IQE stands for International Qualifying Examination. The IQE is based on the UK dental curriculum and tests the skills and knowledge of dentists from overseas whose qualifications are not recognised for full registration with the General Dental Council (GDC) in the UK.

The GDC is the organisation which regulates dental professionals in the UK. It is necessary to be registered with the GDC in order to practise as a dentist in the UK.

A dentist who passes the IQE can apply for full registration with the GDC.

The IQE is not a qualification in its own right. Therefore, it does not have the same purpose as a postgraduate examination and dentists are not required to complete a course in order to take the IQE. The purpose of the IQE is to gain admission to the UK dentists’ register.

The IQE consists of three parts, which must be taken consecutively. It is necessary to pass Part A in order to take Part B. It is then necessary to pass Part B in order to take Part C. To be eligible to apply for full registration with the GDC a dentist must pass all three Parts of the IQE.
Part A comprises a written and an oral examination in clinically applied dental science and a written and an oral examination in clinically applied human disease;
Part B consists of an operative test on a dental manikin;
Part C involves two written papers in all aspects of dentistry, an examination in clinical dentistry, an oral examination in general dentistry, a practical clinical examination and an examination in medical emergencies.

Although it is in three Parts, the IQE is a completely separate examination from the Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery (MFDS). The MFDS is a postgraduate qualification run by the Royal College of Surgeons in the UK.

If you are not a national of an EEA state, a requirement of the IQE application is a single stamped and signed academic IELTS Test Report Form. This must be no more than two years’ old on receipt and show a minimum overall band score of 7.0 and show no score lower than 6.5 in any section.

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