DOH exam (HAAD) for nurses: what it is and how it works
The DOH exam is the Abu Dhabi nursing licensing exam, and the "HAAD exam" is the same thing under its old name: the Health Authority Abu Dhabi became the Department of Health (DOH). It is delivered by Pearson VUE and booked through TAMM. DOH does not publish the number of questions, the time or the pass mark for nurses.
- Regulator
- Department of Health (DOH) Abu Dhabi, formerly HAAD (Health Authority Abu Dhabi)
- Delivered by
- Pearson VUE (DOH page), not Prometric
- Booking route
- DOH approves your application, you pay the pre-booking fee in TAMM, then a Pearson VUE link in TAMM lets you pick date, time and centre
- Questions, time, pass mark
- Not published by DOH or Pearson VUE for nurses
- Attempts
- Three across all UAE authorities
- Language
- English
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Original questions across the DOH (HAAD) exam for nurses topic areas, with an explanation after every answer and your estimated readiness at the end.
Start the free check90 free practice questions for nurses, with answers
Original questions for DHA, DOH, MOH, SCFHS, QCHP, OMSB, Kuwait and NHRA, each with a full explanation. Read them on one page or download the PDF. No sign-up.
HAAD exam or DOH exam: same exam, new name
Nurses still type "haad exam" because the Abu Dhabi regulator used to be called HAAD. It is now the Department of Health, so "DOH exam" is the current name. Pearson VUE still labels its programme "HAAD" and still uses a HAAD customer service address, which keeps the old name alive. If a prep site tells you the DOH exam is run by Prometric, it is out of date: Pearson VUE says it delivers the DOH exam.
The exam is one step in getting an Abu Dhabi licence. It sits between your application and your licence, and it is only offered once DOH has approved your file.
What DOH and Pearson VUE do not publish
Compare DHA, which publishes its numbers: Registered Nurse is 150 multiple-choice questions, 3 hours, pass mark 50% (DHA assessment guideline). DOH Abu Dhabi and MOHAP publish no equivalent for nurses. Websites that quote a question count, a clock and a percentage for these two are guessing, and they contradict each other (some say 100 questions, some 150, with pass marks from 50% to 90%). We do not repeat those numbers.
What this means for you: you cannot train to a stopwatch you do not have. Prepare for the whole scope of adult, maternal-child, fundamentals and management nursing, and treat any number you read as unconfirmed until DOH or Pearson VUE states it.
| Item | DHA Dubai (published) | DOH Abu Dhabi |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 150 | Not published |
| Time | 3 hours | Not published |
| Pass mark | 50% | Not published |
| Delivered by | Prometric | Pearson VUE |
| Booked through | Sheryan | TAMM |
How to book the DOH exam
- Apply for your licence through TAMM and submit your documents.
- Wait for DOH Health Professionals Licensing to approve your application for the exam.
- Pay the pre-booking fee in TAMM.
- Open the Pearson VUE link that appears in TAMM and choose your date, time and test centre.
- Bring valid ID on the day and read the candidate rules you receive from Pearson VUE.
Results are reported as pass or fail on a score report. Fees are shown in TAMM at the time you apply, so check them there rather than on a prep site.
Attempts: three across the UAE
Under the Unified Professional Qualification Requirements, an applicant gets three attempts to pass across the UAE authorities, not three per authority. The same text appears in the DHA document (DHA Unified PQR) and is quoted in DOH material (DOH PQR page). A failed sit at DHA, DOH or MOHAP uses one of the three, so check your history before you pay for another. Cancelling or not attending is a different matter: DHA states that does not count as a failed attempt, but the fee is not refunded. For DOH, we have not confirmed the current waiting period between attempts, so ask DOH or read your TAMM booking page.
How to prepare when the format is not published
The sensible route is to prepare to the published UAE format and cover the full nursing scope. Our UAE practice mock follows the published DHA format of 150 questions in 3 hours, and one pass covers every Gulf regulator. The free 20-question check on the free test page needs no sign-up and shows your weak areas first. For the DHA numbers in detail see our DHA exam guide, and for nurse-specific help see the DOH exam for nurses and DOH exam questions.
Gulf Health Exam is independent. We are not affiliated with DOH, Pearson VUE, DHA or any regulator.
Sample questions with explanations
Community and public health
A community nurse runs a clinic for adults with type 2 diabetes and established peripheral neuropathy. The nurse teaches daily foot inspection, correct footwear and when to seek care for blisters. What is the main aim at this level of prevention?
