English only, whatever your specialty
The panel conducts the session in English and no other language. There is no published exception by category or title.
Which DHA exam applies to you
DHA Oral Assessment vs CBT: Which Exam Your Title Actually Takes
Most DHA titles are assessed by an oral panel, not a Prometric CBT. We know because we ran every title through DHA’s own lookup. Below: what we found, how the two formats differ, the attempt rules, and how to confirm the mode for your own title.
Original research, 29 August 2026
What We Found When We Checked All 731 DHA Titles
- 599 of 731 titles (82%) take an oral assessment. The CBT applies to 113 titles; 19 need no exam.
- Physicians: 449 of 498 titles are oral, but 44 take a CBT, General Practice among them. Check your exact title.
- Dentists are the most even split: 18 oral, 17 CBT, 3 no exam.
- Nurses and midwives: 21 of 25 titles are oral and 3 take a CBT.
The Mode of Exam per Specialty tool is a lookup rather than a published list — it answers one title at a time. Every title in every category was queried on 29 August 2026, so these are complete counts rather than a sample.
| Category | Titles | Oral | CBT | No exam |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physician | 498 | 449 | 44 | 5 |
| Allied Health | 155 | 101 | 46 | 8 |
| Dentist | 38 | 18 | 17 | 3 |
| Nurse and Midwife | 25 | 21 | 3 | 1 |
| Traditional Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) | 15 | 10 | 3 | 2 |
| All categories | 731 | 599 | 113 | 19 |
Sources: DHA Sheryan — Mode of Exam per Specialty
Checked 29 August 2026. DHA reserves the right to change an assessment, its format or its pass score without updating its own guideline. Confirm your own title in the lookup before you book.
A dated snapshot, not today’s booking list. The counts describe titles, not how many people take each exam. DHA says it may activate or de-activate a specialty assessment, or change its format or pass score, without updating its guideline. Check your own title in the Mode of Exam lookup before you book.
Side by side
Oral Assessment and CBT Compared
Both routes end in the same place — a pass recorded against your registration application. Almost everything else about them differs, including who runs them and what currency they are priced in.
| Oral assessment | Computer-based test | |
|---|---|---|
| Title counts in August 2026 lookup capture | 599 of 731 — 82% | 113 of 731 |
| Fee | AED 250 Nurse / Allied / T&CM, AED 500 Physician / Dentist — or AED 2,000 flat for an urgent slot, the same for every category | See the September 2026 title-specific CBT table: USD 180, USD 240 or USD 280. Confirm the actual booking total. |
| Result turnaround | 3 – 5 working days in the Assessment Manual; the Service Catalogue says within 5 working days | 2 working days to reach your Sheryan account in the Assessment Manual; the Service Catalogue says Prometric results are shared instantly |
| Format | A live panel session, minimum two panel members, covering at least five scenarios | Multiple-choice questions, 150, 100 or 70 depending on the specialty |
| Length | 30 to 45 minutes for physicians and dentists, 20 to 30 minutes for every other category — DHA's Service Catalogue. The newer Assessment Manual gives one figure for everyone, a minimum of 20 to 30 minutes, extendable | Either 3 hours or 2 hours — no other value appears in the guideline |
| Where it happens | Remotely, on a DHA-approved meeting platform, though DHA may require attendance in person | A Prometric test centre — DHA cites a network of 8,000 centres across more than 160 countries |
| Published pass score | None. The panel returns pass or fail | Published per specialty: five values from 50% to 70% across the codes that can be booked. An inactive Assistant Midwife entry lists 45% |
| What you are told | Pass or fail only — the score is never shared | Pass or fail only — the score is never shared |
| Arrive / join | Join 15 minutes early | Arrive at the centre 30 minutes early |
| Rescheduling | One free reschedule if requested 5 or more working days ahead; inside that it counts as a no-show | Reschedule or cancel five calendar days ahead. DHA does not publish the Prometric fee for this — it is centre-specific |
Sources: DHA Sheryan — Mode of Exam per Specialty · DHA Sheryan — Schedule Oral Assessment service · DHA — Manual for Professional Assessment (Oral/CBT) · DHA — Health Regulation Sector Service Catalogue (update 21 March 2023) · DHA — Healthcare Professional Licensing Assessment Guideline (CBT), updated September 2026
Checked between 29 August and 20 September 2026.
