The UCLC ORE Transition 2026: What Is Changing, What Stays the Same, and What Candidates Need to Know

1. The Background: Why the ORE Needed a New Provider

The ORE has operated under a series of consortium arrangements for many years, with King's College London as the long-standing Part 1 provider and a separate consortium (including RCS England and UCL Eastman Dental Institute) delivering Part 2. For much of this period, capacity was set at levels that reflected what the existing infrastructure could deliver rather than what demand required — for most of the past decade, Part 1 was capped at around 200 places per sitting.

From 2022 onwards, the GDC began responding to a surge in applications. Part 1 capacity was tripled from 200 to 600 places per sitting, and Part 2 was expanded from three to four sittings per year. But these were measures that worked within existing contractual arrangements rather than solving the structural problem. By April 2025, approximately 5,000 candidates were on combined waiting lists for Parts 1 and 2, with only around 354 completing both parts in 2024 — a throughput figure that had barely moved despite years of reported capacity increases.

The GDC launched a formal procurement process in 2025 to find a new provider capable of delivering at the scale the demand required. The process assessed candidates on delivery solution, mobilisation planning, and cost effectiveness. UCLC was confirmed as preferred bidder in November 2025, with the full contract details announced in March 2026.

2. Who Is UCLC? The Consortium Explained

UCL Consultants Ltd is a wholly-owned commercial subsidiary of University College London. It is the vehicle through which UCL provides consultancy and professional services to external organisations. In the context of the ORE, UCLC does not deliver the exam itself — rather, it leads a consortium of institutions that between them have the expertise, facilities, and assessment infrastructure to administer a high-quality, high-volume dental registration examination.

The consortium partners named by the GDC are: UCL Eastman Dental Institute as the lead academic partner, UCL Hospitals (UCLH) providing clinical infrastructure, Queen Mary University London contributing additional dental academic expertise, AlphaPlus as an assessment and quality assurance specialist, and the Royal College of Surgeons of England. The involvement of RCS England is particularly notable — it currently co-administers the existing Part 2 under the outgoing contract, providing genuine operational continuity across the transition for the practical examination components.

UCL Eastman Dental Institute is one of the largest postgraduate dental institutes in Europe, and UCLH is one of the UK's major NHS foundation trusts. The combination of Eastman's dental academic expertise, UCLH's clinical facilities, and AlphaPlus's assessment quality assurance capability was evidently what persuaded the GDC that UCLC could deliver examination at the required scale without compromising standards.

3. Capacity Changes: The Numbers in Full

The March 2026 GDC announcement provided the most detailed capacity projections yet published for the UCLC contract. The figures represent a step-change in scale that dwarfs anything achieved through the incremental expansions of recent years.

For Part 1: annual places will increase from 1,800 (under the current KCL contract) to 2,400 in year one of the UCLC contract. This represents a 33% increase in Part 1 capacity in the first year alone. The contract includes flexibility to increase further in subsequent years, though specific year-two and year-three Part 1 figures have not been published.

For Part 2: the increase is steeper in proportional terms. From approximately 720 places annually under the current contract, Part 2 will rise to 944 in year one — a 31% increase — and scale further to approximately 1,500 annually by year three. The GDC's stated ambition, once the system reaches full capacity in year three, is that up to 1,500 candidates per year could complete both parts and become eligible for GDC registration. This compares with 354 in 2024.

4. What Is Confirmed to Change

The GDC's announcements of November 2025 and March 2026 confirm several specific changes that will take effect under the UCLC contract.

Increased capacity is the primary confirmed change, with the specific numbers detailed in Section 3. Part 1 moves from KCL to UCL Eastman as the lead venue from September 2026. Part 2 continues under RCS England and UCL Eastman locations — the same venues as currently — with UCLC as the administrative lead. The GDC has not formally confirmed that Part 1 venue will be UCL Eastman specifically, but given UCLC's structure and the Eastman's existing Part 2 involvement, this is the most probable outcome.

A more predictable sitting schedule is also confirmed. The existing contract has required the GDC to negotiate reactive additions to exam capacity year on year, creating uncertainty for candidates about when and how often sittings would be available. The UCLC contract includes annual flexibility built in from the outset — meaning the GDC can plan sitting volumes more systematically without needing to renegotiate capacity additions at short notice. The GDC has described this as a shift from reactive to planned scaling.

The GDC has also committed to developing “additional international registration pathways” alongside the UCLC transition, aimed at ensuring both fair access and high standards. As of April 2026, the specific nature of these pathways has not been detailed. Candidates should monitor GDC communications for announcements.

5. What Is Not Confirmed to Change

Several aspects of the ORE that candidates most care about have not been formally confirmed as changing under UCLC, and the available evidence suggests they are likely to remain the same.

