What Is the DHA Exam Pass Rate in Dubai?

Does DHA publish an official overall exam pass rate?

No official overall percentage appears in the current DHA Computer-Based Testing guideline or its Manual for Professional Assessment. Applicants should therefore be cautious about websites claiming that a fixed percentage of all DHA candidates pass on their first attempt. Such figures are not the same as verified authority data.

The current DHA guideline confirms that Computer-Based Testing is used for professional evaluation in specified healthcare categories. It also states that results are issued as “Pass” or “Fail” through the applicant’s Sheryan account and that the candidate’s numerical score is not shared.

Because individual scores and overall candidate statistics are not published in these documents, there is no reliable basis for calculating a general DHA exam pass rate.

A published pass score defines the minimum assessment standard; it does not reveal how many candidates pass. — The Consulting Journal editorial observation

What score do you need to pass the DHA exam?

The required score depends on the category, professional title, and specialty selected in Sheryan. The current DHA guideline includes assessments with passing scores of 55%, 60%, 65%, and 70%. Applicants should check their exact examination listing rather than relying on a general percentage found online.

For example, the May 2026 DHA guideline lists a 60% pass score for the General Practice physician examination. Several specialist physician assessments, including selected anesthesia and cardiology examinations, are listed at 65%, while certain consultant examinations are listed at 70%. Some allied health technician assessments are listed at 55%.

DHA also reserves the right to change an assessment’s content, format, availability, or pass score. Candidates should therefore review the latest guideline shortly before booking, even when they have previously received advice from a colleague or training provider.

Example 1: A fictional general practitioner preparing from India sees several websites referring to a 65% passing score. Before paying for the examination, she checks the current DHA listing for General Practice and finds that her assessment is listed with a 60% pass score, 150 questions, and a three-hour duration. She plans her mock examinations around the official format rather than the figures used by third-party websites.

Is the DHA exam difficult?

The difficulty depends on the applicant’s clinical foundation, specialty knowledge, familiarity with multiple-choice examinations, and ability to manage time. A professional with several years of experience may still struggle if preparation does not follow the current DHA assessment coverage and recommended references.

The examination is not designed only to test memorised definitions. Questions may require candidates to identify an appropriate diagnosis, select a safe clinical response, interpret a scenario, or distinguish between several plausible options.

DHA states that its CBT content is developed and validated by subject-matter experts and updated regularly. The current guideline also confirms that the assessments use a multiple-choice question format.

Candidates commonly find the assessment more manageable when they understand:

• The topics included in their specialty blueprint
• The weight they should give to each clinical area
• The number of questions and available time
• The references listed in the current guideline
• Patient safety, ethics, and professional practice expectations
• How to eliminate unsafe or incomplete answer options

Clinical experience remains valuable, but it should be combined with structured examination practice.

Can online DHA pass-rate estimates be trusted?

Unofficial pass-rate estimates should be treated as anecdotal rather than authoritative. A training provider may base its figure only on its own students, while an online survey may exclude unsuccessful candidates who did not respond. Neither method represents every healthcare professional taking a DHA assessment.

Applicants should also question estimates that do not explain:

• Which profession or specialty was measured
• How many candidates were included
• When the information was collected
• Whether the result covers first attempts or all attempts
• Whether the data came directly from DHA
• How candidate preparation levels were assessed

A claimed success rate may describe a particular course or group. It should not be presented as the official DHA exam pass rate for Dubai.

When and how are DHA exam results released?

DHA issues the official CBT result through the Sheryan system. The current Professional Assessment Manual states that the Pass or Fail result should be uploaded electronically within two working days. Prometric may provide a learning-outcome letter, but that document does not confirm the official result.

The learning-outcome letter may identify general areas of strength and weakness. DHA calculates the assessment result using correct answers and the weighting assigned to each domain. The final outcome is released only by DHA through Sheryan.

Candidates should avoid treating an informal message, examination-centre conversation, or third-party portal as the final licensing decision.

Passing the assessment also does not, by itself, authorise the person to begin clinical work. DHA registration confirms that the applicant meets the requirements for the approved position, but a licensed healthcare facility must activate that registration into a professional licence before practice can begin.

What happens if you fail the DHA exam?

A failed candidate may generally apply to repeat the assessment, subject to availability and the current DHA rules. The May 2025 assessment manual states that there is no prescribed waiting period between assessment dates, but applicants are ordinarily limited to three attempts under the applicable Professional Qualification Requirements.

Failure on the third attempt can result in the applicant being blocked from reapplying for a DHA licence for two years. The manual contains additional provisions concerning further attempts, applications through another UAE authority, new recognised qualifications, added clinical experience, and applications for a lower professional title. These routes are conditional and should not be assumed to apply automatically.

