Paper A Foundations
Not publishedof exam
Dental scienceHuman diseasePaper A180 minutes
Paper B Practice
Not publishedof exam
Clinical dentistryLaw + ethicsHealth + safetyPaper B
Clinical Knowledge + Skills
Not publishedof exam
AssessmentDiagnosisTreatment planningReferral
Interpersonal Skills
Not publishedof exam
CommunicationTeamworkPatient valuesWellbeing
Professionalism + Self-Management
Not publishedof exam
EthicsRecordsReflectionInsight
Quick Facts
- Exam
- LDS Part 1
- Provider
- RCS England
- Delivery
- Remote online proctored
- Format
- Two SBA papers
- Items
- 300 total
- Time
- 6 hours total
- Pass
- Both papers same sitting
- Attempts
- Four maximum
- Weights
- Not published
Paper A Memory
A = applied science + disease
150 SBA180 minutesClinical application
Paper A vs Paper B
Paper A
- Dental science
- Human disease
- 150 SBA items
Paper B
- Clinical dentistry
- Law ethics safety
- 150 SBA items
Foundations vs practice
Paper Scope Picker
- Dental science application→Paper A
- Human disease application→Paper A
- Clinical dentistry aspect→Paper B
- Law or ethics→Paper B
- Health or safety→Paper B
- Outcome coverage unclear→Check Part 1 syllabus
Paper A Scope
- Paper A
- Clinically applied dental science
- Human disease
- Clinically applied context
- Question type
- Single best answer
- Question count
- 150 SBA items
- Time allowed
- 180 minutes
- Language
- English
Remote Setup
Room, cameras, connection, then start
Private roomWebcamMobile cameraInternet
LDS vs ORE
LDS
- RCS England qualification
- Three parts
- Part 1 remote
ORE
- GDC examination
- Two parts
- Separate route
Separate registration routes
Remote Exam Picker
- Book exam place→Complete online booking
- After booking→Send eligibility documents
- Set primary device→Use webcam microphone
- Set room view→Use second mobile camera
- Check connection→Confirm reliable internet
- Fail either paper→Resit all Part 1
Clinical Science
- Oral disease
- Aetiology and pathogenesis
- General disease
- Treatment relevance
- Oral anatomy
- Patient-management relevance
- Physiology
- Clinical application
- Dental materials
- Selection and limitations
- Medicines
- Effects and adverse effects
Remote + Progression
- Remote location
- Quiet private space
- Primary device
- Computer webcam microphone
- Second camera
- Mobile phone required
- Connection
- Reliable internet
- Part 1 pass
- Both papers same sitting
- Part 1 failure
- Resit all Part 1
Paper B Memory
B = bedside, boundaries, balance
Clinical dentistryLaw + ethicsHealth + safety
Coverage vs Weight
Syllabus coverage
- Outcomes may be assessed
- Part 1 marks
Topic weight
- No numerical blueprint
- Do not invent percentages
Scope vs weighting
Paper B Scope
- Paper B
- Aspects clinical dentistry
- Law
- Published paper scope
- Ethics
- Published paper scope
- Health and safety
- Published paper scope
- Question count
- 150 SBA items
- Time allowed
- 180 minutes
Clinical Practice
- Periodontal health
- Monitor and record changes
- Oral surgery
- Non-specialist hard tissues
- Orthodontics
- Timely referral principles
- Sedation
- Risks benefits referral
- General anaesthesia
- Selection risks referral
- Patient management
- Risks benefits contraindications
Clinical Reasoning
Assess -> diagnose -> plan -> review
AssessmentDiagnosisTreatment planReferral
Assessment vs Diagnosis
Assessment
- History examination tests
- Gather evidence
Diagnosis
- Interpret evidence
- Reach supported conclusion
Gather vs conclude
Safe Clinical Reasoning
- Assessment incomplete→Gather missing information
- Diagnosis uncertain→Build differential diagnosis
- Plan treatment→Consider risks benefits
- Patient values differ→Use shared decisions
- Limits reached→Seek advice or refer
- Safety concern→Escalate appropriately
Assessment + Planning
- Patient assessment
- History examination investigations
- Differential diagnosis
- Possible diagnoses
- Definitive diagnosis
- Supported conclusion
- Prognosis
- Expected clinical outcome
- Treatment plan
- Personalised care plan
- Onward referral
- Appropriate escalation
Prevention + Safety
- Preventive care
- Personalised treatment planning
- Oral environment
- Healthy before restoration
- Infection transmission
- Routes require prevention
- Decontamination
- Current-guidance procedures
- Radiation
- Statutory clinical application
- Medical emergency
- Identify assess manage
Communication + Teamwork
- Effective communication
- Clear sensitive information
- Patient values
- Inform clinical judgements
- Shared decisions
- Personalised treatment planning
- Teamwork
- Safe effective care
- Scope of practice
- Team-role boundaries
- Raise concerns
- Protect patient safety
Consent vs Records
Consent
- Valid patient agreement
- Care decision process
Records
- Contemporaneous documentation
- Complete accurate account
Decision vs documentation
Ethics + Records
- Valid consent
- Required care principle
- Patient records
- Contemporaneous complete accurate
- Integrity
- Maintain public trust
- Candour
- Communicate when things wrong
- Patient safety
- Report safety issues
- Dignity
- Respect patients colleagues
Professionalism vs Self-Management
Professionalism
- Ethics integrity
- Social accountability
Self-management
- Insight reflection
- Adaptability organisation
Conduct vs self-regulation
Insight + Learning
- Insight
- Recognise capabilities limits
- Reflection
- Continued self-directed learning
- Bias
- Manage patient-care impact
- Adaptability
- Respond professionally
- Organisation
- Manage time effectively
- Professional growth
- Ongoing development
Common Traps
LDS vs ORE
LDS: RCS England ≠ ORE: GDC separate exam
Paper pass vs Part pass
Pass both papers ≠ Same sitting required
One failed paper
Resit all Part 1 ≠ Not paper-only resit
Published scope vs weight
Scopes are published ≠ Numerical weights are not
Score rule
No fixed score published ≠ Both papers must pass
Remote vs unproctored
Remote online ≠ Moderators monitor
Syllabus vs question bank
Use official outcomes ≠ Avoid copied questions
Last Minute
- 1.LDS: RCS England route
- 2.300 SBA items total
- 3.Paper A: science + disease
- 4.Paper B: clinic + law
- 5.180 minutes each paper
- 6.Pass both same sitting
- 7.Fail one: resit all Part1
- 8.Four Part1 attempts maximum
- 9.Five years: all LDS parts
- 10.Private room, cameras, internet
- 11.No numerical topic weights
- 12.No fixed passing score
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