December 20, 2025

DOH Nursing Exam: Format, Passing Score, Attempts, and Syllabus (2026)

In the first part of this series, DOH Nursing Exam: What It Is, Why It Matters, and Who Must Take It, we established the regulatory role of the DOH exam within Abu Dhabi’s licensing framework—clarifying when the exam is required, who is subject to it, and how it fits into the broader pathway toward legal nursing practice in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.

This second part builds directly on that foundation. Here, the focus shifts from whether the DOH nursing exam applies to you, to how it actually works. The article explains the exam’s format, duration, syllabus structure, passing criteria, retake rules, and result handling, using DOH’s Professional Manual, PQR, and TAMM-issued eligibility guidance as the reference point.

Quick snapshot

Regulator / booking: DOH issues eligibility via TAMM / DOH eServices; approved candidates schedule the exam through DOH’s appointed testing vendor (Pearson VUE or specified provider).
Mode of exam: DOH’s PQR / Professional Manual states the mode depends on the professional title and may include CBT (computer-based test), written, oral or practical components; nursing is commonly assessed by CBT with additional components as required.
Official timing & pass mark: DOH publishes policy (mode depends on title) but does not publish a single universal question count or pass percentage for every nursing title in its public manuals — these are communicated to candidates in their TAMM eligibility notice. Use TAMM as authoritative for your case.
Vendor: Pearson VUE often delivers DOH exams; scheduling, candidate rules and support are handled through the vendor after DOH eligibility.

Bottom line: DOH defines what is tested via PQR and the Professional Manual; DOH provides the exam window and vendor instructions to each eligible candidate in TAMM. For exact question counts, duration, and passing score for your title, rely on the TAMM eligibility message you receive from DOH.

1. What the exam tests — DOH’s regulatory intent

The DOH assessment verifies that a nurse meets Abu Dhabi’s minimum safe-practice standards. The Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR) and Professional Manual make DOH’s priorities clear:

Clinical decision-making and patient safety (prioritization, escalation).
Core nursing fundamentals (assessment, documentation, infection control).
Specialty knowledge where applicable (ICU, dialysis, perioperative, neonatal, etc.).
Medication safety, including dose calculations and administration principles where the title requires it.

DOH assesses competence against the PQR domain weights; the exam maps to those domains. Treat the PQR as your official syllabus map.

2. Format, question types, and on-screen behaviour

What DOH publishes: the exam mode depends on title; many nursing titles are assessed by CBT (single-best-answer MCQs) delivered by DOH’s testing partner. DOH may require additional assessment components for some specialties (oral/practical/OSCE) per the PQR.

Practical expectations at the CBT: (what you will experience when sitting a DOH CBT via Pearson VUE)

Single-best-answer MCQs built around clinical vignettes and focused scenarios.
On-screen navigation: flagging, review, forward/back, and vendor-provided tools (on-screen calculator when allowed)
Standard vendor security: biometric/ID checks, camera surveillance (if remote), no personal devices, timed clock.

Important: DOH/TAMM exam eligibility notices contain the definitive format and allowed tools for your specific assessment. Always follow the vendor rules mailed to you.

3. Duration and pacing strategy

DOH’s public documents (Professional Manual, PQR) do not publish a single universal duration for every nursing title; the candidate’s TAMM eligibility letter will specify exam length. DOH does, however, expect candidates to be tested against the PQR blueprint.

Practical planning (nurse-to-nurse): many nursing CBTs in UAE practice follow a common pacing model (used by Pearson VUE-delivered nursing tests elsewhere). Use this as a working plan unless your TAMM notice says otherwise:

Estimate: 120–180 minutes for ~100–150 MCQs (this is an operational range seen across UAE CBTs). [Note: DOH will confirm your exact numbers in TAMM — treat these as planning estimates only.]
Pacing technique: first pass — answer straight recall items quickly; second pass — tackle vignette and calculation items; final pass — double-check flagged and med-math items. Aim to leave 10–20 minutes for review.

Label: this pacing is a preparation tool. For exact timing use your TAMM eligibility notice.

4. Syllabus — what to prioritise (use DOH PQR as the syllabus)

DOH’s PQR defines the competency domains the regulator expects. For nursing, prioritise:

Fundamentals of nursing practice: assessment, nursing process, documentation, patient safety.
Adult medical-surgical care and critical care basics: recognition of deterioration, stabilization, common emergency interventions.
Pharmacology and medication safety: calculations, high-risk medications, routes, interactions.
Maternal-newborn & pediatric nursing: basic resuscitation, growth/developmental norms where within scope.
Clinical governance topics: infection prevention, ethics, documentation and legal responsibilities per DOH standards.
Specialty-specific content where your applied title requires it (e.g., dialysis, ICU, perioperative) — DOH PQR lists title-specific expectations.

Action: download the DOH PQR and the Professional Manual from DOH and map study hours to domain weight. The PQR is the regulator’s official syllabus.

