Specialist Pulmonary Disease 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 Pulmonary Disease, Pulmonology or Respiratory Medicine-trained physician planning to practise as a specialist 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 Pulmonary examination, but the question count, duration, pass 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 Pulmonary Disease candidates.

1. What is the Specialist Pulmonary Disease Exam?

The Specialist Pulmonary Disease licensing or classification examination assesses whether a physician with recognised postgraduate pulmonary or respiratory medicine training has the advanced diagnostic, physiologic, imaging, therapeutic and acute-care judgement required for specialist practice. The scope spans obstructive and interstitial lung disease, respiratory infections, occupational lung disease, thoracic malignancy, pleural disease, sleep medicine, pulmonary vascular disease, respiratory failure and critical care together with patient safety and professional practice.

Question type: Where a computer-based Pulmonary Disease examination is required, questions are predominantly single-best-answer multiple-choice questions, usually built around clinical scenarios, pulmonary-function data, imaging findings and management decisions. The exact blueprint varies 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 another authority-approved platform. Some applicants may be exempt from the specialty examination depending on the recognition category of their postgraduate qualification.

Result: Reporting varies by authority. DHA, MOHAP and DOH use the UAE Pulmonary Disease specification; SCFHS publishes Registrar and Senior Registrar thresholds; Qatar DHP publishes a percentage pass standard; and Bahrain uses its general medical-practitioner licensure examination when an exam is assigned.

Attempts: Authority-specific. The UAE Unified PQR grants three examination attempts across the UAE Authorities, with limited additional-attempt provisions. Qatar's live qualifying-examination page currently states five consecutive attempts for listed physician specialty exams, while its physician guidelines also contain a three-attempt statement; candidates should follow the eligibility instructions issued for their application. Bahrain permits four initial licensure-exam attempts within three years.

2. Middle East Health Authorities and Regulatory Pathways for Specialist Pulmonary Disease

Each regulator has its own specialist-classification route, and a Pulmonary Disease 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 Pulmonary Disease Passing Marks and Exam Format

Specialist Pulmonary Disease examination specifications differ across Middle East regulators. Across DHA, MOHAP and DOH, the same UAE specification applies: 150 MCQs in 3 hours with a 60% pass mark. SCFHS and Qatar publish separate Pulmonology/Pulmonary examination standards.

*Qatar note: the current DHP qualifying-examination webpage lists Pulmonary as 150 MCQs in 3 hours with a 65% pass mark, while Circular 10/2023 and its attached Pulmonary blueprint list the same 150-MCQ examination as 3.5 hours. The current live page also states five consecutive attempts for physician specialty exams, whereas the physician guidelines contain a three-attempt statement. Candidates should follow the duration and attempt limit shown in their current DHP eligibility and booking instructions.

4. Eligibility Criteria for Specialist Pulmonary Disease Candidates

The exact requirements differ by regulator and depend on how the postgraduate Pulmonary Disease / Pulmonology / Respiratory Medicine qualification is classified. A primary medical degree alone is not sufficient for the Specialist title; applicants need recognised postgraduate specialty training and must meet the experience, registration 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 internship where required by the regulator.

Specialty qualification: A recognised postgraduate qualification or structured specialty training in Pulmonary Disease, Pulmonology, Respiratory Medicine, Chest Medicine or an authority-recognised equivalent is required. In some systems the qualification follows Internal Medicine training; recognition depends on the target regulator's specialty tables.

UAE experience requirement: The current UAE PQR links the Specialist title and experience requirement to the recognition tier of the specialty certificate and whether it is a main-specialty or sub-specialty credential. Candidates should have the exact pulmonary qualification mapped to the PQR rather than assuming one universal post-qualification experience period.

Saudi classification: SCFHS explicitly lists Pulmonology as a classification examination. The final professional title depends on the recognised specialty qualification, documented training and SCFHS classification decision.

Qatar qualification categories: Qatar DHP uses physician specialty categories. Category 1 and Category 2 qualifications can be exempt from the qualifying examination subject to the experience rules attached to the category, while Category 3 requires the prescribed structured specialty training, post-qualification experience and the Pulmonary qualifying examination.

Professional licence and Good Standing: A valid professional registration/licence and a recent Certificate of Good Standing are commonly required. The documents must support the specialist pulmonary title and the claimed period of practice.

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

Training documentation: Regulators may request Internal Medicine and pulmonary specialty training records, board/fellowship certificates, rotations, transcripts, experience letters and other evidence showing that the applicant's training matches the requested specialist scope.