Pass mark, question count, time and fee for every CBT code are on the DHA CBT specifications page. The CBT guideline sends any specialty it does not list to oral assessment.
Choose the preparation after the route
Two formats need two different rehearsal plans
Start with the exact requested title, current DHA assessment instruction and any previous attempts or exemption evidence. Once those agree, prepare for the task you will actually perform.
For an oral assessment: make your reasoning audible
Practise explaining a professional scenario out loud: what information you need, how you would assess the situation, what falls within your role and when you would seek support. Ask a colleague to interrupt with a follow-up question so you practise responding rather than reciting.
The panel must cover at least five scenarios, in English. After each rehearsal, note one unclear explanation and one assumption you did not check. These are our study suggestions, not DHA questions.
For CBT: connect revision to your exam code
Use the published coverage and references for the exact code in the CBT specification guide. Organise practice by topic and record why an answer was wrong: a knowledge gap, a missed detail or time pressure.
Use the published duration for your code when you time practice. Remember that it includes registration and the introduction.
Preparing for a panel
What a DHA Oral Assessment Involves
The oral assessment is a supervised remote exam, and the Manual for Professional Assessment sets out its conduct in detail. These are the clauses that apply on the day.
At least five different scenarios
Questions must cover not fewer than five separate scenarios, cases or topics, so a single strong answer does not carry the session.
20 to 30 minutes, or 30 to 45 if you are a physician or dentist
DHA's Service Catalogue publishes the length by category: 30 to 45 minutes for physicians and dentists, 20 to 30 minutes for everyone else. The Assessment Manual, which is newer, states a single minimum of 20 to 30 minutes and allows the session to be extended. Introductions are capped at five minutes of the total either way.
Two panel members minimum, and they must agree
A session cannot begin with fewer than two. All members must agree on one result, and where the panel conflicts the result is recorded as a fail.
The panel cannot move your title
The examination panel may not upgrade or downgrade the title you applied under. If your performance does not support a specialist title, the outcome is a fail rather than a lower title.
Alone, in a closed room, camera on
You must be alone with the door closed; interference from anyone else is treated as an attempt to cheat. You must turn the camera 360 degrees at the start and again whenever DHA asks.
No masks, no notes, no recording
Masks may not be worn during the session, no notes or books may be used or attempted, and candidates may not record it — DHA reserves that right for itself.
Identity is checked on camera
You must show your passport or an official ID copy for verification before the session proceeds.
No contact with the panel, ever
Candidates may not contact panel members for any reason, including asking for their result. Panel and candidate are both barred from sharing session details.
A detected cheating attempt is recorded as a fail
DHA treats it as unethical professional conduct: the result is entered as Fail and it may lead to the applicant being blacklisted, which bars them from registration, renewal, upgrade and oral-assessment services alike.
Use the right preparation reference
The service catalogue does not provide an oral reading list. Use the conduct instructions and relevant professional references; the September CBT guideline separately includes title-specific coverage and reading references.
Sources: DHA — Manual for Professional Assessment (Oral/CBT) · DHA — Health Regulation Sector Service Catalogue (update 21 March 2023)
Checked 29 August 2026.
