Free Practice Questions for ORE Part 1
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Sample ORE Part 1 Practice Questions
Try these sample questions to review concepts for the ORE Part 1 exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 125+ question experience with AI tutoring.
1Which nerve provides sensory innervation to the buccal gingivae of the mandibular molar teeth?
2Through which foramen does the maxillary nerve (CN V2) exit the cranial cavity?
3During tooth development, which cells are responsible for laying down dentine?
4A patient cannot wrinkle the skin of the forehead and cannot fully close the right eye after a parotid region injury. Which nerve is most likely damaged?
5Which muscle is primarily responsible for protrusion of the mandible?
6Lymph from the tip of the tongue drains first to which group of lymph nodes?
7Which salivary gland produces predominantly serous secretion and is the largest of the major salivary glands?
8Saliva contributes to caries resistance primarily through which mechanism?
9Which vitamin deficiency classically causes scurvy, with gingival swelling, bleeding, and impaired wound healing?
10What is the approximate critical pH below which hydroxyapatite of enamel begins to demineralise?
About the ORE Part 1 Exam
ORE Part 1 is the written stage of the GDC's Overseas Registration Examination, which overseas-qualified dentists must pass to register and practise in the UK. It tests the application of dental science, human disease, clinical dentistry, and UK law, ethics, and safety to clinical practice across two three-hour computer-based papers.
Exam sponsor: General Dental Council (GDC), UK. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.
Assessment
Two computer-based papers taken on consecutive days within a single sitting: Paper A (dental science and human disease) and Paper B (aspects of clinical dentistry including law and ethics and health and safety). Both must be passed in the same sitting to progress to Part 2.
Time Limit
Three hours per paper, two papers taken on consecutive days (six hours in total).
Passing Score
No fixed pass mark is published in advance; each paper is standard set. Candidates receive a percentage mark out of 100 per paper plus an overall pass or fail, and must pass both papers in one sitting.
Exam / Certification Fees
GBP 485 per attempt, plus a one-off GBP 115 ORE application processing fee. Up to four attempts at Part 1 are permitted, and ORE Part 2 must be passed within five years of the first Part 1 attempt.
Exam sponsor websiteFees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.
Official sources
- GDC — ORE Part 1 (official page)
- GDC — About the Overseas Registration Examination (fees, attempts, time limits)
- GDC — ORE Examination Specification for Candidates (blueprint)
- GDC — Preparing for Practice (dental team learning outcomes, revised 2015)
- ORE Part 1 exam provider — UCL Consultants consortium
Our practice resources: topics covered
We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.
Paper A — Dental Science and Human Disease (200 marks)
Official GDC blueprint topics: behavioural sciences relevant to oral health care; physiology of the major body systems relevant to dentistry; biochemistry relevant to oral disease; genetics and embryology relevant to orofacial disease; anatomy of the head and neck; oral biology; human disease relevant to dentistry; oral aspects of human disease; infection prevention and control of transmission in the oral healthcare setting; dental materials; statistics and research methods.
Paper B — Clinical Dentistry, Law, Ethics and Health and Safety (200 marks)
Official GDC blueprint topics: diagnosis and management of disease relevant to dentistry; endodontics; prosthodontics; paediatric dentistry; periodontology; oral surgery; oral medicine; therapeutics; oral pathology; oral microbiology; orthodontics; special care; dental radiology; dental public health; communication and interpersonal skills; consent; clinical professionalism; ethical and regulatory frameworks; self-management.
Preparing for the ORE Part 1 Exam
What You Need to Know
- Passing score: No fixed pass mark is published in advance; each paper is standard set. Candidates receive a percentage mark out of 100 per paper plus an overall pass or fail, and must pass both papers in one sitting.
- Assessment: Two computer-based papers taken on consecutive days within a single sitting: Paper A (dental science and human disease) and Paper B (aspects of clinical dentistry including law and ethics and health and safety). Both must be passed in the same sitting to progress to Part 2.
- Time limit: Three hours per paper, two papers taken on consecutive days (six hours in total).
- Exam / certification fees: GBP 485 per attempt, plus a one-off GBP 115 ORE application processing fee. Up to four attempts at Part 1 are permitted, and ORE Part 2 must be passed within five years of the first Part 1 attempt. Official sources
Using Our Practice Resources
- Work through all 125 available questions
- Review every answer and explanation
- Track weak areas and revisit them
- Use our AI tutor for tough concepts
ORE Part 1: Suggested Study Strategy
Frequently Asked Questions
What does ORE Part 1 consist of?
Two computer-based written papers taken on consecutive days within one sitting. Paper A covers dental science and human disease; Paper B covers aspects of clinical dentistry, law and ethics, and health and safety. Each paper contains 200 questions worth 200 marks, lasts three hours, and uses Single Best Answer and Extended Matching Question formats.
What is the pass mark for ORE Part 1?
There is no fixed pass mark published in advance. Each paper is standard set after the sitting, so the threshold can vary between diets. Candidates receive a percentage mark out of 100 per paper and an overall pass or fail, and must pass both papers in the same sitting to progress to Part 2.
How much does ORE Part 1 cost and how many attempts are allowed?
The GDC examination fee for ORE Part 1 is GBP 485 per attempt, plus a one-off GBP 115 application processing fee to join the candidate list. Candidates are allowed up to four attempts at each part of the ORE, and fees are not normally refundable.
Who runs ORE Part 1 and where is it held?
ORE Part 1 is commissioned by the General Dental Council and delivered by UCL Consultants, working with UCL Eastman and AlphaPlus. It is held at computer test centres in London, with 600 places per sitting.