DOH Exam 2026 (HAAD) – Eligibility, Fees, Registration & Preparation

The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DOH) regulates healthcare professionals in Abu Dhabi. The DOH examination is one part of the professional licensing process and is used for applicable healthcare professional titles after the relevant application and credentialing requirements have been reviewed.

The current examination workflow uses Pearson VUE for the applicable computer-based examination. The exam should therefore not be described as a current Prometric exam.

HAAD stands for Health Authority – Abu Dhabi, the former name associated with Abu Dhabi's healthcare regulator. DOH stands for Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, the current authority name.

If you are searching for the "HAAD exam", use the current DOH instructions when applying or booking. The old HAAD terminology remains common online, but official current workflows use DOH terminology.

Whether an examination is required depends on the healthcare professional's title, application route and the applicable DOH requirements. Doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals can have different qualification, experience, examination and licensing requirements.

For doctors, do not assume that GP, Specialist and Consultant requirements are identical. Check the current UAE Unified Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR) and DOH requirements for the exact professional title.

For doctors applying for Abu Dhabi licensure, the relevant requirements can include education, professional experience, licensure status, credential verification and title-specific requirements. The UAE Unified PQR provides the framework used by the UAE health regulatory authorities to assess education, experience and licensure requirements.

Because requirements can change and can differ by title, use the current PQR and DOH eligibility requirements rather than relying on a single generic experience number.

View detailed DOH eligibility guide DOH DataFlow process

The DOH examination should be understood as one stage of a wider licensing process.

1. 1Check the current qualification and title requirements.
2. 2Start the professional licensing application through the current DOH/TAMM route.
3. 3Complete document verification/primary-source verification where required.
4. 4Wait for the DOH review/credentialing step to be approved for examination.
5. 5Complete the relevant DOH examination payment/pre-booking step in TAMM.
6. 6After the relevant TAMM payment, use the activated Pearson VUE link to access exam scheduling.
7. 7Select an available Pearson VUE test date, time and location.
8. 8Print the Pearson VUE booking confirmation.
9. 9Attend the test centre with the required original identification.
10. 10Receive the examination result and continue the remaining licensing process if all other requirements are satisfied.

DOH licensing process DOH licence issuance

The current Pearson VUE workflow begins after DOH approves the application for examination.

1. 1Log in to the relevant DOH/TAMM application.
2. 2Complete the DOH examination pre-booking/payment step when it becomes available.
3. 3After the DOH payment is completed, look for the Pearson VUE link under the relevant action in TAMM.
4. 4Open the Pearson VUE page and select the available date, time and location.
5. 5Complete the Pearson scheduling payment shown during booking.
6. 6Save and print the booking confirmation.

Pearson VUE currently states that the Pearson link is activated in TAMM after completion of the DOH payment and that candidates should bring the booking confirmation to the test centre.

DOH exam registration Pearson VUE — DOH

DOH examination details can vary by professional title. The official DOH examination document describes a computer-based examination with a duration between 60 and 180 minutes depending on the requested title, and states that the number of questions varies accordingly.

Some titles may have an oral or OSCE component. The exact examination component is determined as part of the approved application.

For this reason, avoid treating one question count, one duration or one passing score as universal for all DOH applicants.

DOH exam pattern

The content of the examination depends on the professional title. Doctors should prepare according to the current syllabus or examination scope applicable to their title and specialty.

For GP candidates, GulfMedExams' preparation resources can organize clinical study around major areas such as internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, while additional areas may be relevant depending on the current examination scope.

DOH exam syllabus Explore DOH study materials

The total cost of the Abu Dhabi licensing pathway is not necessarily the same as the examination booking cost. Depending on the applicant and professional title, costs can include application/credentialing, verification, examination and other licensing charges.

DOH's examination documentation states that examination payments are per attempt and that amounts depend on the title. Pearson scheduling fees are handled through the examination booking workflow. Always confirm the amount displayed in the current DOH/TAMM and Pearson VUE workflow before payment.

