Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Section 1 — Information & Free Practice

About Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Section 1

Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Section 1 · GB

Key exam facts

Provider

JCIE governs the Intercollegiate Specialty Board examination on behalf of the four surgical Royal Colleges of Great Britain and Ireland. Pearson VUE delivers Section 1 CBT at test centres; it is the delivery provider, not the examination owner.

Format

Section 1 only: two written Single Best Answer (SBA) papers taken on the same day, delivered by computer-based testing at Pearson VUE centres in the UK and Ireland. Section 2 clinical/oral assessments are separate and excluded.

Exam questions

Total questions: 240.

Time limit

2 hours 15 minutes per paper (4 hours 30 minutes of answer time across the two papers on the same day). This excludes any check-in, tutorial or between-paper break.

Passing score

The pass mark is standard-set for each sitting: Angoff cut score for the minimum performance of a competent day-one consultant, plus one Standard Error of Measurement (SEM), after review/removal of problematic items. A single fixed percentage is not specified by this method.

Exam fee

GBP £580 for Section 1 for examinations through 31 December 2026, increasing to £600 for examinations from 1 January 2027. The combined Section 1+2 entry fee (£2,000 through 2026; £2,070 from 2027) is payable in full on initial application and credited to the candidate fee account; resit section fees are deducted from that account.

Topics covered

• Airway Module

  • Applied Knowledge
  • Anatomy
  • Pathology
  • Applied Physiology
  • Surgical Equipment
  • Indications and Risks
  • Critical Conditions causing acute airway obstruction – basic science, pathology, complications
  • Consent

• Craniofacial Trauma Module

  • Applied Knowledge
  • Anatomy
  • Pathology
  • Physiology
  • Diagnostics
  • Classification of craniofacial injuries
  • Pain
  • Psychology
  • Biomechanics
  • Complications and risks of conservative and operative management
  • Critical Conditions – basic science, pathology, complications
  • Consent

• Jaw deformity Module

  • Applied Knowledge
  • Anatomy
  • Pathology
  • Orthodontics
  • Assessment
  • Treatment planning
  • Biomechanics
  • Post- traumatic deformity
  • Complications of orthognathic procedures

• Facial Pain and TMJ Module

  • Applied Knowledge
  • Anatomy
  • Physiology
  • Pathology
  • Diagnostics
  • Prescribing and therapeutics
  • Psychology
  • Multidisciplinary Care

• Head and Neck Module

  • Applied Knowledge
  • Anatomy
  • Pathology & Diagnostics excluding thyroid and parathyroid glands
  • Pathology & Diagnostics of thyroid and parathyroid glands
  • Physiology
  • Radiology/Imaging and special investigations
  • Classification of mandibular/maxillary resections
  • Psychology
  • Biomechanics
  • Complications and risks of surgical interventions for H&N cancer
  • Critical Conditions
  • Surgical Instrumentation
  • Non-Surgical & Adjuvant Treatments

• Conditions of the Salivary Glands Module

  • Applied Knowledge
  • Anatomy
  • Pathology
  • Physiology
  • Diagnostics
  • Classification of Salivary Gland Swellings
  • Pain
  • Systemic disease affecting the salivary glands
  • Radiology
  • Complications and risks of conservative and operative management
  • Critical Conditions

• Conditions of the oral mucosa

  • Applied Knowledge
  • Anatomy
  • Pathology
  • Physiology
  • Diagnostics
  • Classification of conditions of the oral mucosa
  • Multi- disciplinary care
  • Psychology
  • Pain
  • Radiology
  • Pharmacology
  • Critical Conditions

• Conditions of the skin module

  • Applied Knowledge
  • Anatomy
  • Pathology
  • Physiology
  • Diagnostics
  • Classification of skin conditions
  • Multi- disciplinary care
  • Psychology
  • Pain
  • Dermatology
  • Radiology
  • Non-surgical management of skin cancer
  • Complications and risks of conservative and operative management
  • Critical Conditions – basic science, pathology, complications
  • Relevant Guidelines

• Restoration of Normal Aesthetic Form and Function Module

  • Applied Knowledge
  • Anatomy
  • Applied Anatomy and standard norms of specific areas of the head and neck
  • Physiology and Pathology
  • Psychology
  • Non-Surgical Treatment Options

• Cleft lip and Palate Module

  • Applied Knowledge
  • Anatomy
  • Pathology
  • Physiology
  • Genetics
  • Diagnostics
  • Classification of cleft lip and palate
  • Pain
  • Roles and contributions of members of the multidisciplinary team
  • Psychology
  • Biomechanics
  • Complications of operative management
  • Critical Conditions – basic science, pathology, complications

• Craniofacial Module

  • Applied Knowledge
  • Craniofacial Principles
  • Applied anatomy
  • Pathology
  • Physiology
  • Diagnostics
  • Classification / Treatment Principles and Protocols of craniofacial conditions
  • Pain
  • Biomechanics
  • Complications and risks of conservative and operative management
  • Critical Conditions – basic science, pathology, complications
  • Post- traumatic deformity

• Dentoalveolar Module

  • Applied Knowledge
  • Anatomy
  • Pathology
  • Physiology
  • Diagnostics
  • Classification
  • Clinical pharmacology
  • Psychology
  • Biomechanics
  • Complications and risks of conservative and operative management
  • Critical Conditions – basic science, pathology, complications
  • Multidisciplinary Working

How to prepare

Work through the topics, read the explanation after each answer, and revisit the areas where you miss questions. Use the official outline and reference materials below to guide your study.

These independent practice questions are not actual exam items and do not guarantee a passing result.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources and references

• OMFS Curriculum version 3 August 2026

  p. 45, Appendix 2

• OMFS Curriculum version 3 August 2026

  p. 33, §5.3.6

• JCIE OMFS Regulations and Scope/Format

  p. 3, Section 1

• JCIE OMFS Regulations and Scope/Format

  p. 3, Paper 1 and Paper 2

• JCIE Standard Setting in Section 1 Examinations

  p. 1, Step 3

• JCIE Frequently Asked Questions

  Q1, fees from 1 January 2027

Confirm current exam arrangements with the exam provider.