GP Licensing Exams 2026: DHA, DOH, MOHAP, Saudi, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain & Kuwait
A General Practitioner planning to work in the Gulf should choose the licensing authority first and the exam-preparation resource second.
DHA, DOH, MOHAP, SCFHS, Qatar DHP, OMSB, Bahrain NHRA and Kuwait MOH do not operate one universal “GP Prometric exam.” Each regulator has its own eligibility, credential-verification, assessment and licensing pathway.
First identify: country → regulator → professional title → eligibility → assessment requirement → booking route.
GP Licensing Exams in the Gulf: Quick Comparison
| Location | Authority | GP / Physician Assessment Pathway | Current Testing Route | Important Point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai, UAE | DHA | General Practice professional assessment when required | Prometric CBT | Current DHA GP specification lists 150 questions, 3 hours and a 60% pass score. |
| Abu Dhabi, UAE | DOH | DOH healthcare-professional assessment according to approved category | Pearson VUE pathway | Do not use DHA booking instructions or DHA exam specifications for a DOH application. |
| UAE federal pathway | MOHAP | Health-professional evaluation and prescribed assessment where applicable | Depends on the applicable evaluation pathway | Complete the MOHAP evaluation pathway and follow the assessment instructions issued for your category. |
| Saudi Arabia | SCFHS | Professional medical licensure and/or professional classification pathway | Authority-specific SCFHS process; Prometric is used for applicable classification exams | Do not describe every Saudi doctor pathway as an “SMLE GP exam.” |
| Qatar | DHP | General Practitioner Qualifying Examination when required | Prometric CBT | Current DHP GP listing: 150 MCQs, 3 hours, 60% cut score. |
| Oman | OMSB | Occupational Classification examination for applicable healthcare categories | OMSB National Test Center / Pearson VUE | “OMSB Prometric” is an outdated shortcut. Follow current OMSB and Pearson VUE instructions. |
| Bahrain | NHRA | NHRA professional licensing and licensure-examination pathway | NHRA currently links licensure-exam candidates to Prometric | A complete professional-license application is required before examination permission. |
| Kuwait | Kuwait MOH | MOH professional licensing pathway | Verify the current assessment and booking instructions directly with Kuwait MOH | Do not copy another Gulf authority's provider, exam length or pass score into a Kuwait application. |
Exam providers, specifications and regulatory rules can change. Always confirm the current official authority information before paying for an examination.
1. DHA GP Licensing Pathway — Dubai
DHA General Practice Assessment
Dubai Health Authority regulates healthcare-professional licensing in Dubai. Candidates should begin by confirming that their qualification, internship, professional experience and other credentials meet the applicable professional requirements.
DHA provides a Self-Assessment Tool to help applicants check the professional qualification requirements before progressing through the registration pathway.
The current DHA Healthcare Professional Licensing Assessment CBT Guideline lists the following for General Practice:
- Exam code: GEN5331
- Questions: 150
- Duration: 3 hours
- Published pass score: 60%
- Current listed fee: USD 280
- Testing partner: Prometric
2. DOH GP Licensing Pathway — Abu Dhabi
DOH Is a Separate Licensing Pathway
The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi regulates healthcare professionals in Abu Dhabi. Although older candidates may still use the term HAAD exam, the current regulator is DOH.
Current DOH examination scheduling is integrated with the professional licensing application and uses the Pearson VUE examination pathway after the candidate is approved for assessment.
3. MOHAP GP Licensing Pathway — UAE
Start With the MOHAP Evaluation Service
The Ministry of Health and Prevention provides the Evaluation of Health Professional service for candidates seeking the professional evaluation required for applicable UAE licensing pathways.
MOHAP evaluates qualifications, professional credentials and experience against the applicable unified professional requirements and may require an assessment according to the candidate's profession and pathway.
The current MOHAP service page lists a professional-evaluation fee of AED 500 for physicians and dentists.
4. Saudi Medical Licensing Pathway — SCFHS
Do Not Call This Simply the “SMLE GP Exam”
The Saudi Commission for Health Specialties manages professional licensure, classification and registration pathways in Saudi Arabia.
SCFHS describes its Professional Practice Licensure Examinations as examinations designed to assess the competencies required to obtain a professional practice licence after the internship year.
