Short answer: DHA's own guideline (updated September 2026) lists 150 multiple-choice questions in three hours for a Registered Nurse, with a 50 percent pass score and a pass or fail result. The three hours include registration time. DHA does not say single best answer or the number of options, and it can change these figures without notice.
How to read this page
Meddex is independent and is not connected to the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) or Prometric. We read DHA's CBT guideline (cover: Updated - Sep 2026), its Assessment Manual and the Sheryan FAQ on 15 October 2026. Official means we read it in a DHA document. Reported means a third party says it and DHA does not. Nothing here is a fee, a date or a promise.
What DHA says
These points are in DHA's own documents. Meddex mocks use a similar planning format, but the figures below are DHA's.
- Delivery: a computer-based test run by Prometric. Official.
- Question style: DHA says multiple-choice questions. It does not say single best answer or how many options. Official for what it says, not stated for the rest.
- Length: 150 questions in 3 hours for a Registered Nurse and for an Assistant Nurse. The time includes registration and the introduction. Official.
- Pass score: 50 percent for a Registered Nurse. Official.
- Result: pass or fail only, with no score or topic review. Official.
- Content: four areas for a Registered Nurse, which are unit management and leadership, fundamentals, maternal-child nursing and adult nursing. Official, with no percentage weights.
Where third-party sources are wrong or disagree
Some prep sites still differ from DHA's guideline, so check yours against the document.
- Question count: some older pages say 100. DHA says 150 for a Registered Nurse.
- Pass mark: some pages say 60 percent. DHA says 50 percent for a Registered Nurse, and the pass score is set per title.
- Midwives: often treated as the same exam. Registered Midwife is a separate DHA exam with its own code and nine content areas.
- Results: the Assessment Manual says within 2 working days, and the Sheryan FAQ says Prometric results are shared instantly. DHA's two sources disagree.
What DHA does not say
DHA does not publish percentage weights for any content area, although its Assessment Manual says results use the weighting of each domain. It does not mention unscored trial questions, negative marking, single best answer or the number of options, and it publishes no sample questions. Fees are set by DHA and printed in its guideline. We do not quote them because they change.
Be careful with any page that gives a precise percentage for each nursing topic. DHA lists content areas without percentages, so those splits are someone’s estimate, including ours.
What this means for your study
The unknowns do not change the plan. Practise single-best-answer scenarios, which is our own practice format, keep your pace under 70 seconds a question (180 minutes divided by 150 is the ceiling, and the time includes registration), and aim to score well above any benchmark in timed mocks. Use the DHA exam for nurses guide for the topics, and the question bank for practice.
For the format in more detail, read DHA exam format and scoring. For the day itself, see the test centre day guide.
Ten minutes to check the current rules
Before you book, do this once.
- Open the DHA Healthcare Professional Licensing Assessment Guideline (CBT) on the DHA website or through your Sheryan account.
- Find the section for your title and note the question count, duration, pass score and content areas. Its cover carries an update date.
- Read the Prometric candidate pages for your booking, identification and arrival rules.
- Write the figures and the date you checked them in your study plan.
- Check again in the week before the exam, because DHA can change the content, format or pass mark.
Four mistakes people make with exam facts
Facts about licensing exams travel fast and drift. Avoid these habits.
- Planning around a figure from a forum post or an old PDF. Prefer the current DHA guideline and note its date.
- Assuming the paper for another profession, or another authority, is the same as yours.
- Treating a mock score as a prediction. Mock benchmarks are planning tools. The Meddex nurse mock uses 50 percent, the figure DHA prints for a Registered Nurse, and other mocks use 60 percent for that purpose only.
- Believing a page that promises the exact topic weights or the exact questions. No real or leaked questions are used here, and you should not trust a source that offers them.
Terms used on this page
Single best answer means one option is the best even if others are partly true. Sheryan is the DHA licensing portal. Prometric is the test provider. The glossary explains each, and the questions hub groups common questions by what you need to do next.
Related guide
The four nursing titles, with their codes and official content areas, are on DHA exam for registered nurse, assistant nurse and midwife, and every title is in DHA exam format and pass mark by title.
Frequently asked questions
This article is general educational guidance, not official advice. Exam rules, fees and timelines are set by the Dubai Health Authority and the test provider and can change, so always confirm the latest details on their official channels.
Last updated .