Short answer: The EMREE exam format and number of questions, as the organiser’s exam structure page states, are usually 120 multiple-choice questions in 3 hours, on a computer. The organiser does not state the number of options or whether there is negative marking, so treat those as reported and check the current blueprint.
EMREE exam format and number of questions: what the organiser says
The organiser’s exam structure page, which we read on 15 October 2026, says there are usually 120 questions to be completed within 3 hours. It also says the exam is computer based, with a paper format possible if circumstances require it. Meddex is independent and not connected to the organiser. The organiser FAQ adds that some unscored trial questions are included, so a sitting can have more than 120 items, with extra time given.
The word usually matters. Treat 120 as the planning number and read the current notice before your sitting.
How much time do you get per question?
Three hours is 180 minutes. Divided by 120 questions, that is 90 seconds a question on average. That is more time than the 72 seconds a question on a 150-question, 3-hour paper, but 90 seconds is not generous when a vignette runs to six lines.
Use two checkpoints. By the 60-minute mark you should be near question 40. By the 120-minute mark you should be near question 80. That leaves the final hour for the rest and a short review of flagged items.
What the questions look like
The organiser says the exam tests clinical application, diagnosis and management at the level of a graduate with at least one year of training. Its one official sample file, an old 21-item set, shows a clinical stem, one lead-in and four options with one best answer. Candidate sources disagree on whether the live exam has four or five options, and the organiser does not say.
Negative marking is not stated by the organiser. Its FAQ describes marks as correct answers over the number of questions, which fits no penalty, but that is not an explicit statement. If there is none, a blank earns nothing and a guess costs nothing, so answer every question.
What the blueprint says about subjects
The organiser publishes a blueprint. In Table 1 of the November 2025 PDF, which we read directly, the discipline weights are internal medicine 20, obstetrics and gynaecology 15, paediatrics 15, surgery 15, family medicine 15, psychiatry 10 and public health 10, out of 100. Psychiatry and public health carry the lowest weights.
On 120 questions, our own arithmetic gives roughly 24, 18, 18, 18, 18, 12 and 12 questions. That is an estimate, not a published count. Weights inside each discipline are not published as far as we found, so any page that gives exact topic splits is guessing. See how to plan around the discipline weights.
What we could not confirm
These points are not stated by the organiser or are likely to change, so do not plan around them without checking.
- Negative marking.
- The number of options per question in the live exam.
- The pass mark after 2025 to 2026: the organiser lists 60 percent for that cycle and says it is set periodically.
- Exact sitting dates for the next cycle: the portal still showed only 2025 to 2026 on 15 October 2026.
How to practise for this format
Build one habit: timed sets of 40 questions in 60 minutes, then a full 120-question paper in 3 hours every second week from the half-way point of your plan. Meddex has a separate EMREE track for physicians with its own questions and mock exams. The question bank is still growing, so check the app for current coverage.
Read the EMREE exam guide for the route from registration to exam day, and what is the EMREE exam if you are new to it. For the Dubai licensing exam, which is a different test, see EMREE vs DHA.
Five minutes to confirm the format yourself
Do this before you book and again in the week before your sitting.
- Open the organiser’s exam structure page and the blueprint it links to.
- Write down the question count, the time and the discipline weights, with the date you checked.
- Read the FAQ for rules on attempts (up to three in an academic year), registration and what happens to poorly performing questions.
- Adjust your timed mocks to match what you read.
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.
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