QCHP Dermatology Exam 2026: Eligibility, Format & Fee
Medical exams / QCHP Qatar / QCHP Dermatology exam guide
QCHP Dermatology Exam Quick Summary
The QCHP Dermatology exam is Qatar's specialty qualifying test, set by the Department of Healthcare Professions (DHP) and delivered by Prometric: 150 MCQs with a 65% cut score and a fee of USD 244 in 2026. Only specialists whose postgraduate degree falls in DHP's Category 3 must sit it; Category 1 and 2 holders are exempt. Every applicant needs primary source verification by DataFlow or QuadraBay.
Dermatologists who want to work in Qatar are licensed by the Department of Healthcare Professions (DHP), still widely called QCHP. Depending on your postgraduate degree you may need to pass DHP's Dermatology qualifying exam. This guide covers who sits it, who is exempt, what it covers and how to prepare.
On this page
Who sits the QCHP Dermatology exam
DHP licenses specialists according to their postgraduate qualification, using its approved qualifications list for physicians. The Dermatology exam covers these scopes of practice: Dermatology.
| DHP category | What it means for the exam |
|---|---|
| Category 1 and Category 2 | Qualifications DHP accepts without its exam. You still need the post-qualification experience your category requires, plus verification. |
| Category 3 | You need three years of postgraduate training and three years of experience after the degree, and you must pass the specialty exam. The experience must come from government or semi-government hospitals, or hospitals that run postgraduate training programmes. |
If your degree is not on DHP's list, or you do not yet have the experience your category needs, DHP may evaluate you for a lower title such as Assistant Specialty or General Practitioner. Search for your exact degree title and awarding body in DHP's approved qualifications list before you apply.
You also need a valid licence for the years you worked and a certificate of good standing, both checked at the source by your verification provider, and no long break from practice.
Who is exempt from the QCHP Dermatology exam
- Holders of Category 1 and Category 2 qualifications on DHP's approved list.
- Qatari nationals, children of Qatari mothers, and graduates of public or private universities and higher education institutions in Qatar (Circular DHP/2025/24, 30 December 2025).
Exemption covers only the exam: you still need verification, the required experience and a DHP evaluation. Our guide to DHP Qatar exam exemption criteria covers the other professions.
How to apply, step by step
Read DHP's Guidelines for Physicians and confirm your qualification and experience meet the rules for the Dermatology specialist title.
Applications go through DHP's Registration and Licensing System at dhpportal.moph.gov.qa, usually together with a Qatar employer or prospective employer.
DataFlow or QuadraBay, the two providers DHP approves, verify your degree, experience, licence and good standing directly with the issuing bodies.
Once DHP approves you to sit the exam, book it on Prometric's Qatar DHP page under exam code SCHQ2, at an international Prometric centre or the Doha centre on C Ring Road.
When you pass and your evaluation is approved, your employing facility completes the licensing step with DHP.
Documents to prepare
Your verification provider and DHP's evaluation team work from the same set of papers. Have clear scans of these ready:
- Primary medical degree, internship certificate and transcripts
- Postgraduate degree or board certificate, with training certificates
- Experience certificates for the required years, with dates and job titles
- Licences covering those years
- Certificate of good standing from your licensing authority
- Passport, a recent photograph and a CV on DHP's template
Most delays come from experience letters without exact dates, or licences that do not cover the whole period, so check these first.
What the QCHP Dermatology exam covers
DHP publishes a blueprint and reference list for each specialty exam on its qualifying exam page. Questions are single best answer clinical scenarios at specialist level, so expect management decisions, interpretation of investigations and complications rather than simple recall. The main areas to cover are:
The weights above are our guide to how much time each area deserves, based on how specialty boards usually build these papers. Check DHP's own blueprint before you plan. Pass marks and timing for every profession are in our article on the DHP Qatar exam passing score and duration.
