DHA Registered Nurse Exam — Complete Guide
Everything you need to know before you start preparing for the Dubai Health Authority RN exam.
What is the DHA RN Exam?
If you are a nurse who wants to work in Dubai, you must pass the DHA Registered Nurse Exam. This exam is conducted by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). It checks your knowledge and skills across the key areas of nursing.
The exam has 150 multiple choice questions and you get 3 hours to finish it. You need to score at least 50% (75 out of 150) to pass. The exam fee is USD 240.
What Topics Are Covered?
The DHA RN exam tests you on four main subjects:
- 🏥 Unit Management & Leadership
- 🩺 Fundamentals of Nursing
- 👶 Maternal – Child Nursing
- 🫀 Adult Nursing
You should give equal attention to all four subjects. Adult Nursing and Fundamentals usually carry the most questions, so start from there.
Official Reference Books
The DHA recommends these books for exam preparation. You do not need to read all of them — use them as reference when you need to understand a topic in depth.
- Mosby's Pharmacology in Nursing — McKenry, Tessier & Hogan (Mosby Publishers)
- Nutrition Essentials for Nursing Practice — Dudek, SG (Wolters Kluwer / Lippincott)
- ANA Code of Ethics — Latest Edition
- Kozier & Erb's Fundamentals of Nursing — Berman & Snyder (Pearson International)
- Skill Checklists for Taylor's Clinical Nursing Skills — Pamela Lynn & Marilee LeBon (Lippincott)
- Physical Examination and Health Assessment — Jarvis, C (Saunders Elsevier)
- Brunner & Suddarth's Medical-Surgical Nursing — Day, Paul, Williams et al. (Lippincott)
- Wong's Nursing Care of Infants and Children — Wong & Hockenberry (Mosby)
- Introduction to Critical Care Nursing — Sole, Klein & Moseley (Saunders Elsevier)
- Nursing Technician Blueprint
- Essentials of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing — Townsend, C.M. (F. A. Davis Company)
- Community Health Nursing — Allender & Rector (Lippincott)
How to Prepare — Simple Tips
📋 Study Strategy
- Start with Fundamentals of Nursing — it builds your base for all other topics.
- Study Adult Nursing thoroughly — it covers a large portion of the exam.
- Read the ANA Code of Ethics for leadership and ethics questions.
- Practice at least 50 MCQs every day to build speed and confidence.
- Use previous year MCQ banks to understand the pattern of questions.
- Do not ignore Maternal-Child Nursing — it has specific high-yield topics like labour, delivery, and newborn care.
- Give yourself at least 6–8 weeks of focused preparation before the exam.
Who Can Apply?
Any qualified nurse with a recognized nursing degree or diploma can apply for the DHA Registered Nurse license. You must also submit your documents through the DHA Sheryan portal and get your eligibility confirmed before booking the exam.
Indian and Pakistani nurses with a B.Sc. Nursing or GNM qualification are eligible to apply, subject to DHA's verification process.
Final Words
The DHA RN exam is not difficult if you prepare in a smart and systematic way. The pass score is 50%, the syllabus is clear, and the reference books are available. All you need is a consistent study plan and regular MCQ practice.
MedicoHelpKaro is here to help you every step of the way — from understanding the syllabus to practicing topic-wise MCQs.
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