GDC to fix troubled ORE booking system with new candidate portal

The General Dental Council (GDC) has announced plans to overhaul its Overseas Registration Exam (ORE) booking system following widespread technical issues experienced by candidates.

The regulator told Dentistry that the new portal would be in place for exams scheduled in 2027, as part of the new ORE contract with UCL Consultants.

This comes as dentists reported payment issues, errors and overloaded servers during the booking process for the next sitting of the ORE Part 1. The 30 June booking window was the first time candidates were able to book ORE sittings through their MyGDC accounts.

Unable to get in contact with the GDC in the aftermath of the crash, some applicants were left unsure if they had successfully secured a space, despite payment having been taken in many cases.

The GDC said it has now resolved the majority of the issues experienced by candidates. It has been working through bookings and payments individually to ensure each candidate’s record is accurate.

It said: ‘We’re confident this gives candidates the certainty they need ahead of the next booking window on 14 July.’

Acknowledging the 65% increase in the ORE Part 2 fee announced in May, the GDC clarified that the additional funds would not be used to reform the booking system, but instead recover ‘the cost of delivering a complex clinical exam at scale’.

Announcing the fee increase, the GDC said: ‘The new fee rates reflect the cost of the new contract, including the costs which come from expanding capacity. We expect them to remain broadly stable over the next five years.  

‘The increase in exam spaces is a positive step forward, but we are very conscious that the increased cost is a burden for candidates to bear.’

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