A 10-week study plan for the QCHP Dermatology exam
Most candidates preparing alongside a full-time job need about ten weeks at two to three hours a day:
| Weeks | Focus | Daily target |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Inflammatory dermatoses and drug eruptions | 40 MCQs, then review every explanation |
| 3 to 4 | Infections, infestations, pigmentation, hair and nails | 40 MCQs and image review |
| 5 to 6 | Skin tumours and dermoscopy | 40 MCQs |
| 7 to 8 | Bullous, connective tissue, paediatric dermatology, therapeutics | 40 MCQs |
| 9 | Two full 150-question timed mocks | Review each mock the next day |
| 10 | Weak areas, then a final mock | Book once you score comfortably above 65% |
Recommended books for the QCHP Dermatology exam
These are the standard texts most candidates use. Read one core book well and use the others for reference, alongside a question bank.
| Book | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Rook's Textbook of Dermatology | The standard reference for depth |
| Fitzpatrick's Dermatology | Comprehensive, strong on pathophysiology |
| Habif's Clinical Dermatology | Practical, image-rich and exam friendly |
| Andrews' Diseases of the Skin | Concise clinical reference |
Sample QCHP Dermatology exam MCQs
These five questions come from the free trial of our QCHP Dermatology QBank, across common dermatology topics. Tap a question to see the answer and explanation.
A 25-year-old woman with epilepsy on sodium valproate is started on lamotrigine. Lamotrigine-induced severe skin reactions are more likely when lamotrigine is:A. Given to elderly men onlyB. Started very slowly at low doseC. Taken with foodD. Started at a high dose or co-prescribed with sodium valproate
Answer: D. Started at a high dose or co-prescribed with sodium valproate
Explanation: Lamotrigine causes rashes in up to 10% and SJS/TEN in about 0.1% (higher in children). Risk increases with high starting doses, rapid dose escalation, children, and co-prescription with sodium valproate, which inhibits lamotrigine glucuronidation and roughly doubles its levels. Follow the slow titration schedule (halved with valproate).
A 68-year-old man develops dozens of new itchy seborrhoeic keratoses over a few months, together with weight loss and early satiety. What does this sign most often indicate?A. Internal malignancy, especially gastrointestinal adenocarcinoma (sign of Leser-Trélat)B. HIV infectionC. HypothyroidismD. Diabetes mellitus
Answer: A. Internal malignancy, especially gastrointestinal adenocarcinoma (sign of Leser-Trélat)
Explanation: The sign of Leser-Trélat is a sudden increase in the number and size of seborrhoeic keratoses, often itchy, linked to internal malignancy, most often gastric or colorectal adenocarcinoma (also breast, lung, lymphoma). It may occur with malignant acanthosis nigricans and tripe palms, driven by tumour growth factors (e.g. TGF-α).
A 62-year-old woman has a recurrent infiltrative BCC on the side of her nose. Mohs micrographic surgery is recommended. What is the main advantage of Mohs compared with standard excision?A. Examination of 100% of the peripheral and deep margins with maximal tissue sparingB. It is faster than all other excisionsC. It never requires local anaesthesiaD. It does not need histology
Answer: A. Examination of 100% of the peripheral and deep margins with maximal tissue sparing
Explanation: Mohs surgery removes the tumour in stages and processes horizontal frozen sections that examine 100% of the peripheral and deep margin (standard bread-loafing examines less than 1 to 2%). Residual tumour is mapped and removed precisely. This gives the highest cure rates (about 99% for primary BCC) with maximal preservation of healthy tissue.
A 9-year-old boy with atopic dermatitis has hair loss in a band along the back and sides of his scalp margin and pitting of his nails. Which pattern of alopecia areata carries the worst prognosis?A. Patch lasting less than 1 yearB. Single small patch in an adultC. Ophiasis pattern (band-like loss along the occipital and temporal margins)D. Late onset after age 40
Answer: C. Ophiasis pattern (band-like loss along the occipital and temporal margins)
Explanation: Ophiasis (band-like loss along the occipital and temporal scalp margins) carries the worst prognosis among patterns. Other poor prognostic factors: extensive loss (totalis, universalis), childhood onset, atopy, nail involvement, long duration and family history. A single small patch in an adult often regrows within a year.