5. Passing score — what DOH states (and what to expect)

DOH’s public PQR and Professional Manual define that the mode and pass criteria are set by DOH per title; DOH does not publish a single universal pass-score for every nursing title in the public manuals. The official passing score for your assessment will be communicated in your TAMM eligibility letter and in the exam notice from the testing vendor.

Practical guidance: various licensing contexts in the UAE commonly use pass thresholds in the ~60–70% band for many healthcare CBTs, but thresholds vary by title and authority. Treat any numerical figure you find outside DOH/TAMM as provisional until confirmed in your TAMM eligibility. (This is an inference based on practice across authorities — not an official DOH public statement.)

6. Attempts and retakes — DOH policy

DOH’s Professional Manual and PQR lay out attempt and remediation principles: DOH typically defines a limited number of attempts per assessment component, and after repeated failures DOH may require retraining, additional qualifications, or restrict re-application until corrective steps are taken. The exact number of attempts, waiting periods and remediation pathways are specified per title and communicated in your TAMM eligibility documents.

Common operational pattern (what candidates usually see):

2–3 attempts per component is typical practice in licensing systems; after multiple fails, DOH may require supervised practice or approved upskilling. Check your TAMM message for the definitive rule.

7. Language, accommodations and exemptions

Language: DOH-administered exams are delivered in English unless the TAMM eligibility specifies alternatives. The testing vendor (Pearson VUE) supports language options and candidate support services per vendor rules — check your TAMM eligibility.
Accommodations: Candidates with documented disabilities can request accommodations through the testing vendor (Pearson VUE) — DOH/TAMM instructions and vendor processes require early documentation and approval. Start requests early.
Exemptions: DOH grants exemptions only where the PQR specifies and the DOH evaluation explicitly records exemption. Exemption is rare and is not assumed.

8. Results timing and next steps after passing

Results: DOH receives test results from the vendor and publishes the official outcome in your TAMM account. Timeframes vary; do not assume instant publication. Check TAMM for the authoritative timeline for your assessment.
After a pass: DOH will update your professional record to reflect the assessment outcome. You then need an Abu Dhabi employer to link and activate your licence in TAMM before you may legally practise.

9. How hard is the DOH Nursing Exam?

DOH’s exams test applied clinical competence mapped to the PQR. Difficulty is a function of:

Clinical currency (how recently and how often you worked in relevant settings).
Mastery of core domains (med-safety, prioritization, critical care basics).
Practice with vignette-style MCQs and timing.

Practical reality: candidates with regular clinical experience who practice timed full-length CBTs and master med-math usually pass on first attempt. Failures commonly result from weak med-calculations, poor time management, and insufficient practice with scenario questions.

10. Study plan (8 weeks)

Use DOH PQR as your syllabus; this 8-week plan assumes a full-time study approach and can be scaled down for part-time:

Week 1 — Foundation & blueprint

Download DOH PQR & Professional Manual; map domain weights.
Gather core textbooks and the best MCQ bank aligned to UAE/UK/Australian curricula.

Week 2–3 — Fundamentals & Med-Surg

Focus: assessment, nursing process, physiological systems, common pathologies.
Begin timed 50-question practice sets (error log).

Week 4 — Pharmacology & Med-Math

Intensive med-calculation drills (IV infusion, mg/kg, dilutions).
2–3 timed calculation sessions daily.

Week 5 — Specialty blocks

Maternal/newborn, pediatrics, mental-health, infection control — rotate daily.

Week 6 — High-yield vignettes

Timed 100–150 question mocks; focus on prioritization and delegation scenarios.

Week 7 — Weak areas & repetition

Repeat weak domain drills; tutor or group study for tricky med-math.

Week 8 — Final simulation

3 full timed mocks under exam conditions; final review and rest 48 hours before exam.

Resources: DOH PQR (official), clinical textbooks, approved MCQ banks, vendor tutorials (Pearson VUE practice), and local institution skill labs for practical refreshers.

11. Practical exam-day checklist (DOH via Pearson VUE)

Print TAMM eligibility notice and the vendor confirmation email.
Original passport (primary ID).
Arrive 45–60 minutes early.
No personal items, phones, or notes. Lockers provided in most centres.
Use vendor-supported on-screen calculator only.
Bring any approved accommodation documentation if applicable.
Follow vendor identity and biometric checks exactly.

Conclusion

By this point, you should have a clear picture of how the DOH nursing exam is structured, what competency areas it tests, how results and attempts are handled, and how the assessment aligns with DOH’s Professional Qualification Requirements. Understanding these elements is essential, because DOH does not assess in isolation—it evaluates nurses against defined regulatory expectations that directly affect licensure outcomes.

The final part of this series, DOH Nursing Exam: How to Register and Prepare for It, addresses those remaining questions in full. It walks through the registration and booking process step by step, explains preparation strategies that align with DOH standards, and highlights common administrative and exam-day mistakes that delay or derail otherwise qualified nurses.