Quick Read
- The DHA exam for radiographer requires a bachelor’s degree in radiography (or equivalent diploma) plus 2 years of post-qualification experience.
- The only officially published fee is the AED 200 (โน5,200) credentialing review fee; other stage-wise charges vary and must be confirmed on your Sheryan dashboard.
- The exam is a Prometric CBT, most commonly reported as 150 MCQs over 3 hours for the Radiographer code (RAD5152).
- DHA has no fixed exam dates. You book your Prometric slot only after your eligibility is approved.
What Is the DHA Exam for Radiographer?
The DHA exam for radiographer is the Prometric computer-based test that the Dubai Health Authority requires before it issues a professional license to a radiographer or radiologic technologist who wants to work in a DHA-regulated healthcare facility in Dubai. Passing it is one step in a longer licensing process that also includes document verification and a self-assessment check, not a standalone qualification.
If you already hold a radiography degree and some clinical experience in India, the DHA exam is the gate between your current qualification and a licensed radiographer role in Dubai. It does not replace your Indian degree. It confirms that your training and experience meet DHA’s Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR).
Choose your dream country
When do you want to study abroad?
What's your highest level of education?
Have you completed Class 12th?
What was your Class 12 CGPA/percentage?
Are you a student or a parent/guardian?
What do you want to study?
Select your current city
How Leap will help you
Personalised University Shortlist
Express Applications with Quicker Admits
End-to-End Application Support
Like every Dubai Health Authority exam for radiographers, this test sits inside a wider licensing process, not outside it. You can't book the Prometric exam on its own. You need an approved self-assessment and an Eligibility Letter first, which is where most of the real preparation time goes.
DHA Exam Eligibility for Radiographer
DHA exam eligibility for radiographer is assessed against the DHA's Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements, which lists two licensing titles relevant to radiography.
| Role | Qualification Pathway | Experience Required |
| Radiographer | Bachelor's degree in Radiography, Radiology Technology, or Medical/Diagnostic Imaging from an accredited university | 2 years post-qualification experience in general radiology |
| Radiographer (alternate route) | Diploma in Radiology (minimum 3 years) OR Associate degree in Radiography (minimum 2 years) plus registration/certification as a radiographer | 2 years post-qualification experience |
| Radiographer Technician | Experience-based pathway, with the exact route depending on your qualification mix | Confirm your specific pathway using DHA's free Self-Assessment Tool |
Counselor insight: Most Indian radiographers hold a BSc in Radiography or Radiologic Technology, which fits the main qualification route. If your degree is a diploma rather than a bachelor's, don't assume you're ineligible. Run the free Self-Assessment Tool on Sheryan first. It gives an instant, non-binding read on whether your specific combination of degree and experience qualifies before you pay a single fee.
These DHA exam requirements for radiologic technologist applicants also include a valid license or registration from your home country and a Good Standing Certificate confirming no disciplinary action against you.
How to Apply for DHA Exam for Radiographer
If you're wondering how to apply for DHA exam for radiographer, the process runs through DHA's Sheryan portal in five stages.
Step 1: Run the Self-Assessment Tool
Create a Sheryan account and use the free Self-Assessment Tool. It checks your qualification and experience against the PQR instantly and needs no documents to start.
Step 2: Primary Source Verification (PSV) via DataFlow
Once your self-assessment is positive, DHA requires your degree, license, experience certificates, and Good Standing Certificate to be verified through DataFlow. For Indian applicants, this process is usually the longest step, since Indian degree certificates often need HRD or MEA apostille attestation before DataFlow will accept them.
Step 3: Review Registration Eligibility
Submit your Review Registration Eligibility application. DHA reviews your PSV result and PQR documents and issues an Eligibility Letter, typically within 24 hours of a complete submission.
Step 4: Book and Pass the Prometric Exam (CBT)
With your Eligibility Letter in hand, schedule your DHA license exam for radiographer at a Prometric test centre. There's no fixed exam calendar. You choose any available slot once you're eligible.
Step 5: Get Registered and Activate Your License
After passing, complete the "Get Registered" step on Sheryan. Your license is then activated by the employer, who must already hold an active DHA facility license, before you can start practicing.
This five-step path is, in practice, how to become a registered radiographer in Dubai: self-assessment, verification, eligibility approval, exam, and then employer-side activation. None of these steps can be skipped or reordered.
