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How to get into dental school in New Zealand

2027 Entry · Otago BDS (the only NZ dental school) · HSFY · No UCAT/GAMSAT · Panel interview

New Zealand has exactly one dental school — the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Otago in Dunedin, which awards the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS). There is no dentistry programme at Auckland or anywhere else in the country, so if you want to become a dentist in Aotearoa, this is the single pathway. Unlike Australia there is no GAMSAT, and unlike Otago medicine there is no longer any UCAT requirement. Instead, entry to BDS Year 2 is decided by your academic ranking (from a qualifying first year or a prior degree) plus a short structured panel interview. This guide walks through every step: the HSFY route and its seven core papers, the Graduate and Alternative categories, the Zoom panel interview, equity pathways, the Bachelor of Oral Health as an alternative, the full timeline and the most common pitfalls.

Step 1 — meet the academic entry requirements

To begin the dentistry pathway you need to have completed (or be completing) NCEA Level 3, Cambridge A-Levels, the IB Diploma, or an equivalent qualification recognised by the University of Otago, and to gain University Entrance.

Because the qualifying first year (HSFY) is science-heavy, Biology, Chemistry and Physics at Year 13 (NCEA Level 3 or equivalent) are strongly recommended. Chemistry in particular underpins CHEM 191 and BIOC 192, and physics supports PHSI 191. Students who arrive without a solid Year 13 science background often struggle in the first-year papers where the academic threshold for BDS is unforgiving.

There is no minimum NCEA rank score published specifically for HSFY admission itself — the competitive filter comes later, at BDS selection, from your first-year results. That said, applicants who go on to earn a BDS place are almost always strong Year 13 performers, so treat your final school year as the foundation for a competitive HSFY average.

For rank-score calculation and qualification equivalency, see our NCEA / Cambridge / IB credentials guide.

Step 2 — choose your route into BDS

All BDS applicants enter at Year 2, but there are three admission categories. Most school-leavers take the HSFY route; graduates and career-changers have their own pathways. Whichever route you take, every category attends the same structured panel interview.

FactorHSFY (school-leaver)Graduate categoryAlternative category
Who it's forSchool-leavers and first-time undergraduatesHolders of a NZ degree completed within 3 yearsDomestic career-changers / broad life experience
Qualifying year7 prescribed HSFY papers in DunedinPrior degree (weighted GPA ≥ 5.0)Holistic assessment of record + experience
Admissions testNone (no UCAT / GAMSAT)NoneNone
InterviewStructured panel (threshold)Structured panel (threshold)Structured panel (threshold)
Selection basisCompetitive academic ranking of best-seven averageCompetitive ranking of weighted degree GPAHolistic ranking (domestic only)
Share of places~70% of ~60 domestic places~30% of ~60 places (Graduate + Alternative combined)

Choose HSFY if you are a school-leaver or entering undergraduate. It keeps medicine and dentistry open simultaneously in the same first year, and selection is a transparent academic ranking rewarding a strong, even set of paper marks.

Choose the Graduate category if you already hold a NZ university degree completed within three years and have a weighted GPA of at least 5.0. You are ranked against graduate applicants for your share of the cohort.

Choose the Alternative category if you are a domestic applicant changing careers or coming from an allied field, where broad life and work experience — rather than a recent academic transcript alone — best reflects your suitability for dentistry.

Step 3 — ace the qualifying first year (HSFY)

For school-leavers, HSFY is the decisive academic filter. It is a full-time year at the University of Otago Dunedin campus, shared with medical and other health-science applicants. There are no shortcuts: you complete all seven prescribed papers in a single year.

The seven prescribed HSFY papers

  • BIOC 192 — Foundations of Biochemistry
  • CELS 191 — Cell and Molecular Biology
  • CHEM 191 — The Chemical Basis of Biology and Human Health
  • HUBS 191 — Human Body Systems 1
  • HUBS 192 — Human Body Systems 2
  • PHSI 191 — Biological Physics
  • POPH 192 — Foundations of Epidemiology and Public Health

The BDS academic threshold

To be competitive for a BDS place you must pass all seven papers, achieve an average of at least 65% across your best seven papers, and score no mark below 60% in any paper. That “no mark below 60%” rule is easy to overlook: a single weak paper can knock you out of contention even if your average looks healthy. Because the cohort is small — around 60 domestic places — the competitive average that actually earns an interview and offer sits well above the 65% floor in most cycles.