Procedural and facility privileges: Specialist licensure does not automatically grant every advanced respiratory procedure. Bronchoscopy, EBUS, pleural procedures, sleep-laboratory interpretation, advanced ventilatory management and other procedure-specific privileges may require separate documented training and facility credentialing.

Examination exemption is not uniform. UAE authorities apply PQR-based exemption rules, Qatar applies examination requirements according to the physician qualification category, and other regulators use their own recognition policies. Candidates should not book an examination until the regulator confirms that an exam is required for their specific qualification and title.

5. Specialist Pulmonary Disease Syllabus and Core Study Areas Across Middle East Health Authorities

The 12 study areas below come directly from the UAE Specialist Pulmonary Disease examination coverage and align almost exactly with the current SCFHS Pulmonology and Qatar Pulmonary blueprints. SCFHS assigns the highest weight to Obstructive Lung Disease at 20%, followed by Interstitial and Inflammatory Lung Disease at 12%, while Infections, Sleep Medicine and Vascular Disorders each carry 10%. Qatar uses the same 12-domain structure with 150 questions distributed in similar proportions. This makes the framework highly transferable across the major Gulf examinations.

Topic 1: Obstructive Lung Disease

Asthma, COPD, bronchiectasis and other obstructive disorders; diagnosis and severity assessment, spirometry, bronchodilator response, phenotype-based management, inhaler therapy, exacerbation treatment, oxygen use, biologics where indicated, pulmonary rehabilitation, smoking cessation and prevention of acute and long-term complications.

Topic 2: Interstitial and Inflammatory Lung Disease

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and other fibrotic ILDs, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, sarcoidosis, connective-tissue-disease associated ILD, eosinophilic lung disease, organizing pneumonia and other inflammatory patterns; HRCT interpretation, pulmonary-function trends, serology, bronchoscopy/biopsy selection, antifibrotic or immunomodulatory therapy and referral for advanced disease.

Topic 3: Occupational and Environmental Lung Diseases

Pneumoconioses, occupational asthma, asbestos-related disease, hypersensitivity from workplace or environmental exposure, inhalational injury and exposure-associated malignancy; exposure history, surveillance, imaging/PFT patterns, prevention, work modification and reporting responsibilities.

Topic 4: Respiratory Infections

Community- and hospital-acquired pneumonia, aspiration, tuberculosis and nontuberculous mycobacterial disease, fungal and opportunistic infections, lung abscess and infections in immunocompromised patients; microbiologic testing, isolation precautions, antimicrobial selection and stewardship, treatment duration and complication management.

Topic 5: Pulmonary Neoplasms

Lung cancer risk assessment, screening principles, pulmonary nodules, primary lung cancers, carcinoid and metastatic disease; radiologic evaluation, PET/CT concepts, bronchoscopy/EBUS and tissue diagnosis, TNM staging principles, molecular biomarker testing, multidisciplinary treatment selection, malignant airway obstruction and supportive care.

Topic 6: Pleural Diseases

Pleural effusion, parapneumonic effusion and empyema, pneumothorax, hemothorax, pleural malignancy and chylothorax; Light criteria, pleural-fluid interpretation, imaging, thoracentesis, chest-tube indications, pleurodesis/indwelling catheter concepts and recognition of procedural complications.

Topic 7: Sleep Medicine

Obstructive and central sleep apnea, obesity hypoventilation, sleep-related hypoxemia and other respiratory sleep disorders; sleep-study interpretation, screening, PAP selection and troubleshooting, weight management, cardiovascular risk, driving/safety counselling and indications for referral or advanced sleep evaluation.

Topic 8: Congenital, Neuromuscular and Skeletal Respiratory Disorders

Congenital and structural thoracic disorders, kyphoscoliosis, diaphragmatic weakness, motor-neuron and neuromuscular disease affecting ventilation; respiratory-muscle assessment, lung volumes, nocturnal hypoventilation, cough-assist strategies, non-invasive ventilation and prevention of respiratory decompensation.

Topic 9: Pulmonary Vascular Disorders

Acute and chronic pulmonary embolism, chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary arterial hypertension and pulmonary vascular disease secondary to cardiac, lung or systemic disease; clinical probability, D-dimer/CTPA/VQ use, anticoagulation, risk stratification, thrombolysis/embolectomy concepts and pulmonary-hypertension diagnostic and treatment pathways.

Topic 10: Critical Care and Respiratory Failure

Acute hypoxemic and hypercapnic respiratory failure, ARDS, severe asthma/COPD exacerbation, oxygen-delivery devices, non-invasive ventilation, invasive mechanical ventilation principles, lung-protective ventilation, ventilator waveforms/basic troubleshooting, weaning, shock/sepsis interaction and recognition of patients requiring ICU escalation.

