FCPS Part 1 Dentistry in Pakistan
This page only contains rules taken from CPSP's own documents. Where CPSP does not state something, it says so. Check the CPSP website before you pay any fee, because dates and fees change.
Checked against CPSP documents on 3 September 2026
What is FCPS Part 1 in Dentistry?
FCPS Part 1 is the written entry exam run by the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan, known as CPSP. Passing it is how you become eligible to register as an FCPS Part 2 trainee and begin specialist training.
Dental graduates sit FCPS Part 1 in Dentistry. CPSP states that a BDS degree is accepted only for FCPS Part 1 in Dentistry, so a BDS holder cannot use it to enter the medical specialties.
Who can apply for FCPS Part 1 Dentistry?
CPSP lists these requirements:
- A BDS degree, or an equivalent qualification, registered with the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council.
- One year of house job in an institution recognised by PMDC.
- The house job must be finished one month before the date of the examination.
- A valid PMDC registration certificate or renewal receipt, plus the provisional PMDC registration certificate.
The house job deadline catches people out
The rule is one month before the exam, not one month before you apply. If your house job finishes three weeks before the paper, you are not eligible for that sitting.
What does the FCPS Part 1 paper look like?
There are two papers. CPSP states the format as follows, and it is the same for every specialty:
| Paper 1 | Paper 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 100 MCQs | 100 MCQs |
| Time, online in Pakistan | 2 hours | 2 hours |
| Time, conventional abroad | 2 hours 30 minutes | 2 hours 30 minutes |
Scroll the table sideways for the rest.
That is 200 questions in total. In Pakistan the theory exam is taken online, in shifts. Exams held abroad are conventional, on paper.
At two hours for 100 questions you have about 72 seconds per question. That is the number worth practising against, and it is why a timed mode matters more than it looks.
What is the passing mark for FCPS Part 1?
CPSP does not publish a fixed pass mark
You will see 75% quoted on coaching websites and in Facebook groups. That figure does not appear in CPSP's own candidate guidelines or instructions. We are not going to repeat a number CPSP has not published. Ask CPSP directly at fcps1@cpsp.edu.pk if you need a definitive answer.
What CPSP does state is when you will find out. The result is displayed about two weeks after the examination, on the CPSP website and on the notice boards at CPSP and its regional offices. Candidates are also told their result by email.
How much does FCPS Part 1 cost?
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Examination fee | Rs 25,000 |
| Handling charges | Rs 50 |
| Total | Rs 25,050 |
Scroll the table sideways for the rest.
If you withdraw, CPSP refunds 75% of the examination fee and keeps 25%, provided your withdrawal application reaches them on or before the date they specify for that sitting.
Check the fee before you pay
Fees change. This was the published figure when this page was last checked. Confirm it on the CPSP website or on the notification for your sitting.
How long does an FCPS Part 1 pass stay valid?
This is the rule most people get wrong, and CPSP states it clearly.
- You can register with RTMC as an FCPS Part 2 trainee if you start training within three years of passing Part 1.
- If you get a training slot more than three years after passing, you need permission from the Competent Authority first. You apply to the examinations department with your training joining letter, and you are allowed to register once it is processed.
- Your Part 1 stays valid if you pass the IMM examination, both the theory and the TOACS, within six consecutive attempts. Those attempts count from the completion of two years of training.
Consecutive means availed or un-availed
CPSP counts six consecutive attempts whether you sit them or not. Skipping a sitting still uses one up. This is the single most expensive misunderstanding in the whole process.
In specialties where IMM has not started, the older rule applies instead: validity is 7 years for a 4 year programme and 8 years for a 5 year programme.
What are the rules on exam day?
- Arrive early. You are asked to be in the hall 15 minutes before the start, and you will not be let in if you are more than 15 minutes late.
- Your admit card must be on display around your neck for the whole exam.
- No mobile phones, smart watches, cameras or any other electronic device. No calculators, except for candidates sitting Community Medicine.
- No paper of any kind, including your own seating plan and the examination guidelines themselves.
- No pen, pencil or eraser in the online exam. Nothing is provided for safe custody outside the hall either, so leave your belongings at home.
- No ear plugs.
Two CPSP documents disagree about leaving early
The examination guidelines say you may not leave within the first hour. The instruction sheet for the online exam says you may not leave before the paper is finished. Plan to stay for the whole paper, and follow whatever your invigilator says on the day.
How should you prepare for FCPS Part 1 Dentistry?
Two hundred one-best-answer questions in one day rewards two things: recall you can reach quickly, and knowing why the other options are wrong. Reading a chapter three times builds neither.
- Work in questions, not chapters. Answer, read the explanation, and write down the reason you got it wrong.
- Practise against a clock at least once a week, because 72 seconds per question is tighter than it sounds.
- Go back to the questions you got wrong, not the ones you got right.
- Keep one standard textbook per subject for the times an explanation does not settle it.
Common questions
- Can a BDS graduate sit FCPS Part 1 in a medical specialty?
- No. CPSP accepts BDS only for FCPS Part 1 in Dentistry. An MBBS degree, or an equivalent registered with PMDC, is required for the other specialties.
- How many MCQs are in FCPS Part 1?
- Two hundred. There are two papers of 100 MCQs each. Each paper is 2 hours when taken online in Pakistan, and 2 hours 30 minutes when taken conventionally abroad.
- How much is the FCPS Part 1 fee?
- CPSP lists an examination fee of Rs 25,000 plus Rs 50 handling charges, so Rs 25,050 in total. If you withdraw in time, 75% is refunded and 25% is kept. Check the current figure on the CPSP website before paying.
- When do FCPS Part 1 results come out?
- CPSP states that the result is displayed about two weeks after the examination, on its website and on the notice boards at CPSP and its regional offices. Candidates are also informed by email.
- How long is FCPS Part 1 valid for?
- You can register as an FCPS Part 2 trainee if you start training within three years of passing. After that you need permission from the Competent Authority. Your Part 1 then stays valid if you pass IMM, theory and TOACS, within six consecutive attempts counted from the completion of two years of training.
- Is there negative marking in FCPS Part 1?
- CPSP's candidate guidelines and instruction sheet do not mention negative marking either way. Because it is not published, we are not going to state it as a fact. Ask CPSP at fcps1@cpsp.edu.pk if you need to be certain.
Where these facts come from
Every rule on this page was read from these documents. Dates, fees and rules change, so check them yourself before you rely on anything here.