Guides LDS Part 2
LDS Part 2: the 12-station OSCE and the clinical reasoning cases
Part 2 was rebuilt in 2026. Four unseen patient cases became a 12-station OSCE plus six structured clinical reasoning cases, both to be passed in one sitting. What that actually involves, and why the first sitting went badly.
- 12
- OSCE stations
- 7 min
- Per station
- £1,793
- Fee
- 3
- Attempts
LDS Part 2 is the first of the two clinical parts, and in 2026 it stopped resembling the exam anyone had prepared for. The College replaced four unseen patient cases with a 12-station OSCE and six structured clinical reasoning cases. If you are revising from material written before 2026, you are revising for an exam that no longer exists.
What Part 2 now consists of
| Component | Format | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| OSCE | 12 stations | 7 minutes each |
| Structured clinical reasoning | 6 cases — diagnosis, management, treatment planning | 20 minutes each |
Both components must be passed in the same sitting. You cannot carry one forward. It runs over two days, in person, at RCS England in London. Results take around four weeks.
Seven minutes is the whole exam
The single biggest adjustment for candidates coming from an unseen-patient format is the clock. Seven minutes per station means there is no recovery time. A station that starts badly stays bad, and then a bell rings and the next one starts regardless.
What that rewards is not depth of knowledge but a rehearsed opening. Candidates who have practised the first ninety seconds of a station — reading the stem, orienting, opening the conversation — perform materially better than candidates who know more dentistry but improvise the start.
The clinical reasoning cases are the opposite problem. Twenty minutes is long enough to talk yourself out of a correct answer. They test diagnosis, management and treatment planning as a sequence, and the marks are in the justification rather than the conclusion.
The June 2026 sitting, and what it tells you
Dentistry.co.uk reported in July 2026 that international dentists were unhappy with the new Part 2, with reports suggesting around five of ninety-five candidates passed the June sitting. Candidates complained about the absence of preparation materials and of meaningful feedback.
Treat that figure carefully. It is press-reported, not confirmed by the College, and one sitting of a brand-new format is a small and unrepresentative sample. We do not quote pass rates as though they were published facts, and neither should anyone selling you a course — our page on what is and is not published explains why.
What the report does tell you, reliably, is something about conditions rather than difficulty: the first cohort sat an unfamiliar format with very little published preparation material. RCS England said the exam must continue to assess what is required for safe practice, and did not comment on the format’s future.
The practical conclusion is not “Part 2 is impossible”. It is that Part 2 is currently under-resourced for candidates, and the people who do well will be the ones who prepare for the structure rather than hoping to recognise the content.
Before you can sit it
- 1,600 hours of clinical experience immediately preceding Part 2. Not at any point in your career — immediately preceding. See the clinical hours guide.
- A certificate of good standing and a character reference from a registered professional who is not a relative.
- A current Basic Life Support certificate.
- Hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV serology dated within three months.
- An ENIC statement of comparability if you graduated outside the EEA — see the ENIC guide.
The serology and BLS dates catch people out, because they expire. Gather them close to the sitting rather than early.
Attempts, timing and cost
| LDS Part 2 | |
|---|---|
| Fee | £1,793 |
| Attempts | 3 |
| Where | RCS England, London — in person |
| Results | About 4 weeks |
| Time limit | Five years across all three parts |
The five-year limit runs across the whole route, not per part. If Part 1 took you two attempts and a year, that year is gone from the Part 2 and Part 3 budget as well.
How to prepare when there is little official material
This is the real problem with Part 2 in its current form, and there is no comfortable answer. What is worth doing:
- Practise to the clock, out loud, with someone watching. Seven minutes silently in your head is not the same exam.
- Build a repeatable station opening and use it every time until it is automatic.
- Work the reasoning cases as a written sequence: what is the diagnosis, what is the evidence for it, what are the options, which do you choose and why. The marks follow that chain.
- Get the knowledge base solid first. An OSCE tests application, and you cannot apply what you do not know. Part 1 material is the foundation for Part 2, not a separate subject.
Capacity is expanding sharply — government funding is taking final-exam places from 180 to 1,800 by 2028 — so the bottleneck of the last few years should ease.
Frequently asked
What is LDS Part 2? A 12-station OSCE at seven minutes a station, plus six 20-minute structured clinical reasoning cases. Both must be passed in the same sitting.
What changed in 2026? Four unseen patient cases were replaced by the OSCE and reasoning-case format, realigned to the GDC’s Safe Practitioner Framework.
How much does LDS Part 2 cost? £1,793. The full three-part LDS route is about £4,554, roughly £3,000 cheaper than the ORE.
How many attempts do I get? Three at Part 2, within a five-year limit that covers all three parts.
Where is it held? In person at RCS England in London, over two days.
Do I need 1,600 clinical hours? Yes, immediately preceding Part 2 rather than at any earlier point.
Sources
Fees, formats and attempt limits are set by RCS England and change — confirm with the College before you act on anything here.