If you want to practise in Dubai, the DHA Prometric exam is the checkpoint you have to clear. Doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists and allied health professionals all pass through the same system, and the sequence is fixed: Sheryan account, self-assessment, DataFlow verification, CBT assessment, registration, then licence activation by your employer.
The exam itself is rarely what defeats candidates. What defeats them is the order. People start DataFlow before checking their eligible title, apply under a category their qualification does not support, or use two different reference numbers and end up with results sitting in accounts that never link.
This guide covers the DHA licensing exam end to end, from eligibility through to what happens after you pass. Alzantra (https://alzantra.ae/) supports candidates through every stage of the DHA process, from the first self-assessment to exam-ready preparation.
What Is the DHA Prometric Exam?
The DHA Prometric exam is the computer-based assessment, formally the CBT assessment, that the Dubai Health Authority requires from most internationally qualified healthcare professionals before granting professional registration in Dubai.
The important distinction: the DHA owns the exam, Prometric only delivers it. Prometric supplies the test centres, the software and the invigilation. The content, the eligibility rules, the pass mark and the registration decision all belong to the DHA. Prometric cannot tell you whether you are eligible or change your professional category.
What the paper looks like:
• Computer-based multiple choice, single best answer
• 150 questions for most professional categories
• Approximately 170 minutes of testing time, close to 68 seconds per question
• Scenario-based clinical vignettes rather than pure recall
• Pass marks vary by professional category, commonly around 60 percent
• No negative marking, so a blank scores the same as a wrong answer
• Results reported as Pass or Fail with no numerical score
Results are typically uploaded to Sheryan within about two working days, appearing under Verifications and CBT Assessments.
Because there is no negative marking and no score to optimise, your objective is to clear the line reliably. Answer every question. For the wider regional picture, see our complete Prometric exam guide.
Who Needs a DHA Assessment?
Most internationally qualified healthcare professionals applying for a first Dubai registration need the assessment. That includes physicians and general practitioners, specialists and consultants, dentists and dental specialists, registered and assistant nurses, midwives, pharmacists and technicians, physiotherapists, laboratory technologists, radiographers, dialysis and cardiac technologists, respiratory therapists, dietitians and dozens of other allied health titles.
Not everyone does. Exemptions and alternative pathways exist for certain profiles:
• Senior consultants holding recognised Western board certifications may be assessed on file
• Some candidates transferring an active GCC licence with sufficient recent practice may follow an alternative route
• Certain specialist titles are assessed through an oral assessment rather than a CBT
• Some categories are eligible to register directly without a CBT
Exemption is never automatic. It is a decision the DHA makes based on your verified credentials, and the self-assessment tool is what tells you which route applies to you.
Nurses and doctors are the two largest applicant groups and each has its own requirements and question blueprint. See our dedicated guides on the DHA exam for nurses and the DHA exam for doctors.
DHA Eligibility Requirements
The DHA publishes a Professional Qualification Requirements document, the PQR, that sets out exactly what qualification and experience each title demands. It is the reference you should read before anything else.
Three checks decide eligibility:
Your qualification. It must be from a recognised institution and map to the title you are applying for. Physicians need a recognised MBBS, MD or equivalent plus internship. Specialists need a recognised postgraduate qualification in the declared specialty. Dentists need a BDS, DDS or DMD plus internship. Registered nurses generally need a bachelor's degree, with diploma holders often directed to the assistant nurse category. Allied health professionals need a qualification matching the specific technical title.
Your experience. Around two years of recent, post-internship clinical experience is the common baseline, with three years typical for several specialist and allied health titles. Internship time is usually excluded from that count, and an unexplained gap in practice can trigger additional requirements.
Your documents. You will need a valid passport, photograph, degree certificates and transcripts, internship certificate, experience letters on official letterhead, your home country licence and a Good Standing Certificate usually issued within the last six months.
The single most expensive mistake in the whole process is applying under a title your qualification does not support. Alzantra pre-checks document sets and title selection against the DHA PQR before submission. Full detail on requirements sits in our eligibility and registration guide.
DHA Self-Assessment
The self-assessment tool inside Sheryan is your starting point, and it does two jobs: it tells you which professional title you qualify for, and whether you can register directly or must sit the CBT.
The sequence:
1. Create your Sheryan account, entering your first and last name exactly as they appear in your passport
2. Verify your account through the email and mobile prompts
3. Open the healthcare professional services and complete the self-assessment, entering your qualification, experience and registration details accurately
4. Read the outcome: the portal indicates whether you are eligible to register directly or must pass a CBT assessment first
5. Copy your DHA Unique ID and store it safely
If the tool returns a result you believe is wrong, you can request a manual review by submitting an application with supporting documents for DHA assessors to evaluate.
Your DHA Unique ID is the thread that holds the whole process together. It must be used for both the DataFlow and Prometric portals so that your verification and exam results link back to one account. Candidates who register on Prometric with a different reference end up with results that never appear in Sheryan, and untangling that costs weeks.
Accuracy at this stage decides the rest of the timeline.
DataFlow Verification
DataFlow carries out Primary Source Verification on behalf of the DHA. It contacts your university, your previous employers and your home regulator directly to confirm your documents are genuine.
You register on the DataFlow portal using the same DHA Unique ID, complete the personal, education, licence and experience sections, upload a Letter of Authorisation along with your documents, and pay the verification fee.
Expect 30 to 40 working days as a typical timeline, and beyond 50 if there is any discrepancy in your documentation. This is the longest single block in the DHA journey and the one you have least control over once it starts, because the pace depends on how quickly your institutions respond.