Your BDS ranking is built from your best-seven average. HSFY is deliberately front-loaded and fast-paced, so plan your workload, keep on top of laboratory and tutorial components, and never treat any single paper as one you can afford to coast in. This figure is for 2026/27 entry; always check the University of Otago's current admissions page for the exact thresholds in your cycle.

Good to know: HSFY is the same first year used for the Otago MBChB (medicine) and for BDS. If you are torn between medicine and dentistry, HSFY lets you keep both applications live for the same year — you do not have to commit before you see your first-year results.

Step 4 — there is no UCAT, GAMSAT or aptitude test

This is one of the biggest differences between NZ dentistry and both NZ medicine and Australian entry. For 2026/27 BDS entry there is no admissions test whatsoever:

  • No UCAT-ANZ — Otago removed UCAT from BDS admissions from the 2024 application year (2025 intake) onwards. (UCAT is still used for Otago MBChB medicine, but as a threshold gate only.)
  • No GAMSAT — GAMSAT is an Australian graduate-medicine test and is not used anywhere in New Zealand, for medicine or dentistry.
  • No manual-dexterity test — unlike some overseas dental schools, Otago does not run a practical dexterity assessment.
  • No portfolio and no aptitude test — there is nothing extra to submit beyond your application and, if shortlisted, the panel interview.

The practical upshot: your energy should go into two things — a strong, evenly-balanced HSFY (or degree) result, and preparing thoughtfully for the panel interview. There is no test-prep grind to divide your attention. Because policies do change, always confirm on the University of Otago's current admissions page before you plan your cycle.

Step 5 — the structured panel interview

Shortlisted applicants across all three categories attend a structured panel interview. It is not an MMI — there are no stations or circuits — and it is deliberately short.

  • Format: a structured panel interview held over Zoom, lasting around 10 minutes
  • Panel: two interviewers — typically one dental professional and one community member
  • When: usually late September / early October; around 350 applicants are interviewed across all categories
  • Assessed: motivation for dentistry, decision-making, and communication skills
  • How it counts: a suitability threshold — once you pass, interview performance is not weighted further and selection returns to academic ranking

Because it is short and threshold-based, the goal is to come across as a motivated, thoughtful, well-communicating applicant who understands what a career in dentistry actually involves — not to “win” on marginal points. Expect questions on why dentistry (rather than medicine or oral health), how you make decisions under pressure, and your understanding of the NZ oral-health landscape. A distinctive NZ lens matters here too: be ready to reflect on cultural safety (a standard regulated by the Dental Council of New Zealand), on Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its principles of Partnership, Protection and Participation, and on oral-health equity for Māori and Pacific communities.

Our dedicated NZ interview page covers the panel format, likely questions and how to prepare in depth: NZ dental & medical interview preparation. You can also practise with a marked AI mock via Prometheus or book a live mock interview.

An alternative pathway: the Bachelor of Oral Health (BOH)

If dentistry is highly competitive and you want a related oral-health career — or a possible stepping-stone — the University of Otago also offers the Bachelor of Oral Health (BOH), a separate three-year degree.

BOH qualifies you to register as a dental hygienist and dental therapist (an oral health therapist), focusing on preventive care, periodontal (gum) treatment, and dental care for children and adolescents. It is a rewarding profession in its own right, with strong demand across NZ's public and private oral-health services.

Some applicants also use BOH as a stepping-stone: they complete the degree, gain clinical experience, and later reapply for BDS (typically via the Graduate or Alternative categories). Note that BOH and BDS have separate selection processes — completing BOH does not guarantee a BDS place, but it builds directly relevant experience and a strong understanding of the field. Registration for both dentists and oral health therapists is with the Dental Council of New Zealand.

Equity and priority pathways

Otago operates equity pathways across the BDS admission categories. They are not alternatives to academic preparation — they are separately-ranked priority sub-pools for eligible applicants, reflecting Otago's obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its commitment to reducing oral-health inequities.

