ORE Exam Preparation — GDC Overseas Registration Examination
The GDC Overseas Registration Examination (ORE) is a two-part assessment for overseas-qualified dentists seeking registration with the General Dental Council to practise dentistry in the United Kingdom. This guide explains both parts, what each tests, and how DentistUP supports your Part 1 knowledge preparation.
Affiliation disclaimer: DentistUP and Socket Science are not affiliated with or endorsed by the GDC, UCL Consultants, or any other examination authority. Always consult the official GDC at gdc-uk.org.
The ORE — 2 parts to GDC registration
Both parts must be passed to achieve GDC registration. Part 1 can be prepared for with systematic dental knowledge study. Part 2 requires hands-on clinical skills preparation — DentistUP addresses the knowledge foundation for Part 1.
ORE Part 1 — Written Examination
DentistUP supports this stageTwo written papers (Paper A and Paper B) — single best answer (SBA) and extended matching questions (EMQ). Tests dental sciences: anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, pathology, microbiology, dental materials, and clinical dental knowledge. Fee: £485.
Administered by: GDC / UCL Consultants
ORE Part 2 — Clinical Skills Examination
Four components: operative skills (hands-on tooth preparation and restoration), clinical skills (OSCE stations with an actor patient), radiograph interpretation, and medical emergencies. Requires ORE Part 1 pass. Fee: separate. Held at UCL Eastman Dental Institute, London.
Administered by: GDC / UCL Consultants
Note (2026): From 2026, the LDS (Licence in Dental Surgery) examination from the Royal College of Surgeons provides an alternative written route to GDC registration alongside the ORE. Both test the same broad dental science knowledge base. Check gdc-uk.org for the current options.
What ORE Part 1 tests
ORE Part 1 tests the dental sciences underpinning clinical practice. The GDC examination covers anatomy, bacteriology, biochemistry, dental anatomy and embryology, dental materials, immunology, pathology and human disease, pharmacology, physiology, and statistics — applied across clinical dental contexts.
How DentistUP supports ORE Part 1 preparation
DentistUP's Deep Study covers the dental science knowledge base that ORE Part 1 tests — across all 29 dental branches and 263 topics with sequential question-based practice and topic-level accuracy tracking.
Deep Study
29 branches, 263 topics, three sequential tests per topic. Know exactly which topics need the most work before sitting.
Review & Refine
Incorrect and uncertain answers stay in your Review Pool until you answer correctly and confidently.
Mock Exams
Full 100-question mixed-discipline exams to test whether knowledge holds together under exam conditions.
AI Learning
Structured explanations for difficult questions — clinical examples, memory points, and concept comparisons.
Important: DentistUP addresses the dental knowledge component of ORE Part 1 preparation. ORE Part 2 tests hands-on clinical skills (operative, OSCE, radiograph interpretation, medical emergencies) — this requires separate hands-on clinical preparation that DentistUP does not provide.
Try the free ORE practice exam
100-question dental knowledge practice exam covering ORE Part 1 disciplines. Free, no account required.
Free ORE practice
Adapts to your exam
Choose your exam in the app and DentistUP applies an AI-assisted profile of that exam, built from its published format and content outline, to your mock exams, study plan and exam information.