intermediate-level disinfectants are tuberculocidal and effective against a broad range of vegetative bacteria, fungi, and many viruses, but they are not formulated or validated to reliably destroy bacterial spores. Only sterilization or specific high-level/sporicidal processes are relied upon when spore destruction is required.
Concept to remember: Intermediate-level disinfectants are not reliably sporicidal; spore destruction requires sterilisation or a validated sporicidal process.
Mock exams: when and how
Three full mocks in weeks 8, 10 and 11 give you enough data points to see a trend without eating into topic study. Sit each under exam conditions, then spend at least as long reviewing it as you did taking it. Group your wrong answers by topic, not by paper, and send each topic back into your daily routine.
A single mock score is noisy. What matters is whether the same topics keep appearing on your wrong-answer list. If they do, those topics need more lesson time, not more mocks.
Resources to use alongside this plan
Start with the free ORE practice exam as your week 1 diagnostic. Use the free practice questions by branch for quick checks during each week, and the head and neck anatomy diagrams in week 2. Our ORE preparation guide covers Part 2 and the overall pathway.
Frequently asked questions
What is the format of ORE Part 1?+
According to the GDC, ORE Part 1 has two computer-based papers of three hours each. Paper A covers dental science and human disease; Paper B covers aspects of clinical dentistry, including law and ethics and health and safety. Questions are extended matching and single best answer items.
Do I need to pass both papers?+
Yes. The GDC states that you must pass both papers to progress to Part 2.
How many attempts do I get at ORE Part 1?+
The GDC currently allows four attempts at Part 1. Check the GDC website before booking, as rules can change.
Is 12 weeks enough for ORE Part 1?+
For a candidate studying full time with a reasonably recent dental degree, 12 focused weeks can be enough. If you are working, or it has been several years since you studied the basic sciences, stretch the same plan over 16 to 24 weeks.
When should I start full mock exams?+
Start after most topics have been covered once, usually around week 8 in a 12-week plan. Earlier mocks mostly tell you what you already know: that you have not finished the syllabus.
Free practice
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