The National Certificate of Dental Core Equivalence (NCDCE) Year 1 and Year 2 processes are now well established and have proven successful in supporting applicants in their progression onto Dental Core Training Year 2 (DCT2) and specialty training programmes.
The NCDCE is administered by Public Services Delivery Scotland (formerly NHS Education for Scotland), and it is available in all UK nations. This single central process is a welcome development to assist dentists wishing to enter UK postgraduate dental training programmes. It is intended centralising this process will also increase transparency and consistency in the assessment of evidence.
Question and answer session
A question and answer session will be held on 3 June 2026 at 12:30 to 13:30 via Microsoft Teams. This session will provide an overview of the process and there will be the opportunity to ask questions; please note that individual queries should be directed to: nes.dentaldctequivalence@nhs.scot
Application windows for 2026
The application window for NCDCE 1 opens on Monday 31 August at 10:00 and closes on Monday 19 October at 23:59.
The application window for NCDCE 2 opens on Monday 6 July at 10:00 and closes on Tuesday 1 September at 23:59.
Further information is available via the links below, and includes comprehensive guidance for applicants, frequently asked questions and how to apply. These webpages also include joining details for the question and answer session.
