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Licence in Dental Surgery Part 1

Exam overview

Part 1 of the Licence in Dental Surgery (LDS) is comprised of two papers of single best answer (SBA) questions. Both Part 1 papers must be passed at one sitting for candidates to progress to Part 2.

The LDS Part 1 exam is normally held at least once per year in the UK.

  • £900.00
£900.00

Eligibility

A brief overview of LDS candidate eligibility is provided below. Please read the LDS exam regulations and LDS application guidance for a more detailed breakdown.

To be eligible to enter the LDS Part 1 exam all candidates must provide scanned copies of the following items within one week of the booking deadline:

  • Primary Dental Qualification (and NARIC statement of comparability for non-UK degrees)
  • Passport

All documentation should be scanned and emailed to DentalEligibility@rcseng.ac.uk. Postal copies will not be accepted.

Translations
Any required documents which are not in English must be accompanied by an exact translation. You must send us a certified copy of the original document and correctly certified translation. The translation must either be a certified translation by a qualified translator or for degree certificates and diplomas, an official translation by the relevant university with the official stamp of the university and the signature and name of the dean.

Name Change
If the name on your application differs from that on any other documents which you send once you have applied online, you must give us evidence of the legality of your name change, for example a marriage certificate. You can provide a copy verified by an appropriate individual. The individual must verify and sign the application form stating that a photocopy you have supplied is a copy of the original or you can provide a copy.

 
Withdrawal and refund policy

If you wish to withdraw from the exam, you may or may not be entitled to a full or partial refund according to the guidelines outlined in our refund policy.

Please familiarise yourself with this policy before applying for an exam seat to ensure a smooth and easy withdrawal process.

Exam format

The LDS Part 1 exam is comprised of two 180 minute examination papers, each consisting of 150 single best answer (SBA) questions centred mainly on knowledge and its application to:

  • Paper A: clinically applied dental science and clinically applied human disease
  • Paper B: aspects of clinical dentistry, law and ethics, and health and safety

In order to progress to Part 2, both Part 1 papers will need to be passed at one sitting. If either paper is failed candidates will be required to re-sit all of Part 1.

Syllabus

Below is an outline of the major competencies/learning outcomes that may be assessed. These represent broad categories of professional activity and concerns that occur in the general practice of dentistry and are interdisciplinary in orientation and must embrace an element of critical thinking.

They may apply in differing ways to patients of all ages, including children, adolescents, adults and the elderly.

Professionalism
a) Professional attitude and behaviour
b) Ethics and jurisprudence

Interpersonal, Communication and Social Skills
a) Communication

Knowledge Base, Information and Information literacy
a) Application of basic biological, medical, technical and clinical sciences
b) Acquiring and using information

Clinical Information Gathering

a) Obtaining and recording a comprehensive history of the patient’s medical, oral and dental state

Diagnosis and Treatment Planning
a) Decision-making, clinical reasoning and judgment
b) Education of patients and management of comprehensive primary care
c) Oral medicine management
d) Periodontal management
e) Caries and endodontic management
f) Surgical procedures
g) Pain and anxiety management
h) Restorative/prosthodontics management
i) Orthodontic management
j) Emergency treatment

Health Promotion
a) Improving the oral health of individuals, families and groups in the community

These major competencies are underpinned by sub-sets of more detailed supporting skills, understanding and professional values. The detail, along with associated assessment methods are set out in the Learning Outcomes document.



 

Upcoming exam dates

LDS Part 1 May 2026

Exam date: 27 May 2026 | Exam fee: £900

Results are scheduled to be released 5-6 weeks after the exam date. Dates and fees may be subject to change. Please check back regularly for updates.


Booking process

Eligible candidates who have successfully registered to book will be contacted via email to complete booking via the website. Upon booking, candidates must complete payment of the examination fee.

Upon completing a booking, your place on the examination is secured - however, as per the LDS Regulations, candidates must provide their eligibility documentation. Candidates must provide their eligibility documentation within one week of completing their application via email. Scanned copies of your documents should be sent to DentalEligibility@rcseng.ac.uk - posted copies will not be accepted and we may be unable to return these to you. 


Please read the LDS Part 1 Application Guidance for full information on what documents are required to be submitted upon securing a place on the LDS Part 1 exam.

To apply candidates must have an RCS online account. If you do not have an account, you will be required to register before completing your application which may significantly delay completing your application. You can register for an account here.


Up to four attempts are allowed for each part of the exam.

Paper applications will not be accepted.

All guidance documents are being revised and the website pages will be updated to reflect this. Candidates are advised to regularly check these pages for updated application information. Candidates should note that the supporting documentation requirements for Part 1 will remain the same.

Please read our LDS Part 1 online Application Guidance before applying.

 

Reasonable adjustments

To apply for reasonable adjustments, candidates must submit a clinical assessment report which includes a recommendation of the adjustments they require in the exam.

If candidates are resitting an exam or sitting an exam after having reasonable adjustments applied for a previous part, they need to inform us if they would like reasonable adjustments to be applied again.

 

Contact the exams department

Email

Telephone

For general exam queries please call 020 7405 3474 - Option 3

Our main switchboard is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.