What is DHA Exam Passing Score, Duration and Total Questions in 2026?
DHA Exam Passing Score Quick Summary
DHA does not publish a passing score: the result is only PASS or FAIL, worked out from your correct answers weighted by domain, and your score is never shared. The DHA CBT guideline gives 150 MCQs in 3 hours for GPs, general dentists, nurses and midwives, and 100 MCQs in 3 hours for consultant papers, which is about 72 seconds per question on a 150 question paper.
This is a reference page on how the DHA (Dubai Health Authority) exam is scored and timed: what "passing score" means when DHA gives no number, how many questions each category sits and for how long, how to pace yourself, and what the oral looks like. Each figure in the table below carries its source, and where DHA has published nothing we say so. If you have already sat the exam and failed, go to what to do after failing the DHA exam. For the result and eligibility letter, see DHA exam result and eligibility letter, and for what each category studies, the DHA exam syllabus by category.
What is the DHA exam passing score?
There is no published pass mark. The DHA Manual for Professional Assessment (2025) says you receive PASS or FAIL with no further details, and that DHA calculates the result from the number of correct answers and the weighting of each domain. The CBT guideline adds that the score will not be shared. So nobody outside DHA can tell you what percentage you got, or what you needed.
Why are the percentages you see online unreliable?
You will see "60%", "65%" or "70%" on forums and coaching sites, sometimes a different figure for every specialty. Some of these come from copies of the CBT guideline that circulate outside dha.gov.ae. Three reasons not to plan around them. First, they are not in DHA's official assessment manual. Second, the guideline itself says DHA can change the exam format or pass score without updating the document. Third, with domain weighting, a raw percentage is not how the result is worked out anyway. Our honest advice: prepare to clear every domain comfortably, not to scrape a number.
How many questions and how long is the DHA exam by category?
Most titles sit a computer-based test (CBT) at a Prometric centre. Some specialist, consultant and allied titles are assessed by an oral instead. The table gives the figures we could source, and the source for each row. "DHA CBT guideline" is the DHA CBT guideline copy already used on this site (not hosted on dha.gov.ae, so confirm in Sheryan); "DHA assessment manual 2025" is the DHA Manual for Professional Assessment on dha.gov.ae.
| Title | Assessment | Questions | Time | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Practitioner | CBT at Prometric | 150 MCQs | 3 hours | DHA CBT guideline |
| Specialist physicians with a written paper (for example Internal Medicine, Obs and Gyn, Pediatrics, General Surgery, Family Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Dermatology) | CBT at Prometric | 150 MCQs for most titles; a few differ | 3 hours | DHA CBT guideline |
| Consultant physicians with a written paper (for example Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Dermatology) | CBT at Prometric | 100 MCQs | 3 hours | DHA CBT guideline |
| Laser Hair Reduction privilege | CBT at Prometric | 70 MCQs | 2 hours | DHA CBT guideline |
| General Dentist | CBT at Prometric | 150 MCQs | 3 hours | DHA CBT guideline |
| Specialist dentists with a written paper (for example Endodontics, Orthodontics, Prosthodontics, Periodontics) | CBT at Prometric | 150 MCQs | 3 hours | DHA CBT guideline |
| Consultant dentists with a written paper | CBT at Prometric | 100 MCQs | 3 hours | DHA CBT guideline |
| Registered Nurse, Assistant Nurse, Registered Midwife | CBT at Prometric | 150 MCQs | 3 hours | DHA CBT guideline |
| Allied health titles | CBT or oral, title by title | Varies (for example Anesthesia Technician 150, Aesthetician 100) | Varies (3 hours and 2 hours in those examples) | DHA CBT guideline |
| Pharmacist | CBT at Prometric | Not confirmed by us; see the guideline in Sheryan | Not confirmed by us | No figure we could verify |
| Titles assessed by oral instead of CBT | Virtual oral with a DHA panel | At least 5 scenarios, cases or topics | Minimum 20 to 30 minutes; DHA FAQ gives 30 to 45 minutes for physicians and dentists | DHA assessment manual 2025 (6.12, 6.14); Sheryan FAQ |
Whether your title has a written paper or an oral is decided by DHA, not by you, and it shows in Sheryan after the Sheryan self-assessment. Our page on DHA written or oral assessment explains how that works. Nurses and midwives have more detail on DHA exam for nurses and midwives and DHA nursing exam requirements; pharmacists on the DHA pharmacy exam page; allied staff on DHA technician and technologist exam.
How much time do you get per question in the DHA exam?
