The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) defended its redesigned Licence in Dental Surgery (LDS) assessment after candidates raised concerns about an ‘exceptionally low’ pass rate.
The college said the examination was fair, covered material within the published syllabus and General Dental Council (GDC) framework, and had been set at an appropriate standard.
Dentistry heard reports from candidates that just five dentists in a cohort of around 95 had passed a recent LDS sitting – a much lower rate than in previous years. The pass rate is not released publicly, so cannot be verified by Dentistry.
RCS England told Dentistry that changes to the LDS assessment did not reflect a raising or lowering of the pass standard, but rather ‘the updated professional standards against which dentists are now expected to demonstrate competence’.
For example, the examination board noted: ‘Some candidates were not able to demonstrate the relevant knowledge and skills required by the professionalism and self-management sections of the GDC’s new Safe Practitioner Framework.’
RCS England said: ‘We recognise that changes to the examination may be challenging for some candidates. However, it is essential that all candidates demonstrate that they meet the required standard.’
What changes were made to the LDS?
From spring 2026, the LDS transitioned to assessing the GDC’s new Safe Practitioner Framework, in line with the GDC’s requirements for all training providers.
RCS England said: ‘For the June and July 2026 LDS Part 2 sittings specifically, candidates were expected to demonstrate the Safe Practitioner Framework outcomes mapped to the Part 2 components in the LDS syllabus, including the relevant outcomes in the professionalism and self-management domains, at the standard expected of a BDS-qualified dentist who is safe to practise in the UK.’
There were also changes to the Part 2 assessment itself. The Structured Clinical Reasoning (SCR) component replaced the previous Unseen Case component.
RCS England said this change was agreed with the GDC to provide clearer delineation between the assessment aims of the two Part 2 components and to ensure effective coverage of the Safe Practitioner Framework learning outcomes.
The college stressed that these changes were communicated on its website in October 2025, with information about the Safe Practitioner Framework and the SCR component.
Candidates told Dentistry that despite this significant change, there were no sample cases, marking rubrics or clear guidance to help them prepare.
RCS England advised that candidates who were unsuccessful in passing the LDS remain entitled to appeal their result. However, it continued: ‘An appeal cannot be made simply because a candidate was unaware of the assessment requirements or wishes to challenge the academic or professional judgement of the examiners.’
The examiner further encouraged candidates to refer to the LDS syllabus and the college’s information on the transition to the Safe Practitioner Framework.
It concluded: ‘We continually review how we support candidates in the examination process, including information on examination format and coverage in assessing the outcomes of the GDC’s Safe Practitioner Framework.’
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