For the detailed current cost breakdown, see the DOH exam fees guide.

Abu Dhabi offers tax-free healthcare salaries with competitive benefits packages. The monthly ranges below are recruiter and job-board reported figures, not an official DOH or employer schedule — actual offers vary by employer, sector, title and experience.

Major Abu Dhabi employers include SEHA (Abu Dhabi Health Services Company — Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Mafraq Hospital, Tawam Hospital), Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, the Burjeel hospital group, NMC Healthcare, Mediclinic Al Noor, and Abu Dhabi primary-care centres. Packages typically add furnished housing or a housing allowance, annual return flights, dependent health insurance and end-of-service gratuity. A DOH licence is required before practising — passing the examination is only one component of that process.

The DOH examination is scheduled through the applicable booking workflow rather than a single annual examination day. After the application is approved for examination and the required payment steps are completed, candidates use Pearson VUE to select an available testing date, time and location.

Availability depends on the scheduling system and test-centre capacity. Check the live booking options rather than relying on an old list of fixed dates.

Pearson VUE provides specific admission requirements. Candidates should:

• Bring two forms of valid, original identification.
• Ensure one identification document contains a signature.
• Bring the original passport plus another accepted government/official photo ID where applicable.
• Bring a printed copy of the Pearson VUE booking confirmation.
• Arrive about 30 minutes before the scheduled appointment.
• Plan for security procedures and storage of personal belongings before entering the testing room.

Photocopies are not accepted for admission. Late arrival can result in refusal of admission, with exam and delivery fees non-refundable or non-transferable under Pearson VUE's stated policy.

• Staff verify your appointment and identity.
• A photograph and electronic signature may be collected during check-in.
• Personal belongings are stored in a locker and are not permitted in the testing room.
• The testing station includes a computer, mouse and keyboard.
• An onscreen standard calculator is available for the applicable computer-based exam.
• A short onscreen tutorial is available before the exam begins.
• Breaks may be permitted, but exam time continues to count down.

After completing the examination, Pearson VUE states that candidates receive a printed score report indicating whether they passed or failed. The result is also sent automatically to DOH.

DOH's examination documentation states that CBT results are announced as PASS or FAIL on TAMM and gives a stated timeframe of within 24 hours for CBT. Oral/OSCE results have a different stated timeframe.

A passing exam result is only one component of the licensing application. The candidate must still satisfy the other DOH eligibility and licensing requirements.

DOH exam results

The current DOH examination documentation states that an applicant must not have failed more than three times for the same title across UAE health authorities. It also states that the examination step is valid for six months from the relevant credentialing approval and that a new application is required if the exam is not passed within that period.

Do not assume a single universal waiting period between attempts. Confirm the current rules applicable to your title and application.

Effective preparation should combine clinical knowledge, question practice, error review and timed testing.

1. 1Confirm your professional title and the current examination scope.
2. 2Review the relevant syllabus and identify the major clinical areas.
3. 3Take a diagnostic MCQ set to identify weak subjects.
4. 4Study concepts and clinical decision-making rather than memorizing answer patterns.
5. 5Practice topic-wise questions while learning from explanations.
6. 6Keep an error log for repeated mistakes.
7. 7Move from topic-wise practice to mixed timed blocks.
8. 8Use full mock exams to practice pacing and concentration.
9. 9Review weak areas before the final stage of preparation.
10. 10Use recall questions as supplementary practice, not as a replacement for broad clinical preparation.

GulfMedExams provides 15,000+ high-yield MCQs, study materials, topic-based practice, progress tracking and mock-exam resources. Use the dedicated DOH exam preparation and DOH MCQ pages for detailed study resources.

Start DOH MCQ practice

DOH and DHA are separate licensing authorities. For Dubai, see our DHA exam guide; for a side-by-side view, see the DHA vs DOH comparison, and for the Northern Emirates the DOH vs MOH comparison.