The LDS (Licence in Dental Surgery) Exam is one of the oldest dental exams established in the UK by the Royal College of Surgeons. The LDS establishes the fitness to practice of graduate dentists wishing to practice in the UK and will make them eligible to apply for registration with the GDC.

There are two main routes for dentists wishing to practice in the UK:

• Either exam allows you to practice as a dentist in the UK. Like the ORE Exam, the LDS exam has both a knowledge-based Part 1 (in the form of a written exam) and a practical Part 2 (in the form of an OSCE).
  

LDS Exam: Part 1

Part 1 consists of two written papers, each of three hours duration, taken on the same day, so six hours overall. The examination format will be Single Best Answer (SBA) and Extended Matching Questions (EMQ) centred mainly on knowledge and its application to:

• Clinically applied dental science and clinically applied human disease.
  
• Aspects of clinical dentistry, law and ethics, and health and safety.
  
• Click the following link for a more in-depth LDS syllabus.
  

LDS Exam: Part 2 

Part 2 of the LDS Exam consists of 3 distinct parts:

Observed Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) of 2 hours duration

• An operative test on a dental manikin of up to three hours duration 
  
• The 'Unseen Case' [based on an objective structured long examination (OSLE) model] - an examination designed to test the candidates' diagnosis, treatment planning, and clinical reasoning. Approximately 1-hour duration (32 minutes for each scenario).
  

Click here for a rudimentary LDS Exam syllabus.

Remember: Passing the LDS or ORE does not give you the automatic right to work in the UK. Other factors to be considered are as follows: 

• Visa and UKBA restrictions
  
• Clinical experience and qualifications
  
• EEA employment laws and competition for posts
  

Which is easier the LDS exam or the ORE Exam?

Both exams are very variable in their inherent difficulty. If money is not an issue, many students go for both the LDS Exam and the ORE Exam, to spread their bets. However, if money is an issue and you are located within the EU, the ORE Exam is recommended as there have been some historical jurisdictional issues with the LDS. If you are outside the EU and your degree is not recognised, it is better to go for the LDS.

Is the LDS exam better than ORE Exam?

Both exams allow you to do the same thing, the only difference is about whether your initial dental degree is recognised by either institution. LDS places are inherently more scarce as the exam board annually only allows 120 candidates for the LDS part 1 - and up to 55 candidates for LDS part 2.

Retake policy

There are two parts to the exam, you can fail each part up to a maximum of 4 times. If you pass the LDS Part 1 you will need to pass the second part within 5 years. The LDS board does not guarantee that there will be spaces on each examination day, therefore it is strongly advised that you book your place well in advance. Each LDS Part 1 has a capacity of 80 candidates, whereas LDS part 2 only has space for 40.

LDS Exam Dates

The LDS exam date occurs around April every year. For more information have a look at the Royal College of Surgeons website.