- To detect diabetes early in people who have no symptoms
- To prevent ulceration and amputation in people who already have complications
- To prevent healthy adults from developing type 2 diabetes
- To reduce population sugar intake through public policy
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: B. These patients already have neuropathy, so the aim is to reduce disability and limb loss. This is tertiary prevention, which limits complications and supports rehabilitation in established disease.
- A. Detecting undiagnosed disease is secondary prevention; these patients are already diagnosed.
- C. Preventing onset in healthy adults is primary prevention.
- D. Policy change on sugar intake is a population-level primary or primordial measure.
Key point: Tertiary prevention reduces complications and disability in established disease.
Based on: IDF Clinical Practice Recommendations on the Diabetic Foot; Stanhope & Lancaster, Public Health Nursing, 10th ed.
Critical care and emergency
A nurse finds a 58-year-old man unresponsive in his hospital bed. He is not breathing normally. The scene is safe and there is no response to shouting or shaking his shoulders. Which action should the nurse take next?
- Shout for help, activate the emergency team and get the defibrillator, checking a pulse for no more than 10 seconds
- Give two rescue breaths with a pocket mask, then go to call the emergency team
- Insert an oropharyngeal airway and attach a pulse oximeter before calling for help
- Check the medical record for the resuscitation status before starting any action
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: A. After confirming unresponsiveness and absent or abnormal breathing, the rescuer shouts for help and activates the emergency response system so that a defibrillator and team arrive quickly. A pulse check of up to 10 seconds is done at the same time, and compressions start immediately if no definite pulse is felt.
- B. Starting with breaths delays recognition of arrest and activation of the team; compressions take priority in adults.
- C. Equipment and monitoring are secondary and delay help and compressions.
- D. Code status should be known by the team, but a delay to check the chart is not appropriate in an unresponsive, non-breathing patient unless a valid DNAR is already known.
Key point: Activate the emergency response and get the defibrillator early; start compressions without delay if there is no definite pulse.
Based on: AHA 2025 Guidelines for CPR and ECC
Fundamentals of nursing
A 46-year-old man is admitted with a 4-week cough with blood-streaked sputum, night sweats and weight loss. His chest X-ray shows an upper-lobe cavity and pulmonary tuberculosis is suspected. Which precaution is most appropriate while results are awaited?
- Single room with the door left open for observation, and staff wearing a surgical mask
- Positive-pressure single room with the door closed, and staff wearing a gown and gloves
- Standard precautions only, with the patient wearing a surgical mask in a shared bay
- Negative-pressure single room, door closed, staff in fit-tested N95 (FFP2) respirators
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: D. Tuberculosis is spread by small airborne droplet nuclei, so the patient needs an airborne infection isolation room (negative pressure, door closed) and staff need a fit-tested particulate respirator. Isolation starts on suspicion, before confirmation.
- A. Surgical masks do not filter airborne droplet nuclei and the door must stay closed.
- B. Positive pressure would push contaminated air out into the corridor; gown and gloves do not protect against inhalation.
- C. Standard precautions are not enough for suspected TB; a bay shares air with other patients.
Key point: Suspected TB, measles or varicella: airborne precautions, negative-pressure room and N95 respirator.
Based on: CDC Guideline for Isolation Precautions (2007, updated); WHO guidelines on TB infection prevention and control (2019)
Common questions
Is the HAAD exam the same as the DOH exam?
Yes. HAAD was the Health Authority Abu Dhabi. It is now the Department of Health (DOH), so the HAAD exam and the DOH exam are the same Abu Dhabi licensing exam.
Who delivers the DOH exam, Prometric or Pearson VUE?
Pearson VUE. Its own DOH page says so. Prometric delivers the DHA and MOHAP exams.
How many questions are in the DOH exam for nurses?
DOH does not publish a question count for nurses. Sites that give a number disagree with each other, so we do not quote one.
What is the DOH exam pass mark?
It is not published for nurses. Do not trust a single percentage from a prep site.
How do I book the DOH exam?
After DOH approves your application, pay the pre-booking fee in TAMM. A Pearson VUE link then appears in TAMM so you can choose a date, time and centre.
How many times can I take the exam?
Three attempts across all UAE authorities. A fail at DHA or MOHAP counts toward the same three.
Related guides
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