Māori

Māori applicants (verified whakapapa) are ranked within a priority equity sub-pool across HSFY, Graduate and Alternative categories, supporting hauora Māori and a dental workforce that reflects the communities it serves.

Resident Indigenous Pacific (NZRIPO)

A priority pathway for eligible resident indigenous Pacific applicants, addressing the under-representation of Pacific peoples in the oral-health workforce and persistent oral-health inequities.

Refugee Background & Socioeconomic Equity

Applicants from a refugee background, and those recognised under socioeconomic equity criteria, are ranked within their own priority sub-pools to widen access to the profession.

Rural

Rural applicants are supported and ranked separately, reflecting the need for oral-health practitioners who understand and are willing to serve rural and provincial communities.

Equity groups are considered in priority order (Māori; Resident Indigenous Pacific; Refugee Background; Socioeconomic Equity; Rural) alongside the general pool. Exact quota numbers are not separately published — always check Otago's current admissions page for eligibility criteria and evidence requirements.

NZ dental school application timeline

Last year of school

  • Early in the year: Confirm NCEA / IB / Cambridge subject choices (Biology, Chemistry and Physics strongly recommended). Register to enrol at the University of Otago. Build oral-health or healthcare work experience and reflect on why dentistry.
  • Throughout the year: Aim for a strong, even Year 13 result — it is the foundation for a competitive HSFY average.
  • End of year: NCEA / IB / Cambridge exams. University Entrance confirmed.

Qualifying first year (HSFY, in Dunedin)

  • February–November: Complete all seven HSFY papers full-time. Both semesters count — a weak paper early is hard to recover from given the “no mark below 60%” rule.
  • Mid-year: Confirm your BDS (and, if relevant, MBChB) application through the University of Otago admissions system by the published closing date.
  • Late September / early October: Shortlisted applicants attend the ~10-minute structured panel interview on Zoom.
  • End of year: Final marks are released and academic ranking is finalised; BDS offers for the ~60 domestic places are issued.

Graduate and Alternative applicants follow the same broad cycle but apply on the strength of a completed degree or holistic assessment rather than HSFY. Dates shift slightly year to year — confirm the exact closing date on the University of Otago's current admissions page.

Common pitfalls

  • Forgetting the ‘no mark below 60%’ rule. A healthy best-seven average is not enough on its own: any single paper below 60% removes you from BDS contention. Spread your effort across all seven papers rather than banking on your strongest subjects to carry a weak one.
  • Assuming there is a UCAT or GAMSAT to prepare for. Otago removed UCAT from dentistry from the 2025 intake, and GAMSAT is not used in NZ at all. Do not waste months on test prep that no longer applies — redirect that time into your HSFY marks and interview preparation.
  • Underestimating the panel interview because it is short. A ~10-minute threshold interview still decides whether you progress. Applicants who ramble, cannot articulate why dentistry (rather than medicine or oral health), or who have not reflected on cultural safety and NZ oral-health equity can fall below the threshold. Prepare deliberately.
  • Confusing BDS with the Bachelor of Oral Health. BDS trains dentists; BOH trains dental hygienists and therapists. They are different degrees with separate selection. Applying to the wrong one, or assuming BOH auto-converts into BDS, is a common and costly mistake.
  • Not planning for five to six years in Dunedin. Otago is the only NZ dental school and all teaching is in Dunedin — there is no branch campus for dentistry as there is for Otago medicine. Factor accommodation, cost and family circumstances into your decision before you commit to the pathway.
  • Ignoring the Te Tiriti / cultural-safety lens. Cultural safety is a regulated clinical standard under the Dental Council of New Zealand, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi underpins the health system. Applicants who cannot speak thoughtfully about hauora Māori, health equity and inclusive care miss an easy way to stand out at interview.

Get personalised help with your Otago BDS application

One-to-one coaching for the Otago dentistry panel interview, HSFY study strategy, personal-statement review and application planning — from tutors who understand the NZ oral-health pathway and the Te Tiriti / cultural-safety lens interviewers value.

Book a live mock interview Try Prometheus AI mockGet started

Frequently asked questions

New Zealand has exactly one dental school: the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Otago in Dunedin, which awards the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS). It is the only place in Aotearoa New Zealand you can train to become a dentist. The BDS is a five-year programme entered at Year 2 (after a qualifying first year). Otago also offers the Bachelor of Oral Health (BOH), a separate three-year degree for a different oral-health profession. There is no dental school at the University of Auckland or anywhere else in the country.

