GDC English language evidence consultation: five tests

If you employ or plan to recruit internationally qualified dentists or dental care professionals, I suggest reading the General Dental Council's English language proposals and responding as an employer before the consultation closes on 6 January 2027. The GDC says it wants to hear from employers and the dental team as well as from applicants.

What is the GDC proposing?

The GDC is proposing to update the evidence internationally qualified dentists and dental care professionals give to show they have the knowledge of English needed to join the UK register. The GDC says the requirements were last revised in 2017, and that the eight-week consultation, announced on 11 November 2026, aims to make the process clearer for applicants and more robust and verifiable for the GDC. It says the proposals were informed by stakeholder engagement, fitness to practise data on English language cases and research.

Which English language tests would the GDC accept?

The GDC proposes to accept five tests:

1. OET Dentistry
2. IELTS Academic
3. Cambridge C1 Advanced (digital)
4. TOEFL iBT
5. PTE Academic

According to the GDC, a qualifying test would have to assess listening, reading, speaking and writing, be secure, objective and independent, allow the GDC to verify results directly with the provider, and be set at a level equivalent to C1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. The GDC would publish a list of the tests that qualify. All evidence, including test results, would need to be no more than two years old when an application is submitted.

How would the qualification and clinical practice routes change?

The GDC proposes to narrow both routes to countries on the UK government's list of English-speaking countries:

Route	Proposed condition
Recent primary dental qualification taught and examined in English	Counts only if awarded in a country on the list
Recent clinical practice in English	Counts only if it took place in a country on the list, with an employer reference covering the previous two years and detailing practice in English, plus a recent employment contract for a clinically relevant role and proof of registration in that country

The GDC says applicants relying on qualifications or experience from countries not on the list may need to submit other evidence, such as an accepted test. It says it would continue to accept other types of evidence that meet the criteria in its guidance. The consultation also asks whether applying to sit the Overseas Registration Examination is the right point to request English language evidence, and invites views on equality impacts.

What should a practice owner do about recruitment plans?

I would ask any internationally qualified candidate which route they intend to use to evidence their English, and whether their qualification or clinical practice country is on the UK government's list. I would also treat a clinician who is not yet registered as uncertain capacity in a capacity-led growth plan for UK dental practices. If a growth target depends on that person, I suggest noting it as the first limit you will hit in the 90-day growth planning worksheet.

How can a practice owner respond?

The GDC says employers, other dental professionals and applicants can all respond, through its online form or by email with the name of the consultation in the subject line, before the consultation closes on 6 January 2027.

The GDC says it will publish a consultation outcome report setting out the views received and its response. If you would like to book a call with Dental Mastery, the Dental Mastery consultation booking page offers call booking with an enquiry form.