Request a Callback
+971 43801666
May 15, 2026
The DHA exam is a Computer-Based Test (CBT) administered by Prometric, mandatory for every healthcare professional seeking to practise in Dubai. It consists of 100–150 multiple-choice questions (MCQs), lasts between 150 and 180 minutes depending on your profession, and requires a minimum passing score of 60% (55% for lab technicians). Results are valid for five years and are reported as Pass or Fail; only your exact score is never disclosed.
Every healthcare professional who wants to practise in Dubai must clear this exam before the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) issues a licence. The exam content is developed by subject-matter experts, updated frequently to reflect current clinical standards, and results reported as Pass or Fail only are valid for five years.
This page covers the complete DHA exam syllabus and pattern for 2026, including subject domains, question counts, time limits, passing criteria, and domain weightings for all five major professional categories, in one place.
Every healthcare professional who wants to practise in the Emirate of Dubai must clear the DHA exam before the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) issues a licence. The exam content is developed by subject-matter experts and updated regularly to reflect current clinical standards.
|
Detail |
Specification |
|
Format |
Computer-Based Test (CBT) with Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs) |
|
Administered by |
Prometric, across 8,000+ test centres in 160+ countries |
|
Passing score |
60% for most professions; 55% for lab technicians |
|
Maximum attempts |
3 attempts permitted |
|
Result validity |
5 years from the date of passing |
|
Results format |
Pass/Fail only, exact scores are not disclosed |
The DHA exam is delivered entirely in a Computer-Based Test (CBT) format, which means you sit the exam on a computer terminal at an authorised Prometric test centre, not on paper. Here is what that means in practice:
Familiarity with the CBT environment matters. Practising on digital MCQ platforms rather than only from printed books ensures that the format itself does not slow you down on exam day.
All five major professions follow the same CBT format via Prometric. The differences lie in question count, duration, and passing threshold.
|
Profession |
Questions |
Duration |
Passing Score |
|
General Practitioner (Doctor) |
150 MCQs |
165 minutes |
60% |
|
Nurse |
150 MCQs |
165 minutes |
60% |
|
Dentist |
150 MCQs |
180 minutes* |
60% |
|
Pharmacist |
120 MCQs |
165 minutes |
60% |
|
Lab Technician |
100 MCQs |
150 minutes |
55% |
*The 180-minute dentist slot includes registration and introduction time. Some Consultant-level positions also require an Oral Assessment lasting 15–20 minutes involving five clinical scenarios.
One rule that applies to all professions: your exam result is valid for 5 years, and the eligibility letter issued after document verification is valid for 1 year, within which you must schedule and sit the exam.
Before you begin studying, it helps to understand exactly what "passing" means in the DHA context.
The GP exam evaluates knowledge across primary care, internal medicine, paediatrics, women’s health, and emergency medicine across 12 core domains. For a complete walkthrough of what the exam covers, see our Comprehensive Guide on DHA Exams for General Practitioners.
Exam snapshot: 150 MCQs | 165 minutes | 60% passing score.
Before sitting the exam, review our DHA Exam Tips for General Practitioners to walk into the exam well-prepared.
|
Domain |
Focus Areas |
|
Chronic Diseases |
Hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular, and respiratory |
|
Acute Problems |
Emergency presentations, acute infections |
|
Paediatrics |
Growth, development, childhood illness |
|
Women's Health |
Obstetrics, gynaecology, contraception |
|
Emergency Medicine |
Trauma, acute care protocols |
|
Psychiatry |
Mental health assessment, common disorders |
|
Surgery |
Surgical referral, post-operative care |
|
Dermatology |
Skin conditions common in primary care |
|
Ophthalmology / ENT |
Eye and ear conditions |
|
Epidemiology |
Public health, disease surveillance |
|
Family Medicine |
Continuity of care, preventive medicine |
|
Screening |
Cancer screening, chronic disease screening |
Clinical knowledge is the heaviest section, but do not underestimate UAE-specific regulations and the local healthcare system; these are areas where internationally trained candidates commonly lose marks. If you are weighing whether this licence is worth the effort, read about the Benefits of getting a DHA License for GPs.