19 titles
Titles Recorded as No Exam in Our August Check
The list includes trainee, intern and resident grades, and seven psychology and counselling titles under Allied Health. No exam does not mean no review: qualification, verification and the other licensing steps still apply.
| Category | Titles returning “No Exam is Required” |
|---|---|
| Physician | Consultant Adolescence Medicine · Medical Intern · Medical Resident · Medical-Trainee · Specialist Adolescence Medicine |
| Allied Health | Addiction Psychologist · Allied-Trainee · Applied Behavioral Analyst · Counselor · Forensic Psychologist · Health Psychologist · Neuro Psychologist · Psychotherapist |
| Dentist | Dental Intern · Dental Resident · Dental-Trainee |
| Nurse and Midwife | Nurse-Trainee |
| TCIM | Chinese Massage Therapist · TCAM-Trainee |
Sources: DHA Sheryan — Mode of Exam per Specialty
Checked 29 August 2026.
How a title ends up as trainee:
The archived no-exam list includes trainee, intern and resident grades alongside other titles. The selected service-catalogue provisions below explain trainee restrictions; confirm current requirements for the individual case.
A trainee title is imposed, not chosen
DHA states applicants cannot apply directly on the system for the title of trainee. The restriction is placed on professionals who do not meet the PQR experience criteria on the credentialing team's evaluation — the examples DHA gives are a tier 3 degree, a gap in practice, and being a fresh graduate. You start from the Self Assessment Tool selecting your main title, and the restriction follows from the review.
It lifts when the requirement is met
Once the requirements are fulfilled the professional may update the licence. The trainee grade is a stage, not a ceiling.
Sources: DHA — Health Regulation Sector Service Catalogue (update 21 March 2023)
Checked 29 August 2026.
Before you book anything
Attempts, and What a Third Failure Costs
What the Unified PQR sets for all four authorities:
Three attempts, counted across all four authorities
The applicant is granted three attempts to pass the examination across the Authorities, and must declare how many attempts they have already taken. Failing in one emirate does not reset the count in another.
A fourth attempt exists, with conditions
After failing three times with one authority, one final attempt may be granted with a different authority — or with the same one, on a declaration that no other UAE regulator has failed them. This does not apply to upgrading to a consultant title with Tier 3 qualifications.
Further attempts need the applicable reapplication route
The PQR describes further-attempt provisions for a qualifying lower title, or reapplication after an additional recognised qualification or at least two years of clinical experience after the last attempt for the same title. Declare the complete attempt history and confirm which provision applies before booking.
Sources: UAE Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR), April 2025
Checked 30 August 2026. Issued jointly by MOHAP, DOH Abu Dhabi, DHA and SHA. Each authority may add its own requirements on top.
What DHA’s assessment manual adds:
Three attempts, counted across the Authorities
Both the Sheryan service pages and the Assessment Manual state a total of three attempts, and the service pages describe the limit as running across the Authorities rather than resetting per authority.
No waiting period between attempts
The Manual states there is no time restriction between assessment dates for a failed applicant who reapplies.
DHA can reduce your allowance below three
Where competency gaps are judged to risk patient safety, DHA may permit only one or two attempts instead of three.
A third failure blocks reapplication for two years
Failing at the third attempt bars the applicant from reapplying for a DHA licence for two years (licensing manual v1.3, clause 7.3).
A further attempt is conditional
The 2025 manual describes conditional further-attempt provisions alongside the third-failure restriction. Declare the full history and ask DHA which provision applies; do not assume an automatic additional booking.
Reapplication needs the qualifying evidence
The manual describes reapplication after an additional recognised qualification or the specified post-attempt clinical experience. Confirm eligibility for that route before booking.
A lower-title attempt is conditional
The manual says an additional attempt may be granted for a lower title when its PQR requirements are met. Changing the selected title does not itself grant another attempt.
A no-show is not a failed attempt, but the money is gone
Cancelling or failing to appear is not counted against your three attempts. No refund follows either: the Manual states exam fees are non-refundable in every circumstance, rescheduling, cancellation and no-show included.
An oral application left pending can be rejected outright
DHA may reject an oral assessment application pending more than three months and forfeit the fee. Cancelling one creates a fresh draft that must be completed within three months and requires a new payment — the original is not carried over.
