DOH/HAAD Exam for Nurses: Complete Guide (2026)

The DOH exam for nurses is the licensing test for the Department of Health Abu Dhabi, the authority that replaced HAAD, and it is required for nurses who want to work in Abu Dhabi emirate. It is a Prometric computer-based test of clinical nursing knowledge, and the passing score is typically around 60 to 65 percent. Passing the exam plus DataFlow verification and meeting DOH eligibility requirements leads to an Abu Dhabi nursing license.

HAAD, the Health Authority Abu Dhabi, was restructured into the Department of Health Abu Dhabi, now known as DOH. Older nurses and many recruiters still say HAAD exam out of habit, but the current authority and its licensing exam are DOH. Any reference you see to the HAAD exam for nurses today means the DOH exam.

The change was administrative, not a change in what nurses must do: you still apply to the Abu Dhabi health regulator, still sit a Prometric computer-based exam, and still complete primary-source verification. Your old HAAD license, if you hold one, remains valid and converts under DOH rules at renewal.

When you apply, make sure you are dealing with the Department of Health Abu Dhabi and not confusing it with DHA Dubai or MOH. Each UAE authority runs its own licensing, and the DOH exam for nurses is specifically for Abu Dhabi emirate, including the city of Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.

Any nurse planning to work in a hospital, clinic, or healthcare facility in Abu Dhabi emirate needs a DOH license, and the DOH exam is the standard route for first-time applicants. This includes registered nurses, assistant nurses, midwives, and specialist nurses, with exam content matched to the professional title you apply under.

Nurses who already hold a DHA Dubai or MOH license may qualify for license transfer to DOH without sitting the exam, subject to DOH's current transfer rules and good-standing requirements. If you are entering the UAE system for the first time, expect to take the exam regardless of which emirate you trained in.

DOH also licenses nurses for government facilities such as SEHA hospitals, which are major employers of international nurses in Abu Dhabi. Because these employers hire at scale, the DOH exam for nurses is one of the most frequently taken nursing licensing exams in the Gulf.

The DOH exam for nurses covers the same core clinical domains as other Gulf nursing exams: medical-surgical nursing, fundamentals of nursing, pharmacology, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatric nursing, community health, and professional ethics and management. Medical-surgical nursing is the heaviest section, testing assessment, prioritisation, and management of adult patients.

Fundamentals questions cover infection control, patient safety, documentation, and basic nursing procedures, while pharmacology focuses on safe administration, dosage calculation, and adverse-effect recognition. Expect scenario-based items that test clinical judgment rather than simple recall across every section.

DOH does not publish a detailed public syllabus with chapter weightings, so prepare from current nursing textbooks and a large, up-to-date question bank. NCLEX-style practice material transfers well because the clinical reasoning tested is very similar, but keep your preparation anchored to standard nursing practice rather than memorised recalled questions, which go stale quickly.

The DOH exam for nurses is a multiple-choice computer-based test delivered by Prometric, usually around 100 questions within a two to three hour session. Questions have four options with one best answer, there is no negative marking, and you should answer every question.

The passing score is typically around 60 to 65 percent, with the exact cut score varying by nursing category and exam version. DOH does not publish a single fixed percentage, so use the typical range as your benchmark and aim comfortably above it.

Results are normally reported within a few working days through Prometric back to DOH. If you do not pass, a retake is possible after a waiting period, but multiple failures can complicate your application, so thorough first-attempt preparation is the norm among successful candidates.

You first apply to DOH online and receive eligibility approval with an eligibility ID, then book your test date and Prometric center through the Prometric scheduling portal. The exam fee is paid to Prometric at booking and is typically around a few hundred US dollars, varying by category and region, so confirm the current amount on the official booking page.

Prometric operates test centers in many countries, which means most candidates sit the DOH exam for nurses in their home country before relocating to Abu Dhabi. Choose a date that gives you enough preparation time but keeps your overall licensing timeline on track with your employer's start date.

Bring government photo ID matching your booking exactly, arrive early, and store personal belongings in the provided locker. Late arrival can mean forfeiting the exam fee, so plan your travel to the center with a wide margin.

DOH eligibility for nurses generally requires a recognised nursing qualification, a valid home-country nursing license, and a minimum period of clinical experience, commonly around two years for registered nurses depending on category and training country. Your qualification must come from an institution DOH recognises, so check recognition status before you invest in the process.

Required documents include degree or diploma certificates, transcripts, your current nursing license, a certificate of good standing, and a valid passport, with certified translations for anything not in English or Arabic. Clear, complete paperwork avoids the most common cause of delays: eligibility applications bounced back for missing or illegible documents.

DataFlow primary-source verification runs in parallel with your application and is mandatory. DataFlow contacts your university and licensing authority directly to authenticate your credentials, and DOH will not issue your license until verification is complete. Apply for DataFlow as early as possible because it often takes several weeks.

Allow eight to twelve weeks of study alongside work, structured as one major topic area per week with daily question practice. Start with a diagnostic mock to identify weak areas, then allocate the most time to medical-surgical nursing, pharmacology calculations, and prioritisation scenarios, which carry the most weight.

Work through at least 1,000 to 1,500 practice questions, reviewing every incorrect answer to fix the underlying concept. Practise under timed conditions regularly, because pacing is a common reason capable nurses underperform: around 100 questions in a few hours leaves roughly a minute or more per question, which rewards steady rhythm over rushing.

In the last two weeks, take full-length timed mocks, review high-yield topics like infection control, patient safety, and dosage calculation, and keep your final days light. Avoid recalled-question dumps and cheating material entirely: they are unreliable, against exam rules, and can get your result cancelled.

SteadStaff recruits nurses for leading hospitals and healthcare employers across Abu Dhabi, including major government and private facilities. We support candidates through DOH eligibility, exam booking, DataFlow, and final licensing so your move to Abu Dhabi stays on schedule.

Browse current nursing vacancies at /jobs or submit your profile directly at /apply to start the process with SteadStaff.

Abu Dhabi employers move quickly for candidates whose DOH file is already in motion, so starting eligibility and DataFlow early gives you a real hiring advantage. Send your profile through /apply and SteadStaff will plan your exam date, verification, and licensing around your target joining date.