Preparing for the Situational Judgement Test (SJT)

Situational Judgement Test (SJT) for Dental Core Training (DCT)

For Dental Core Training (DCT) applicants, the Situational Judgement Test (SJT) will be 60 questions taken under exam conditions.

Structure of the SJT

The SJT will be taken under exam conditions. There will be 60 questions in total.

Below are the timings of the exam in minutes.

Standard time
Tutorial 15 minutes
Situational Judgement Test (SJT) 115 minutes
Survey 15 minutes
Total time 145 minutes
Applicants with approved 25% additional time
Tutorial 15 minutes
Situational Judgement Test (SJT) 144 minutes
Survey 15 minutes
Total time 174 minutes

The time remaining on your SJT is denoted by an onscreen countdown timer.

If you have been approved for 25% additional time

If you have been approved for 25% additional time, the total booked appointment duration will show as 182 minutes on your appointment confirmation email from Pearson VUE. This is due to 25% additional time being added to the whole standard appointment time, that is, 145 minutes. This includes the tutorial and survey. However, you will not receive extra time for the tutorial and survey and therefore, the timer will be set at 144 minutes when you commence the SJT.

You will be assessed on the following non-academic, professional attributes expected to enter DCT.

  • Coping with pressure.
  • Critical thinking, appraisal and decision making.
  • Patient-centred care.
  • Professionalism.

Pearson VUE offers a generic tutorial to help you familiarise yourself with the controls and screen layouts ahead of the test.

The 2 types of questions in the SJT are:

  • ranking
  • multiple choice

Revision materials and sharing information

None of the DCT question writers take part in or endorse any preparation courses or books.

The Dental Core Training National Recruitment Office (DCTNRO) understands that applicants may wish to revise and prepare for the SJT with each other in small groups.

However, sharing information about the SJT is unacceptable and is viewed as unprofessional behaviour. 

You'll be required to complete a non-disclosure agreement as part of the application form on Oriel and also before commencing the SJT. This is to protect participants and the integrity of the process.

Try the SJT practice paper

The practice paper contains example questions with answers and rationale to help you prepare for the SJT.

Page last reviewed: 22 January 2024
Next review due: 22 January 2025

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