Documents Indian Radiographers Need for DataFlow Verification
DataFlow verification is usually where Indian applicants lose the most time, mainly because of the extra attestation layer Indian educational documents require before DataFlow will accept them. Typical documents needed include:
- Degree certificate and final-year mark sheets (Radiography/Radiologic Technology)
- Internship or clinical training completion certificate, if issued separately from the degree
- Experience certificates from every employer covering your 2 years of post-qualification experience
- Valid license or registration from your home country (state medical council or equivalent, where applicable)
- Good Standing Certificate confirming no disciplinary action
- Valid passport copy and recent passport-size photograph
The Indian attestation chain, before DataFlow submission:
- State-level attestation by the General Administration Department, or the relevant State HRD Department, for the university or board that issued your degree.
- The MEA apostille must be obtained from the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi. India has been a member of the Hague Apostille Convention since 2005, so a single MEA apostille is sufficient for DataFlow and DHA purposes; you do not need separate UAE embassy legalization on top of it.
Complete this attestation chain before you start your DataFlow application, not after. DataFlow verification for Indian documents commonly takes longer than for several other source countries, since HRD-to-MEA attestation and university response times both add to the timeline, so building this in early avoids a stalled application later.
DHA Exam Fees for Radiographer
DHA exam fees for radiographer are split across several stages, and DHA itself publishes only one of these amounts directly. The rest come from UAE healthcare licensing consultancies and vary by case, so treat them as planning estimates, not fixed charges.
| Fee Stage | Amount (AED) | Amount (INR at โน26/AED) | Source |
| Registration Eligibility Review (credentialing fee) | AED 200 | โน5,200 | Official DHA Sheryan service page |
| DataFlow PSV (fixed package, doctors/allied health) | Approx. AED 1,235 | Approx. โน32,110 | Reported by UAE licensing consultancies |
| Prometric CBT exam (Radiographer, code RAD5152) | Approx. USD 240 (AED 881) | Approx. โน22,920 | Reported by Prometric exam-prep providers |
| License activation | AED 1,000โ3,000 | โน26,000โโน78,000 | Reported by UAE licensing consultancies |
Knowledge and Innovation fees are also applied at checkout on several Sheryan services, on top of the amounts above. DHA does not publish a single combined total, and all fees are non-refundable once paid, so confirm every amount on your own Sheryan dashboard before you proceed to payment.
DHA Exam Pattern for Radiographer
The DHA exam pattern for radiographer is a Prometric computer-based test. Reported details vary slightly by source, but the most consistently cited pattern for the Radiographer exam code (RAD5152) is
| Exam Detail | Radiographer (RAD5152) | Radiographer Technician (RAD5622) |
| Format | Computer-based MCQs, Prometric | Computer-based MCQs, Prometric |
| Number of questions | 150 | 150 |
| Duration | 3 hours | 3 hours |
| Negative marking | None | None |
| Passing score | Not officially published; commonly estimated 55-60% | Not officially published; commonly estimated around 45% |
Some exam-prep sources report a shorter format (100 MCQs, 150 minutes) for radiographer roles. DHA's own CBT guideline does not publish a fixed question count or pass percentage for every title, so confirm your exact format in the booking confirmation you receive from Prometric.
DHA Exam Syllabus for Radiographer
The DHA exam syllabus for radiographer tests practical and theoretical knowledge across the core domains of diagnostic radiography rather than general medical knowledge. Commonly tested areas include:
- Patient management: communication, preparation, and positioning for different patient types
- Radiation protection and safety (ALARA principles)
- X-ray and conventional radiography technique
- CT, MRI, and ultrasound fundamentals
- Nuclear medicine and fluoroscopy basics
- Image quality, processing, and artefact recognition
- Equipment and quality assurance
- Infection control in imaging departments
- Relevant UAE healthcare regulations and professional ethics
Expect a mix of straightforward recall questions and case-based scenarios that test how you'd handle a specific patient or imaging situation, not just textbook definitions.
DHA Exam Preparation for Radiographer
Effective DHA exam preparation for radiographer candidates usually combines three things:
- Topic-wise revision of the domains above, weighted toward X-ray technique, radiation protection, and patient management, which carry the heaviest question share in most reported blueprints.
- Timed MCQ practice that simulates the real 150-question, 3-hour format, so pacing (roughly 70-75 seconds per question) becomes automatic.
- Case-based practice, since a meaningful share of questions describe a patient scenario and ask for the correct imaging or positioning decision, not just a fact.
Since there's no official DHA question bank, cross-check any practice material against the syllabus domains above rather than relying on a single source's claimed pass rate. When you do practice with DHA exam questions for radiographer sets from prep providers, treat them as revision tools for weak topics, not predictors of your actual score, since none of them are drawn from DHA's own retired papers.
DHA vs HAAD (DOH) vs MOH: Which License Does a Radiographer Need?
