Dip PCD · Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland · £199

Everything the Diploma in Primary Care Dentistry asks, written out and explained

A postgraduate diploma of the Faculty of Dentistry, RCSI, examined in one three-hour online paper sat remotely and proctored, worldwide — open to any dentist with a degree RCSI recognises, with no licence required. £199 for all of it, three years’ access, or until you pass. 2,004 multiple-choice questions across 26 subjects, written in the paper’s own three-option and single-best-answer formats, every answer explained; all 255 revision topics across 11 modules with 350 figures, written out in full; and timed mock papers at the paper’s own shape. 3 hours of the whole thing free before you decide.

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2,004
Questions
255
Revision topics
26
Subjects
180
Exam items
A dentist studying the Diploma course at home

The paper

One paper, three hours, 180 items — and a minute for each

RCSI’s revised regulations describe the Diploma paper as one three-hour online sitting of 180 items, in one unbroken section: 150 multiple-choice questions, each a stem with three branches — one keyed response and two distractors — and 30 single best answer questions, a statement or short scenario with five options and one best answer. That is sixty seconds an item, with no break in the middle. This format applies from 1 October 2026.

Three hours, one sitting

No Paper A and Paper B, and no half-time: one continuous section, paced by the clock at a minute an item from the first question to the last.

Three options, not five

Most of the paper is three-option multiple choice. With two distractors, not four, the wrong answers sit close to the right one: knowing the guidance behind everyday practice counts for more than ruling out the obviously wrong.

About four fifths clinical

RCSI publishes the balance: roughly 80% clinical and para-clinical dentistry, 20% the sciences behind it. The syllabus is published too, and every question in this course carries its syllabus area.

Sat remotely, worldwide

Online and proctored, wherever you are. Open to any dentist with a degree RCSI recognises; no licence in any country is required to sit it.

What is published, and what is not

The syllabus and the balance are published. The pass mark is not.

RCSI says its papers are standard-set, and does not publish the pass mark. It has not published whether wrong answers are penalised either; third-party guides say they are not, and that is unconfirmed. So nothing on this site gives you a number for either. What you can prepare against is what is published: the format, the syllabus and the balance of the paper — and that is what this course is built to.

The price

£199, and it is yours for three years

One course with everything in it — the question bank and the written guide together. One payment, no subscription, three years to use it, or until you pass. The same list wherever the price is named.

Pay securely by card. Your access is set up automatically and we email you a link to choose your password within a few minutes.

Three years’ access, or until you pass

Everything for the Diploma in Primary Care Dentistry

£199one payment · three years

  • 2,004 multiple-choice questions across 26 subjects, written in the paper’s own three-option and single-best-answer formats, every answer explained
  • Timed mock papers drawn from the bank at the paper’s own shape — 180 items in three hours, a minute each
  • All 255 revision topics across 11 modules, written out in full, with 350 figures and clinical pictures
  • Every answer you give kept, subject by subject, and a weakness report worked out from what you get wrong
  • Search, bookmarks and your own notes
  • A place in the WhatsApp study group, with mentor support
The three-week plan and the eight exam simulation mocksAll are included with your course and are not an extra to buy. They open one month before your exam.
Buy the Dip PCD course · £199

Already with us for ORE or LDS? The Diploma is a separate course with its own sign-in — the same email address is fine. Or take 3 hours of the course free, or message us on WhatsApp.

The Diploma, in plain terms

Questions candidates ask before they apply

What is the Diploma in Primary Care Dentistry?

A postgraduate diploma of the Faculty of Dentistry of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, taken by dentists working in general and primary care practice. It is not a licence to practise anywhere; it is a qualification taken after one.

What does the paper consist of?

One three-hour online paper of 180 items in a single unbroken section: 150 three-option multiple-choice questions and 30 five-option single best answer questions. It is sat remotely and proctored. This format applies from 1 October 2026.

Who may sit it?

Any dentist with a degree RCSI recognises. No licence or registration in any particular country is required.

What is the pass mark?

RCSI does not publish it; its papers are standard-set. It has not published whether wrong answers are penalised either. Any figure you are given for either is somebody’s guess, and this course does not make one.

What does your course cover?

2,004 multiple-choice questions across 26 subjects in the paper’s own formats, each with the answer explained; a revision guide of 255 topics across 11 modules with 350 figures, written out in full; timed mock papers at the paper’s own shape; search, bookmarks, notes and a weakness report; and a place in the study group. The three-week plan and the eight exam simulation mocks open one month before your exam.

I already have an ORE or LDS account. Do I use it?

No — the Diploma is its own course with its own sign-in, so the two never get in the way of each other. Use the same email address if you like; it is simply a separate account, and the sign-in page asks which course you are here for.

Can I see it before I pay?

Yes. The whole course opens free for three hours, with no card asked for, from the free-trial page. After that it is £199 for three years, or until you pass.

See the whole course before you pay

Unlock all of the Diploma course for 3 hours — every question, every explanation and the whole revision guide. No card, and the clock starts when you click the link, so you can pick an evening when you have time to use it properly.

Try 3 hours free — full course