BDS Admission 2026-27: Dental College Seats, Rules and Test

Until 2024-25, the BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) admission test was held separately — the 2024-25 BDS test took place on 28 February 2025, more than a month after the MBBS test. From 2025-26 the health ministry merged the two: one test, one question paper, one day. For 2026-27 the combined MBBS and BDS test is on 18 December 2026.

Government BDS Seats (2025-26)

Code	Dental college / unit	Seats
71	Chattogram Medical College Dental Unit	110
72	Dhaka Dental College	60
78	Rajshahi Medical College Dental Unit	59
80	Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Dental Unit	56
82	Sir Salimullah Medical College Dental Unit	52
76	Mymensingh Medical College Dental Unit	52
75	MAG Osmani Medical College Dental Unit	52
81	Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Dental Unit	52
79	Rangpur Medical College Dental Unit	52
	Total	545

Two newer government dental colleges — Gopalganj and Khulna — had not started classes, so their seats are not in this list.

Private BDS Seats

Private dental education has two parts: separate private dental colleges and dental units inside private medical colleges. In 2025-26 news reports put the private BDS seats at about 1,400 (figures of 1,360 and 1,405 were both reported). Private BDS admission follows the same online process as private MBBS admission.

How BDS Selection Works

Because MBBS and BDS now share one test, your merit score is the same for both. What decides whether you get an MBBS or a BDS seat is your choice list. In the application form you rank medical colleges and dental colleges/units together, in your own order. When your turn comes in the merit list, you get the highest choice that still has a seat.

• If you only want MBBS, do not put dental units high in your list.
• If you would happily study dentistry in a top dental unit rather than MBBS in a far-away new college, place that dental unit above the medical college.
• A BDS seat in a government college is still much cheaper than a private MBBS seat.

Eligibility for BDS

The rules are the same as for MBBS. Under the 2025-26 policy you needed a total SSC + HSC GPA of 8.50 and at least 3.50 in each of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, with HSC from the admission year or the year before.

Check your eligibilityGPA, subjects, passing year and quota→

Is BDS a Good Choice?

BDS is a five-year course including a one-year internship, and it leads to registration as a dental surgeon with BMDC. Dentists can work in government service, private clinics or open their own chambers, and many go on to postgraduate degrees in orthodontics, oral surgery or prosthodontics. The workload is lighter than MBBS in some years, and private practice can start early. The downside is fewer government jobs compared with doctors.

Medical Admission 2026-27Test date, marks and result→

MBBS vs BDS at a Glance

Point	MBBS	BDS
Admission test	Same combined test	Same combined test
Government seats (2025-26)	5,100	545
Course length	5 years + 1 year internship	4 years + 1 year internship
Registration	BMDC (doctor)	BMDC (dental surgeon)
Typical work	Hospitals, government health service, specialties	Dental clinics, hospitals, own chamber

Tips for Ranking Dental Units

• Dental units inside older medical colleges share large hospitals, which means more patients to learn from.
• Chattogram’s dental unit has the most seats (110), so its cut-off is often less tight than smaller units.
• Decide honestly whether you want dentistry. If you take a BDS seat you do not want, you may regret losing a later MBBS chance through migration.
• Compare the cost of a government BDS seat with a private MBBS seat before deciding.

How Many Students Compete for BDS?

In the 2024-25 session, when BDS still had its own test on 28 February 2025, 68,684 candidates applied for the 545 government seats — more than 125 applicants for every seat. Now that BDS shares the MBBS test, every candidate who ranks dental colleges in their choice list competes for the same seats, so the BDS cut-off depends heavily on how many top scorers choose dentistry.

Life as a BDS Student

The first years cover basic sciences such as anatomy, physiology and dental materials. Later years move to clinical work — conservative dentistry, oral surgery, orthodontics and prosthodontics — where you treat patients under supervision. After the internship you register with BMDC and can start practice or prepare for postgraduate study.

BDS question solution 2024-25Practise the last separate dental admission test→

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