Specialist General Surgery Prometric & Licensing Exam 2026: Complete Syllabus, Passing Marks and Study Guide (DHA, MOHAP, DOH, SCFHS, Oman, Qatar DHP, NHRA, Kuwait MOH)

If you are a General Surgery-trained physician planning to practise as a Specialist General Surgeon in the Middle East, your licensing pathway will depend on the country, the recognition tier of your postgraduate qualification and the health authority you are applying to. Several regulators use a dedicated General Surgery examination, but the question count, duration, passing standard and exemption rules are not identical.

This guide covers the major Middle East health authorities and explains the eligibility requirements, exam format, syllabus, reference books and licensing pathways relevant to Specialist General Surgery candidates.

1. What is the Specialist General Surgery Exam?

The Specialist General Surgery licensing or classification examination assesses whether a physician with recognised postgraduate General Surgery training has the knowledge, clinical judgement, operative decision-making, perioperative management skills and patient-safety awareness required for specialist surgical practice. The scope is broad and includes resuscitation, fluids and electrolytes, shock, infection, gastrointestinal and hepatopancreatobiliary surgery, colorectal and perianal disease, breast and endocrine surgery, hernias, vascular problems, trauma and critical care, skin and soft-tissue disease, selected pediatric surgical principles and professional practice.

Question type: Where a computer-based General Surgery examination is required, questions are predominantly single-best-answer multiple-choice questions, usually built around clinical scenarios and surgical decision-making. The number of questions and blueprint weighting vary by authority.

Language: English. Prometric licensing examinations covered by this guide are conducted in English.

Delivery: Mainly computer-based testing through Prometric, Pearson VUE or an authority-approved testing platform. Some applicants may be exempt from the specialty examination based on the recognition category of their postgraduate qualification.

Result: Reporting varies by authority. The UAE guideline used across DHA, MOHAP and DOH publishes a fixed passing percentage; SCFHS and Oman publish their own General Surgery standards; Qatar DHP publishes a specialty qualifying-exam cut score; and Bahrain uses its general medical-practitioner licensure examination when an exam is assigned.

Attempts: Authority-specific. The UAE Unified PQR provides three examination attempts across the UAE Authorities, subject to its additional-attempt provisions. The current Qatar DHP qualifying-exam page permits five consecutive attempts for listed specialist physician exams. Pearson VUE states that OMSB currently has no maximum number of Occupational Classification examination attempts, subject to OMSB policy. Bahrain permits four initial licensure-exam attempts within three years.

2. Middle East Health Authorities and Regulatory Pathways for Specialist General Surgery

Each regulator has its own specialist-classification route, and a General Surgery licence or title issued by one authority is not automatically valid in another jurisdiction. The table below summarises the principal pathway across the authorities covered by this guide.

3. Specialist General Surgery Passing Marks and Exam Format

Specialist General Surgery examination specifications differ across Middle East regulators. Across DHA, MOHAP and DOH, the same UAE Specialist General Surgery specification applies: 150 MCQs in 3 hours with a 65% pass mark. Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar publish separate General Surgery examination standards.

*Qatar note: the current DHP qualifying-examination page lists General Surgery as 150 MCQs in 3 hours with a 65% pass mark and permits five consecutive attempts. An older DHP examination circular listed the same 150-MCQ specialty exam as 3.5 hours. Candidates should follow the duration and attempt information shown on their current DHP eligibility and Prometric booking confirmation.

4. Eligibility Criteria for Specialist General Surgery Candidates

The exact requirements differ by regulator and depend heavily on how the postgraduate General Surgery qualification is classified. A primary medical degree alone is not sufficient for the Specialist General Surgeon title; applicants need a recognised specialty qualification and must meet the experience, registration, surgical-logbook and assessment rules of the target authority.

Primary medical qualification: A recognised MBBS, MBChB, MBBCh, MD or equivalent primary medical degree from an accredited institution, with completed internship as required by the regulator.

Specialty qualification: Completion of a recognised postgraduate General Surgery specialty programme, board qualification or equivalent is required. The exact qualification must appear in, or be accepted under, the target regulator's recognised specialty-certificate framework; a membership examination or short surgical course should not be assumed to confer the Specialist title by itself.

