DOH/HAAD Abu Dhabi Pediatric Exam Syllabus and Schedule 2026
DOH Pediatric Syllabus and Schedule Quick Summary
The DOH (formerly HAAD) Pediatrics exam covers general pediatrics from birth to adolescence: neonatology, growth and development, immunisation, infections, emergencies, and every organ system, at the level of a pediatrician working without supervision. It is not held on fixed dates. Once DOH approves you, you book any free Pearson VUE slot within 6 months, all year round, and sit a 100 MCQ computer-based test in 2 hours.
Two questions come up again and again from pediatricians planning Abu Dhabi: “How many times a year is the exam held?” and “What exactly is in the syllabus?”. This page answers both. It lists the subject areas to cover, explains how the exam calendar really works, and gives a study schedule you can fit around clinical work. If you still need to confirm that you can apply, or if you are exempt, start with our DOH Pediatric specialist eligibility requirements page and come back here.
What does the DOH Pediatric exam syllabus cover?
The Department of Health Abu Dhabi does not publish a topic-by-topic blueprint for its Pediatrics exam. What it does set is the level: Specialist and Consultant Pediatrics, the same paper for both. In practice that means the whole of general pediatrics, written as clinical cases. Use these areas as your checklist. Under each one are the topics that make good exam questions because they turn on a clear decision.
Most questions are a short case ending in “what is the most likely diagnosis?” or “what is the next best step?”. Answers follow current international guidance, such as resuscitation council algorithms and WHO or AAP recommendations, rather than one country’s local habits. Conditions that are common in the Gulf (haemoglobinopathies, G6PD deficiency, consanguinity-related metabolic disease) appear more often than many candidates from outside the region expect.
Subspecialty titles such as pediatric emergency medicine have their own route; see DOH pediatric emergency exam. For Dubai, compare this list with the DHA Pediatrics syllabus. The overlap is large, so one preparation serves both.
How many times a year is the DOH Pediatric exam held?
There is no fixed number of sessions. The DOH exam is delivered by Pearson VUE throughout the year, and you choose from whatever dates are free at your chosen centre. The limit is not the calendar but your approval:
| Schedule point | How it works for Pediatrics |
|---|---|
| Exam dates | No fixed dates; slots open all year at Pearson VUE centres in the UAE and abroad |
| When you can book | Only after DOH approves your TAMM application and you pay the exam fee; the Pearson VUE link then appears in TAMM |
| Booking window | 6 months from approval |
| Format | CBT, 100 single best answer MCQs in 2 hours, in English; no oral for pediatrics |
| Rescheduling | Through TAMM up to 72 hours before the exam, at no extra cost |
| Result | PASS or FAIL in TAMM, usually within 24 hours |
| If you fail | Book again inside the same 6-month window with no waiting period; attempts are counted across DOH, DHA and MOHAP |
So the real question is not “when is the next exam?” but “how ready will I be when my approval arrives?”. Approval can come quickly once DataFlow is clean, and the 6-month clock starts then. Begin studying while your documents are being verified, not after. The rules for every title are on DOH exam paper pattern and schedule, and the booking screens are shown in how to book the DOH exam via TAMM.
What is a good study schedule for the DOH Pediatric exam?
Most working pediatricians need 8 to 10 weeks. You know your own field well; the gaps are usually the areas you have not covered since residency (neonatal intensive care for a clinic pediatrician, community pediatrics for a hospital one) and the pace of 72 seconds a question.
DOH does not release past papers, and it does not publish a pass percentage; the result is PASS or FAIL only (see DOH exam passing score). If you are applying in Dubai or the Northern Emirates as well, the DHA Pediatrics QBank and the MOH UAE Pediatrics QBank follow the same syllabus in each authority’s format. More DOH specialties are listed on the DOH exam page.
DOH Pediatric sample practice MCQs
Two questions in the clinical style of the Pearson VUE CBT. Tap a question to see the answer.
Question 1: Orthopaedics (the limping adolescent)
A 12-year-old boy with a BMI above the 95th centile has had pain in his left knee and a limp for 3 weeks. He can still walk with a limp. He is afebrile and the knee examination is normal. When the left hip is flexed, it rolls into external rotation, and internal rotation is limited and painful. CRP is normal. AP and frog-leg lateral X-rays of the pelvis show posterior and medial displacement of the left femoral epiphysis. What is the most appropriate management?
A) NSAIDs and physiotherapy, with review in 2 weeks
B) Hip spica cast for 6 weeks
C) Stop weight-bearing and refer urgently to orthopaedics for in situ screw fixation
D) Ultrasound-guided aspiration of the left hip
Correct answer: C) Stop weight-bearing and refer urgently to orthopaedics for in situ screw fixation
This is slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE): an overweight early adolescent, knee pain referred from the hip, obligatory external rotation on flexion and a displaced epiphysis on the frog-leg lateral view. He can still bear weight, so it is a stable slip. Treatment is to stop weight-bearing at once (crutches or wheelchair) and fix the epiphysis in situ with a screw, usually within 24 hours, to prevent further slip and avascular necrosis. Physiotherapy delays treatment, spica casting is no longer used because of chondrolysis and further slip, and aspiration is for suspected septic arthritis, which a normal CRP and no fever make unlikely. The other hip should be watched, because a slip there is common.
Question 2: Infectious diseases (cough in a young infant)
A 7-week-old girl, who has not yet had any vaccines, has had a runny nose for 10 days and for the last 4 days bouts of rapid coughing, followed by vomiting. During two of the bouts she went blue around the lips. Between bouts she looks well and is afebrile, and her chest is clear. White cell count is 28,000/µL with 75% lymphocytes. Her 5-year-old brother has had a cough for 3 weeks. What is the most appropriate management?
