Guides 1,600 hours
The 1,600 clinical hours: what counts, and when they must fall
The number is the same on both routes. The timing is not, and on the LDS that difference decides when you can book Part 2.
Both routes to GDC registration ask for at least 1,600 hours of clinical experience. The number is the same. When those hours have to fall, and who signs them off, is not — and that difference decides whether you can book this year or next.
The requirement
| ORE | LDS | |
|---|---|---|
| Hours required | At least 1,600 | At least 1,600 |
| When they must fall | Before you apply to join the candidate list | Immediately preceding Part 2 |
| Evidenced by | A clinical reference form | Eligibility evidence submitted to RCS England |
Read that middle row twice. On the LDS the hours attach to Part 2, and they must be the hours immediately before it. Experience from five years ago, followed by a gap, is not the same thing as 1,600 hours immediately preceding your clinical exam.
What counts
The requirement is treating patients. That is the whole test. It is not lecture hours, not observation, not shadowing, and not time on the payroll during which you did not see patients.
Who signs it
The ORE uses a clinical reference form, completed by someone who can actually attest to your practice. Alongside it, both routes want a character reference from a registered professional who is not a relative, and a certificate of current professional status — the GDC’s version has to be less than three months old.
Practical consequence: the people who sign your paperwork need to be reachable, willing, and still in post. If you are about to change jobs or country, collect your references before you go, not afterwards.
How this changes your planning
- On the ORE, the hours gate the application. You cannot join the candidate list without them, and the GDC asks you to allow 60 working days for assessment on top.
- On the LDS, the hours gate Part 2. You can sit Part 1 first and keep practising — but if you plan a long break after Part 1, you may fail the “immediately preceding” test when you come to book.
If you are still choosing between the routes, the registration overview sets out cost, format and time limits side by side.
FAQ
How many clinical hours do I need for GDC registration? At least 1,600 hours of treating patients, for both the ORE and the LDS routes.
Does observation or shadowing count? No. The requirement is treating patients.
When do the LDS hours have to be completed? Immediately preceding Part 2, not at any point in your career.
Who can sign my clinical reference? Someone who can genuinely attest to your clinical practice. The separate character reference must come from a registered professional who is not a relative.
Sources
Fees, scores and requirements change — confirm anything here with the GDC, RCS England or UK ENIC before you act on it.