UAE experience requirement: Under the current UAE PQR, Specialist physicians with Tier 1 or Tier 2 recognised specialty qualifications require no post-specialty experience. For Tier 3 main-specialty qualifications, UAE nationals and children of Emirati women generally require one year after the specialty qualification, while non-UAE nationals require three years.

Saudi classification: SCFHS lists General Surgery as a dedicated classification examination. The current blueprint uses Registrar and Senior Registrar passing thresholds; the final professional title depends on the recognised specialty qualification, training and SCFHS classification decision.

Qatar qualification categories: Qatar DHP uses physician specialty categories. Category 1 requires one year of post-qualification experience and no qualifying exam; Category 2 requires two years and no exam; Category 3 requires at least three years of postgraduate specialty training, three years of post-qualification experience and the DHP qualifying examination.

Professional licence and Good Standing: A valid professional registration/licence and a recent Certificate of Good Standing are commonly required. Under UAE requirements, the licence/registration should cover the relevant experience period and the Good Standing Certificate should be current at the time of application.

Primary Source Verification: The primary medical degree, specialty qualification, professional licence and claimed experience may require primary-source verification such as DataFlow or another regulator-approved provider.

Surgical logbook and training documentation: Surgical specialties require procedure documentation in addition to the specialty qualification. DHA requires a surgical logbook for licensing/registration review and describes it as a record of operations performed over at least the previous two years. Regulators may also request residency certificates, transcripts, board certificates and experience letters.

Resuscitation and clinical privilege requirements: BLS, ACLS, trauma-related credentials and procedure-specific hospital privileges may be required by the regulator, employer or facility. Passing the licensing examination does not by itself grant unrestricted privileges for every advanced operation within General Surgery.

Examination exemption is not uniform. UAE authorities apply PQR-based exemption rules, Qatar exempts Category 1 and Category 2 physician specialty qualifications from the qualifying exam, and other regulators apply their own recognition and assessment policies. Candidates should not book an examination until the regulator confirms that an exam is required for their specific qualification and title.

5. Specialist General Surgery Syllabus and Core Study Areas Across Middle East Health Authorities

The 16 study areas below follow the General Surgery domains published in the UAE examination guideline and align almost exactly with the current SCFHS and Oman General Surgery blueprints. SCFHS and Oman both publish the highest weighting for Upper GI and Colorectal/Perianal Surgery at 11% each, followed by Hepatobiliary Surgery at 8%. This unusually strong cross-authority alignment makes the framework below a reliable Middle East preparation structure while the exact exam length and passing standard still vary by regulator.

Topic 1: Fluid and Electrolytes

Assessment and correction of perioperative fluid deficits and overload; sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium disorders; acid-base interpretation; maintenance and resuscitation fluids; gastrointestinal and third-space losses; renal impairment; nutrition-related electrolyte problems; and safe replacement strategies in surgical patients.

Topic 2: Shock

Recognition and initial management of hypovolemic, hemorrhagic, septic, cardiogenic and obstructive shock; hemodynamic assessment; blood-loss estimation; transfusion and massive-transfusion principles; vasopressor use; lactate and perfusion markers; damage-control resuscitation; and identification of patients requiring urgent operative or critical-care intervention.

Topic 3: Sepsis and Surgical Infections

Surgical site infection, intra-abdominal infection, abscess, necrotizing soft-tissue infection, source control, antimicrobial selection and stewardship, sepsis and septic shock, infection prevention, drainage principles, wound infection management and recognition of severe infection requiring emergency surgery or intensive care.

Topic 4: Endocrine and Breast Surgery

Thyroid nodules and cancer, hyperthyroidism and goitre, parathyroid disease, adrenal surgical disorders, breast lumps, benign breast disease, breast cancer diagnosis and staging, sentinel-node and axillary principles, endocrine emergencies and perioperative issues relevant to endocrine and breast operations.

Topic 5: Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery

Esophageal and gastric disease including reflux, achalasia, peptic ulcer complications, upper GI bleeding, gastric outlet obstruction, perforation, esophageal and gastric malignancy, bariatric principles, operative versus non-operative decision-making, endoscopic considerations and postoperative complications.

