What is the Prometric exam?
A computer-based assessment that several GCC health authorities use to test professional competence as part of licensing. Prometric delivers the test; the authority sets the content and the pass standard, by profession and specialty. It is one stage of a licence application, and the fee is payable in full on every attempt.
Who sets the exam, and who delivers it?
The confusion built into the name causes real problems, so it is worth separating plainly.
- The licensing authority
- Sets what is examined, for which professions and specialties, and what counts as a pass. Decides who is exempt. Issues the licence at the end. This is DHA, DOH, MOHAP or another regulator, depending on where you will work.
- The test delivery provider
- Runs the test centres and the computer-based delivery. It does not decide your result's consequences, cannot tell you whether you are exempt, and has no role in your licence application beyond delivering the assessment.
- What that means for you
- Questions about eligibility, exemption, specialty scope and what happens after a pass go to the authority, not to the test provider. People lose weeks writing to the wrong one.
What does the exam cost?
Fees are set by the authority and paid by you. Where we hold no sourced figure we say so rather than estimating.
| Authority | Examination fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| DHA, Dubai | USD 180-300 | By profession and specialty. Non-refundable; full fee payable on each reattempt. |
| DOH, Abu Dhabi | AED 1,400-1,700 | |
| MOHAP, northern emirates | AED 1,200-1,600 | |
| SCFHS, Saudi Arabia | Not published | [VERIFY: SCFHS examination fees by profession. Obtain from SCFHS before publishing any figure.] |
| QCHP, Qatar | Not published | [VERIFY: QCHP examination fees by profession. Obtain from QCHP before publishing any figure.] |
Sources: DHA and UAE fee breakdown, DHA fee structure and packages
Two attempts at the top of the DHA range costs more than the verification that preceded it. That is the entire case for preparing properly the first time, and it is a stronger case than any marketing claim we could make about our own preparation support.
What is the exam format?
[VERIFY: Prometric examination format by authority, profession and specialty, including question count, duration and pass mark. Obtain from each authority before publishing any figure.]
We are not going to give you a number here, and it is worth explaining why rather than leaving a gap you assume is an oversight.
There is no single Prometric exam. The content, the length and the pass standard are set by each authority for each profession and specialty. A nurse sitting for DHA and a radiographer sitting for DOH are not taking variants of one test. Any page that tells you "the Prometric exam has N questions in M minutes" is describing one specific combination and presenting it as universal, or is repeating a figure it did not check.
The correct source for your format is the authority you are applying to, for your profession and title. We will publish the figures here as we can confirm them, with a citation and a review date, in the way every other number on this site carries one.
How should you prepare?
The sites that rank for this term are mostly selling question banks. We do not sell one on this page, so here is the advice without that interest attached.
- First
Establish whether you need to sit it at all
Some qualifications, grades and titles are exempt. Finding out you were exempt after paying a non-refundable fee is a bad way to learn it.
- Then
Get the blueprint for your profession from the authority
The authority publishes what is assessed. That document, not a third-party summary of it, is what your preparation should be built around.
- Then
Practise against the blueprint, under timed conditions
A practice bank built from the published blueprint is a legitimate and useful tool. Most failures are preparation failures rather than knowledge failures, and the specific preparation gap is usually pace rather than content.
- Not this
Material claiming to be live exam questions
It is either not what it claims, or it was obtained in breach of the examination terms you agree to when you book. Both outcomes are bad for you, and the second is considerably worse than failing.
How do you book the exam?
Through the authority's own process, in your own name, paying the fee yourself. Booking follows eligibility: most authorities require your application and, in several cases, your verification to have reached a certain stage before you can schedule.
What happens after you pass?
The exam is one gate of four. Passing it does not license you: it satisfies the competence requirement so that the application can proceed to registration.
The full sequence every GCC regulator runs is on how it works. The stage immediately before this one is usually primary source verification, and the stage after is registration with the authority itself, covered on each authority page from DHA onwards.
What else do people ask about the exam?
What is the Prometric exam?
A computer-based assessment used by several GCC health authorities to test professional competence as part of licensing. Prometric is the test delivery provider; the content and the pass standard are set by the licensing authority, by profession and specialty. It is one stage of a licensing application, not the application itself.
How much does the exam cost?
It depends on the authority. DHA publishes USD 180-300, DOH AED 1,400-1,700 and MOHAP AED 1,200-1,600. We hold no confirmed figure for SCFHS or QCHP and will not estimate one.
What happens if I fail?
By profession and specialty. Non-refundable; full fee payable on each reattempt. That is the sentence worth rereading: the fee is not refunded and a reattempt costs the same again. Preparation is an economic decision here, not only an academic one.
How many questions are there and how long do I get?
We do not publish a question count, a duration or a pass mark, because the format is set by the authority for each profession and specialty and we hold no sourced figure for any of them. A site that gives you one number for "the Prometric exam" is describing one profession at one authority, or has made it up.
Do I need a question bank?
A practice bank built from the published blueprint for your profession is useful. Material claiming to be actual live exam questions is a different thing: it is either not what it claims, or it was obtained in breach of the examination terms you agree to when you book. Using it puts your candidacy at risk.
Which authorities use Prometric?
Several GCC health authorities use it as their delivery provider, including DHA, DOH and MOHAP, all of which publish an examination fee. Others assess by different means or exempt certain qualifications and grades entirely. Establish which applies to your profession before paying for anything.
Can I be exempt from the exam?
Sometimes. Some authorities exempt certain qualifications, grades or titles from assessment. Whether that applies to you depends on your qualification and the title you are applying for, and it is one of the first things worth establishing, because it can remove a cost and several weeks.
Do I sit it before or after verification?
It varies by authority, and getting the order wrong wastes time rather than money. SCFHS requires primary source verification to be complete before the registration application is submitted. Other authorities allow more overlap. Check the sequence for your authority first.