Why is the Department of Health supporting the running of IQE A in India?

There are currently vacancies for dentists to work for the National Health Service in many parts of England and the Department therefore wants to make it easier for overseas dentists to sit the IQE and take up these posts. There is already a flow of overseas dentists to England and holding the IQE in India makes it easier for dentists based in Asia to take the exam. These arrangements were warmly supported by dentists who attended the 2004 FDI conference in India, and reflect the overall policy of the British government in India to promote educational opportunities for Indian people who wish to work in England. The Department does not however intend to actively recruit from the states supported by aid from the Department for International Development (Orissa, Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh).

Why is the Department of Health only supporting the initiative in India and not other countries outside the UK?

The provision of the IQE in India will be the first time that the exam has been run outside the UK. This requires significant amounts of planning to ensure that the exam is run correctly in accordance with normal GDC procedures. In addition, there is a large pool of potential candidates based in India and substantial interest was expressed at the FDI conference in Delhi in September. Candidates based elsewhere in Asia may also find it easier and less expensive to travel to the exam centres in India than to the UK.

I do not live in India. Can I still apply to take IQE A there?

Yes. It is GDC policy to make any sitting of IQE A open to all eligible candidates. Any dentists currently on the waiting list for the exam in the UK have also been invited to sit IQE A in India.

Does the Department of Health plan to support further IQE exams to be run outside the UK?

It will be necessary to assess the success of the IQE Part A in India before deciding whether to repeat this in future. At present, the GDC has no further plans to hold the IQE outside the UK.

Applying for IQE A and processing of applications

Where can I get hold of the application form?

The application form and guidance do*****ents (including guidance on which do*****ents must be submitted with your application) are available from the website www.ukinindia.com.

Why are candidates asked to send completed applications to the British High Commission in New Delhi, and not direct to the General Dental Council?

The GDC currently receives many applications which are not submitted with the required do*****entation. In order to process applications more efficiently candidates are asked to send completed applications including all required do*****entation to:

Dental Examination Office
Department of Health
British High Commission
Shantipath, Chanakyapuri
New Delhi 110 021, India

where applications will be checked and processed.

We recommend that candidates submit certified copies rather than originals of do*****ents, such as degree or marriage certificates and passports. These must have been certified by a notary public. Certified copies of passports should comprise a clear copy of your photograph and the pages giving your personal details and the expiry date.

We would expect to receive originals of your Letter or Certificate of Good Standing and IELTS Test Report Form.

What should I do if I have already submitted an application to the GDC in London to sit the UK exams and would now like to sit the exam in India?

Dentists who have already applied to the GDC to sit the exam in the UK should contact the GDC in London.


How many places are available?

Four hundred places are available, split between New Delhi and Chennai. Candidates are asked to state their preferred exam centre on the application form, though we cannot guarantee that a place will be available in the preferred location.

If more successful applications are received than there are places available, how will applicants be selected?

The date on which the British High Commission receives a completed application will be recorded. Applicants will be allocated places at the exam on a strictly first come, first served basis. No priority will be given based on any other criteria, such as the applicant’s qualifications or experience.

It is in the interest of all applicants to submit a correctly completed application form with the required do*****entation as any checking of details will slow down the process. This may prevent an applicant receiving a place, if the exam is oversubscribed.


What can I do if I am not successful in receiving a place to sit IQE A in India?

Dentists who have completed their applications but did not get a place on the Part A in India in March may ask to join the waiting list for the exams held in the UK.

What is the cost of the IQE and why must I pay in advance?

The Part A exam costs £550. The cost is the same for the exam in India and the UK.

Applicants are asked to submit a banker’s draft for the above amount, payable in sterling in the UK in favour of the General Dental Council, 37 Wimpole Street, London W1G 8DQ, UK, with their application. This is to make the process faster by avoiding the need to contact candidates separately to request payment later. Unsuccessful applicants will have their drafts returned.

Paragraph 14 of the Guidance for Candidates, which is a standard do*****ent, states that payment is not required until formally requested after receipt of your application. Please note that this statement does not apply for this sitting of the IQE in India.

What if I need to withdraw my application?