The exam structure — two parts, with Part 1 being a computer-based written exam and Part 2 being a multi-component practical exam — is set by the GDC's regulatory framework, not by the provider. The GDC has not indicated any intention to restructure the examination format. Similarly, the syllabus for both parts remains mapped to the GDC's Preparing for Practice document. The pass standards framework, attempt limits (four per part), and the five-year rule are all legislative or regulatory in nature and will not change with the provider.

Fees are not yet confirmed for UCLC sittings. The current confirmed fees are £584 for Part 1 and £4,235 for Part 2 — set with effect from January 2025 under the current contract. The GDC has not published whether fees will change under UCLC. Given that the previous fee reset involved both reductions (Part 1) and increases (Part 2), candidates should not assume current fee levels will remain unchanged. Monitor the GDC website for fee announcements before the first UCLC sittings.

The eGDC booking platform is expected to remain the booking channel. The GDC has not announced a change to booking infrastructure. However, whether the booking mechanism itself will evolve — for example towards a ballot system or reformed priority access — remains to be confirmed. The GDC acknowledged in October 2025 that it intends to reform the booking system, but has not yet published the specifics.

6. What the Transition Means for Candidates Already in the Pipeline

If you are currently on the ORE candidate list, mid-application, or have already passed Part 1 and are waiting to sit Part 2, the transition to UCLC does not require you to take any specific action at this time. Your existing status carries forward.

For candidates waiting to book Part 1: the April 2026 sitting under the current KCL contract is already fully booked. The next available Part 1 sittings before the UCLC transition are the August and December 2026 sittings confirmed under the existing contract. From September 2026, UCLC Part 1 sittings begin — though specific dates for the first UCLC Part 1 sitting have not yet been published as of April 2026. Watch the GDC booking dates page for updates.

For candidates who have passed Part 1 and are waiting for Part 2: the April 2026 Part 2 sitting is fully booked. Further sittings under the current contract may be available. UCLC Part 2 sittings begin from September 2026 with capacity rising to 944 per year. If you are approaching your five-year deadline, contact the GDC examinations team to ensure your priority status is recognised regardless of which contract period your booking falls under.

For candidates currently studying for Part 1 or Part 2: the syllabus, exam structure, and study resources you are using are not affected by the provider change. The GDC's Preparing for Practice document remains the definitive reference. Study materials, past feedback reports, and preparation courses referenced against the current ORE framework remain relevant under UCLC. Do not discard or restart your preparation on account of the transition.

7. Wider Reaction and the Policy Debate

The UCLC announcement was welcomed by many stakeholders as an overdue response to a well-documented capacity crisis. The scale of the expansion — potentially five times as many annual completions at full capacity — is the most ambitious commitment the GDC has made on ORE throughput. UK Health Minister Stephen Kinnock had publicly requested a plan from the GDC to address the ORE bottleneck as early as July 2025, and the November 2025 and March 2026 announcements represented the GDC's substantive response.

The British Dental Association offered a more cautious reception. BDA Chair Eddie Crouch, responding to the March 2026 announcement, described the expansion as feeling like a quick fix and raised concerns about whether the UK dental system — particularly an underfunded NHS — had the absorptive capacity to integrate a large rapid influx of internationally qualified dentists in sustainable employment. The BDA warned that expanding registration routes without addressing NHS funding and retention would lead to exploitation and workforce instability rather than genuine workforce strengthening.

This policy debate is likely to continue throughout 2026 and beyond. For candidates, the practical implications are clear: more places, more predictable scheduling, and a provider with the infrastructure to sustain the expansion. The broader questions about NHS workforce integration and pay are important context but do not change the eligibility requirements or examination process that candidates must navigate.

Related ORE articles

References

• General Dental Council — More details on new ORE contract (9 March 2026) | The primary source for UCLC capacity figures: Part 1 rising to 2,400, Part 2 rising from 720 to 944 to 1,500 over three years; first sittings September 2026; flexible annual capacity framework confirmed.
• General Dental Council — Preferred bidder for ORE confirmed (5 November 2025) | UCLC confirmed as preferred bidder; consortium composition (Eastman, UCLH, QMUL, AlphaPlus, RCS England); 53% application surge in 2024; GDC ambition to more than double completions.
• UCL Consultants Ltd — GDC confirms preferred bidder for ORE | UCL Consultants Ltd confirmation of preferred bidder status; consortium details from the UCLC perspective; scalable delivery ambition.
• British Dental Journal — GDC shares more details on new ORE contract (March 2026) | BDA Chair Eddie Crouch's response; BDA concern about NHS absorptive capacity; Part 1 and Part 2 capacity figures confirmed in published journal report.
• Dentistry.co.uk — ORE overhaul could deliver five-fold rise in overseas dentist registrations (9 March 2026) | Detailed breakdown of UCLC contract capacity numbers; 354 completions in 2024 vs potential 1,500 per year; GDC statement on planned vs reactive scaling.
• UK Parliament — Written question on ORE capacity (June 2025) | Parliamentary confirmation that approximately 5,000 candidates were on waiting lists in April 2025; sitting capacity figures for 2025–2026 period confirmed by government.