If you are a General dentist or a Specialist dentist looking to work academically or practice clinically in one of the Gulf countries (United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Sultanate of Oman) you will need to pass the eligibility exams for the respective country/emirate before you can be granted with license to practice dentistry. Skip to start solving past exam questions by clicking here

It is important that you decide your country or emirate of choice for work at the outset and align your exam preparations in relation to that country or emirate because the exam result are not always transferable between countires/emirates. The exams are different for general dentists and specialty-specific for dental specialists. The exams guidelines below are applicable for both, General dentist as well as Specialist dentists. Additional exam guidance in terms of pattern and pass score for Specialist exams can be found here. The exams are run for the above Health authorities by a third party organization called Prometric Testing. The Prometric exams assess that your standards to practice dentistry are on par with international standards. This may mean abandoning old, text-book practices for new, evidence-based standards. 

All examination applications must be submitted online to register for the Prometric examination. We offer help with your e-application submission, credentialing, dataflow verification and scheduling your exams so that you can focus your valuable time on preparing for your exam. For using our services, simply fill up this form and hit submit and complete the payment. One of our team-members will be in touch with you using your preffered contact option to keep you up-to-date on your application progress. 

The examination will contain recall questions that test knowledge and questions with scenarios that test other skills (interpretation, analysis, clinical decision making, reasoning and problem solving). The FDI (Fédération Dentaire Internationale) two-digit tooth numbering system is used in the exams.

The exams are computer-based in the form of Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) in English language. Questions have four options from which the candidate will choose one answer, with no negative marking for wrong answers.

The exact format and rules & regulations vary slightly across countries as below:

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE)

To apply for the exams in the UAE as a General Dentist, you must have a recognized primary degree (BDS or equivalent) from an accredited health science program, completed one year of the internship program and two years of clinical experience. Dentists with no evidence of completion of internship will need an additional two years of experience. how to become dentist in dubai

1. Dubai: Dubai Health Authority (DHA) exam  To work in Dubai, one needs to pass the DHA eligibility exam. Passing the exam qualifies you to look and apply for work in Dubai ONLY and not anywhere else in the UAE.
2. Sharjah, Ajman, Ras al-Khaimah, Fujairah, and Umm al-Quwain: Ministry of Health (MOH) Exam
   Passing the MOH license exam gives you the right to search for job opportunities and work in Sharjah and above-mentioned emirates of the UAE only.
3. Abu Dhabi and Al Ain: Department of Health (DOH) (Previously, Health Authority of Abu Dhabi (HAAD)) exam
   Passing the DOH (HAAD) exam is the first step to working in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. Passing the exam gives you the eligibility to apply for job vacancies in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain ONLY and not anywhere else in the UAE.

The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) examinations’ time is 3 hours. Actual examination time is 2.5 hours for 100 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) for Dubai Health Authority (DHA). This means that the computer is timed at 2.5 hours when you begin your examination. However, your appointment slot will last 3 hours. The extra time will accomodate for the time you take to verify your identity and prepare yourself for the exam. 

For Ministry of Health (MOH) and Department of Health (DOH) (Previously, Health Authority of Abu Dhabi (HAAD)) exams, the actual examination time is 3 hours with 150 MCQs.

Additional exam guidance in terms of pattern and pass score for Specialist exams can be found here.

Pass score: Prometric exam result will be uploaded online electronically within 48 hours. Exam result will be based on total number of correct answers. Examinee with score 60% and above is considered as PASS for DHA and MOH exams. Examinee with score 65% and above is to be considered as PASS for DOH (HAAD) exams. Your Pass result will be valid for five (5) years.

Total number of Attempts: Dentists are granted a total of 3 attempts to pass the exam across the Authorities (DHA, MOH and DOH/HAAD). If a dentist fails all 3 attempts, they can only reapply for an exam with a higher title i.e. if a general dentist was unable to pass the exam after three attempts, they have to provide certificate of additional training in a specialty recognized by the Health Authority. After the third attempt, the exam-going dentist is also not allowed to apply for a lower or equivalent title; i.e. a general dentist will need to apply to sit an exam for a specialty.