The nursing exam assesses clinical competency across five primary domains, testing both theoretical knowledge and situational clinical judgement. Our Comprehensive Guide on DHA Exams for Nurses covers everything you need to know before you apply.
Exam snapshot: 150 MCQs | 165 minutes | 60% passing score.
Check our DHA Exam Tips and Strategies for Nurses for targeted advice on each domain.
|
Domain |
Focus Areas |
|
Fundamentals of Nursing |
Basic care, patient safety, and infection control |
|
Paediatric Nursing |
Child health, developmental milestones, paediatric emergencies |
|
Adult Nursing |
Medical-surgical care, chronic illness management |
|
Maternal Nursing |
Antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal care |
|
Unit Management & Leadership |
Staffing, delegation, and UAE healthcare protocols |
Pay particular attention to the Unit Management & Leadership domain — it includes UAE-specific protocols that may differ from what you practised in your home country. Once you pass, find out how the Benefits of a DHA License for Nurses can advance your career in Dubai.
The pharmacist exam covers pharmaceutical sciences and patient-centred pharmacy practice across 10 core domains.
Exam snapshot: 120 MCQs | 165 minutes | 60% passing score
The pharmacist exam covers pharmaceutical sciences and patient-centred pharmacy practice across 10 core domains.
Exam snapshot: 120 MCQs | 165 minutes | 60% passing score.
Warm up with our DHA Exam Sample Questions for Pharmacists to gauge the question style.
|
Domain |
Focus Areas |
|
Pharmacotherapy |
Drug selection, therapeutic guideline |
|
Toxicology |
Drug overdose, poisoning management |
|
Pharmacokinetics |
Absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion |
|
Medication Safety |
Error prevention, adverse drug reactions |
|
Pharmacy Law & Ethics |
UAE regulations, professional conduct |
|
OTC Medications |
Self-care counselling, product selection |
|
Pregnancy & Lactation |
Safe prescribing in special populations |
|
Paediatrics |
Weight-based dosing, paediatric formulations |
|
Geriatrics |
Polypharmacy, age-related considerations |
|
Compounding |
Preparation, stability, documentation |
Pharmacy Law & Ethics deserves dedicated revision time. Questions on UAE-specific drug regulations frequently trip up candidates who focus only on pharmacological science. Use our DHA Exam Tips for Pharmacists to close those gaps, and learn what the Benefits of a DHA License for Pharmacists mean for your career in Dubai.
Read our Comprehensive Guide on DHA Exams for Pharmacists for a full breakdown of each domain and what to prioritise.
The dental CBT comprises 150 MCQs across five weighted domains. Because weightings are published, you can allocate your study time strategically. Our Comprehensive Guide on DHA Exams for Dentists explains exactly how to approach each one.
Exam snapshot: 150 MCQs | 180 minutes (includes registration & introduction) | 60% passing score. See our DHA Exam Tips for Dentists for actionable preparation advice.
Note: An Oral Assessment of 15–20 minutes involving five clinical scenarios is required for some Consultant-level titles.
|
Domain |
Approximate Weighting |
|
Oral Medicine / Oral Surgery |
41% |
|
Restorative Dentistry |
36% |
|
Orthodontics / Paediatric Dentistry |
30% |
|
Endodontics |
23% |
|
Periodontics |
20% |
Key clinical topics within the dental syllabus:
Given that Oral Medicine / Oral Surgery alone accounts for 41% of the paper, candidates who front-load their revision in this domain are at a significant advantage. Passing also unlocks real career opportunities — find out what the Benefits of a DHA License for Dentists mean in practice.
Lab technicians face the lowest question count and a slightly lower passing threshold than other professions.
Exam snapshot: 100 MCQs | 150 minutes | 55% passing score
Core domains cover clinical biochemistry, haematology, microbiology, immunology, histopathology, and quality control/laboratory management. Candidates should also expect questions on patient safety and UAE-specific laboratory regulations.
Regardless of your profession, the DHA exam evaluates six overarching competency areas. Understanding these helps you approach revision strategically.
