DHA Exam 2026: Fees, Pass Marks, Eligibility and Steps for Indian Candidates

What Is DHA Exam and Who Needs It?

The DHA exam is a computer-based licensing test for healthcare professionals who want to practise in Dubai. It is not a university admission test. According to the DHA CBT assessment guideline, Prometric runs it as multiple-choice questions through test centres in more than 160 countries, and DHA posts only a Pass or Fail result.

The Sheryan Get Registered page lists who can apply: physicians, dentists, allied healthcare staff, nurses and midwives, and traditional and complementary medicine practitioners. Some specialist and consultant titles are assessed through an oral assessment instead of a computer test.

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Counselor insight: Candidates often treat the DHA exam as a single test day. It is one step in a chain: Sheryan registration, document verification, the exam, then activation by an employer. Plan in months, not weeks.

DHA Exam Eligibility: Do Indian Candidates Need Experience?

Eligibility depends on your title. The DHA Unified PQR (April 2025) sets these baselines:

• Registered Nurse: bachelor's degree in nursing, no experience required.
• Assistant Nurse: nursing diploma of at least 18 months, no experience required.
• Pharmacist: BSc Pharmacy or Doctor of Pharmacy, plus two years of post-qualification experience.
• Physiotherapist: two years of post-qualification experience.
• General Practitioner: MBBS or equivalent, internship and two years of clinical experience.

Nurses and midwives also need a valid home-country licence or registration and a valid Basic Life Support certificate. The 'no experience' rows apply only if you meet the gap-of-practice rules: a break of more than three years triggers CME/CPD credits and clinical training, and non-UAE nationals with a gap above five years cannot apply.

A nurse who has passed NCLEX is exempt from the licensure exam, but the PQR says an exemption covers only the exam, not credentialing, experience or verification.

Counselor insight: Pharmacy and physiotherapy graduates with one year of experience often book early. DHA reviews registration eligibility after verification and the exam, and exam fees are non-refundable. Confirm your experience row first.

DHA Exam Pattern and Pass Marks by Profession

For most titles, the DHA exam has 150 multiple-choice questions in 3 hours, and the pass mark depends on the title. The guideline says the 3 hours include registration and the process introduction.

Source: DHA CBT assessment guideline (updated September 2026).

Many third-party websites list 60% for nurses. The official guideline says 50%. DHA also reserves the right to change content, format or pass scores without updating the document, so recheck before you book.

Counselor insight: Open the guideline page for your exact title. Similar names carry different rules: Pharmacist is 60%, while Clinical Pharmacy is 70%.

DHA Exam Fees in Rupees: What You Will Pay

Fees are from the Sheryan service page and the CBT guideline. Credentialing plus the exam comes to about Rs.28,257 (AED 1,081) for nurses, pharmacists and physiotherapists, and about Rs.32,095 (AED 1,228) for GPs and general dentists. This excludes DataFlow, travel to the centre and any rescheduling charge, which Prometric sets by centre.

Exchange rate used: Rs.26.13 per AED (dollar fees converted at 3.6725 AED per dollar). Verify the current rate before finalising your budget.

Counselor insight: The manual lists American Express, MasterCard and Visa credit cards for Prometric payments. Check that your card allows international transactions before booking day.

How to Apply for the DHA Exam, Step by Step

1. Check your exam mode. Use 'Mode of Exam per Specialty' on Sheryan to see whether your title needs a computer test or an oral assessment.
2. Create a Sheryan account and complete the free Self Assessment Tool.
3. Start primary source verification with DataFlow. DHA says verification and the computer test can run in parallel.
4. Generate your eligibility ID. Copy your DHA Unique ID, then generate the Eligibility ID in Sheryan.
5. Book on Prometric's DHA page with that ID and pay by credit card. Arrive 30 minutes early with your passport.
6. Submit Get Registered and pay the credentialing fee. Average processing is five working days. Drafts inactive for six months are cleared.

Counselor insight: Name mismatches are the avoidable mistake. The manual says the passport must match your Sheryan details, and DHA asks you to report a mismatch at least five days before the exam.

How to Prepare for the DHA Exam

The guideline publishes the topic list and references for every title. For the Registered Nurse exam, the coverage areas are Unit Management and Leadership, Fundamentals, Maternal-Child Nursing, and Adult Nursing. The pharmacist blueprint includes toxicology, medicinal chemistry, compounding, pharmacokinetics, and medication safety. GP topics span chronic disease, emergencies, pediatrics, women's health, and epidemiology.

Use the listed references, such as Kozier and Erb's fundamentals text for nursing, rather than guessing. Practise on a screen, since the DHA exam is computer-based. After the test, Prometric sends a learning outcome letter showing general strengths and weaknesses, not your result.

Counselor insight: Indian course textbooks often differ from the guideline's references. Map your weak topics against the blueprint list instead of rereading everything.

Which DHA Exam Route Fits Your Situation?

• If you are a final-year BSc Nursing student graduating in 2026, the Registered Nurse title lists no experience requirement. Verification needs your final documents, so start once your degree certificate is issued.
• If you are a B.Pharm graduate with one year of experience, wait. The PQR asks for two years, and the exam fee is non-refundable.
• If you are a nurse who has passed NCLEX, you may be exempt from the DHA exam, but you still complete credentialing and verification.
• If you are an MBBS doctor with internship and two years of experience, the GP exam costs Rs.26,869 ($280). Specialist titles may be assessed differently, so check your exam mode.

DHA Exam Planning Calendar for 2026

All figures were checked against DHA documents in October 2026. Recheck Sheryan before you pay.

Counselor insight: Book with a buffer. Rescheduling must happen five calendar days before the exam, and Prometric may charge a centre-specific fee.

What If You Fail or Miss Your DHA Exam Slot?

• Missed slot: A cancelled or missed exam is not a failed attempt, but the fee is not refunded. Rescheduling is possible up to five calendar days before.
• Low score: You can reapply with no waiting period between dates, subject to availability. DHA allows three attempts. A third failure blocks reapplication for two years.
• After three failures: DHA may allow one final attempt with another authority. A fourth DHA attempt may be allowed with a declaration letter. New attempts open after an extra recognised qualification or two years of licensed clinical experience.
• Delayed result: Results post to Sheryan within two working days. Write to info@dha.gov.ae if nothing appears.
• Technical fault: Tell the Prometric centre staff during the test.
• Verification problem: Contact DataFlow support, since DHA needs the verification result before registration.

Counselor insight: DHA shares no score, so a fail gives little feedback. Use the learning outcome letter to rebuild your plan before the next attempt.

After the DHA Exam: Registration and Activation

Passing leads to a registration certificate valid for one year from the result date. The manual states it is not a permit to practise. A licensed health facility must activate it into a licence, so your job offer comes before you can start work.

3 Takeaways on DHA Exam

1. Open the CBT guideline page for your exact title and note your pass mark, exam code and fee before you spend anything.
2. Confirm that you meet your title's experience and BLS rows, then match every document name to your passport.
3. Budget at least Rs.28,257 for credentialing plus the exam, add the DataFlow fee, and book your DHA exam slot with time to spare.

Verified by: LeapScholar's UAE counseling team, with hands-on experience guiding Indian students through Dubai study and licensing pathways.

Have questions about the DHA exam? Book a free session with a LeapScholar counselor.

Frequently Asked Questions About DHA Exam