Changes to the Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery (MFDS) Exam

24 Nov 2025

The Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery (MFDS) qualification is changing over 2026 and 2027.

The new MFDS is designed to assess the competence of a dental core trainee completing the third year of training and provides a recognised gateway to dental specialty training.

As before, the MFDS exams include a Part 1 written and a Part 2 Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). The exam will still be available to both UK and internationally trained dentists.

If you pass the MFDS exam with us, you are invited to become a member of the College.

Read FAQs from the Dental Examinations Executive.

What is changing?

The new MFDS exam will provide a single, gold-standard assessment of a primary or secondary dental professional’s knowledge and skill, as well as serving as an entry point for specialty assessments.

There are two key changes to the exam:

1. Unified tri-collegiate exam:

The three UK royal surgical colleges (the Royal College of Surgeons of England, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow) will now offer a unified MFDS. This will provide a clearer, more straightforward postgraduate assessment pathway relevant to careers in both primary and secondary care. It will also serve as an entry requirement for the dental specialty fellowship exams.

2. Higher level of assessment:

The new MFDS will assess competence at the level of a General Dental Council (GDC) registered dentist completing the third year of dental core training (DCT3), equivalent to four years of postgraduate experience.

It is mapped to the relevant learning outcomes of the DCT programme syllabus years two and three, representing a different standard to the current exam. This change allows candidates to demonstrate a higher level of competence at the point of progressing to specialty training.

To take the online MFDS Part 1 exam, you will now go to an assessment centre rather than accessing the platform at home.

How do I apply for the new MFDS exam?

Applications are now open for Part 1 of the revised MFDS exam.

The first MFDS Part 1 exam in the new format will be held on 28 October 2026 at assessment centres in Birmingham, Glasgow, London and Manchester. 

Book your exam through the new MFDS exam booking portal. You can select RCS England as the college you would like to affiliate with as part of the booking form.

Find a link to the portal on the Dental Examinations Executive information page.

View guidance on how to use the portal.

Applications close on 16 July 2026, or earlier if the exam reaches capacity before then.

Find out more about the MFDS exam on the Dental Specialty Fellowship Examinations website. 
 
The first MFDS Part 2 exam in the new format will be in March 2027 and the application window will open later this year.

Final dates for the legacy exam format

MFDS Part 1

We are only holding one more legacy exam for MFDS Part 1 on 20 October 2026.

If you do not pass this exam, there are no retakes for the same format, and you will need to move to the new exam format to take the MFDS.

MFDS Part 2

The legacy MFDS Part 2 exam will be held two more times in:

  • November 2026 in the UK
  • March 2027 (to be scheduled).

To book the current MFDS exams with RCS England, visit Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery. Read below for more information about the final exam sittings.

Should I sit the existing exam or the new exam?

You must pass the new MFDS Part 1 exam before sitting the new MFDS Part 2 exam, because it is set at a different level to the previous MFDS Part 1. If you have not sat the MRCS Part 1 yet, we recommend preparing for the new exam.

If you have taken the older edition of the MFDS exam, you can use the information on Dental Specialty Fellowship Examinations to help with your decision.

I have enrolled for an existing exam, but would like to withdraw and wait for the new exam. Is this possible?

Yes. A full refund will be available if the request to withdraw is made before the closing date of the exam.

More information

For information about the new exam, visit the Dental Examinations Executive website.

For advice and information about the RCS England MFDS exam:

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