Topic 6: Hepatobiliary Surgery

Gallstone disease, acute and chronic cholecystitis, cholangitis, obstructive jaundice, common bile duct stones, biliary injury, liver abscess and cystic disease, benign and malignant liver lesions, portal-hypertension considerations, indications for cholecystectomy and basic principles of hepatobiliary intervention and referral.

Topic 7: Patient Safety

Correct patient/procedure/site identification, WHO surgical-safety processes, medication and transfusion safety, VTE prevention, infection prevention, retained-item and wrong-site prevention, perioperative communication, handover, incident reporting, recognition of deterioration and systems-based prevention of avoidable surgical harm.

Topic 8: Perioperative Care

Preoperative risk assessment and optimisation, consent, fasting, antibiotic and VTE prophylaxis, nutrition, glycemic control, perioperative medication management, postoperative fluids and analgesia, wound and drain care, enhanced recovery principles, postoperative fever and complications, and safe discharge planning.

Topic 9: Trauma and Critical Care

Primary and secondary trauma survey, airway and hemorrhage control, thoracic and abdominal trauma, head and spinal considerations for the general surgeon, pelvic and extremity injury triage, damage-control surgery, burns, critical-care resuscitation, ventilatory and organ-support principles, and indications for urgent operative intervention.

Topic 10: Colorectal and Perianal Surgery

Appendicitis, diverticular disease, inflammatory bowel disease, colorectal cancer, large-bowel obstruction and perforation, stoma principles, lower GI bleeding, anorectal abscess and fistula, hemorrhoids, fissure, pilonidal disease, perianal sepsis, screening and surveillance, and postoperative complications.

Topic 11: Pancreas and Spleen

Acute and chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic collections and necrosis, pancreatic cystic lesions and malignancy, obstructive complications, splenic trauma, hypersplenism and splenic lesions, indications for intervention or referral, postoperative pancreatic complications and vaccination considerations after splenectomy.

Topic 12: Hernia and Abdominal Wall Surgery

Inguinal, femoral, umbilical, epigastric, incisional and recurrent hernias; incarceration and strangulation; open and laparoscopic repair principles; mesh selection and complications; groin anatomy; abdominal wall reconstruction concepts; postoperative pain; and recognition of emergencies requiring urgent repair.

Topic 13: Vascular Surgery for the General Surgeon

Peripheral arterial disease, acute limb ischemia, venous thromboembolism, chronic venous disease, diabetic-foot vascular assessment, abdominal aortic aneurysm recognition, vascular trauma, initial stabilization of hemorrhage, anticoagulation considerations and timely referral for specialist vascular intervention.

Topic 14: Pediatric Surgical Principles

Recognition and initial management of common pediatric surgical presentations relevant to general surgeons, including appendicitis, intussusception, pyloric stenosis, hernias, acute abdomen and trauma; age-specific fluid and resuscitation considerations; and appropriate thresholds for pediatric surgical referral.

Topic 15: Skin and Soft Tissue Surgery

Benign and malignant skin lesions, cysts and lipomas, abscess and cellulitis, wound assessment, debridement, pressure and diabetic wounds, necrotizing infection, soft-tissue masses, biopsy and excision principles, wound closure and reconstruction basics, and recognition of lesions requiring oncologic or plastic-surgical referral.

Topic 16: Professionalism and Ethics

Informed consent and capacity, confidentiality, communication of operative risk and alternatives, documentation, disclosure of complications and adverse events, end-of-life decisions, ethical allocation of surgical care, professional boundaries, teamwork, referral, scope of practice and medico-legal responsibilities of the surgeon.

Cross-Authority Focus: UAE, SCFHS and Oman Use the Same 16 Core General Surgery Domains

The UAE General Surgery guideline, the current SCFHS licensure blueprint and the current Oman OEGS blueprint all use the same 16 core domains. SCFHS and Oman assign 11% each to Upper GI and Colorectal/Perianal Surgery, 8% to Hepatobiliary Surgery, and 6% each to Sepsis/Surgical Infections, Endocrine/Breast, Trauma/Critical Care, Pancreas/Spleen and Hernia. This makes these domains particularly important for cross-authority preparation, while Patient Safety and Professionalism/Ethics remain explicit licensing competencies rather than optional add-ons.