What causes delays:
• Name variations across passport, degree and licence documents
• Experience letters without letterhead, dates or verifiable contact details
• Institutions that do not respond, which requires escalation
• Documents uploaded at poor quality or in the wrong format
• Incorrect or inconsistent reference numbers
Nearly all of that is preventable before submission, which is exactly why file preparation matters more than speed here. Alzantra reviews complete document sets against the DHA and DataFlow checklists so avoidable discrepancies do not cost you a month.
DHA CBT Assessment
Once DataFlow clears, the DHA generates your eligibility for the CBT, and this appears in Sheryan under Verifications and CBT Assessments. That eligibility, together with your DHA Unique ID, is what unlocks the Prometric booking.
Key points about the assessment itself:
Attempts are limited. The current DHA manual allows three attempts at the required assessment across the UAE health authorities. After three failed attempts, a further set requires either an additional recognised qualification or roughly two more years of licensed clinical experience. Waiting periods apply between attempts.
Fees are non-refundable. Rescheduling is possible but attracts a fee, and a no-show returns nothing. Confirm the current terms on the Prometric portal before you pay.
Questions are scenario-based. The DHA paper leans on clinical vignettes with patient data, asking for the single best next step rather than a definition. That is a specific skill and it needs practice in the format.
Alzantra builds DHA-calibrated question banks and mock tests that match this scenario-based structure across medical, dental, nursing and allied health titles.
How to Book the DHA Exam
DHA exam booking is short once your CBT eligibility is live. At a high level, it comes down to four things:
• Confirming your eligibility is active in Sheryan
• Selecting DHA on Prometric and entering your DHA Unique ID
• Choosing the category and title matching your DHA registration exactly
• Picking a test centre, date and slot, then paying and saving the appointment letter
Bring that appointment letter to the centre on exam day along with your original photo ID.
Book four to six weeks ahead. Slots at popular centres in India, Pakistan, the Philippines and the UAE fill quickly, and reschedule terms tighten close to the date. Where booking goes wrong is category mis-selection, name mismatches against your passport, and using the wrong reference number.
Alzantra can walk you through DHA exam booking end to end so none of those cost you a fee or an attempt. Step-by-step screens are covered in our Prometric booking guide.
DHA Exam Preparation
DHA exam preparation is narrower than most candidates assume. You are not tested on everything from your degree. You are tested against a published blueprint for one specific professional title.
• Start from the blueprint. Weight study time to the domain percentages rather than to your preferences.
• Work question-first. Begin each domain with practice questions, find what you cannot answer, then read to fill that specific gap.
• Practise scenario questions specifically. The DHA paper is vignette-driven, so recall-style flashcards will not prepare you for it.
• Train your pacing. At roughly 68 seconds per question, pacing is a skill. If a question is not yielding in 90 seconds, answer, flag and move on.
• Never leave a blank. With no negative marking, an unanswered question is a discarded mark.
• Track errors by domain. After two or three mocks your weak areas become obvious and the revision plan writes itself.
• Allow eight to twelve weeks if you are preparing alongside clinical shifts.
Material quality decides outcomes here. Generic banks with wrong keys teach the wrong reasoning. Alzantra builds and quality-controls specialty-specific question banks and timed mock tests to DHA standards, so what you practise matches the paper you will sit. Our full Prometric exam preparation guide sets out the study plan in detail.
What Happens After Passing?
Passing the CBT is not the same as holding a DHA licence, and this is the most common misunderstanding in the process.
Step one: results appear in Sheryan. Typically within about two working days, shown as Pass or Fail.
Step two: registration. The DHA reviews your Get Registered application in light of your CBT result and your PSV report, then approves, returns it for more information, or rejects it. Approval produces your Active Registration, an eligibility letter valid for twelve months. This is still not a licence and you cannot begin working.
Step three: employment. You secure a role with a DHA-licensed facility holding the relevant service or specialty on its licence.
Step four: activation. Your employer selects your active registration and submits an activation request. You give consent in Sheryan. Activation typically requires an active facility licence, your active professional registration, your consent, valid malpractice insurance, a valid labour card for non-UAE nationals, and payment of any outstanding fines.
Step five: licence issued. The electronic licence is generated, and clinical practice may begin only after that point.
Plan for four to six months from first application to active licence. Alzantra supports candidates through registration and activation, not just the exam. If you are weighing Dubai against other emirates, our UAE licensing roadmap compares the routes.Common Questions
Is the DHA exam the same as the MOH or DOH exam?
No. Each authority owns its own exam and pass mark, and results are not transferable. DHA and MOHAP use Prometric; DOH Abu Dhabi uses Pearson VUE.
Do I need to be in Dubai to sit the DHA exam?
No. Prometric operates centres worldwide, so you can sit the DHA exam from your home country before relocating.
How many attempts do I get?
Three across the UAE health authorities. A fourth set requires an additional recognised qualification or roughly two more years of licensed clinical experience.
How long does the whole DHA process take?
Four to six months is realistic, with DataFlow the longest block at 30 to 40 working days or more.
Do I need a job offer before the exam?
No. You sit the exam and complete registration first. Employment is required later, at activation.
What is the DHA passing score?
It varies by professional category and is commonly around 60 percent. Results are reported as Pass or Fail rather than a number.
Can I use one DataFlow report for another authority?
PSV reports can often be reused when transferring, subject to that authority accepting the report and any additional verification it requires.
Next Steps
The DHA Prometric exam rewards precision at the start and preparation at the end. Run the self-assessment before you spend anything, confirm your title against the PQR, keep one DHA Unique ID across every portal, submit a document set that will survive verification, and prepare against the blueprint in the format you will actually face.
Alzantra supports healthcare professionals across the entire DHA pathway, from self-assessment and DataFlow preparation through to DHA-calibrated question banks and mock tests for your specialty. To have your profile reviewed before you commit fees, contact our team.