A cancellation or failure to attend is not normally counted as a failed assessment attempt. However, the candidate may lose the examination fee. The manual also states that assessment fees are non-refundable in circumstances including cancellation, rescheduling, or non-attendance.

Anyone who has already failed more than once should confirm their recorded attempt history in Sheryan before making another booking.

How can candidates improve their chances of passing?

The strongest preparation approach starts with the exact DHA listing for the applicant’s title. Candidates should build their study plan around the published examination coverage, identify weak topics early, and practise answering timed questions without depending on recalled or illegally shared examination content.

A practical preparation process may include:

1. Confirm the correct professional title. Check that the category, title, and specialty in Sheryan match the position for which you intend to obtain registration.
2. Download the latest examination guideline. Record the number of questions, duration, pass score, subject coverage, and recommended references.
3. Complete a baseline mock examination. Use the result to identify weak clinical areas rather than beginning with general revision.
4. Create a topic-based study schedule. Allocate more time to weak and high-risk areas while continuing to revise core subjects.
5. Practise under timed conditions. Candidates should learn when to move on from a difficult question and return to it later where the platform permits.
6. Review patient safety and professional practice. The clinically safest answer may be different from an informal practice followed in a previous workplace.
7. Check examination-day requirements. Ensure that the passport details match the information used during registration and arrive early enough to complete the test-centre procedures.
8. Avoid recalled-question banks as the main resource. They may be inaccurate, outdated, incomplete, or obtained in breach of assessment rules.

Example 2: A fictional allied health professional completes several untimed question banks and consistently achieves high marks. During the first timed mock, he leaves 25 questions unanswered. He changes his preparation plan by completing full-length simulations, reviewing only recurring knowledge gaps, and practising a fixed time limit for each group of questions.

What common mistakes do DHA exam applicants make?

Many unsuccessful attempts are linked to preparation and administration problems rather than a complete lack of professional knowledge. Candidates often study a broad clinical textbook without first checking whether its content matches the DHA examination blueprint.

Common mistakes include:

• Using an outdated CBT guideline
• Preparing for the wrong professional title
• Assuming every specialty has the same pass score
• Memorising questions without understanding the clinical principle
• Ignoring ethics, patient safety, or professional practice topics
• Completing practice questions without reviewing incorrect answers
• Studying without timed mock examinations
• Booking too early because of employment pressure
• Entering passport or Sheryan details inconsistently
• Assuming that passing the examination automatically creates a licence

Applicants should also avoid claims that a consultant, agent, or training company can guarantee a pass. Assessment and licensing outcomes remain under DHA’s authority.

What should you prepare before booking the examination?

Candidates should organise both their professional records and their examination information before paying for an assessment. Missing or inconsistent documentation can delay the wider registration process even when the examination itself is passed.

A useful preparation checklist includes:

• Valid passport with consistent name details
• Recent passport-size photograph
• Educational and professional qualifications
• Professional registration certificates
• Good Standing Certificate where required
• Employment and clinical experience evidence
• Primary Source Verification results or application details
• Correct DHA Unique ID
• Correct CBT Eligibility ID
• Current specialty examination guideline
• Published syllabus and reference list
• Examination booking confirmation
• Copies of relevant Sheryan correspondence
• A record of any previous DHA assessment attempts

DHA’s registration service may also require additional records depending on the profession, including verification results and surgical logbooks for relevant specialties.

How can KPM Global Services UAE assist healthcare businesses?

KPM Global Services UAE may assist healthcare entrepreneurs, clinics, medical service companies, and investors with the commercial and administrative work surrounding a Dubai healthcare venture, depending on the agreed engagement scope.

Support may include:

• Business setup and commercial licensing coordination
• Accounting system implementation
• Bookkeeping and financial reporting
• VAT and UAE Corporate Tax readiness
• Payroll and employee documentation processes
• Cash-flow planning and budgeting
• Document-control procedures
• Coordination with specialist healthcare licensing advisers where required

Professional registration, clinical assessment, facility approval, and licensing decisions remain with the relevant authorities. No adviser can guarantee a DHA examination result or licensing outcome.

A practical view for DHA applicants

There is no verified overall DHA exam pass rate that candidates can use to predict their result. The more useful information is the official assessment requirement for the relevant profession: the pass score, examination coverage, format, references, attempt rules, and licensing steps that follow.

Candidates should work from current DHA documents, leave enough time for structured revision, and treat third-party pass-rate claims cautiously. Passing is one stage of the wider professional registration process, not a substitute for eligibility, verification, registration, or licence activation.

This article is for informational purposes and does not constitute legal, tax, accounting, or financial advice.