Prometric Exam for Neurologists: Specialist Neurology Licence for DHA, MOHAP, DOH, SCFHS & QCHP — the 12-Area Blueprint, 65% Pass Mark, Localisation Questions, DM and FCPS Recognition and Salaries (2026)

Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in every Gulf state, thrombectomy services are being built out, multiple sclerosis prevalence in the region has risen sharply over two decades, and epilepsy services are still thin outside the capitals. Neurologists are scarce. For holders of a DM, DNB or DrNB in neurology, FCPS neurology, Arab Board or equivalent, the Specialist Neurology paper is the gate — and at 65% it is one of the stiffer ones.

The exam

• Specialist Neurology (NRO5011): 150 single-best-answer questions, 3 hours, pass mark 65% — 98 correct answers
• References: Bradley's Neurology in Clinical Practice, the AAN's Continuum series, Brazis's Localization in Clinical Neurology, and MedLink

The reference list is a study plan in itself. Continuum is review-and-question material, which tells you the style; and a whole textbook on localisation is there because localisation is what the paper tests hardest.

Neurology is a subspecialty: check your title

Regulators license neurology on a dedicated neurology qualification built on internal medicine. The clean cases are DM or DNB/DrNB neurology after MD medicine, FCPS neurology, Arab Board neurology, and UK or North American training with certification. MD medicine with neurology experience is licensed as Specialist Internal Medicine (INT5921); MRCP alone is a medicine qualification; short fellowships and diplomas in stroke or epilepsy do not make a neurologist for licensing. Neurosurgeons sit a separate paper (NEU5311). See the recognition guide and run the eligibility check first.

The twelve blueprint areas

1. Cerebrovascular disorders — thrombolysis eligibility and time windows, thrombectomy selection, stroke syndromes by arterial territory, secondary prevention by mechanism (anticoagulation in atrial fibrillation, carotid intervention thresholds), intracerebral and subarachnoid haemorrhage, cerebral venous thrombosis, stroke in the young
2. Epilepsy and paroxysmal disorders — seizure and syndrome classification, drug choice by seizure type, drugs that worsen particular epilepsies, women of childbearing age and valproate, status epilepticus ladder, when to consider surgery, seizure mimics
3. Cognitive disorders — Alzheimer's, vascular, Lewy body and frontotemporal dementia by their defining features, rapidly progressive dementia, reversible causes, normal pressure hydrocephalus
4. Movement disorders — Parkinson's disease treatment and motor complications, atypical parkinsonism red flags, essential tremor, dystonia, chorea, drug-induced movement disorders, Wilson's disease in any young patient with a movement disorder
5. Neuro-immunological disorders — multiple sclerosis diagnosis and disease-modifying therapy tiers, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder and MOG antibody disease, autoimmune encephalitis, Guillain–Barré and CIDP, myasthenia gravis and crisis
6. Neuro-infectious disorders — bacterial, viral, tuberculous and fungal meningitis by CSF profile, herpes simplex encephalitis, brain abscess, neurocysticercosis, HIV-related disease, prion disease
7. Neuromuscular disorders — neuropathy patterns and work-up, motor neurone disease, muscular dystrophies, inflammatory myopathies, the neuromuscular junction, periodic paralysis
8. Headache disorders — migraine acute and preventive therapy, cluster headache, trigeminal neuralgia, medication-overuse headache, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, the red flags that demand imaging, giant cell arteritis
9. Neurology of systemic disease — diabetes, renal and hepatic failure, vitamin deficiencies (B12, thiamine), thyroid disease, connective tissue disease, paraneoplastic syndromes, pregnancy
10. Clinical neurophysiology — EEG patterns (3 Hz spike-and-wave, hypsarrhythmia, periodic discharges, triphasic waves), nerve conduction in demyelinating vs axonal neuropathy, EMG in myopathy vs neurogenic disease, repetitive stimulation, evoked potentials
11. Patient safety
12. Professionalism and ethics — capacity, driving and epilepsy, brain-death determination, end-of-life decisions

What repeats

• "Where is the lesion?" Brainstem crossed syndromes (Wallenberg, Weber, Millard–Gubler), spinal cord syndromes (Brown-Séquard, anterior cord, central cord, subacute combined degeneration), plexus vs root vs nerve, the visual pathway. If one skill decides this exam, it is this.
• Acute stroke decisions. Windows, contraindications, blood pressure targets, what to do with a wake-up stroke.
• Antiseizure drug choice and adverse effects. Including HLA-B*1502 and carbamazepine, enzyme induction and contraception, teratogenicity.
• CSF interpretation. Pattern to diagnosis, including albuminocytological dissociation and oligoclonal bands.
• Neurophysiology described in words. Recognise the EEG or NCS pattern from a sentence.
• Emergencies. Status epilepticus, myasthenic crisis, Guillain–Barré with falling vital capacity, raised intracranial pressure, cord compression, giant cell arteritis.
• MS vs NMOSD. Distinguishing features and why the treatments differ.
• Genetics at headline level. Trinucleotide repeat disorders, mitochondrial syndromes, the common muscular dystrophies.

Process

1. Portal registration and title selection.
2. DataFlow verification of the primary degree, the medicine qualification, the neurology qualification, registration and experience (guide). Budget for three qualifications (fees).
3. Eligibility, booking (lead times), exam — Prometric for most authorities, Pearson VUE for DOH.
4. Offer, credentialing, activation. Privileges for EEG and EMG reporting, botulinum toxin and neurointervention are granted separately on documented training.

Salaries

Specialist neurologists in the UAE typically earn AED 38,000–60,000 a month and Consultants AED 60,000–100,000; stroke, epilepsy and neurophysiology subspecialists sit at the upper end, and interventional neurologists above it. Saudi packages run SAR 32,000–55,000 for Specialists with housing; Qatar is comparable. Arabic is an advantage in a specialty that depends on history-taking, but English-medium posts are widely available. Compare in the salary calculator and register in the talent pool.

Ten-week plan

1. Weeks 1–2: neuroanatomy and localisation — before anything else.
2. Week 3: stroke.
3. Week 4: epilepsy and EEG.
4. Week 5: neuroimmunology and infections.
5. Week 6: neuromuscular disease, NCS and EMG.
6. Week 7: movement and cognitive disorders.
7. Week 8: headache, systemic disease, genetics.
8. Week 9: ethics, patient safety, weak areas.
9. Week 10: timed mocks from the Specialist Neurology question bank.

How Specialist and Consultant titles are awarded is covered in the specialist overview; Tier 1 exemptions are in the exemptions guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass mark for the Prometric neurology exam?

65%. The Specialist Neurology paper has 150 single-best-answer questions in three hours, so 98 correct answers are needed.

Can an MD medicine doctor working in neurology get a neurologist licence?

No. Neurology is licensed on a dedicated qualification such as DM, DNB or FCPS neurology. An MD in medicine with neurology experience is licensed as Specialist Internal Medicine.

What is the most tested skill in the neurology Prometric exam?

Lesion localisation. A localisation textbook is on the official reference list, and brainstem, spinal cord and peripheral localisation questions appear throughout the paper.

Do neurologists need separate approval to report EEGs and EMGs?

Hospitals grant neurophysiology reporting, botulinum toxin injection and neurointervention as separate privileges, on evidence of training and recent case volume.