1. Clinical Knowledge: Anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, microbiology, radiology, and speciality-specific topics. This is the largest and most heavily weighted section across all professions.
2. Professional Skills Communication with patients, ethical decision-making, and knowledge of the legal aspects of the UAE healthcare system including informed consent, confidentiality, and reporting obligations.
3. Healthcare Guidelines and Protocols Familiarity with the latest evidence-based clinical guidelines relevant to your profession. Questions often reference international protocols adapted for the UAE context.
4. Dubai Health Authority Regulations Questions on UAE healthcare infrastructure, patient safety initiatives, DHA-specific standards, and health policy. This section is particularly important for candidates who are new to the Gulf healthcare environment.
5. Dubai Healthcare System and Stakeholders Understanding the roles of the DHA, HAAD (Abu Dhabi), Ministry of Health, private sector, and other stakeholders in Dubai's healthcare ecosystem.
6. Language Proficiency The exam is conducted entirely in English. Clinical English, including medical terminology and patient communication language, is assessed implicitly throughout all MCQs. Practising with English-language MCQ resources is as important as content revision.
The table below provides an overview of typical fee ranges. Always verify the latest figures on the official DHA Sheryan portal before applying, as fees are subject to change.
|
Profession |
Application Fee (AED) |
Exam Fee (AED) |
Licensing Fee (AED) |
Total (AED) |
|
Nurse |
800–1,000 |
800–900 |
600–700 |
2,200–2,600 |
|
Dentist |
1,000–1,100 |
~1,080 |
1,000–1,100 |
3,200–3,400 |
|
Physician |
1,000–1,100 |
1,000–1,200 |
1,000–1,100 |
3,000–3,400 |
|
Pharmacist |
1,000–1,100 |
1,000–1,200 |
800–900 |
2,800–3,200 |
|
Allied Health |
700–900 |
700–900 |
600–700 |
2,000–2,500 |
For dentists, the Data Flow/verification fee is approximately AED 992, and the exam fee is approximately AED 1,080. See our full breakdown at Detailed Understanding of DHA Exam Fees in Dubai.
Licensing is managed through the Sheryan portal (dha.gov.ae). Here is the complete process from registration to licence issuance.
Step 1 — Account Creation Register on the DHA website and create a Sheryan account to obtain your DHA Unique ID.
Step 2 — Document Submission: Upload all required documents for Data Flow verification:
Step 3 — Fee Payment Pay the verification fee and exam fee via the Sheryan portal.
Step 4 — Scheduling Once your Eligibility ID is generated, schedule the exam at a Prometric centre of your choice. You have one year from the date your eligibility letter is issued to complete this step.
Step 5 — Sit the Exam. Complete the CBT at your scheduled Prometric centre.
Step 6 — Oral Assessment (if applicable) Certain Consultant-level specialists must also clear a 15–20 minute oral assessment involving five clinical scenarios.
Step 7 — Licence Issuance On passing, you receive an eligibility letter (valid for one year) to apply for your full DHA professional licence.
The DHA exam is your first and most critical step toward a healthcare career in Dubai. Here is how to get the most from this guide:
The passing score is 60% for most professions doctors, nurses, dentists, and pharmacists. Lab technicians require a minimum of 55%. The DHA does not disclose your exact numerical score; results are communicated as Pass or Fail through your Sheryan account.
It depends on your profession: GPs, nurses, and dentists face 150 MCQs; pharmacists sit 120 MCQs; lab technicians are tested on 100 MCQs.
Exam duration varies: 165 minutes for GPs, nurses, and pharmacists; 180 minutes for dentists (including registration/introduction time); and 150 minutes for lab technicians.
You are allowed a maximum of three attempts. If you fail all three, you will need to follow the DHA's re-evaluation procedure before being permitted to retake the exam.
Your DHA exam result remains valid for five years. Within that period, you must apply for and obtain your professional licence to practise in Dubai.
The CBT is the primary assessment for most professionals. However, candidates applying for certain Consultant-level titles, particularly in medicine and dentistry, may be required to complete a 15–20 minute oral assessment involving five clinical scenarios.
