The DHA exam for therapists: details, booking and results

Last reviewed: 28 September 2026

CBT or oral assessment?

DHA assesses applicants either by CBT or by oral assessment, depending on the title applied for. Most allied health titles, including speech and language therapy and audiology, sit the CBT. Some specialties are assessed orally, and some applicants are asked for an oral assessment after their registration application is approved. Sheryan shows which applies to your title.

Exam details

These figures come from DHA's CBT guideline. Check the row for your own title before you book, because timing, fee and pass mark are set per specialty. For some titles the guideline also lists the reference books the questions draw on, which is worth knowing before you plan your revision.

How to book the exam

1. Get your DHA Unique ID. Create your Sheryan account; the ID appears in your profile. Our Sheryan walkthrough covers this step.
2. Generate your CBT eligibility ID. In Sheryan's CBT eligibility service, enter your DHA Unique ID and select your position category, job title and specialty. Save the ID it generates.
3. Book with Prometric. Schedule your exam at prometric.com/DHA using the eligibility ID. Prometric accepts American Express, Mastercard and Visa.
4. Use one passport. The passport details on your booking must match your DHA application, and you show the same passport at the test centre.

You do not need to wait for DataFlow. DHA allows primary source verification and the CBT to run at the same time.

Rescheduling and cancelling

• Reschedule or cancel at least five calendar days before your exam date.
• Prometric charges a fee for changing an appointment.
• Exam fees are not refundable, including after rescheduling, cancellation or a no-show.
• Cancelling or not attending is not counted as a failed attempt. You lose the fee, not the attempt.

On exam day

• Arrive at the test centre 30 minutes before your appointment.
• Bring a valid passport that matches the details you registered with.
• Expect security checks: you may be asked to show your arms and ankles, empty your pockets and pass a metal detector.

The oral assessment

If your title is assessed orally, you schedule it through Sheryan. It normally runs online on a DHA-approved meeting platform, although DHA can ask you to attend in person.

• A panel of at least two examiners, a minimum of 20 to 30 minutes, and at least five clinical scenarios or topics.
• Introductions and CV questions take no more than five minutes.
• You must be alone in a closed room, with your face and hands visible on camera throughout. You may be asked to turn the camera 360 degrees.
• No phones, smart watches, notes or books, and no masks. You may not record the session.
• All examiners must agree on the result. If they disagree, the result is a fail.
• Results appear in Sheryan within three to five working days.
• You can reschedule once at no cost if you ask more than five working days before the date. A later request is treated as a no-show.

Results

DHA uploads your CBT result to Sheryan within two working days. You see Pass or Fail only. DHA does not share your score or a breakdown by topic.

Prometric separately sends a learning outcome letter showing your general strengths and weaknesses. It does not tell you whether you passed, but if you failed it is the most useful document you have for planning a re-sit.

After a pass, your registration certificate is issued once the other licensing requirements are complete, and it is valid for one year.

How many attempts you get

This is the rule that should shape how you prepare.

• Three attempts. For the oral route, DHA may reduce this to one or two if the panel finds a major gap in competency.
• Fail three times and you are blocked for two years from reapplying for a DHA licence.
• Attempts count across the UAE. DHA's registration conditions refer to a maximum of three attempts across authorities, so an earlier DOH or MOHAP fail matters.
• A fourth attempt may be allowed if you submit a declaration that you have not failed with any other UAE regulator.
• A new set of three attempts is possible after you gain an additional recognised qualification under the PQR, or at least two years of licensed clinical experience after your last attempt.
• A lower title may be granted one additional attempt if you meet its PQR requirements.
• No minimum wait between attempts. You can re-sit when you are ready, so there is no reason to rush.

When you do not need to sit it again

DHA does not ask you to repeat the assessment if:

• you passed the DHA assessment for the same title within the last five years, with no gap in practice
• you are maintaining an active DHA registration
• you are applying within five years of your DHA licence being cancelled

Some professionals are exempt from the exam altogether under the PQR. An exam exemption covers the exam only: verification, experience and every other requirement still apply.

Sitting the DHA exam from India

You do not have to travel to Dubai to sit the CBT. Prometric delivers it through its international test centre network, so you can book a centre outside the UAE, including in India. Choose the centre when you schedule at prometric.com/DHA, and book early if you have a date in mind, because popular centres fill up.

The rest of the route from India, from RCI registration to choosing an emirate, is in our India to UAE guide.

Official references: DHA Manual for Professional Assessment (v1.1, 2025), DHA CBT guideline (updated September 2026) and the DHA Manual for Licensing Healthcare Professionals (v1.2, 2025).

Common questions