The DSE OSCE Is Going Away — Here's What Actually Changes for DLOSCE Candidates

If you've been keeping an eye on ADEX news, you've probably already heard the rumblings. The DSE OSCE is being phased out, and by August 2026 it'll be gone entirely, folded into a combined exam experience alongside the DLOSCE.

Here's the short version: the ADEX Dental Examination is moving to a structure where candidates complete the five manikin-based (ADEX) components plus the DLOSCE, all under one series. There's no more separate DSE OSCE track running in parallel. Once the transition takes effect after August 2026, that's simply how the exam works.

For a lot of candidates prepping right now, this can sound like a bigger shakeup than it really is. So let's break down who this actually affects and what stays the same.

If you're already studying for the DLOSCE, nothing about the exam itself is new to you. The content, the case-based format, the image and 3D model-driven scenarios testing clinical judgment — all of that is unchanged. What's changing is administrative: the DLOSCE simply becomes a required, bundled component of the ADEX series rather than something candidates coming from the DSE OSCE side had never encountered before. In other words, this is a new format for candidates transitioning off the DSE OSCE, not for anyone who was already headed toward DLOSCE prep.

The bigger structural shift, and the one worth actually paying attention to, is this: after August 2026, there will no longer be a standalone DLOSCE exam offered to candidates. Right now, some candidates sit for DLOSCE on its own. That option goes away. Going forward, DLOSCE only exists as part of the full ADEX Dental Examination package, alongside the manikin-based components.

Practically speaking, that means less flexibility in how you sequence your licensure exams, and more reason to have a single, unified study plan that covers both the hands-on manikin work and the case-based clinical judgment testing at the same time, rather than treating them as two separate hurdles you can knock out independently.

We'll keep updating our question bank and prep materials to reflect the combined format as the transition date gets closer. If you're planning your exam timeline around August 2026, it's worth checking directly with ADEX for registration deadlines and scheduling specifics, since those details are still being finalized on their end.