One detail in the CBT guideline catches people out: the exam duration includes registration and the process introduction, not just the questions. So on the GP paper you have a little under 3 hours of real answering time. Work on about a minute per question and you will finish with time to review flagged items.
| Paper | Seconds per question (whole 3 hours) | Where you should be |
|---|---|---|
| 150 MCQs in 3 hours | About 72 seconds | Question 50 by the 1 hour mark, question 100 by 2 hours |
| 100 MCQs in 3 hours (consultant) | About 108 seconds | Question 33 by 1 hour, question 67 by 2 hours |
| 70 MCQs in 2 hours (laser privilege) | About 100 seconds | Question 35 by 1 hour |
DHA does not publish a scheduled break for the CBT, so plan to sit straight through. In practice the checkpoint method works better than watching the clock on every question. Most candidates who run out of time lost it in the first hour, on two or three long stems they refused to leave. Flag them, answer something, and come back. Test-day rules (arrival time, ID, what you may bring) are on DHA exam general guidelines.
What type of questions are asked in the DHA exam?
DHA describes the format simply as multiple choice questions (MCQs). In practice the papers are clinical vignettes: a patient, a few findings, sometimes a lab result or image, and a question about diagnosis, the next best step, or management. You choose one best answer from the options. Two answers often look reasonable, and the difference is usually the stage of the illness or a detail in the results. You can try the style on our DHA Prometric sample questions page.
What is tested in each domain is covered on the syllabus page, so we do not repeat it here. For GP candidates, the DHA GP QBank has 5,000 MCQs in the same vignette style with explanations. Specialists can practise on the DHA Internal Medicine QBank and dentists on the DHA General Dentist QBank.
Is there negative marking in the DHA exam?
DHA does not publish any negative marking. Neither the assessment manual nor the CBT guideline mentions a penalty for a wrong answer; the manual describes the result as calculated from the number of correct answers and the domain weighting. The practical rule follows: never leave a question blank. Eliminate what you can, choose the best remaining option, flag it if you want to come back.
How is the DHA oral assessment scored and timed?
For titles assessed by oral, there are no MCQs and no percentage. The DHA assessment manual sets these rules:
- Format: held virtually on a DHA-approved platform, although DHA may ask for in-person attendance.
- Content: not less than 5 different scenarios, cases or topics.
- Time: a minimum of 20 to 30 minutes, with CV questions and introductions limited to 5 minutes. The Sheryan FAQ gives 30 to 45 minutes for physicians and dentists.
- Panel: at least two members throughout.
- Result: the panel agrees one result, PASS or FAIL. If the members disagree, the result is FAIL.
How to prepare for the cases, and what the session is like on the day, is on our DHA Dubai oral exam page.
How many attempts are allowed in the DHA exam?
DHA allows 3 attempts per title, with no waiting time between them. The full rules, including the 2-year bar after a third fail, are on DHA exam total attempts, and what to change before a retake is on failed the DHA exam: next steps. Results come in Sheryan, within 2 working days for the CBT; see how to check the DHA exam result.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the DHA exam passing score 60%?
DHA does not publish a pass percentage. Its assessment manual says the result is calculated from the number of correct answers and the weighting of each domain, and you are told only PASS or FAIL in Sheryan. Percentages quoted online come from unofficial copies and cannot be checked against your own result, because no score is shared.
How many questions are in the DHA exam?
It depends on the title. The DHA CBT guideline gives 150 MCQs in 3 hours for General Practitioner, General Dentist, Registered Nurse, Assistant Nurse and Registered Midwife, and 100 MCQs in 3 hours for consultant papers. Your own title and format are shown in Sheryan when you get your Eligibility ID.
How much time do I get per question in the DHA GP exam?
150 questions in 3 hours works out at about 72 seconds per question. The guideline says the 3 hours include registration and the introduction, so plan on a little less, roughly a minute per question.
Is there negative marking in the DHA exam?
DHA does not publish any negative marking. The manual describes scoring by the number of correct answers weighted by domain, so a blank answer can only lose you a possible mark. Answer every question.
Do I get my DHA exam score or percentage?
No. The CBT guideline says the score is not shared, and the manual says the result is PASS or FAIL with no score or topic review. Prometric may give a Learning Outcome letter showing general strengths and weaknesses, but it does not show your result.
How long is the DHA oral assessment?
The DHA assessment manual sets a minimum of 20 to 30 minutes with at least 5 scenarios, cases or topics, and the Sheryan FAQ gives 30 to 45 minutes for physicians and dentists. The panel has at least two members and agrees one PASS or FAIL result.
Train for 150 questions in 3 hours
Clinical vignette MCQs with explanations, subject-wise practice and timed Prometric-style mock exams for the DHA GP exam.
Enroll in DHA GP QBank