DOH exam for nurses (formerly the HAAD exam for nurses)
The DOH exam for nurses, also searched as the "haad exam for nurses", is the Abu Dhabi licensing exam for registered nurses, taken at a Pearson VUE centre after DOH approves your application. DOH does not publish its question count, time or pass mark.
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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.
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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.
What nurses need to know first
Abu Dhabi uses the same Unified Professional Qualification Requirements as Dubai and the northern emirates. For a registered nurse that means a bachelor's degree in nursing of at least three years and a valid BLS certificate (DHA Unified PQR). DOH nurse guidance also mentions a six-month internship for non-UAE nationals who graduated from a UAE university.
The exam is in English. You are examined on nursing practice, not on Abu Dhabi law.
What the exam covers
DOH has not published a blueprint for nurses. The Unified UAE requirements and the DHA guideline list four areas: fundamentals, adult nursing, maternal-child nursing, and unit management and leadership. DHA gives no weights, and neither does DOH, so we never state percentages for them. A safe plan is to give most of your time to adult nursing and then spread the rest across the other three, adjusting by your own practice results.
- Fundamentals: assessment, infection control, safety, basic care
- Adult nursing: medical-surgical conditions, medicines, emergencies
- Maternal-child nursing: antenatal, labour, newborn, paediatrics
- Management and leadership: delegation, ethics, quality and safety
Booking and attempts
Apply in TAMM, wait for DOH approval, pay the pre-booking fee in TAMM, then use the Pearson VUE link there to pick your centre and date. You get three attempts across all UAE authorities, so a failed Dubai sit uses one of them. See the DOH exam (HAAD) guide for the full route and the comparison with DHA, which does publish 150 questions, 3 hours and a 50% pass mark.
How to practise for it
Because the numbers are not published, practise to the format that is: our UAE practice mock uses the published DHA layout, and the DHA exam page explains it. Start with the free 20-question check, then use adaptive practice on the topics it flags. Our questions are original and each is reviewed by a second person. We never use recalled or real exam questions.
Common questions
Is there a separate HAAD exam for nurses?
No. The HAAD exam for nurses is the DOH exam for nurses. HAAD is the old name of the Abu Dhabi regulator.
Do nurses need experience to sit the DOH exam?
The Unified PQR for registered nurses lists a bachelor's degree of at least three years and BLS, with no minimum experience, subject to the rules on gaps in practice. Check your own case with DOH.
What does the DOH nurse exam cover?
DOH does not publish a blueprint. The UAE requirements list fundamentals, adult nursing, maternal-child nursing and management and leadership.
Can I use my DHA result in Abu Dhabi?
Attempts are counted across UAE authorities. Whether a DHA pass is accepted depends on DOH's rules for your case, so confirm with DOH before booking.
Related guides
Sources
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