UAE healthcare licensing is not a single national system. The authority you need depends on where you work, not your profession, and a license from one authority does not transfer to another.
| Authority | Covers | Exam Provider | Cross-Recognition |
| DHA (Dubai Health Authority) | Dubai | Prometric | Not recognized by other authorities |
| DOH, formerly HAAD (Department of Health - Abu Dhabi) | Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Al Dhafra | Pearson VUE | Not recognized by other authorities |
| MOHAP / MOH (Ministry of Health and Prevention) | Northern Emirates: Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain | Prometric | Not recognized by other authorities |
If a recruiter or job posting mentions HAAD requirements for radiologic technologist roles, note that HAAD has been rebranded DOH, and its exam is run on Pearson VUE, not Prometric, with a separate application process. Passing the DHA exam does not qualify you to work in Abu Dhabi, and vice versa. Confirm the hiring emirate before you commit time and fees to any one authority's process.
Jobs and Salary After Your DHA Radiographer License
Once licensed, radiographers are typically hired directly by DHA-licensed hospitals and diagnostic centres in Dubai, who sponsor the facility-side steps of your license activation. Entry-level salaries and the broader allied-health job market in the emirate are covered in our guide to highest paying jobs in Dubai, including typical salary bands and visa sponsorship patterns for Indian professionals.
Before you commit to relocating, it's worth mapping your expected salary against day-to-day expenses. Our cost of living in Dubai breakdown covers rent, transport, and monthly budgeting for Indian professionals who are moving to the city.
Counselor insight: Don't negotiate a job offer before your license is active. Several radiographers accept an offer based on a "pending license" understanding, only to find the facility can't activate their license until the employer's own facility license and sponsorship paperwork are clear, which can add weeks of unpaid waiting. Get a written timeline from the employer before you resign from your current job in India.
3 Takeaways on DHA Exam for Radiographer
- Run DHA's free Self-Assessment Tool before paying any fee. It's the fastest way to confirm whether your bachelor's or diploma, combined with your experience, meets the Radiographer or Technician pathway.
- Budget for staged, non-refundable costs rather than one lump sum. Only the AED 200 (โน5,200) credentialing fee is officially published; everything else should be confirmed on your Sheryan dashboard before you pay.
- Confirm the hiring emirate before you start. A DHA license only covers Dubai. If the job is in Abu Dhabi or the Northern Emirates, you'll need to apply through DOH or MOHAP separately.
Have questions about working or studying abroad? Talk to a LeapScholar counselor to plan your next step.
Frequently Asked Questions About DHA Exam for Radiographer
-
Who is eligible for the DHA exam?
Radiographers need a bachelor's degree in radiography, radiologic technology, or diagnostic imaging (or an approved diploma/associate-degree route), plus 2 years of post-qualification experience in general radiology. A valid home-country license and a Good Standing Certificate are also required.
-
What is the DHA exam pattern for Radiographers?
It's a Prometric computer-based test, commonly 150 MCQs over 3 hours with no negative marking. Some sources cite a shorter 100-question version, so confirm the exact format in your own Prometric booking confirmation.
-
What is the minimum passing score for the DHA Radiographer exam?
DHA doesn't officially publish a fixed passing percentage for this title. Candidate reports put it around 55-60%, but treat that as an estimate rather than an official benchmark.
-
How to apply as a radiographer in Dubai?
Create a Sheryan account, clear the Self-Assessment Tool, complete DataFlow verification, and get your Eligibility Letter before booking the Prometric exam. Once you pass, an employer with an active DHA facility license activates your registration.
-
How much does a DHA exam cost?
Only the AED 200 (โน5,200) credentialing review fee is officially published. DataFlow verification, the Prometric exam, and license activation incur additional non-refundable charges that vary by case, so confirm each amount on your Sheryan dashboard.
-
How many attempts for DHA?
Candidates typically get three attempts to pass. A third failure usually means additional training or a fresh review before you're allowed to reapply.
-
How much is the salary of a Radiographer in Dubai?
Radiographers in Dubai typically earn AED 7,000-18,000 (roughly โน1.8-4.7 lakh) a month, tax-free, with pay rising sharply for CT, MRI, or other specialized skills. Most employers add a separate housing allowance on top of this figure.
-
What is the difference between DHA and HAAD requirements for radiologic technologist roles?
DHA licenses apply to Dubai, while HAAD, now renamed DOH, covers Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, and Al Dhafra on a separate Pearson VUE exam. The two authorities don't recognize each other's licenses, so a radiographer must apply separately to work in each emirate.



Have Questions? Get Guidance to reach your Dream University
Connect with India's finest counsellors and biggest study abroad community.
Get Guidance