A woman in the third trimester of pregnancy develops fever and grouped sterile pustules at the edges of red plaques in her groin and armpits. Which laboratory abnormality is classically associated?A. Raised serum bile acidsB. HypocalcaemiaC. HyperkalaemiaD. Hypoglycaemia
Answer: B. Hypocalcaemia
Explanation: Impetigo herpetiformis is generalized pustular psoriasis triggered by pregnancy, usually in the third trimester. Pustules form at the edges of red plaques, starting in flexures. It is linked to hypocalcaemia (sometimes hypoparathyroidism) and low vitamin D.
Want to try more QCHP Dermatology questions?
Start with 30 free questions from the same QBank, each with a full explanation, then unlock the full bank when you are ready.
Exam fee and rescheduling
Under Circular DHP/2024/10, the Prometric fee for every Qatar qualifying exam is USD 244 per attempt from 1 January 2026 (it was USD 238 in 2024 and 2025). Verification and DHP evaluation fees are paid separately. Changing or cancelling a booking costs:
| When you change or cancel | Charge |
|---|---|
| 30 days or more before the exam | USD 25 |
| 5 to 29 days before the exam | USD 40 |
| Less than 5 days before, not attending, or arriving over 30 minutes late | Full exam fee |
On exam day
- Bring the identity document you used to book; the name must match your Prometric appointment.
- Phones, watches and notes go in a locker. Prometric gives you everything you need at the desk.
- DHP and Prometric list 3 hours for the 150 questions, while DHP's blueprint document says 3.5 hours, so check the time on your booking confirmation and plan on about 70 seconds per question.
- Flag hard questions and come back to them; every question counts towards the 98 correct answers you need.
Results and attempts
Prometric gives you your result at the centre when you finish. DHP applies the 65% cut score exactly as published, without rounding.
DHP's qualifying exam page currently states that applicants may attempt the exam an unlimited number of times. Older DHP guidelines allowed specialists three attempts, so check the page on the day you book in case the rule changes again.
Getting your licence
Passing the exam makes you eligible, but you can practise only after DHP approves your evaluation and a licensed healthcare facility in Qatar employs you and completes your licence. Keep your verification report and good standing certificate current while you look for a job.
Qatar and other Gulf Dermatology exams
| Authority | Where you can work | Exam |
|---|---|---|
| DHP (QCHP) | Qatar | 150 MCQs, 65% cut score, Prometric code SCHQ2 |
| DHA | Dubai | Own Dermatology exam |
| SCFHS | Saudi Arabia | Own Dermatology exam |
Each authority licenses separately, and a pass in one does not replace Qatar's exam. The clinical content overlaps, so your preparation carries over. See our guides to the DHA Dermatology exam and the SLE Dermatology exam.
Frequently asked questions
What is the pass mark for the QCHP Dermatology exam?
65%, which is 98 of 150 questions. DHP does not round scores, so 97 correct answers is a fail.
Do all Dermatology specialists need to sit the QCHP exam?
No. Holders of Category 1 and 2 qualifications on DHP's approved list are exempt. Category 3 holders must pass it.
Are there image-based questions?
Expect clinical images in dermatology. Practising with image questions, such as the 330+ in our QBank, is the best way to prepare.
Is the QCHP Dermatology exam the same as the GP exam?
No. It is a separate specialty exam of 150 MCQs with a 65% cut score, while the GP exam has a 60% cut score and covers general practice.
How much does the QCHP Dermatology exam cost?
USD 244 per attempt from 1 January 2026, paid to Prometric. Verification and DHP evaluation fees are extra.
How many attempts are allowed?
DHP's qualifying exam page currently says the exam can be attempted an unlimited number of times. Older guidelines allowed specialists three attempts, so check before you book.
Further reading
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