MFDS Part 2 Exam Guidance
This document sets out the procedures you will need to follow when you sit your exam.
Please read it carefully – it tells you what to expect and what to do when the unexpected happens.
All candidates must read this document in full and must follow the instructions provided.
Failure to do so may result in an allegation of misconduct and could lead to disciplinary action against you.
Ignorance of the rules is not an acceptable defence.
The Royal College of Surgeons of England – this document refers to the Royal College of Surgeons of England as the awarding body or the organisation delivering the examination on behalf of the awarding body. The information below is applicable to the examination regardless of whether the Royal College of Surgeons of England are the awarding body or delivering the exams in collaboration with other organisations.
Your candidate number has been provided to you via an email. Please ensure you memorise it.
This candidate number will also be on all documentation provided during the examination.
All examination documentation and materials, including case files, briefing documents and any other miscellaneous resources provided during the examination is the property and content of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
Obtaining, receiving, exchanging or passing on information which could be examination-related (or the attempt to) by means of screenshots, talking, written papers/notes, telephone, other electronic devices; or attempting to solicit information about the examination from candidates from an earlier examination; will be considered a breach of the Royal College of Surgeons of England malpractice regulations.
If the Royal College of Surgeons of England is alerted or becomes aware of examination documentation and materials being distributed before, during or after the examination the College will seek to establish the full facts and circumstances of any alleged malpractice by any candidate by seeking full accounts from and, where appropriate, interviewing, all parties involved. The College will seek to investigate all allegations of malpractice, but reserves the right to reject allegations which lack substance or appear, upon examination, to be malicious.
The College reserves the right to withhold the issuing of results while investigations are ongoing. Depending on the outcome of the investigation, results may be permanently withheld and the General Dental Council notified.
The College takes exam malpractice extremely seriously and will investigate all allegations. This document draws your attention to some of the ways in which you could potentially be thought to be cheating.
The list below describes examples of candidate exam condition violations and is not exhaustive:
- No mobile phone / tablet / smart watches are allowed during the exam
- Talking to anyone during the exam
- Wearing of any clothing with the ability to hide materials i.e. hooded jumper
- Text books or pre-written notes in exam taking environment
If you are in any doubt about potential candidate malpractice during the examination, please contact the dentalexams@rcseng.ac.uk
Please note that if you do not abide by the instructions and specifications in this section (see below), the College may consider your behaviour as malpractice.
You must not use mobile phones, smart watches, stop watches, e-readers, tablets or other electronic devices during an exam.
You are responsible for bringing your own pens, pencils, notepad, etc. to the exam. Any notepaper brought in to the exam room must be blank when starting the exam. The invigilators reserve the right to request site of any notepaper before the exam begins. If you use a pencil case or similar, it must be transparent to allow invigilators to see the contents. If an invigilator cannot see the contents clearly, they are entitled to check. You may not bring any paper into the exam that already has written notes. You may bring an unlabelled, re-sealable, clear plastic drinking bottle into your exam. Food and/or medication is not allowed in the exam unless you have a medical requirement and this has been agreed in advance with exams staff. Please note that if it is agreed that you can have medication in the exam room, the medication must be stored in a clear, label-free container.
If you are unsure about what you may or may not take into an exam, you should check with the dentalexams@rcseng.ac.uk. This examination is not ‘open-book.’ You are not permitted to have any textbooks or written notes with you upon entering and starting the examination.
Where an invigilator finds prohibited materials, such as annotations, the invigilator may file a misconduct report against you which could lead to formal action being taken.
You may be eligible for Reasonable Adjustments if you are disabled, have a specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia or dyspraxia) or have an ongoing medical condition. If you have not already done so, you should contact the dentalexams@rcseng.ac.uk for more advice.
Please note that Reasonable Adjustment requests must be made at the point of application and accompanied by full supporting documentation (doctor’s note, educational psychologist report etc.). Late reasonable adjustment applications that do not allow for sufficient time for the College to prepare for the adjustment may not be considered. If you have a reasonable adjustment request approved, you will be notified before the start of the exam period.
By entering the exam room you are declaring yourself fit to sit the exam. If you have experienced disruption to your studies prior to the exam (from personal difficulties e.g. bereavement or illness etc.) you must think carefully about whether you should attempt the exam or whether you should postpone sitting the examination. You may withdraw up to the first day of the examination and request a refund of your examination if you have extenuating circumstances and can provide supporting documentation. Any withdrawal from the exam after the closing date, without supported extenuating circumstances, will not be eligible for a refund of the examination fee.be notified before the start of the exam period.
We are not able to help with interpreting questions or assisting with your understanding of a particular word or phrase. In the rare event that any examination materials contains a substantive error the Dental Examinations Team will work with the relevant department to resolve the issue during the exam. You will not normally be granted any additional exam time. If you still have concerns after the exam, you must raise the matter in writing within seven days of the exam in question.
The College operates a fit to sit policy and by attending your examination, you are declaring that you are in a fit state to take your examination. However, we recognise that there may be occasions when a candidate taking an examination experiences an event before or during the examination is completed that may cause them to perform at a less than optimal level or substantially interrupts their examination. In such circumstances, an application for special consideration due to mitigating circumstances can be submitted and should be supported in writing with a full explanation of events plus all relevant supporting documentation.