The professional medical examination commonly associated with SMLE belongs to this Saudi medical licensure framework. It should not be described as a dedicated Gulf-style “General Practitioner Prometric exam.”
SCFHS also maintains separate classification examination pathways, and its current classification-exam service links applicable candidates to Prometric booking.
5. Qatar GP Licensing Pathway — DHP
Qatar DHP General Practitioner Qualifying Examination
Qatar's Department of Healthcare Professions regulates healthcare practitioner registration and licensing.
The current DHP Qualifying Examination page specifically lists General Practitioner as:
- 150 MCQs
- 3 hours
- 60% cut score
- Prometric qualifying examination
DHP currently states that applicants subject to this qualifying-exam framework can sit the qualifying examination five consecutive times.
6. Oman GP / Physician Licensing Pathway — OMSB
OMSB Occupational Classification Examination
Oman Medical Specialty Board administers Occupational Classification examinations used by the Ministry of Health and other governmental and private institutions for healthcare classification and licensing purposes.
OMSB currently states that its Occupational Classification examinations are available at:
- OMSB National Test Center in Muscat
- Pearson VUE centres worldwide
7. Bahrain GP Licensing Pathway — NHRA
NHRA Professional Licensing and Licensure Examination
Bahrain's National Health Regulatory Authority regulates the registration and licensing of healthcare professionals.
NHRA states that professionals must submit a complete licence application through its online system before being permitted to appear for the licensure examination.
The current NHRA Licensure Exams section provides candidates with a direct Prometric link and examination-application guidance.
8. Kuwait GP / Physician Licensing Pathway — Kuwait MOH
Use the Kuwait Ministry of Health Licensing Route
Kuwait Ministry of Health provides an electronic medical licensing system for healthcare-professional licensing.
Candidates should verify the current professional-category requirements, assessment arrangements, documentation, employer requirements and licensing steps directly through Kuwait MOH.
EMREE Is Not a GP Licensing Exam
EMREE is the Emirates Medical Residency Entrance Examination. It belongs to the UAE medical-residency entry pathway, not the standard professional General Practitioner licensing pathway.
A doctor preparing for residency may need EMREE, while a doctor seeking a General Practitioner licence may be following DHA, DOH or MOHAP professional licensing requirements. These are different objectives.
GP Is Also Not the Same as Family Medicine Specialist
Another common preparation error is treating General Practitioner and Family Medicine Specialist as interchangeable.
A GP licence is a professional category based on the regulator's applicable qualification and experience requirements. A Family Medicine specialist pathway normally requires an accepted postgraduate specialty qualification and appropriate specialist classification.
The Correct GP Licensing Sequence
Exact steps vary by authority, but the safest planning framework is:
-
Choose your intended country and authority.
Decide where you intend to practise before buying an exam course. -
Confirm your professional title.
Determine whether you are applying as GP, specialist, resident, consultant or another physician category. -
Check official eligibility.
Review qualification, internship, experience, recent-practice and other professional requirements. -
Complete credential verification where required.
This may involve PSV/DataFlow or another regulator-approved verification process. -
Confirm whether an examination is required.
Exemptions and assessment routes can differ by authority and candidate. -
Use the authority's official booking pathway.
Do not book through a provider merely because another Gulf authority uses the same company. -
Prepare for the correct exam.
Use clinical MCQs, explanations and timed practice aligned with the relevant authority and professional category. -
Complete registration/licensing after assessment.
Passing an examination is normally one component of the licensing pathway—not the professional licence itself.
Before Paying for Any GP Exam, Verify These 10 Items
Common GP Licensing Mistakes
- Searching only for “Prometric exam” without identifying the regulator.
- Assuming DHA and DOH use the same examination provider or specifications.
- Calling every Saudi physician examination “SMLE GP.”
- Treating EMREE as a professional GP licensing examination.
- Using outdated “OMSB Prometric” information without checking the current Pearson VUE pathway.
- Assuming GP and Family Medicine specialist classification are the same.
- Paying for an exam before confirming official eligibility.
- Relying on WhatsApp or social-media advice instead of current regulator instructions.
- Memorizing alleged recalled questions rather than learning clinical reasoning.
- Passing an assessment and assuming this automatically means a professional licence has already been issued.
