What is ORE Part 2?
ORE Part 2 is the practical half of the General Dental Council's Overseas Registration Exam, which overseas-qualified dentists pass to register and practise in the UK. It follows Part 1 and has four components:
- Dental Manikin (DM)
- Three operative exercises on a manikin in three hours: mostly tooth preparation and restoration. Sometimes called the DMT.
- OSCE
- An objective structured clinical examination: you rotate through a series of clinical skills stations.
- Diagnostic and Treatment Planning (DTP)
- An actor gives a history, and you're given extra information such as photographs, radiographs or study models.
- Medical Emergencies (ME)
- A structured, scenario-based oral and a demonstration of single-handed basic life support, including CPR on a manikin.
- You're allowed four attempts at ORE Part 2.
- You need to pass it within five years of first attempting Part 1.
- If Medical Emergencies is the only component you fail, you can retake that component alone.
- The exams are held at the UCL Eastman Dental Institute in London.
Fees, dates and booking change between sittings, so check the GDC's ORE Part 2 page before you book. Online Manikin is independent and not affiliated with the GDC.
The Dental Manikin (DM) exam at a glance
The DM is the operative part of Part 2, and the one most candidates worry about. You treat a manikin (a phantom head with plastic teeth) as if it were a real patient.
- 3 hours
- one session
- 3 exercises
- two major, one minor
- 2 passes
- the exercises and Safe Practice
- The Lead Examiner briefs you on the exercises, then Skills Lab staff brief you on the manikin and equipment, and you get a practice session before the exam begins.
- You discuss each exercise with the examiners before you start it, and they tell you when they want to review your work.
- You must complete each exercise and have it assessed before starting the next. Time with the examiners counts as exam time and forms part of your assessment.
- The exercises and the teeth are set on the day, on an instruction sheet. A Class II, for example, might be MO, DO or MOD, in a premolar or a molar.
Source: ORE Part 2 Dental Manikin (DM) Guidance, version 2.0, effective 1 March 2026, p. 1–3 and 7.
Exercises that may be set
The DM Guidance gives a non-exhaustive list of exercise types, with the desirable and undesirable features of each. Our free station guides cover each exercise we teach, with what examiners look for and the official values.
Amalgam
Guidance p. 7–11
Class I occlusal and occluso-palatal cavities, and Class II (MO, DO or MOD) cavities in premolars or molars, with matrix, packing and carving.
Composite
Guidance p. 11–16
Class II, Class III, Class IV and Class V cavities and restorations, and a composite build-up of a fractured cusp.
Root canal therapy
Guidance p. 16–18
An access cavity on its own, or a full root canal treatment on a single canal.
Crown preparation
Guidance p. 18–20
Full gold, metal-ceramic and all-ceramic crown preparations, checked with a putty index.
Labial veneer
Guidance p. 21
A labial veneer preparation on an upper anterior tooth.
Temporary crown
Guidance p. 21–22
A temporary crown made with the putty index provided, on a prepared tooth.
Impression taking
Guidance p. 22–23
A full-arch impression, or an impression for a definitive crown.
Rubber dam
Guidance p. 24
Isolating the teeth named on the instruction sheet; it may also be part of another exercise.
Partial denture
Guidance p. 25–27
Rest seat preparation, and drawing a cobalt-chrome partial denture design.
How the DM is marked
Each examiner independently rates every exercise, and Safe Practice, against a structured mark sheet. Clinical work uses four grades:
- Exceeds Standard. Fulfils all, or nearly all, of the desirable criteria.
- Meets Standard. Fulfils most of them. Imperfect, but not enough to harm the tooth or the patient.
- Below Standard. Fulfils some. Imperfect enough to be detrimental, though it might be redeemed.
- Well Below Standard / Not Done. Fulfils very few. The work would be detrimental to the tooth or the patient.
What this means for you
- Major exercises count double.An Exceeds Standard in a major exercise can make up for a Below Standard in any exercise, but an Exceeds in the minor one can't make up for a Below in a major.
- Two separate passes. The exercises and Safe Practice are each classified as Pass, Borderline or Fail. You must pass both. Borderline candidates are reviewed by all the examiners on the day.
- Professionalism is recorded too, and your discussions with the examiners can count towards clinical knowledge and communication.
Source: ORE Part 2 Dental Manikin (DM) Guidance, version 2.0, effective 1 March 2026, p. 4–6.
Safe Practice
Safe Practice is assessed separately from the exercises, throughout the session. Examiners warn you about breaches, and repeated, persistent ones are recorded. The guidance covers four areas:
Operating position
Sit upright with your back supported and thighs parallel to the floor. The manikin lies flat, with the upper occlusal plane vertical, and you work between the 10:30 and 1:30 positions.
