QCHP Nursing Exam 2026: Blueprint, Pass Mark & Steps

Medical exams / QCHP Qatar / QCHP nursing exam guide

Nurses who want to work in Qatar are licensed by the Department of Healthcare Professions (DHP), still widely known by its old name, QCHP. Most registered nurses must pass the Registered General Nurse qualifying exam. This guide explains who can sit it, who is exempt, the official blueprint, how to prepare and what happens after you pass.

Who can sit the QCHP nursing exam

DHP's nursing regulations set the rules for the Registered General Nurse title. If you qualified outside Qatar, you need:

• A nursing qualification, such as a BSc in Nursing or a recognised diploma, and registration as a nurse in your country.
• Two years of clinical nursing experience after registration, in direct patient care in a recognised healthcare facility.
• A valid licence for the years you worked and a certificate of good standing, both checked at the source by your verification provider.
• No long break from practice, under DHP's break in practice policy.

Qatari nationals and children of Qatari mothers are exempt from the experience requirement under Circular DHP/2025/24, and residents' family members need one year, which they can complete through DHP-approved supervised training.

Who is exempt from the QCHP nursing exam

• Qatari nationals, children of Qatari mothers, and graduates of public or private universities and higher education institutions in Qatar.
• Nurses with a valid NCLEX-RN result, which Circular DHP/2025/19 accepts in place of the Qatar exam. Since 1 January 2026 it must be backed by a verification report.

Exemption replaces only the exam. You still need verification, experience and a DHP evaluation. See our guide to DHP Qatar exam exemption criteria.

How to apply, step by step

Documents to prepare

Your verification provider and DHP's evaluation team work from the same set of papers. Have clear scans of these ready:

• Nursing degree or diploma and transcripts
• Nursing registration or licence from your country
• Experience certificates for the last two years or more, with dates, wards and job titles
• Licences covering those years
• Certificate of good standing from your nursing council
• 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.

Official QCHP nursing exam blueprint

DHP's Registered General Nurse blueprint sets the number of questions in each area:

Pass marks for every profession are in our article on the DHP Qatar exam passing score and duration.

A 6-week study plan for the QCHP nursing exam

DHP reference books for the nursing exam

Sample QCHP Registered Nurse exam MCQs

These five questions come from the free trial of our QCHP Registered Nurse QBank, across the four areas of the blueprint. Tap a question to see the answer and explanation.

A 36-year-old woman with asthma uses a salbutamol metered-dose inhaler and a beclometasone metered-dose inhaler, both prescribed as 2 puffs every morning. At a primary health care centre the nurse asks her how she uses them. Which statement shows correct understanding?A. "I use the beclometasone first so it can open my airways for the salbutamol."B. "I use the salbutamol first, wait a few minutes, then the beclometasone, and rinse my mouth afterwards."C. "I take both puffs of each inhaler quickly one after the other to save time."D. "I only rinse my mouth after the salbutamol, because it causes a dry mouth."

Answer: B. "I use the salbutamol first, wait a few minutes, then the beclometasone, and rinse my mouth afterwards."
Explanation: When a patient takes a bronchodilator and an inhaled corticosteroid at the same time, nursing texts teach using the bronchodilator first. Salbutamol relaxes airway smooth muscle within minutes, so the corticosteroid can then reach the smaller airways. She waits a few minutes before the steroid inhaler (and about 30 to 60 seconds between puffs of the same inhaler).

A 64-year-old woman in a hospice receives a continuous subcutaneous infusion of morphine and haloperidol through a syringe driver into the upper chest. At the 4-hourly check, the nurse finds the infusion running at the correct rate and volume, but the skin around the cannula is red, swollen, hard and painful to touch. What should the nurse do?A. Massage the area gently to spread the fluid and continue the infusionB. Increase the infusion rate to make up for poor absorptionC. Apply a warm compress and check again at the next 4-hourly checkD. Re-site the subcutaneous cannula at a new site and document the site reaction

Answer: D. Re-site the subcutaneous cannula at a new site and document the site reaction
Explanation: Redness, swelling, hardness (induration) and pain at a subcutaneous infusion site show a site reaction. Drugs are poorly and unpredictably absorbed from inflamed tissue, so her symptom control may fail, and the site may break down or become infected. The nurse should re-site the cannula to healthy tissue (upper chest, upper arm, abdomen or thigh, avoiding oedematous, irradiated or bony areas and broken skin), using a non-metal cannula, and document the reaction.

A nurse at a well-child clinic is teaching the parents of a 2-year-old girl about preventing choking. Which statement by a parent indicates a need for further teaching?A. I will make sure she sits down to eat and does not run around with foodB. I will keep coins, button batteries and small toy parts out of her reachC. I will not give her popcorn or hard sweetsD. Whole grapes are fine for her because they are soft

Answer: D. Whole grapes are fine for her because they are soft
Explanation: Children under 5 years are at highest risk of choking because they have small airways, immature chewing (molars are not fully developed), and they explore objects with their mouths. Whole grapes, cherry tomatoes and hot dogs are round and slippery and can completely block a small airway, so they should be cut lengthwise into quarters. Whole nuts, popcorn, hard sweets, and chunks of raw carrot or apple should be avoided.

A nurse on a renal ward checks the standing weighing scale against a calibrated reference scale. When the same 70.0 kg reference weight is placed on the ward scale 5 times, it reads 72.0 kg each time. How should the nurse describe the ward scale?A. Reliable but not validB. Valid but not reliableC. Both reliable and validD. Neither reliable nor valid

Answer: A. Reliable but not valid
Explanation: Reliability is consistency: the scale gives the same reading every time (72.0 kg on all 5 occasions), so it is reliable. Validity (accuracy) is whether it measures the true value: it reads 2.0 kg too high (72.0 minus 70.0 = 2.0 kg), so it is not valid. This is a systematic error (bias) that affects every reading in the same direction.

A 54-year-old civil engineer has just been diagnosed with hypertension at a primary health care centre and is starting amlodipine. He says, 'I work 12-hour shifts on building sites. I need to know how to fit this into my life and how to check my own pressure.' Which teaching approach best applies the principles of adult learning?A. Ask what he wants to achieve, build on his experience and focus on solving his practical problems, with him helping to set the goalsB. Give a structured talk on the causes and complications of hypertension first, then cover practical issues at the next visitC. Give him a detailed booklet on blood pressure physiology, as his education means he will prefer readingD. Set the learning objectives for him and check his knowledge at the end with a short written quiz

Answer: A. Ask what he wants to achieve, build on his experience and focus on solving his practical problems, with him helping to set the goals
Explanation: Knowles' andragogy describes how adults learn: they need to know why they are learning; they are self-directing; they bring experience that is a resource for new learning; they are ready to learn what helps with their life roles; they are problem-centred and want to apply learning now; and they are mainly internally motivated. He has named his own goals, so the nurse negotiates the plan with him and starts with his problems: how to measure his blood pressure at home (with return demonstration and a log, which suits his habit of measuring at work), when to take his tablet around his shifts, reducing salt in site meals, and when to seek help. Theory is added only as far as it explains why each step matters.

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:

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 75 correct answers you need.

Results and attempts

Prometric gives you your result at the centre when you finish. DHP applies the 50% 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. Earlier DHP rules allowed five consecutive 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 nursing exams

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 guide to the DHA exam for nurses and midwives.

Frequently asked questions