Topic 11: Patient Safety

Medication and oxygen safety, inhaler/device errors, anticoagulation safety, contrast and procedural risk assessment, infection prevention, tuberculosis isolation, venous-thromboembolism prevention, bronchoscopy/thoracentesis safety, handover, adverse-event reporting, escalation of deterioration and prevention of avoidable respiratory harm.

Topic 12: Professionalism and Ethics

Informed consent for pulmonary procedures, confidentiality, shared decision-making, smoking and end-of-life counselling, goals of care in advanced lung disease, transplant/referral discussions, professional boundaries, documentation, disclosure of complications, appropriate consultation and ethical allocation of respiratory-care resources.

Cross-Authority Focus: UAE, SCFHS and Qatar Use the Same Core Pulmonary Domains

The UAE guideline, SCFHS Pulmonology blueprint and Qatar Pulmonary blueprint all use the same 12 core domains. SCFHS weights Obstructive Lung Disease at 20%, Interstitial/Inflammatory Disease at 12%, Infections, Sleep Medicine and Vascular Disorders at 10% each, Neoplasms at 8%, and the remaining clinical, safety and ethics domains at 5% each. Qatar distributes its 150 questions in nearly the same proportions, including 31 obstructive-lung-disease questions and 19 interstitial/inflammatory-lung-disease questions. Final revision should therefore focus more on authority-specific format and weighting than on learning a completely different syllabus.

6. Recommended Reference Books

The UAE Specialist Pulmonary Disease guideline lists eight core references, and the current SCFHS Pulmonology blueprint adds West's Respiratory Physiology and Essentials of Patient Safety. Candidates should use the latest available editions and supplement the books with current GOLD, GINA, ATS/ERS, CHEST and other evidence-based clinical guidelines where relevant:

Murray & Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine, latest edition. Comprehensive reference for pulmonary physiology, diagnosis and management across the specialty.

Fishman's Pulmonary Diseases and Disorders, latest edition. Broad reference for clinical pulmonary medicine and disease mechanisms.

West's Pulmonary Pathophysiology: The Essentials, latest edition. High-value foundation for mechanisms of gas exchange, ventilation-perfusion mismatch and respiratory disease physiology.

West's Respiratory Physiology: The Essentials, latest edition. SCFHS-listed reference for core respiratory physiology and physiologic interpretation.

Felson's Principles of Chest Roentgenology, latest edition. Core chest-imaging pattern-recognition reference.

High-Resolution CT of the Lung by W. Richard Webb and colleagues, latest edition. Key reference for HRCT patterns in interstitial, airway and diffuse lung disease.

Interpretation of Pulmonary Function Tests by Robert E. Hyatt and colleagues, latest edition. Practical reference for spirometry, lung volumes, diffusion capacity and physiologic interpretation.

CHEST/ACCP Pulmonary Medicine Board Review, current edition or current board-review material. Exam-focused review across the major pulmonary domains.

Essentials of Patient Safety, SCFHS, latest edition. Reference for patient-safety principles relevant to respiratory and procedural care.

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

Beyond textbook study, exam-day preparation benefits from high-quality MCQ practice. The Specialist Pulmonary Disease MCQ bank on prometricguide.com is designed around the 12-domain cross-authority framework above and includes 2500 plus questions with detailed explanations covering obstructive and interstitial disease, infection, imaging, sleep medicine, pulmonary vascular disease, critical care, patient safety and professional practice.

7. Two Ways We Can Help You Get Licensed

Prometric Guide supports Specialist Pulmonary Disease 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, Oman, Qatar DHP, NHRA Bahrain or Kuwait MOH, our Specialist Pulmonary Disease MCQ bank provides one broad preparation base covering the core respiratory-medicine knowledge shared across these licensing destinations:

2500 plus Specialist Pulmonary Disease MCQs mapped to the 12-domain cross-authority framework.

Detailed explanations with references to Murray & Nadel, Fishman, West, Felson, Webb, pulmonary-function references, CHEST/ACCP review material and current evidence-based guidelines.

Free introductory mock tests and topic-wise practice sets.

High-yield coverage of obstructive and interstitial lung disease, infections, thoracic neoplasms, pleural disease, sleep medicine, pulmonary vascular disease, PFTs, imaging, respiratory failure, patient safety and professionalism.

Access on any device, unlimited attempts.

Explore the full Specialist Pulmonary Disease exam preparation package on prometricguide.com.

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

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

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

DHA Sheryan Specialist Pulmonary Disease application and assessment coordination for Dubai.

MOHAP specialist evaluation and licensing application for the Northern Emirates.