How to Prepare After You Identify the Correct Pathway
Once the regulator and assessment are confirmed, preparation should shift from licensing research to clinical performance.
A practical preparation system includes:
- Authority-specific exam guidance
- Clinical scenario-based MCQs
- Detailed explanations
- Error tracking
- Red-flag and emergency-management review
- Medication-safety questions
- Pediatrics and women's health
- Preventive medicine
- Timed mixed blocks
- Mock examinations later in preparation
For broader clinical-question practice, use: 20 GP Licensing Exam Practice Questions 2026 .
For a detailed discussion of Prometric-style GP preparation strategy, see: GP Licensing Exam Preparation 2026 .
Choose Your GP Licensing Pathway
Start with the authority where you intend to practise. Then use the matching ExamCure preparation resources rather than studying from a generic Gulf exam course.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there one GP Prometric exam for all Gulf countries?
No. Different healthcare authorities operate separate licensing, classification and assessment systems. Some currently use Prometric, others use Pearson VUE, and assessment arrangements may vary by professional category.
What is the current DHA GP exam format?
DHA's current CBT guideline lists General Practice as 150 questions over 3 hours with a published 60% pass score. DHA currently uses Prometric for applicable CBT assessments.
Is the DOH / HAAD GP exam the same as DHA?
No. DOH Abu Dhabi is a separate healthcare regulator. Current DOH examination scheduling uses the Pearson VUE pathway, while DHA currently uses Prometric for its applicable CBT assessments.
What is the Qatar DHP GP qualifying exam format?
The current Qatar DHP qualifying-examination table lists General Practitioner as 150 MCQs over 3 hours with a 60% cut score.
Does Oman OMSB currently use Prometric?
OMSB currently states that its Occupational Classification examinations are available through the OMSB National Test Center and Pearson VUE centres worldwide.
Does Bahrain NHRA use Prometric?
NHRA's current Licensure Exams section provides a Prometric booking link. Candidates must first follow NHRA's professional licensing and examination eligibility process.
Is SMLE the Saudi GP exam?
It is more accurate to describe SMLE within the Saudi medical professional-practice licensure framework rather than as a universal “Saudi GP Prometric exam.” SCFHS also operates professional classification pathways that may involve separate examinations.
Is EMREE a GP licensing exam?
No. EMREE is a UAE medical residency entrance examination. It should not be grouped with professional GP licensing assessments such as the DHA GP pathway.
Is passing the exam the same as receiving my licence?
No. An examination result is generally one component of a broader professional registration and licensing process. Eligibility, credential verification, regulatory approval and final licence activation may also be required.
Should I study one generic GP MCQ bank for every authority?
Core GP clinical knowledge is transferable, but final preparation should use current authority-specific guidance and the correct professional category. Do not assume that one regulator's question count, pass score or blueprint applies to another.
Where should I start if I am not sure which exam I need?
Start by identifying the country where you intend to work, then the healthcare regulator and professional title under which you want to be licensed. Confirm official eligibility before selecting exam preparation.
Official Regulatory Sources
Dubai Health Authority — DHA
Current Healthcare Professional Licensing Assessment CBT Guideline and
professional Self-Assessment services.
Department of Health – Abu Dhabi
DOH Healthcare Professional FAQs
DOH Pearson VUE Examination Page
UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention — MOHAP
MOHAP Evaluation of Health Professional
Saudi Commission for Health Specialties — SCFHS
SCFHS Professional Practice Licensure Examinations
SCFHS Classification Examinations
Qatar Department of Healthcare Professions — DHP
Qatar DHP Qualifying Examination
Oman Medical Specialty Board — OMSB
OMSB Occupational Classification Testing
National Health Regulatory Authority — Bahrain
Kuwait Ministry of Health
Accuracy note: Regulatory requirements, examination providers, fees, formats and eligibility rules may change. Candidates should verify current official information before submitting an application or paying examination fees.
Independent-provider disclaimer: ExamCure is an independent educational preparation provider and is not affiliated with or endorsed by DHA, DOH, MOHAP, SCFHS, Qatar DHP, OMSB, NHRA, Kuwait MOH, Prometric or Pearson VUE. ExamCure preparation does not determine official licensing eligibility.