There is absolutely no need to attend coaching centres in Kerala, Maharastra, Telengana or any other place/country for preparing for your exams. As graduated dental professionals, no dentists will require to be 'coached'. The exam test basic understanding of concepts at a graduate levels with some experience in dentistry. With the right learning resources, you can prepare by yourself by learning from the comforts of your home easily on your phone or tablet or laptop from eDental Portal. Start solving DHA, MOH and DOH (HAAD) questions here

Break or gap in practice for DHA, DOH, MOH exam

Non UAE nationals will not be able to apply for a license if they have a gap of clinical practice for more than 5 years (and more than 10 years for UAE nationals). If the years of gap in experience in less than 5 years, then a prescribed number of CPD points or training is recommended to apply for exams and license. Find more information on training programs in Dubai here

My DHA registration /eligibility letter is expired. How long is my DHA exam results valid for?

Maintaining an active registration avoids the need for re-assessment/ re-examination. Providing there is no discontinuity in clinical practice the Registration can be renewed within three (3) months of its expiry date or within three (3) months post the cancellation of the professional license.

EMREE exams 

All regulatory authorities DOH/HAAD, Dubai Health Authority and Ministry of Health have a unified entry examination conducted by College of Medicine and Health Sciences, UAE University

Registration for the exam must be completed online. Every applicant will receive an acknowledgement and a reference number to be used in all communications regarding examination registration processes. Applicants will only be allowed to register for ONE examination at a time.

Eligibility for EMREE 2022 exams:

• You must have completed five (5) years course duration dental program (BDS/DMD/DDS), an internship program and any requirements as per the relevant Authority’s (DHA/DOH/MOH) residency standards.
• University graduation after January 1st, 2017 (Non-UAE nationals ONLY) 
• Applicant should be below 33 years (Non-UAE nationals ONLY) 

Registration, processing and handling fee is 700 AED to be paid via credit card: MasterCard, VISA, visa electron, etc.

Exam Format for EMREE exams:

• The format is multiple choice questions (MCQs). There are usually 150 questions to be completed within 3 hours.  
• Pass percentage for the exam is fixed at 65%.
• Candidates, once passed will not be eligible to attempt any more exams conducted the same academic year.

The difficulty is set at a level of knowledge and skills expected of a dental graduate with at least one year post basic dentistry training and therefore it will be testing clinical application of dental science, clinical diagnosis and management.

The examination is computer based, but pencil and paper format may be offered with special request and permission beforehand. Every candidate who sits for the examination will receive an electronic statement of results indicating his/her score and ranking within ten working days of the examination. Those who have given the authorization in their application will have the results sent to the organization of their choice (DOH/HAAD, DHA and/or MOH).

In agreement with these authorities, these results are valid for 24 months from date of submission to the authorities.

KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA (KSA)

If you intend to practice in Saudi Arabia or get admitted to a postgraduate training program at the Saudi Commission for Heath Specialties (SCFHS), then it is Mandatory that you sit and pass the Saudi Dental Licensure Examination (SDLE). 

To apply for the Saudi Dental Licensing Exam (SDLE), you must have a recognized primary degree (BDS or equivalent) from an accredited health science program and commenced training the internship year (for Nationals) and a minimum of 1 years of experience (after internship) working in private clinic or hospital, and 5 years of experience for working in the Saudi Ministry of Health (for Foreigners).

It is a six-hour examination divided into three parts of 100 questions each (total of 300 MCQs) with time allocation of 120 minutes for each part. There are two scheduled breaks between section one-two and section two-three with a total break time of 45 minutes to be divided between these two breaks based on candidate preference. The recommended pass score for SDLE is 542 on 800. Find subject wise distribution and important areas to focus for SDLE exams here. Test results will be available online 2-6 weeks after the testing.

The exam pattern and pass score for Specialist SDLE exams are different which can be found here.