If you need to withdraw your application, please contact the Dental Examination Office as soon as possible so that your place can be offered to a candidate on the stand-by list.

Please be advised that payment for the exam is not refundable.

When will I receive details of the time and specific venue of the exam?

You will receive information about the exam venue, the time of the written paper and the time and date of the oral exams from the examining body approximately two weeks before the exam.

Exam content, marking and provision of results

What is the content of Part A?

Details on the content of Part A are enclosed with the application pack. Please refer to Page 3 of the Guidance for Candidates, which is part of the application pack available at www.ukinindia.com. Further briefing notes on the content and format of Part A will be available on the same website later in December.

Is there a syllabus for the exam and are past papers available?

There is no syllabus for the exam. However, candidates should be familiar with the GDC do*****ent The First Five Years. This is the framework for the undergraduate dental curriculum in the UK. It is available on the GDC website www.gdc-uk.org and also in many British Council libraries in India.

No past papers are available for the exam. The written papers are made up of multiple short answer questions and so past papers are not available in order to prevent question-spotting.

Has the content of the Part A exam changed recently?

Yes. In exams before 2005, Part A included two written papers and three orals. The third oral covered clinical dentistry, and is to be dropped for all exams taking place from 2005. Therefore, from 2005, the exam will include two written papers and two orals only. Please refer to Guidance for Candidates for full details.

Will the format of the exam in India be different to IQE A exams provided in the UK?

No. The exam in India will be the same as exams being held in the UK. The changes described above will also apply to all candidates taking the exam in the UK from 2005.

Will the exam be marked to the same standard as IQE A in the UK?

Yes. There will be no difference between the standards applied in India and the UK.

How can I prepare for the exam?

The GDC has prepared a suggested reading list of useful textbooks, which is applicable for Parts A – C of the exam. This is enclosed with the application pack and is also available at www.ukinindia.com.

DH has arranged for copies of a number of textbooks from this list to be available in all British Council libraries in India (except Hyderabad, which is in Andhra Pradesh, one of the states that receive aid from the UK). The British Council has arranged for self-supported study groups to run in certain British Council libraries where candidates can meet to revise together if they wish. Visit the British Council website here for details of library locations, opening times and contact details.

When will I hear if I’ve passed?

The results will be sent to candidates no later than 14 days after they have been validated by the GDC.

After IQE A

When and where can I take IQE Parts B and C?

A candidate who has passed IQE Part A in India is then eligible to sit Part B in the UK. On successful completion of Part B, a candidate is eligible to sit Part C in the UK.

The timetable for the IQE from April 2005 is currently being considered by the GDC and so it is not possible to confirm locations and dates for exams. However, future arrangements for the IQE will be designed to meet the increased demand for the exam and significantly speed the process up for all candidates. The GDC wishes candidates to progress through the IQE as quickly as is consistent with the secure delivery of the exam.

Exam dates for the period from April 2005 will be made available in early 2005 and published on the GDC website at www.gdc-uk.org.

Parts B and C will take place at a UK dental school.

Where can I find information on the appropriate visa for coming to the UK to take Parts B and C of the IQE, or if I need to retake Part A in the UK?

Information for Indian nationals on obtaining a visa to travel to the UK is available from the www.ukinindia.com website by following the link to ‘Visas’ from the homepage. Nationals from other states should be able to find information by visiting www.fco.gov.uk and selecting their country from the list given under ‘UK Embassies Overseas’.

Can I stay in India and travel to the UK for the exams?

Yes. You are not required to live in the UK in order to be invited to the exam.

I have heard about opportunities for dentists who have passed IQE A to work in dental practices and gain experience while studying for IQE Parts B & C. What does this involve?

The Department of Health intends to arrange placements in dental practices in England for dentists who have passed IQE Part A and wish to take Parts B & C. While dentists would not be registered with the GDC and therefore would be unable to practise as dentists, they would undertake a range of duties within the dental practice, gaining useful exposure to dental procedures and the functioning of the practice and of National Health Service dentistry, and be paid an appropriate salary. They would study for the IQE, with the Department of Health supporting the cost of exams fees (on the first sitting only). Once dentists have passed Part C and registered with the GDC, they would be able to take up a post as a dentist within the same practice.

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