Sources: DHA Sheryan — Get Registered service description · DHA — Manual for Professional Assessment (Oral/CBT) · DHA Sheryan — Schedule Oral Assessment service
Checked 29 August 2026.
A different set of rules
If You Are Already Licensed and Being Reassessed
Everything above describes a new applicant. A professional who already holds a DHA licence and is being reassessed follows a stricter route, set out separately in the Manual for Professional Assessment.
Both assessments, not one
A new applicant may be assessed by CBT, by oral, or by a combination. A licensed professional under reassessment must complete both.
The CBT comes first, and it gates the oral
The CBT must be passed before the oral assessment can proceed. Failing the CBT three times prevents the oral entirely — the result is marked fail and the account is blocked.
Three attempts across both, not three each
The Manual states the total number of attempts for CBT and oral together shall not exceed three.
Three months to finish
Both required attempts must be completed within three months of the date the reassessment decision is issued.
No practice while it runs
During the reassessment process the professional is not allowed to practise until they pass. This is the clause that makes the three-month window matter financially as well as procedurally.
Sources: DHA — Manual for Professional Assessment (Oral/CBT)
Checked 29 August 2026.
Recorded, not resolved
Where DHA’s Own Sources Disagree
These notes distinguish older captures, document editions and questions that need an individual authority response.
Ayurveda Practitioner appears in both routes
The September 2026 CBT guideline contains an Ayurveda Practitioner specification; the August 2026 lookup snapshot returned Oral Assessment. Check the current title result and ask DHA to resolve any conflict before booking.
Assistant Midwife is specified but not offered
The September guideline retains an inactive Assistant Midwife specification. The August lookup capture did not offer that title. Treat this as an inactive reference entry, not a current booking option.
What happens after three failures depends which document you read
The Service Catalogue says a professional who has used three attempts must obtain a new qualification and meet the PQR criteria for a higher title before applying again. The 2025 Assessment Manual offers a second route — two years of clinical licensed experience after the last attempt — and adds a two-year block on reapplying that the Catalogue does not mention. The Manual is the newer document; both are DHA's.
The two documents time the results differently
An exam-centre output and the official Sheryan result may be different records. The 2025 assessment manual describes the official CBT result being uploaded within two working days. Follow up with the booking reference if the expected record is missing.
Sources: DHA Sheryan — Mode of Exam per Specialty · DHA — Healthcare Professional Licensing Assessment Guideline (CBT), updated September 2026 · DHA — Health Regulation Sector Service Catalogue (update 21 March 2023)
Checked between 29 August and 20 September 2026.
Holding PLAB, USMLE, NCLEX or another overseas credential? Whether it exempts you from the exam is on the DHA exam exemption page.
Continue your preparation
Related Guidance
Exam mode FAQs
Questions About the DHA Exam Mode and Attempts
How do I find out whether my DHA title takes an oral assessment or a CBT?
Enter your exact title in DHA’s Mode of Exam per Specialty lookup and save the result with the date. The lookup answers one title at a time. If it disagrees with your application instructions, ask DHA before you book.
How many attempts do I get at the DHA exam?
Three in total, counted across the UAE authorities, and DHA can allow fewer where it judges a patient-safety risk. A third failure bars a new DHA application for two years.
Do my DHA exam attempts reset if I apply to MOHAP or DOH?
No. The Unified PQR, which MOHAP, DOH, DHA and SHA share, gives three attempts across the Authorities, and you must declare how many you have used. After three failures, the PQR allows one final attempt with a different authority, or with the same one if you declare you have not failed elsewhere.
Can the oral panel give me a lower title if I do not pass?
No. DHA’s assessment manual says the panel cannot upgrade or downgrade the title you applied under. If your answers do not support that title, the result is a fail.
What language is the DHA oral assessment in?
English only. DHA’s assessment manual publishes no exception by category, specialty or country of training.
Start with your profile
Not Sure Which Exam You Are Preparing For?
Tell us your qualification, experience and the title you are aiming at. We work out which DHA title fits and check its exam mode before you spend on preparation.