Mirror
Most exercises are on upper teeth, so you can show you use a mirror for indirect vision.
Finger rests
Hold handpieces in a pencil grip and use a finger rest in the same arch, on the same side as the tooth. A rest on the opposite side is generally not advised.
Infection control
Standard procedures throughout. You may lower your mask to speak to examiners, and pick up a dropped instrument only with a nurse's or examiner's agreement.
To be graded Exceeds Standard you need an appropriate operating position, a correct finger rest and full infection control. Frequent lapses that continue despite warnings put you Below Standard.
Source: ORE Part 2 Dental Manikin (DM) Guidance, version 2.0, effective 1 March 2026, p. 3–5.
What's provided on the day
All equipment and materials are provided, and you must not bring your own instruments or burs. You may bring your own eye protection or loupes. Books, phones, smart devices and watches are not allowed. The guidance's equipment list includes:
- A KaVo dental simulation unit with Frasaco AG3 phantom head models and AG3 replacement teeth.
- A bur stand with listed tungsten carbide and diamond burs for the turbine, and steel burs for the slow handpiece.
- A standard instrument tray, Siqveland matrix retainers, wooden wedges, composite, and lab putty shared between two candidates.
- Exercise-specific kit such as rubber dam, endodontic files and gutta-percha, impression trays and temporary crown materials.
Arrive at your allocated time: early arrivals may be asked to wait outside, and late arrivals can't sit the exam. Discussing the exam before or after is a breach of the regulations, which is why no honest guide can tell you “what came up”.
Source: ORE Part 2 Dental Manikin (DM) Guidance, version 2.0, effective 1 March 2026, p. 2, 6 and 28–30.
How to prepare for the DM exam
This is our own advice, from sitting the exam and teaching it, not official guidance.
- 1
Read the DM Guidance end to end
It lists the desirable and undesirable features of every example exercise. Treat it as the marking scheme you study against.
- 2
Fix Safe Practice first
It's a separate pass, and habits are hard to change late. Practise your operating position, mirror use and finger rests until they're automatic, then build every exercise on top.
- 3
Spend most time on the longer exercises
Major exercises count double, and they're the complex ones: crown preparations, Class II cavities and restorations, root canal treatment and composite build-ups.
- 4
Practise on upper teeth with a mirror
Most exercises are set in the upper arch so examiners can see indirect vision. Don't let direct-vision practice on lower teeth become your comfort zone.
- 5
Rehearse under time
Three exercises in three hours includes waiting for and talking to examiners. Run full mock sessions with a clock, not single exercises at leisure.
- 6
Practise talking to the examiner
You discuss each exercise before starting, and those conversations count towards your clinical knowledge, professionalism and communication.
- 7
Get your work checked against the criteria
Have a tutor or a colleague mark your preparations against the guidance, so you find your own repeat mistakes before the exam does.
Online or onsite course?
Most candidates combine both, and they do different jobs.
Onsite manikin course
Hands-on time on a manikin with a tutor watching. Essential practice, but it's usually a few intensive days, often means travel to the UK, and you can't replay what you were shown.
Online video course
Every exercise step by step, from anywhere, as many times as you need. It doesn't replace hands-on practice, but it means you arrive at the manikin knowing the sequence, the instruments and the checks.
The Online Manikin course covers the DM exercises station by station on video, and Pro adds 1:1 feedback on your own work from a GDC-registered tutor. Our free webinar covers the exam format, marking and Safe Practice.
ORE Part 2 questions
How long is the ORE Part 2 Dental Manikin exam?
One three-hour session with three exercises: two major and one minor. You complete each exercise and have it assessed by the examiners before starting the next.
How is the DM exam marked?
Examiners grade each exercise as Exceeds, Meets, Below or Well Below Standard. The two major exercises carry twice the weight of the minor one. Safe Practice is graded separately, and you must pass both the exercises and Safe Practice to pass the DM.
Which exercises come up in the DM exam?
The examiners choose three exercises for each sitting, and the tooth is set on the day. The DM Guidance lists the kinds of exercise that may be set: amalgam, composite, root canal therapy, crown preparation, labial veneer, temporary crown, impression taking, rubber dam and partial denture.
Can I bring my own instruments or burs?
No. All equipment is provided, and the DM Guidance lists it. You may bring your own eye protection or loupes. Phones, smart devices and watches are not allowed.
How many attempts do I get at ORE Part 2?
The GDC allows four attempts at ORE Part 2, and you need to pass it within five years of first attempting Part 1. Check the GDC website for the current rules and fees.
Can I prepare for the DM exam online?
Partly. Video can teach you the sequence, the instruments and what examiners look for, and you can rewatch it as often as you need. It doesn't replace hands-on practice on a manikin; it makes that practice count for more.
More in the full FAQ.