DHA exam 2026: test dates, GP exam pattern, how to book and free practice tests
The DHA exam is the Dubai Health Authority's licensing assessment for healthcare professionals who want to practise in the Emirate of Dubai. Many titles sit a computer-based test (CBT) run by Prometric; titles not listed in the CBT guide are assessed orally. There is no fixed DHA exam date: once Sheryan issues your eligibility ID, you book an available day at a Prometric centre. This guide focuses on the general practice (GP) physician exam, the one our practice test follows, and covers booking, the exam pattern from the DHA guide updated September 2026, the syllabus and a study plan.
DHA licensing exam at a glance
| Conducting body | Dubai Health Authority (Health Regulation Sector); tests run by Prometric |
| What it is for | One step toward a DHA licence to practise in Dubai |
| Mode | Computer-based test at a Prometric centre (some titles: oral assessment) |
| GP exam | 150 multiple-choice questions, code GEN5331 |
| Time | 3 hours, including registration and the process introduction |
| Pass score | 60% for general practice, as published in the CBT guide |
| Result | Pass or fail in your Sheryan account; the score is not shared |
| How often | Any day Prometric offers, once you have an eligibility ID |
| Official website | DHA CBT guide (PDF) |
Test dates and booking
The DHA does not publish a national exam date. As of 20 October 2026, its computer-based testing guide (updated September 2026) says CBTs are run by Prometric through a worldwide network of test centres, and booking follows five steps in Sheryan (below). Your date is the day you choose with Prometric after you have an eligibility ID.
The guide also says the DHA may activate or de-activate a specialty assessment, or change the content, format or pass score, without updating the guide. Check the guide again just before you book.
How to book the DHA exam
The CBT guide lists these steps:
- Check your mode of exam for your specialty on the Sheryan mode-of-exam page: computer-based or oral.
- Create an account in Sheryan, the DHA's professional licensing system.
- Copy your DHA unique ID.
- Generate an eligibility ID in Sheryan.
- Schedule the exam with Prometric.
The fee for the general practice exam in the September 2026 guide, read on 20 October 2026, is USD 280. Bring a passport that matches your registration to the centre. Some applicants are exempt from the exam under the qualification requirements and the DHA licensing manual; check the exemption rules before you book.
After the exam, pass or fail is uploaded to Sheryan; the DHA assessment manual describes this as within two working days. Prometric may give you a learning-outcome letter on strengths and weaknesses, but that letter is not your result.
DHA exam pattern (general practice)
| Feature | General practice CBT |
|---|---|
| Exam code | GEN5331 |
| Questions | 150 multiple-choice questions |
| Duration | 3 hours, including registration, the process introduction and the exam |
| Pass score | 60% |
| Result | Pass or fail only |
| Scoring | From the number of correct answers and the weighting of each domain (DHA assessment manual) |
The guide does not state how many options each question has, a weight for each topic, or a separate clock for the questions alone. It also does not describe negative marking. Because the 3 hours include registration and the introduction, the time for questions is a little less than 3 hours: plan on about one minute a question.
Other physician titles, dentists, nurses and midwives, allied health professions and complementary medicine practitioners have their own exams with different lengths and pass scores, or an oral assessment. Look up your title in the guide.
Syllabus: what the GP exam covers
The CBT guide lists twelve areas for general practice:
- Chronic diseases
- Acute and common medical problems
- Common paediatric problems
- Women's health
- Emergency problems
- Common surgical problems
- Common psychiatric problems
- Common eye and ENT problems
- Common dermatology problems
- Basic epidemiology and evidence-based medicine
- Family medicine concepts
- Screening and periodic health examination
The guide also lists reference books for the GP exam, including Toronto Notes, Davidson's Principles and Practice of Medicine, Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, Kumar and Clark's Clinical Medicine, and standard obstetrics, gynaecology and paediatrics texts. See our DHA syllabus page.
A plan for the weeks before your appointment
Book once your eligibility ID arrives, then use the weeks left. A six-week plan:
- Week 1: a full 150-question DHA mock test in 3 hours. Mark which of the twelve areas your misses fall in.
- Weeks 2–3: the big clinical areas: chronic disease (diabetes, hypertension, asthma, COPD), acute medical problems and emergencies. Read the matching chapters in one reference book rather than several.
- Week 4: paediatrics, women's health and common surgical problems.
- Week 5: psychiatry, eye and ENT, dermatology, then screening, epidemiology and evidence-based medicine, which are short but easy to lose marks on.
- Week 6: a second full mock, reviewed using how to analyse a mock test, then light revision and rest.
Our practice paper counts every question equally and reports your number correct out of 150. A score of 90 is the unweighted 60%, not a DHA decision, because the real result uses domain weights that are not published.
Useful links
- DHA computer-based testing guide, September 2026 (PDF)
- Mode of exam per specialty (Sheryan)
- DHA manual for professional assessment (PDF)
- Free DHA mock tests
- DHA syllabus
- DHA test dates
- DOH Abu Dhabi exam: test dates, format and how to book
- How to use mock tests
Frequently asked questions
When is the DHA exam date in 2026?
There is no fixed date. After Sheryan gives you an eligibility ID, you schedule any available day at a Prometric centre.
What is the DHA exam pass mark for general practitioners?
The September 2026 guide gives a pass score of 60% for the general practice exam. The result itself shows only pass or fail, and the manual says it is worked out from correct answers and domain weights.
Is there negative marking in the DHA exam?
The guide and the manual do not describe any deduction for a wrong answer; they describe the result as based on the number of correct answers and domain weights. Answer every question.
How many questions are in the DHA GP exam?
150 multiple-choice questions, with 3 hours for the whole sitting including registration and the introduction.
How do I get my DHA exam result?
Pass or fail is uploaded to your Sheryan account; the manual says within two working days. The numeric score is not shared.
Is the DHA exam the same as the DOH (HAAD) exam?
No. DHA licenses for Dubai and the Department of Health licenses for Abu Dhabi, each with its own exam and pattern. See our DOH guide.