6. Recommended Reference Books

The UAE Specialist General Surgery guideline, the current SCFHS General Surgery blueprint and the Oman OEGS blueprint use the same seven core references. Candidates should use the latest available editions and supplement them with current evidence-based surgical and perioperative guidelines:

Sabiston Textbook of Surgery, latest available edition. Comprehensive reference for principles of surgery, gastrointestinal, endocrine, breast, vascular, trauma and perioperative surgical care.

Schwartz's Principles of Surgery, latest available edition. Major reference for surgical pathophysiology, decision-making, operative principles, trauma, critical care and general surgical disease.

Current Surgical Therapy by John L. Cameron and colleagues, latest available edition. High-value management-oriented reference for contemporary operative and non-operative surgical decision-making.

Bailey & Love's Short Practice of Surgery, latest available edition. Broad clinical reference for common surgical presentations, examination, diagnosis, operative principles and postoperative care.

Rush University Medical Center Review of Surgery / Rush Surgical Review, latest available edition. Exam-focused review source covering major General Surgery domains.

Professionalism and Ethics, Handbook for Residents, SCFHS, latest edition. Reference for consent, professional conduct, ethical decision-making and physician responsibilities.

Essentials of Patient Safety, SCFHS, latest edition. Reference for surgical patient safety, systems-based practice and prevention of avoidable harm.

Beyond textbook study, exam-day preparation benefits from high-quality MCQ practice. The Specialist General Surgery MCQ bank on prometricguide.com is designed around the 16-domain cross-authority framework above and includes 2500 plus questions with detailed explanations covering resuscitation, perioperative care, gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary surgery, colorectal disease, trauma, breast/endocrine surgery, hernias, vascular problems, patient safety and professional practice.

7. Two Ways We Can Help You Get Licensed

Prometric Guide supports Specialist General Surgery exam preparation across the Middle East, while our sister company Alzantra International supports the UAE licensing process.

For Exam Preparation: Prometric Guide (All Middle East Authorities)

Whether you are targeting DHA, MOHAP, DOH Abu Dhabi, SCFHS Saudi Arabia, OMSB Oman, Qatar DHP, NHRA Bahrain or Kuwait MOH, our MCQ bank provides one broad preparation base across the major General Surgery licensing destinations:

2500 plus Specialist General Surgery MCQs mapped to the 16-domain cross-authority framework.

Detailed explanations with references to Sabiston, Schwartz, Current Surgical Therapy, Bailey & Love, Rush Surgical Review, patient-safety resources and current evidence-based surgical guidance.

Free introductory mock tests and topic-wise practice sets.

High-yield coverage of fluids and electrolytes, shock, surgical infection, upper GI, hepatobiliary, colorectal and perianal surgery, trauma, critical care, breast/endocrine surgery, hernias, vascular problems and perioperative management.

Access on any device, unlimited attempts.

Explore the full Specialist General Surgery exam preparation package on prometricguide.com.

For UAE Licensing Paperwork: Alzantra International (DHA, MOHAP, DOH)

For UAE licensing, Alzantra International supports General Surgery candidates targeting Dubai, the Northern Emirates and Abu Dhabi with documentation and licensing coordination.

DataFlow / primary-source verification of the medical degree, specialty qualification, professional licence and experience.

DHA Sheryan Specialist General Surgery application and assessment coordination for Dubai.

MOHAP specialist evaluation and licensing application for the Northern Emirates.

DOH Abu Dhabi Specialist General Surgery application through TAMM.

Medical degree, internship, General Surgery residency/specialty qualification, surgical logbook, experience and supporting-document preparation guidance.

Eligibility submission, tracking and follow-up.

CBT or additional assessment coordination where required.

Specialist licence activation and UAE facility-credentialing support.

Contact Alzantra International at www.alzantra.ae or [email protected] for UAE licensing support. For SCFHS/Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar DHP, NHRA Bahrain and Kuwait MOH, use the relevant regulator's official pathway.

8. Frequently Asked Questions

What is the passing score for Specialist General Surgery?

For DHA, MOHAP and DOH, Specialist General Surgery is 150 MCQs in 3 hours with a 65% pass mark. SCFHS publishes 65% for Registrar and 70% for Senior Registrar. Oman's published OEGS blueprint states a 60% pass mark. Qatar DHP publishes 65%. NHRA Bahrain publishes 60% for Bahrain licensure examinations when an examination is assigned.