DOH Abu Dhabi Specialist Pulmonary Disease application through TAMM.

Medical degree, Internal Medicine/pulmonary specialty training, 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 Pulmonary Disease?

For DHA, MOHAP and DOH, Specialist Pulmonary Disease is 150 MCQs in 3 hours with a 60% pass mark. SCFHS publishes 65% for Registrar and 70% for Senior Registrar. Qatar DHP publishes 65% for the Pulmonary qualifying examination. NHRA Bahrain publishes 60% for Bahrain licensure examinations when an examination is assigned.

Which postgraduate qualifications can lead to the Specialist Pulmonary Disease title?

A recognised primary medical degree plus accepted specialty training or board certification in Pulmonary Disease, Pulmonology, Respiratory Medicine, Chest Medicine or an authority-recognised equivalent is the basic pathway. Recognition depends on the regulator's specialty tables and whether the credential is treated as a main specialty or subspecialty.

How many questions are in the Specialist Pulmonary Disease exam?

DHA, MOHAP and DOH use the same UAE specification: 150 MCQs in 3 hours. SCFHS uses 200 MCQs in 4 hours. Qatar DHP lists 150 MCQs; its current live page says 3 hours, while its published Pulmonary blueprint says 3.5 hours. Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait should be followed according to the assessment actually assigned.

Which reference books should I use?

The UAE guideline lists Murray & Nadel, Fishman, West Pulmonary Pathophysiology, Felson, Webb HRCT, Hyatt PFT interpretation, ACCP Pulmonary Medicine Board Review and the SCFHS Professionalism and Ethics handbook. SCFHS additionally lists West Respiratory Physiology and Essentials of Patient Safety. Use the latest editions and current society guidelines.

Can I complete the exam from my home country?

Often yes when the assigned assessment is delivered through an international test network such as Prometric or Pearson VUE. Availability depends on the authority, eligibility period, examination provider and test centres shown during scheduling.

How is the SCFHS Pulmonology classification exam different?

SCFHS lists Pulmonology as a dedicated classification exam with 200 MCQs over 4 hours. Obstructive Lung Disease carries 20%, Interstitial and Inflammatory Lung Disease 12%, Infections, Sleep Medicine and Vascular Disorders 10% each, Neoplasms 8%, and the remaining domains 5% each. 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, with limited provisions for additional attempts. Qatar's current live qualifying-examination page states five consecutive attempts for listed physician specialty exams, while its physician guidelines also contain a three-attempt statement; follow the current DHP eligibility instructions issued to you. Bahrain allows four initial licensure-exam attempts within three years before retraining rules apply.

Does every Middle East authority use the same Specialist Pulmonary Disease exam?

No. DHA, MOHAP and DOH use the same UAE specification; SCFHS uses a 200-question Pulmonology classification exam; Qatar uses its own 150-question Pulmonary exam when required; Bahrain may assign the general medical-practitioner licensure exam; and no current standalone Pulmonary Occupational Classification exam was verified on Oman's public OMSB list.

Is Specialist Pulmonary Disease the same as Critical Care Medicine?

No. Pulmonary Disease/Pulmonology focuses on respiratory disorders, pulmonary physiology, sleep, pleural disease and pulmonary vascular disease, although respiratory failure and critical-care principles are part of the exam. Critical Care Medicine is a separate specialist title with a broader ICU scope across multiple organ systems and has its own licensing examination.

What is the best MCQ bank for Specialist Pulmonary Disease exam preparation?

The Specialist Pulmonary Disease MCQ bank on prometricguide.com includes 2500 plus questions aligned to the 12-domain cross-authority framework, with detailed explanations covering respiratory diagnosis, imaging, physiology, treatment, acute care, patient safety and professional practice.

9. Final Thoughts

Specialist Pulmonary Disease is a recognised physician specialty across the major Middle East health authorities, but the licensing examination is not uniform. The UAE authorities use a common 150-question specification, SCFHS uses a separate 200-question Pulmonology classification exam, Qatar uses its own Pulmonary qualifying examination when required, and other regulators may use broader physician-licensure or authority-specific assessment pathways.

Prepare around the complete pulmonary scope: obstructive and interstitial lung disease, occupational/environmental disease, respiratory infection, thoracic neoplasms, pleural disease, sleep medicine, congenital/neuromuscular respiratory disorders, pulmonary vascular disease, critical care, patient safety and professionalism. Give particular depth to obstructive disease, ILD, infections, sleep medicine and vascular disorders because these carry the highest published weighting in the Saudi and Qatar blueprints.

Prometric Guide supports Specialist Pulmonary Disease candidates preparing across the major Middle East health authorities.