No. The University of Otago removed UCAT-ANZ from its BDS admissions process from the 2024 application year (2025 intake) onwards, so for 2026/27 entry there is no admissions test at all for dentistry. GAMSAT is an Australian graduate-medicine test and is not used anywhere in New Zealand. There is also no manual-dexterity test, no portfolio and no aptitude test. Selection rests on your academic ranking (from HSFY or a prior degree) plus a short structured panel interview that acts as a suitability threshold. Always check the University of Otago’s current admissions page in case the policy changes for your cycle.

HSFY is the main school-leaver pathway. You enrol full-time at the University of Otago Dunedin campus and complete seven prescribed papers: BIOC 192, CELS 191, CHEM 191, HUBS 191, HUBS 192, PHSI 191 and POPH 192. To be competitive for BDS you must pass all seven papers, achieve an average of at least 65% across your best seven, with no individual mark below 60%. Selection into BDS Year 2 is then by competitive academic ranking, followed by the panel interview as a suitability check. HSFY is shared with the medical (MBChB) pathway, so you can keep both options open in your first year.

Yes. There are two non-school-leaver routes. The Graduate category is for applicants who have completed a NZ university degree within three years of applying, with a weighted GPA of at least 5.0; graduate applicants are ranked academically alongside HSFY applicants (roughly 30% of BDS places go to graduate and alternative applicants combined). The Alternative category is a domestic holistic route for career-changers or people with broad relevant life and work experience whose academic record alone may not reflect their potential. Both categories still attend the structured panel interview.

It is a structured panel interview held over Zoom, lasting around 10 minutes, with two interviewers — typically one dental professional and one community member. It is not an MMI, so there are no stations or circuits to rotate through. Interviews are usually held in late September or early October, and around 350 applicants across all categories are interviewed each cycle. The panel assesses your motivation for dentistry, your decision-making and your communication skills. Crucially, it works as a suitability threshold: once you pass it, your interview performance is not weighted further and final selection returns to academic ranking.

Otago BDS has approximately 60 domestic places for 2026 entry. Roughly 70% are filled from the HSFY (school-leaver) pool and about 30% from the Graduate and Alternative categories combined. Because the cohort is small, the academic threshold to be ranked for an interview is high — a strong, evenly-balanced HSFY result matters enormously. Equity pathways (Māori, Resident Indigenous Pacific, Refugee Background, Socioeconomic and Rural) operate across the categories and are ranked in priority order within their own sub-pools.

The BDS trains you to become a registered dentist — the clinician who diagnoses, plans and delivers the full range of dental treatment, including restorative work, oral surgery and prosthodontics. The Bachelor of Oral Health (BOH) is a separate three-year Otago degree that qualifies you to register as a dental hygienist and dental therapist (oral health therapist), focusing on preventive care, periodontal treatment and care for children and adolescents. BOH is a valuable career in its own right and is also sometimes used as a stepping-stone by applicants who later reapply for BDS. The two programmes have separate selection processes.

Yes. Because Otago is the only NZ dental school, all BDS teaching — the qualifying HSFY year (if you take that route) and Years 2–5 of the BDS — is based at the University of Otago in Dunedin. Unlike Otago medicine, which distributes clinical students across Dunedin, Christchurch and Wellington, dentistry is delivered from the Faculty of Dentistry in Dunedin throughout. Factor the full five to six years in Dunedin into your planning around cost, accommodation and family circumstances.

Cultural safety is a regulated clinical standard: the Dental Council of New Zealand expects registered practitioners to deliver care in a way that the patient defines as safe, free of bias and mindful of power imbalance. Te Tiriti o Waitangi — through its principles of Partnership, Protection and Participation — underpins the health system’s obligations to Māori and to reducing oral-health inequities for Māori and Pacific communities. Interviewers value applicants who can speak thoughtfully about hauora Māori, health equity and their own commitment to safe, inclusive care, so it is worth reflecting on these themes before your panel interview.

Related NZ guides

Reviewed by Isaac Butler-King, medical student at the University of Glasgow. Last reviewed: 1 July 2026