What General Surgery qualifications are accepted for Specialist licensing?

Eligibility depends on whether the exact General Surgery specialty qualification is recognised by the target authority and how it is categorised. A recognised board, residency-completion or postgraduate specialty certificate is required. Membership examinations or short courses should not be assumed to confer the Specialist title unless the regulator explicitly accepts them within its recognised specialty framework.

How many questions are in the Specialist General Surgery exam?

DHA, MOHAP and DOH use the same UAE General Surgery specification: 150 MCQs in 3 hours. SCFHS uses 200 MCQs in 4 hours. Qatar DHP currently lists 150 MCQs in 3 hours. Oman publishes the OEGS blueprint and 60% pass standard but does not state a fixed question count in the current public content document. Bahrain and Kuwait should be followed according to the assessment actually assigned.

Which reference books should I use?

The UAE, SCFHS and Oman published General Surgery lists align on seven core references: Sabiston, Schwartz, Current Surgical Therapy, Bailey & Love, Rush Surgical Review, the SCFHS Professionalism and Ethics handbook and SCFHS Essentials of Patient Safety. Use the latest available editions and current clinical guidelines.

Can I complete the exam from my home country?

Often yes. SCFHS and UAE examinations are delivered through international computer-based testing networks, Qatar uses Prometric, and OMSB Occupational Classification examinations are available through Pearson VUE centres worldwide. Exact availability depends on the eligibility period and centres shown during scheduling.

How is the SCFHS General Surgery classification exam different?

SCFHS lists General Surgery as a dedicated classification exam with 200 MCQs over 4 hours. Its 16-domain blueprint gives the highest weighting to Upper GI and Colorectal/Perianal Surgery at 11% each, followed by Hepatobiliary Surgery at 8%. The passing score is 65% for Registrar and 70% for Senior Registrar.

How many attempts do I get?

Attempt rules vary by authority. UAE examinations follow the Unified PQR framework of three attempts across the UAE Authorities, subject to its additional-attempt rules. The current Qatar DHP page permits five consecutive attempts for listed specialist physician exams. Pearson VUE states that OMSB currently has no maximum number of OC exam attempts, subject to OMSB policy. Bahrain allows four initial licensure-exam attempts within three years before retraining rules apply.

Does every Middle East authority use the same Specialist General Surgery exam?

No. DHA, MOHAP and DOH use the same UAE General Surgery specification; SCFHS uses a 200-question classification exam; Oman uses the OEGS Occupational Classification examination; Qatar uses its own 150-question qualifying examination when required; Bahrain may assign the general medical-practitioner licensure exam; and Kuwait follows its own MOH assessment pathway.

Is a surgical logbook required for General Surgery licensing?

For UAE surgical-specialty applications, yes: surgical case/procedure documentation is part of the licensing requirements. DHA describes the surgical logbook as a record covering operations performed over at least the previous two years. Other regulators may also request case logs or procedure evidence, so candidates should prepare a properly authenticated logbook early.

What is the best MCQ bank for Specialist General Surgery exam preparation?

The Specialist General Surgery MCQ bank on prometricguide.com includes 2500 plus questions aligned to the 16-domain cross-authority framework, with detailed explanations covering surgical decision-making, perioperative management, emergency surgery, gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary disease, trauma, safety and professional practice.

9. Final Thoughts

Specialist General Surgery is a recognised physician specialty across the major Middle East health authorities, but the route to the title and examination requirement is not uniform. The UAE authorities use a common published examination specification, SCFHS uses a separate 200-question classification exam, Oman has the OEGS Occupational Classification examination, and Qatar applies the specialty exam according to physician qualification category.

Prepare around the full General Surgery scope: resuscitation, fluids and electrolytes, shock, infection, perioperative care, upper GI, hepatobiliary, colorectal and perianal disease, pancreas and spleen, endocrine and breast surgery, trauma and critical care, hernias, vascular problems, pediatric surgical principles, skin and soft tissue, patient safety and professionalism. The remarkable alignment of the UAE, SCFHS and Oman domain lists makes a single strong core preparation framework practical across these destinations.

Prometric Guide supports Specialist General Surgery candidates preparing across the major Middle East health authorities.