Sheryan is the DHA digital platform and e-licensing system for registering and licensing health professionals and facilities in Dubai. You create your account there, use the self-assessment tool and apply for registration.

What is primary source verification?

A process of validating the documents required for licensing directly with the organisation that issued them. DHA delegates it to a third-party agency, and its Sheryan FAQ names DataFlow.

What is an Eligibility ID?

A number that Sheryan gives you after you apply and create an account. You need it to complete the Prometric online booking for the DHA computer-based exam.

What does EMREE stand for?

Emirates Medical Residency Entrance Examination. It is an entrance exam for doctors who want residency training in the UAE, and it is not a licensing exam.

Is Prometric the same as DHA?

No. Prometric is the test provider through which DHA runs its computer-based tests. DHA is the licensing authority and sets the rules, the content and the pass score.

What is a good standing certificate?

A certificate showing that you are competent to practise and have no pending or previous disciplinary or criminal proceedings. DHA says the licensing authority that holds your registration must issue it, and it must not be older than six months when you apply.

Glossary

DHA and EMREE glossary.

The names and terms around the DHA licensing exam and EMREE, in plain words, each with where its wording comes from.

Short answer: This glossary defines 48 terms around the DHA licensing exam and the EMREE exam: the authorities, the licensing steps, the exam rules, the question terms and the study methods. Each says whether its wording comes from DHA documents, the EMREE organiser or Meddex. Meddex is independent of all of them.

Authorities and bodies

Each body is the authority for its own rules. Check its website for current detail.

DHA (Dubai Health Authority): The government body that regulates and licenses health professionals and facilities in Dubai. It runs the licensing exam that this site prepares candidates for. Worded from DHA documents. See DHA exam guide.
DOH (Department of Health, Abu Dhabi): The health authority for the emirate of Abu Dhabi, with its own licensing process. Meddex does not prepare for it. Meddex wording. See DHA vs DOH vs MOHAP.
MOHAP (Ministry of Health and Prevention): The federal ministry, generally the licensing authority for the Northern Emirates. Meddex does not prepare for it. Meddex wording. See DHA vs DOH vs MOHAP.
DHCC (Dubai Healthcare City Authority): The authority for facilities inside Dubai Healthcare City. DHA says it recognises a primary source verification report issued by DHCC. Meddex wording.
NIHS (National Institute for Health Specialities): The UAE body for specialty training. It conducts the EMREE exam through the UAE University portal. Worded from the EMREE organiser's pages. See EMREE exam guide.
UAEU (UAE University): The university whose College of Medicine and Health Sciences runs the medical board exams portal that hosts EMREE. Worded from the EMREE organiser's pages. See EMREE exam guide.
Prometric: The test provider through which DHA runs its computer-based tests. DHA says you may attend at any Prometric centre across the globe. Prometric is not DHA, and Meddex is connected to neither. Worded from DHA documents. See DHA exam centres and booking from abroad.

Licensing process terms

These come up when you apply to DHA.

Sheryan: The DHA digital platform and e-licensing system for registering and licensing health professionals and facilities in Dubai. Worded from DHA documents. See Sheryan portal steps.
Eligibility ID: A number Sheryan gives you after you apply and create an account. You need it to complete the Prometric online booking for the computer-based exam. Worded from DHA documents. See DHA exam dates and booking windows.
PQR (Professional Qualification Requirements): The unified document, issued with the UAE regulatory authorities, that sets the qualifications, experience and other requirements for each licensing title. DHA says it is updated every two to three years. Worded from DHA documents. See DHA licensing checklist.
Self-Assessment Tool: A free Sheryan service that gives an immediate evaluation of your qualifications and experience against the PQR. DHA says it is preliminary and the application is what confirms eligibility. Worded from DHA documents.
Review eligibility: A paid Sheryan service for applicants whom the Self-Assessment Tool marks as not eligible. DHA's accreditation team reviews the case and, if it is approved, you can apply to Get Registered. Worded from DHA documents.
Get Registered: The Sheryan service for a new professional registration. DHA says it cannot be processed until the primary source verification report is complete and the assessment is passed, if one is required. Worded from DHA documents.
Registration: The first step towards a licence. DHA registration confirms your eligibility for the applied position. DHA says it is valid for one year and is not a permit to practise until a hiring facility activates it into a licence. Worded from DHA documents.
Licence: A permission granted by an authority to practise a health profession. In Dubai, a registration becomes a licence when a hiring health facility activates it. Worded from DHA documents.
PSV (primary source verification): A process of validating the documents required for licensing directly with the organisation that issued them. DHA also calls it document verification, and it delegates it to a third-party agency. Worded from DHA documents. See DataFlow primary source verification.
DataFlow Group: The specialised international verification company that DHA's Sheryan FAQ names as the one that completes primary source verification for DHA applications. Worded from DHA documents. See DataFlow primary source verification.
Unable to Verify (UTV): A verification result meaning the verification was incomplete, for example because credentials were missing, the applicant did not respond to the verification agency, or the issuing body raised issues. You may ask for re-verification of the same document twice. Worded from DHA documents.
Discrepancy result: A verification result showing negative feedback about the submitted credentials. You may ask for re-verification of the same document once. Worded from DHA documents.
Good Standing Certificate (GSC): A certificate showing that you are competent to practise, have not been found guilty of unprofessional conduct, and have no pending or previous disciplinary or criminal proceedings. The same licensing authority that holds your registration must issue it, and DHA asks for it to be valid and not older than six months when you apply. Worded from DHA documents. See DHA licensing checklist.
Title, category and position: DHA's words for what you are licensed as. The category is the profession (doctor, dentist, nursing, allied health), the title is the level (for example specialist or consultant) and the specialty is the field. Together they make your position. Worded from DHA documents. See Pass mark by title.
Experience (for licensing): Hands-on clinical experience gained by a licensed professional in salaried or contract employment. DHA says it excludes volunteer work, observership and clinical attachment. Worded from DHA documents.
Gap of practice (discontinuity of practice): A break in clinical practice. In the PQR, a break of more than three years brings extra CME or CPD requirements and the exam, and in general non-UAE nationals cannot apply with a gap of more than five years. Worded from DHA documents.
Dubai Medical Registry: A public database maintained by DHA that lists licensed and registered health professionals. Worded from DHA documents.
APS (approved practice setting): A health facility recognised by the authorities for the clinical training or practice that the PQR requires in some cases. Worded from DHA documents.

