DHA Exam Passing Score 2026: Number of Questions, Time Allowed and Pass Marks for Nurses, Doctors, Pharmacists, Dentists and Allied Health, Plus How Results Are Reported
What score you need to pass the DHA exam in 2026 for every profession: the number of questions and time allowed for the registered nurse, assistant nurse, general practitioner, specialist and consultant, pharmacist, general and specialist dentist and allied health papers, how the pass mark is set and reported, how many attempts you get, how long results take, and what to do if you fail.
"What is the DHA exam passing score?" is the first question most candidates ask after receiving their eligibility letter, and the answer depends on the paper you sit. The Dubai Health Authority runs a separate Prometric exam for each licensed title, with its own number of questions, time and pass mark. This guide lays them out for 2026, explains how the score is calculated and reported, and what happens after a pass or a fail. The licence route itself is in the DHA exam guide.
DHA exam format and passing score by profession (2026)
| Title (DHA exam code) | Questions | Time | Pass mark (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurse (RNT0312) | About 150 | About 3 hours | About 60% |
| Assistant Nurse (ARN5061) | About 100 to 150 | 2 to 3 hours | About 55 to 60% |
| Registered Midwife (MID5104) | About 150 | About 3 hours | About 60% |
| General Practitioner (GEN5331) | About 150 | About 3 hours | About 60 to 65% |
| Specialist physician papers (for example INT5921, PED5391, OBG5891) | 100 to 150 | 2 to 3 hours | About 60 to 65%, varying by specialty |
| Consultant papers (for example INT5732, PED5712) | 100 to 150 | 2 to 3 hours | About 55 to 60%; some consultants are assessed by interview instead |
| Pharmacist (PHO5481) | About 100 to 150 | 2 to 3 hours | About 60% |
| General Dentist (GEN5301) | About 150 | About 3 hours | About 60% |
| Specialist dentist papers (for example ORD5211, END5021) | 100 to 150 | 2 to 3 hours | About 60% |
| Allied health (physiotherapist PHY5121, lab technologist LAB5631, radiographer RAD5152, anaesthesia technician ANA5701, dietitian NUT4112 and others) | About 100 to 150 | 2 to 3 hours | About 50 to 60%, varying by title |
These are the figures DHA has published or candidates have reported for each exam in 2025 and 2026. DHA can change the format, and the number on your eligibility letter and the exam information page on the DHA website is the authoritative figure for your sitting. Each exam page on this site lists the question count, time and pass mark for that code (browse exams).
How the DHA pass mark works
- Single-best-answer MCQs with four or five options; there is no negative marking, so every question is answered.
- Raw percentage against a fixed cut-off for most DHA papers, unlike SCFHS, which reports a scaled score. A small number of unscored pilot items may be included and do not count.
- Pass or fail is what the result states; DHA does not rank candidates and a 61% and a 90% both produce the same eligibility letter.
- Domain feedback appears on some score reports as relative performance by content area, useful for a retake plan.
Results, attempts and what happens next
| Item | DHA rule (2026) |
|---|---|
| Result timing | A preliminary pass or fail is usually shown on screen at the end, with the official result on the DHA Sheryan portal within a few days to two weeks (results explained) |
| Attempts | Usually three attempts per eligibility, with a waiting period between attempts; after three failures the application is re-evaluated and may require retraining or a new application (retake rules) |
| Validity of a pass | The eligibility letter is valid for a defined period (commonly one year) during which an employer must activate the licence (validity and transfer) |
| Fee per attempt | About USD 220 to 300 depending on the title (DHA fees) |
| Exemptions | Candidates with tier-1 licences and experience may be exempted and receive the eligibility letter without an exam (exemptions) |
How DHA compares with the other authorities
| Authority | Delivery | Pass mark (approx.) | Scoring |
|---|---|---|---|
| DHA (Dubai) | Prometric | About 60% for most titles | Raw percentage, pass or fail |
| MOHAP (Northern Emirates) | Prometric | About 60% | Raw percentage |
| DOH (Abu Dhabi) | Pearson VUE | About 60% | Raw percentage |
| SCFHS (Saudi Arabia) | Prometric | Scaled score; cut-off set by exam | Scaled, with score report |
| QCHP/DHP (Qatar) | Prometric | About 60% | Raw percentage |
| NHRA (Bahrain) | Prometric | 60% | Raw percentage |
| OMSB (Oman) | Prometric | About 60% | Raw percentage |
| Kuwait MOH | Prometric | About 60% | Raw percentage |
The blueprints are nearly identical across authorities for each title, so one preparation covers all of them (DHA vs SCFHS).
How to score comfortably above the pass mark
- Aim for 75% in timed mocks, because exam-day nerves and unfamiliar phrasing typically cost 5 to 10 points.
- Answer everything; there is no penalty for guessing, and flagging and returning to hard questions keeps your pace.
- Know the weighting: the largest domain for nurses is medical-surgical, for GPs internal medicine, for dentists restorative dentistry and for pharmacists therapeutics; the syllabus by profession has the detail.
- Practise on a screen under time with explained questions (free chapter 1 on every bank), using the error-log method and the 30-day plan; the pass rate and difficulty are discussed in how hard is the Prometric exam.
Frequently asked questions
What is the DHA exam passing score for nurses?
About 60% on a paper of about 150 questions in about 3 hours; the eligibility letter is the authoritative source for your sitting.
What is the DHA exam passing score for doctors?
About 60 to 65% for GPs and specialists depending on the paper, and about 55 to 60% for consultant papers; some consultants are assessed by interview instead.
How many questions are in the DHA exam?
About 150 for nurses, GPs and general dentists, and 100 to 150 for most specialist, pharmacy and allied health papers.
How many attempts does DHA allow?
Usually three per eligibility with waiting periods between attempts; after three failures the file is re-evaluated.
Does DHA report a scaled score?
No. DHA reports pass or fail against a raw percentage cut-off; SCFHS is the authority that uses scaled scoring.
Practice banks for this exam
Chapter-wise MCQs with written reasoning on every question, and timed mocks at the real pass mark.