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

What Is the DHA Exam for Nurses?

The DHA exam for nurses is a computer-based licensing test for nurses and midwives who want to work in Dubai. It is not a university admission test. The DHA CBT assessment guideline says Prometric runs it as multiple-choice questions, and DHA posts only a Pass or Fail result on Sheryan. Your score is not shared. The nursing titles with their own exam are Registered Nurse, Assistant Nurse, and Registered Midwife.

Counselor insight: Students often look for an exam date or admit card, as with Indian entrance tests. There is no such cycle. You book your own Prometric slot after Sheryan gives you an eligibility ID.

Get My university Shortlist in 60 Secs

0%

Choose your dream country

Please select a country

UK

USA

Germany

Australia

Ireland

New Zealand

Canada

UAE

France

Sweden

Italy

Other

When do you want to study abroad?

Please select an option

Recommended Jan 2027

Sep 2027

2028 or later

2028 or later

What's your highest level of education?

Please select an option

Bachelor's

Master's

MBBS / MD

Diploma

12th Grade

10th Grade

Have you completed Class 12th?

Please select an option

Yes

No

What was your Class 12 CGPA/percentage?

Please enter a valid CGPA/percentage (0-100)

Are you a student or a parent/guardian?

Please select an option

Student

Parent/Guardian

Other

What do you want to study?

Please select a course

Select your current city

Please select your city

 

Please Enter Your Name

 

IN +91 UAE +971 QA +974 SA +966 KW +965 OM +968 BH +973

Please Enter a Valid Number

 

Please Enter Your Email

How Leap will help you

Personalised University Shortlist

Express Applications with Quicker Admits

End-to-End Application Support

Continue

DHA Exam for Nurses Eligibility: Degree, Experience, and BLS

Your title decides your eligibility. The DHA Unified PQR (April 2025) lists these baselines:

• Registered Nurse: bachelor's degree in nursing of at least three years full-time. No experience required.
• Assistant Nurse: nursing diploma of at least 18 months. No experience required.
• Registered Midwife: BSc Midwifery, or BSc Nursing plus a one-year midwifery certificate, and two years of post-qualification experience.

Every nurse also needs a valid home-country licence or registration and a valid Basic Life Support certificate. The PQR does not count degrees earned through correspondence or distance learning. School nursing experience is accepted for Registered Nurse and Assistant Nurse titles.

The 'no experience' rows hold only if you meet the gap-of-practice rules. A nurse with a break of 3 to under 4 years needs 40 CME/CPD credits and 6 months of training, and 4 to under 5 years needs 60 credits and 8 months. Non-UAE nationals with a gap above five years cannot apply.

Counselor insight: If any part of your nursing qualification came through distance learning, or you hold a GNM diploma, run the free Sheryan Self Assessment Tool before paying anything. The PQR text does not name GNM.

DHA Exam for Nurses: Pattern, Pass Mark, and Topics

The DHA exam for nurses has 150 multiple-choice questions in 3 hours, and the pass mark is 50% for Registered Nurse, Assistant Nurse and registered midwives. The 3 hours include registration and the process introduction.

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

The Registered Nurse paper covers four areas: Unit Management and Leadership, Fundamentals, Maternal-Child Nursing and Adult Nursing. The Midwife paper covers antenatal, intrapartum, postpartum and newborn care, gynaecological care, pharmacology in midwifery, ethics and counselling.

Many websites say 100 questions, 165 minutes or a 60% pass mark. The official guideline does not. DHA also reserves the right to change content, format or pass scores without updating the document, so recheck before you book.

Counselor insight: A 50% bar is not permission to skip a topic. The assessment manual says DHA calculates results from correct answers and the weighting of each domain, so a weak area costs you.

DHA Exam for Nurses Fees in Rupees

Fees are from the Sheryan Get Registered page and the CBT guideline. Credentialing plus the exam comes to about Rs.28,257 (AED 1,081). This excludes DataFlow, travel to the centre and any rescheduling charge. Exam fees are non-refundable, including rescheduling, cancellation and no-shows, and Prometric states a strict no-refund policy.

Exchange rate used: Rs.26.13 per AED (the dollar fee 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, and the fee is in dollars. Ask your bank about international transactions and forex charges before booking day.

How to Apply for the DHA Exam for Nurses, Step by Step

1. Check your exam mode. Use 'Mode of Exam per Specialty' on Sheryan to confirm your nursing title needs a computer test.
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 for Nurses

The guideline lists the references for the Registered Nurse paper. They include Mosby's Pharmacology in Nursing, Kozier and Erb's Fundamentals of Nursing, Jarvis's Physical Examination and Health Assessment, and Brunner and Suddarth's Canadian textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing. Wong's Nursing Care of Infants and Children and the ANA Code of Ethics are also listed.

Practise on a screen, since the exam is computer-based. After the test, Prometric sends a learning outcome letter showing general strengths and weaknesses, not your result.

Prometric states that it does not sell test preparation or practice content. It calls any site claiming to offer official test content unauthorised.

Counselor insight: Skip paid 'real question' bundles. Build a plan from the guideline's topic list and references, and use Indian textbooks only to fill gaps.

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 hold a GNM diploma, do not book the exam yet. The PQR lists a bachelor's degree for registered nurse and an 18-month diploma for assistant nurse, so run the Self Assessment Tool and see what it returns.
• If you are a nurse who has passed NCLEX, you are exempt from the licensure exam, but you still complete credentialing and verification.
• If you are a nurse with a four-year break in practice, expect 60 CME/CPD credits and 8 months of training first, and you still sit the licensure exam afterwards.

DHA Exam for Nurses 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.
• Name mismatch: Contact DHA at least five days before the exam, since DHA is not responsible for extra charges on new or rescheduled exams.
• Technical fault: Tell the Prometric centre staff during the test.

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 for Nurses: 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 a job offer comes before you can start work.

3 Takeaways on DHA Exam for Nurses

1. Run the Sheryan Self Assessment Tool with your exact qualification before you spend anything on the DHA exam for nurses.
2. Confirm your BLS certificate and council registration are valid, 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 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 for nurses? Book a free session with a LeapScholar counselor.

Frequently Asked Questions About DHA Exam for Nurses