Exam terms

These describe the exams and the rules around them.

CBT (computer-based test): An exam taken on a computer at a test centre. DHA says its CBTs are Multiple Choice Questions. It does not say single best answer or how many options each question has. Worded from DHA documents. See Format and pass mark by title.
Oral assessment: An interview by an examining panel, conducted in Dubai physically or virtually as DHA decides. DHA uses it for titles that are not on the CBT list. Worded from DHA documents.
CBT Guideline: The DHA document that lists, for each title, the exam code, number of questions, stated time, content areas and pass score. DHA says it can change content, format or pass score without updating the document. Worded from DHA documents. See Format and pass mark by title.
Pass score: The percentage DHA sets for a title. It differs by title and DHA reports only pass or fail, not your score. It is not the same as a practice target. Worded from DHA documents. See Pass mark by title.
Attempt: One sitting of the assessment. DHA allows three attempts per position across the UAE authorities. A cancelled or missed exam is not counted as a failed attempt, and DHA does not refund exam fees. Worded from DHA documents. See What to do if you fail.
Exam equivalency: A rule in the PQR that exempts certain applicants from the licensure exam, for example for holders of listed exams or licences. DHA says the exemption covers the exam only, not verification or experience. Worded from DHA documents. See EMREE vs DHA.
Tier (Tier 1, 2, 3): A term the PQR uses to group postgraduate qualifications for physicians and dentists by country. The tier affects the experience DHA asks for and whether a consultant title is possible. Worded from DHA documents.
Learning Outcome letter: A letter from Prometric after a DHA CBT that lists general strengths and weaknesses. It does not show the result. DHA releases results through Sheryan. Worded from DHA documents.
EMREE (Emirates Medical Residency Entrance Examination): A multiple-choice entrance exam for doctors who want residency training in the UAE. It is not a licensing exam. Worded from the EMREE organiser's pages. See EMREE exam guide.

Question and blueprint terms

These describe how a paper is written.

Single best answer (SBA): A question with several options where one is the best, even if others are partly true. DHA does not state that its exams use this style, so treat it as a common format, not an official fact. Meddex wording. See Single best answer technique.
Stem: The scenario and the question before the options. Meddex wording.
Lead-in: The final line that tells you what to choose, such as the first action. Meddex wording.
Distractor: A wrong option written to look plausible. Meddex wording.
Blueprint: A document that says what an exam covers and sometimes how much of each area. The EMREE blueprint lists discipline weights. DHA lists content areas for each title and publishes no weights. Meddex wording.
Content area: A topic heading in DHA's CBT Guideline for a title. A list of areas does not tell you how many questions each will have. Worded from DHA documents.
Benchmark: A score used for planning, such as a practice target. It is not the pass score an exam body sets. Meddex wording. See What score to aim for in practice.

Study terms

These describe how people prepare.

Mock exam: A timed, full-length practice paper under exam conditions. It shows where you are on the day, and it does not predict your result. Meddex wording. See Mock tests.
Question bank: A large set of practice questions with explanations. Meddex wording. See Question bank.
Spaced repetition: Reviewing information at increasing gaps so you meet it just before you would forget it. Meddex wording. See How spaced repetition works.
Active recall: Pulling an answer from memory instead of rereading it. Meddex wording.
Error log: A list of your mistakes with the rule that fixes each one. Meddex wording. See How to build an error log.
Mnemonic: A memory aid such as a phrase or acronym. Meddex wording.
CME and CPD: Continuing medical education and continuing professional development: learning activity that authorities may require to renew a licence or to cover a gap in practice. DHA treats CPD as also called CME, and the hours are set by the authority. Worded from DHA documents. See DHA licence renewal and CME.

Meddex is an independent preparation platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), Prometric, UAE University or the National Institute of Health Specialties (NIHS). Always confirm exam details on the official websites. Last reviewed 16 October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

DHA exam guideFormat, licensing steps and study plans.EMREE vs DHAThe two exams compared side by side.DHA exam format and pass mark by titleQuestions, time and pass score for every title.DHA licensing checklistDocuments, steps and a timeline to tick off.Where to confirm the DHA exam feeWhere DHA prints the fee, with no amount quoted.GuidesStudy plans and exam guides for the DHA and EMREE exams.

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