A) Discharge home with oral amoxicillin and a salbutamol inhaler
B) Admit for monitoring, start oral azithromycin, and give azithromycin prophylaxis to household contacts
C) Oral prednisolone and nebulised adrenaline, then discharge
D) Discharge home with oral azithromycin and review if she develops a fever
Correct answer: B) Admit for monitoring, start oral azithromycin, and give azithromycin prophylaxis to household contacts
Paroxysmal cough with post-tussive vomiting, cyanotic spells, marked lymphocytosis and a coughing sibling point to pertussis. Infants under about 3 months with cyanosis or apnoea need admission, because they can stop breathing and a very high white cell count is linked to severe disease and pulmonary hypertension. A macrolide is given to cut transmission; azithromycin is preferred in young infants because erythromycin is linked to pyloric stenosis. Household contacts receive prophylaxis whatever their vaccine status. Amoxicillin has no role, steroids and adrenaline are croup treatments, and sending this infant home is unsafe.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many times a year is the DOH Pediatric exam held?
It has no fixed sessions. Pearson VUE runs DOH exams all year round, and you book any available slot within 6 months of DOH approving your application. The Pearson VUE booking link appears in TAMM after you pay the exam fee.
Does DOH publish an official Pediatrics syllabus?
No detailed blueprint is published. The exam tests general pediatrics at specialist level, from the newborn to the adolescent, through clinical case MCQs. The subject list on this page is a practical checklist based on that level.
Is the syllabus different for Specialist and Consultant Pediatrics?
No. Specialist and Consultant Pediatrics sit the same computer-based test of 100 MCQs in 2 hours. The difference between the titles is in the qualification tier and years of experience, which DOH checks before approving you for the exam.
How long should I prepare for the DOH Pediatrics exam?
Most practising pediatricians need 8 to 10 weeks of steady study alongside work. Start while DataFlow is running, because the 6-month booking window begins as soon as DOH approves you.
Can I sit the DOH Pediatrics exam outside the UAE?
Yes. The exam is delivered at Pearson VUE test centres in the UAE and in other countries. When you open the booking link from TAMM, Pearson VUE shows the centres and dates open to you.
Your Comments
Readers have asked us these questions over time. Tap any question to open it and read our reply.
Najla habib (UAE): how often the pediatric exam is held, and the syllabus
"how many times in an year haad/doh pediatric exam is held and send me syllabus please."
Najla habib
Medical Qualification: MD pediatrics
City Country: UAE
Elsamma (Hyderabad, India): still in house job, can I apply as GP, and the fee?
"I am fresh MBBS in 2020. still doing my housejob. can i apply for haad exam. what is the registration fee for general practitioner exam."
Elsamma
Medical Qualification: MBBS
City Country: hyderabad, india
Dr. Assad Khan (Calicut, India): how to register for the exam online
"I have several years working experience in reputable hospitals of india. how to work in UAE and how to register for my exam online."
Dr. Assad Khan
Medical Qualification: Mbbs
City Country: Calicut, india
Dr.feras (Abu Dhabi, UAE): can I write the exam after internship?
"Can I write haad exam Aftr my internship??"
Dr.feras
City Country: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Mumta rohan (Assam, India): what questions are asked for my specialty?
"what type of questions are asked in actual haad exam for my specialty. any sample paper please."
Mumta rohan
Medical Qualification: BSc Technician
City Country: Assam, india
swetha.A (Kolkata, India): how to prepare for the respiratory therapy exam
"how can i prepare for respiratory therapy haad exam"
swetha.A
City Country: Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Dr Ahmed Ali (Karachi, Pakistan): MBBS and one house job, how to apply and fees
"How to apply for haah exam. I done with mbbs and one house job. And what about fees. Thank you"
Dr Ahmed Ali
City Country: Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
Naveen Singh Rajawat (UAE): licence with BSc biotechnology and MSc microbiology
"I have completed 3 year BSc in bio-technology and 2 year MSC Microbiology. I have 2 years of experience and am looking to work in abu dhabi. So I want to inquire about the HAAD license according to my qualification. Please let me know about the process to get the license. "
Naveen Singh Rajawat
City Country: UAE
Rizwan (Karachi, Pakistan): test centres in Pakistan, and working without the exam
"How to find haad test centers in Pakistan? can i work without passing haad exam. please is there any way pls."
Rizwan
Medical Qualification: Pharmacist
City Country: Karachi, Pakistan
jomiya (Madurai, India): exam exemption after NCLEX
"What are the exam exemption chances after clearing NCLEX exam. from where can i get correct information?"
jomiya
Medical Qualification: RN diploma
City Country: Madurai, india
Rosa (Bulgaria): fresh physiotherapist, registration and study material
"Hi friends.. i am fresh physiotherapist. want to give haad exam for uae. could any of you please help me for registration and any help for study material pls"
Rosa
Medical Qualification: Physiotherapist
City Country: Bulgaria
jessica (London, UK): scheduling the RN exam in the UK
"how can i schedule for haad rn exam in uk. planning to attempt this exam in August."
jessica
Medical Qualification: registered nurse
City Country: london, uk
Pass the DOH Pediatrics exam
Clinical pediatrics MCQs with explanations, subject-wise practice and timed mock exams in the Pearson VUE format.
Enroll in DOH Pediatrics QBank