How to Prepare for the NLE Exam?

Dr. Zoha Nasir, a graduate of de’Montmorency College of Dentistry, cleared NLE Part 1 in first attempt. She has also been one of the toppers consistently; with securing 3rd position in UHS in her first year, 3rd position in UHS in 3rd Year and 2nd position in UHS in Final Year of BDS. Here’s how she prepared for the NLE. 

For those who don’t know, Pakistan Medical Council introduced a new exam, National Licensing Exam, which is compulsory to clear for all fresh medical and dental graduates in order to receive their PMC License to practice

Guide

For NLE you just need to know basics about all the subjects as the exam is not a very tough one. I’d recommend you to check every subject weightage and then study accordingly.

Starting with subjects from 2nd and 3rd Year, I’d recommend you to go with any short book or past papers to refresh basics about the subject and then use any MCQ book. As for me, I used step up for past papers and Dentogist as MCQ book.

For most Final Year subjects you should go with your own syllabus books as knowledge is relatively fresh. As exam is conducted in the mid of housejob you would have worked in half of your clinical rotations, I’d suggest to read Final Year books before every rotation so that you have required clinical knowledge, and that would ultimately help you in exams.

Some people also use books like Oxford Handbook for Clinical Dentistry and NBDE review. I’d recommend using these books if you have been studying these throughout your housejob, they’re great to gain clinical knowledge. But if you’re preparing in last days it’ll require too much time and effort.

Details

General Medicine and General surgery

Both these subjects have 5 marks each in exam. I watched YouTube channel ‘osmosis’ videos for all the topics given in the syllabus. It takes hardly 2 -3 hours. If you don’t have enough time to watch videos you can also read given topics more thoroughly from final year books, most of them are given in Tucker (OMFS)

Dental Materials

Study the topics like Amalgam, Composite and Impression Materials etc. from your Final Year books. Then read others like Metals, Ceramics, Gypsum, Cements etc. form either your textbook or pastpaper book. You won’t be requiring much details of every topic. Only memorize about materials commonly used in clinical rotations (alginate, gypsum, GIC etc.) Also for this subject do use Dentogist for MCQs.

Community Dentistry

Do revision from past papers and then read MCQs from Dentogist. 

Pharmacology

Only read tables of required chapters from Katzung (the ones given on last page of every chapter)

And read step up for Dental Pharmacology

Oral medicine

Give a good read to only tables of Teldesly Oral Medicine syllabus book. 

Periodontology

If you have enough time, only then I’ll recommend you to go with your text book and check all important stuff. But as it’s a subject from Third Year, it’ll be difficult to do it from textbook. A rather easier way is to use pastpaper book (step up) and then use MCQ book (Dentogist). 

Prosthodontics

Studying about subject before clinical rotation and having basic clinical knowledge is enough. For partial denture I used step up and for complete denture I used Manaplil (you can go with any book you used in your final year). 

OMFS

I studied exodontia and fractures before my clinical rotation in surgery department. For remaining topics just go through book page by page and revise the important stuff from book.

Orthodontics

It has relatively less weightage. Read cephalometric analysis completely form Ulfat Bashir. For remaining chapters go with either step up or Balajhi for revision.

Operative dentistry

It has maximum marks in the exam so do give more time to it.

Restorative dentistry

I used Art and Science for it and revised all the topics from there. Don’t read the whole book, just go through page by page and read important stuff from there focusing more on caries and fundamentals of different cavity designs.

Endodontics

Most of the questions asked from this subject are clinically oriented. So if you have properly done your clinical rotation you’re good to go. You can use your syllabus book (e.g. Grossman) and revise all topics of diagnosis and treatment planning.

Paedodontics and Crown and Bridge

If you have done your clinical rotation properly you won’t be needing any book or notes for these. Just basic clinical knowledge is enough. If you’re not confident about basics, you can read slides or step up for that.

After you’re done with studying you can use any MCQ book, or use any online platform for practicing MCQs.