If you didn’t pass, take a breath — it’s more common than people admit, and it’s genuinely not the end of the road.
What you need to know
- You get up to 3 attempts at each exam
- Resit fees are typically £150 for the Knowledge Test and £300 for the Professional Discussion
- If you don’t pass in 3 attempts, you’ll need to restart the course and pay full fees again — which is exactly why it’s worth taking a resit seriously rather than rushing straight back in
Before you resit
- Ask for feedback on exactly where you lost marks — don’t just re-study everything blindly
- Give yourself real preparation time rather than resitting as soon as possible out of anxiety to get it over with
- Talk to your tutor or training provider — they’ve seen this many times and can point you at your specific weak spots
A perspective worth having
One failed attempt doesn’t say anything about whether you’ll be a good dental nurse. Plenty of qualified, working dental nurses failed an exam first time round. What matters is what you do with the resit.
Once you’re through, our CV and interview tips guide is worth a read before you start applying.
Focus on getting qualified — when you are, we’ll help with the next step. Register your CV with Horizon Dental Jobs once you’re ready.