QATAR (QCHP (DHP) UPDATED November 2020 new exam pattern)

The qualifying exams for Qatar is Qatar Council for Healthcare Practitioners (QCHP) by the The Department of Healthcare Professions (DHP). It is considered to be one of the requirements for registration / licensing of healthcare practitioners.

QCHP DHP Exam Eligibility: To apply for the exams, you must have a recognized primary degree (BDS or equivalent) from an accredited health science program, completed the internship program and for foreign dentits- two (2) years of clinical experience. If you do not hold this experience, you can work as a trainee dentist until you satisfy the clinical experience period, following which you can attend the QCHP DHP exam and again full license as 'General Dentist'. A provisional license for Trainee dentist is issued by Supreme Council of Health ( SCH ), Qatar without examination.

Exam pattern: The examination includes 150 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) that is timed to be completed in 3.5 hours. Find subject weightage for the exam below.

Pass marks: ​A score report is obtained immediately after completing the exam. The pass grade is set at 60% for QCHP examinations. You can take the exam up to three times in one calendar year. 

Total number of exam attempts: An applicant may be allowed to appear for the licensure examination three consecutive times including previous examination attempts provided that the attempts are done within a maximum of three years from the first attempt. Should the applicant fail the three attempts, they will be required to go through a re-training period of a minimum of six months and to provide proof of completion of this training. Following the re-training period, the applicant may be permitted to re-appear for the licensure examination for two more attempts provided that they are done within a maximum of two years from the date of completion of re-training.

QCHP DHP Subject weightage/distribution:

An extortionate amount of time, effort and money are being spend at coaching centres in Kerala, Maharastra, Telengana and other places/countries for preparing for your exams. This is unnecessary. You can prepare for your exams without having to sit at coaching centres for long hours and without investing huge amounts of money, from the comforts of your home on your phone or tablet or laptop by solving questions on eDental Portal. Begin solving QCHP sample past exam questions by clicking here

QCHP DHP exam break or gap in practice

If you have had a break or gap in practice and was not in active clinical practice for more than 2 years, but less than 5 years, a 6 months of supervised practice/ Clinical Attachment is recommended to be eligible for giving exams.

BAHRAIN Licensure Examination (BLE)  (UPDATED January 2021 new exam pattern)

The National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) Bahrain exams is considered to be one of the requirements for registration / licensing of healthcare practitioners. 

To apply for the exams, you must have a recognized primary degree (BDS or equivalent) from an accredited health science program, completed the internship program and for foreign dentits- five (5) years of clinical experience.

The examination includes 150 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) that is timed to be completed in 3 hours. Start solving NHRA exam questions

​A score report is obtained immediately after completing the exam. The pass grade is set at 60% for all Bahrain NHRA examinations.

1. An applicant may be allowed to appear for the licensure examination four consecutive times including previous examination attempts provided that the attempts are done within a maximum of three years from the first attempt.

2. Should the applicant fail the fourth attempt, he/she will be required to go through a re-training period of a minimum of six months and to provide proof of completion of this training.

3. Following the re-training period, the applicant may be permitted to re-appear for the licensure examination for two more attempts provided that they are done within a maximum of two years from the date of completion of re-training.

OMAN

Oman Medical Specialty Board Exam (OMSB)

Registering for OMSB exams is open for all dentists with 4 years of experience after internship/housejob and does not require uploading any document. You can go straight to Prometric website to book for your exam.

The examination time is 3 hours for 150 MCQ questions. The acceptance score for all OMSB exams is 60%. The exam pattern is given in detail in our related posts

You can take the exam up to three times per one calendar year. Once, you pass the exam, there is a viva exam before you can start looking for job opportunities.

After finding job, every 6 years you are required to renew your license and your prometric results by re-sitting the above exam. 

Update February 2022-  Oman is taking up bookings for viva exams for expats! Details of viva exam exam pattern is given in our related posts

Prometric operates test centers across 160 countries. By this point if you know which of the above exams (called test sponsor) you are taking, you can locate a prometric test center closest to you on Prometric website. Good luck!