An overview of LDS candidate eligibility is provided below. Read the LDS exam regulations and LDS application guidance.

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

To be eligible to enter the LDS Part 1 exam all candidates must provide the following items within two weeks of the date of application:

1. Final degree certificate
   We require a copy of your final degree certificate. A Notary Public, Commissioner of Oaths, Justice of the Peace or another person entitled to practice law or an authorised officer of an embassy or consulate (referred to as an appropriate individual) must verify and sign the back of the copy of your certificate stating that the copy you have supplied is a copy of the original document that they have seen. A provisional certificate will not be accepted in the place of a final degree certificate or diploma. If you cannot provide a final degree certificate, contact the office before application.
   1.1. NARIC certificate
   If holding a qualification awarded by an overseas university or licensing body that is not recognised by the GDC for purposes of full registration in the UK, produce evidence of qualification and a NARIC certificate. In addition, it is necessary to provide certificates showing that the studies and courses undertaken were in line with the standards described in the First Five Years: A Framework for Undergraduate Dental Education 3rd edition (interim) (General Dental Council, 2008). A NARIC certificate is required unless temporary registration with the GDC is current and can be verified.
   For information on how to obtain this, see Statement of Comparability.
   Note for NARIC certificates that it can take time to obtain these, so ensure you have your NARIC before applying online.
2. Passport
   You must send in a copy of your current, valid passport verified by an appropriate individual. The individual must verify and sign your passport page copy, stating that the copy you have supplied is a copy of the original. You can also supply a correctly certified copy. A certified or verified copy of the passport must be clearly legible and the photograph must be clear. The copy must show your photograph and the expiry date of your passport. Only passports that have not expired will be accepted. If you cannot provide a copy of your passport, please contact the office before application.

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.

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.

Original attested copies
All attested copies must state “This is a true copy of the original”, and must be officially stamped by the awarding body, Lawyer, Solicitor, Notary Public or UK GDC registrant.
The UK GDC registrant number must be included. The attested original copy must also be signed and dated.

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.