Prometric Exam for ECG Technicians, ECG Technologists & Cardiac Perfusionists: DHA, MOHAP, DOH, SCFHS & QCHP Requirements, Official Blueprints, Pass Marks, Qualifications and Salaries (2026)

Every cardiology clinic needs someone who can record a clean 12-lead ECG and recognise when the trace in front of them is an emergency. Every cardiac surgery programme needs perfusionists, a profession so small that most Gulf hospitals recruit internationally for every post. Both are licensed allied-health roles with their own exams.

Three titles

Title (code)	Typical qualification	Exam	Pass mark
ECG Technician (ECG5612)	Diploma (two years) in cardiac or ECG technology, or a recognised certificate programme with documented training hours, plus experience	150 MCQs, 3 h	50%
ECG Technologist (ECG5613)	Bachelor's degree in cardiovascular or cardiac technology, plus experience	150 MCQs, 3 h	55%
Cardiac Perfusionist (CAR5371)	Bachelor's or postgraduate qualification in perfusion technology / clinical perfusion, with a documented number of bypass cases; CCP or European board certification strengthens the file	150 MCQs, 3 h	50%

The technician and technologist papers share one blueprint; the technologist is marked to a higher bar and the role usually extends to stress testing, Holter analysis and, in some hospitals, assisting in the echo or cath lab. Experience requirements are typically two years in the UAE and Qatar; Saudi Arabia is more open to recent graduates. Confirm your title with the eligibility check.

Two boundaries to be clear about. Echocardiography is a separate competency: a cardiac sonographer needs echo-specific training and is assessed on it; an ECG qualification does not cover it. And nurses who record ECGs as part of nursing work do so on their nursing licence — they do not need this title unless they are moving into a dedicated cardiac technician post.

ECG technician and technologist blueprint

1. Cardiac anatomy — chambers, valves, coronary arteries and the territory each supplies
2. Cardiac electrophysiology — conduction pathway, action potential phases, intrinsic rates of each pacemaker site, the vector basis of each lead
3. Pharmacotherapy — drugs that change the ECG: digoxin, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, amiodarone, QT-prolonging drugs
4. Ischaemic heart disease — ischaemia, injury and infarction patterns; localising an MI by leads; reciprocal changes; evolution over time
5. Valvular heart disease — chamber enlargement and hypertrophy criteria
6. Tachyarrhythmias — sinus tachycardia, SVT, atrial fibrillation and flutter, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, torsades de pointes
7. Bradyarrhythmias — sinus bradycardia, sinus arrest, first-, second- (Mobitz I and II) and third-degree AV block, bundle branch blocks
8. Technical aspects of the 12-lead ECG — electrode positions, standard paper speed and calibration, lead reversal recognition, artefact types and their fixes, right-sided and posterior leads, paediatric recording
9. Pacemakers and defibrillators — paced rhythm recognition, failure to capture vs failure to sense, pacing codes, ICD basics
10. Basic life support — current algorithm, compression rate and depth, AED use

What repeats

• Lead placement. V1 to V6 positions are tested every sitting, along with what limb-lead reversal looks like.
• Rate and interval arithmetic. The 300 and 1500 methods, the six-second method for irregular rhythms, normal PR, QRS and QT ranges in small squares and milliseconds.
• MI localisation. Inferior (II, III, aVF), anterior (V1–V4), lateral (I, aVL, V5–V6), posterior (tall R and ST depression in V1–V3).
• AV block differentiation — especially Mobitz I vs Mobitz II.
• Artefact. Wandering baseline, muscle tremor, AC interference — cause and fix.
• What to do when the trace is dangerous. The expected answer is to stay with the patient and escalate at once, not to finish the list.
• Stress-test termination criteria for technologists.

Cardiac perfusionist blueprint

1. Cardiac anatomy; cardiac and pulmonary physiology
2. Cardiovascular pharmacology — heparin and protamine, vasoactive drugs, anaesthetic agents on bypass
3. Ischaemic, valvular and congenital heart disease — as they determine cannulation and bypass strategy
4. Cardiac arrhythmias
5. Myocardial preservation — cardioplegia types, routes (antegrade, retrograde), temperatures, delivery pressures
6. Cerebral protection — deep hypothermic circulatory arrest, selective cerebral perfusion, pH-stat vs alpha-stat management
7. Blood conservation — cell salvage, haemodilution limits, ultrafiltration, transfusion triggers
8. Monitoring the cardiac patient — ACT, blood gases, venous saturation, near-infrared spectroscopy, pressures
9. Acid–base and fluid balance
10. Cardiopulmonary bypass — flow calculation from body surface area, initiation and weaning, temperature management, anticoagulation targets
11. Cannulae and circuits — oxygenator types, roller vs centrifugal pumps, reservoirs, filters, prime composition

What repeats

• Emergencies on bypass. Massive air embolism, oxygenator failure, pump failure, inadequate venous return, low ACT, aortic dissection at cannulation. Each has a drilled first response.
• Calculations. Body surface area and flow, heparin dose and ACT target, protamine ratio, predicted haematocrit on bypass, prime volume.
• Heparin resistance and heparin-induced thrombocytopenia — recognition and alternatives.
• Blood-gas strategy during hypothermia.
• ECMO and IABP basics — veno-venous vs veno-arterial, balloon timing. Most Gulf perfusionists cover mechanical support as well as theatre.

Regulators, documents and process

DHA, MOHAP, SCFHS and QCHP examine through Prometric; DOH uses Pearson VUE. You will need the diploma or degree with transcript, a training-hours or internship record, home registration where a register exists, experience letters naming the department and duties (letter format), a good-standing certificate and, for perfusionists, a case log. DataFlow takes four to eight weeks (guide); the exam fee is around USD 240 and total costs are in the fee guide. Booking lead times are on the exam dates page. Allow three to five months.

Salaries (monthly, 2026)

Country	ECG Technician	ECG / Cardiac Technologist	Cardiac Perfusionist
UAE	AED 4,000–7,000	AED 7,000–12,000	AED 18,000–32,000
Saudi Arabia	SAR 4,000–7,000	SAR 7,000–12,000	SAR 16,000–30,000
Qatar	QAR 4,500–7,500	QAR 7,500–12,500	QAR 18,000–30,000

Perfusion is one of the best-paid allied-health roles in the region because the pool is so small; on-call and ECMO allowances add to the base. Compare offers in the salary calculator, register in the talent pool and watch the jobs board.

Preparation

Use the ECG Technician, ECG Technologist or Cardiac Perfusionist question bank. For the ECG papers, four to six weeks is enough if you interpret twenty strips a day with calipers; for perfusion, give the emergencies and calculations the first two weeks. Structure the time with the 30-day study plan.

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass mark for the ECG technician Prometric exam?

50% for the ECG Technician paper and 55% for the ECG Technologist paper. Both have 150 multiple-choice questions in three hours and share the same ten-area blueprint.

Can a nurse work as an ECG technician in the Gulf?

Nurses record ECGs under their nursing licence. A dedicated ECG technician post requires the ECG title, which needs a cardiac technology qualification or recognised training programme and the ECG paper.

Does the ECG technician licence cover echocardiography?

No. Echocardiography needs echo-specific training and is assessed separately. An ECG qualification alone does not license you to perform echo studies.

How much do cardiac perfusionists earn in the UAE?

Typically AED 18,000 to 32,000 a month plus on-call and ECMO allowances, which places perfusion among the best-paid allied-health professions in the region.