Aim: The aim of the study was to assess and compare the periodontal examination skills by the conventional and objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) methods. Materials and methods: A group of 74 final-year dental students was assessed for periodontal examination skills by five different subject experts in this pilot survey. The students were given scores for all four domains and compared both the conventional and OSCE total scores. Self-assessment of competence was evaluated by asking the students to indicate their competence levels for four competence domains on a 4-point scale. Results: In the cognitive domain, that is, at the examination station, 63.5% of the student's communication skills were good with 66.2% good attitude. On intraoral gingival examination, all the gingival parameters were found to be accurate by students up to 59 and 100% by conventional and OSCE methods of assessment. However, on periodontal examinations, a maximum number of students could accurately examine the periodontal pocket which constituted 65% by conventional and 100% OSCE methods of assessment. Conclusion: Following the OSCE's deployment, it appeared that this technique had been sufficiently modified to demonstrate objectivity, reproducibility, and effectiveness for the evaluation of dental students diagnosing skills. Clinical significance: The OSCE assessments are widely regarded as the gold standard for assessing clinical competency and have been shown to be extremely successful in assessing dental students’ examination skills.