Checked 25 September 2026. DHA from its September 2026 guideline; Kuwait from the reference PDF on Prometric's MOH Kuwait page (uploaded around January 2024, undated); DOH, MOHAP and SHA from their service pages (MOHAP's via an archived November 2025 copy).
Indian nurses often weigh Dubai against Kuwait, or Dubai against Abu Dhabi. The regulators publish very different amounts: DHA gives a code, format and pass mark but no weights; Kuwait publishes a full item-by-item blueprint; Abu Dhabi publishes its question count and time (in a 2024 DOH circular) but no pass mark; the Northern Emirates publish almost nothing about the exam itself. This comparison sticks to what each one has put in writing.
Where other pages get this wrong
Kuwait's Registered Nurse exam is 150 questions with a 60% pass mark — not "70–100 questions in 2 hours".
Commonly published instead: "Kuwait nursing Prometric exam: 70–100 MCQs, 2 hours."
The Kuwait licensing-exam reference document on Prometric's MOH Kuwait page gives the Registered Nurse exam as 150 computer-based multiple-choice questions, 170 minutes with a 10-minute break, a 60% pass mark and three attempts at least six weeks apart — and adds that the blueprint and attempts are "subjected to change upon department's review".
Official documents listed below.
Side by side
| Regulator | Delivery | Format | Pass | Attempts | Weights published? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai — DHA | Prometric | 150 MCQ, 3 h (including registration and introduction) | 50% | 3 across the UAE; no wait; 2-year DHA block after a 3rd fail | No — four domains only |
| Kuwait — MOH | Prometric | 150 MCQ, "170 Minutes with 10 minutes break in between" | 60% | 3, at least 6 weeks apart | Yes — item counts per sub-section |
| Abu Dhabi — DOH | Pearson VUE, paid through TAMM | 150 MCQ, 3 h (DOH licensing catalogue, Circular 151/2024) | Not published — "cut-score set internally by DOH" | Unified PQR (3 across the UAE) | No |
| Northern Emirates — MOHAP | Written, oral or Prometric, as decided at evaluation | Not published | Not published | Unified PQR | No |
| Sharjah — SHA | Assessment if required | Not published | Not published | Unified PQR; you must state earlier attempts | No |
Kuwait's blueprint, item by item
| Section | Sub-sections (items) |
|---|---|
| Nursing fundamentals (30) | Fundamentals of nursing 12 · physical assessment 9 · pharmacology 6 · clinical nutrition 3 |
| Adult nursing (60) | Medical 15 · surgical 15 · critical care 11 · community 12 · mental/psychiatric 7 |
| Maternal–child nursing (45) | Maternity 17 · gynaecology 3 · neonatal 6 · paediatric medical 12 · paediatric surgical 7 |
| Nursing management and leadership (15) | Resources to coordinate care 3 · quality and safe care 6 · teams and interprofessional relations 3 · informatics for safe and legal care 3 |
Kuwait licensing-exam reference PDF (Prometric). 30 + 60 + 45 + 15 = 150.
The four Kuwait sections match DHA's four areas for RNT0312, with slightly different wording — Kuwait's "Nursing Fundamentals" and "Nursing Management and Leadership" against DHA's "Fundamentals" and "Unit Management & Leadership", and the same Adult Nursing and Maternal–Child Nursing. DHA does not say how it weights them, so Kuwait's published split (adult nursing 40%, maternal–child 30%, fundamentals 20%, management 10%) is the most concrete guide available to a DHA candidate — as a proxy, not as DHA's blueprint.
What the difference in pass marks means
Our arithmetic, assuming every question is scored; neither regulator says whether unscored items are included.
Fifteen more correct answers is a real difference, but not the whole story: DHA's three hours include registration and the introduction, while Kuwait's document gives "170 Minutes with 10 minutes break in between". And Kuwait's eligibility rules, fee and application route are not published alongside the blueprint, so the comparison stops at the exam.
Two reading lists, one core
| Subject | DHA reference | Kuwait reference |
|---|---|---|
| Fundamentals | Kozier and Erb's Fundamentals | Kozier and Erb's Fundamentals; Timby's Fundamental Nursing Skills |
| Medical-surgical | Brunner and Suddarth | Brunner and Suddarth; Lewis Medical-Surgical Nursing |
| Nutrition | Dudek | Dudek |
| Maternal-newborn | Murray & McKinney | Murray & McKinney; Ricci |
| Paediatrics | Wong's Nursing Care of Infants and Children | Wong's (Hockenberry) |
| Critical care | Sole, Introduction to Critical Care Nursing | Urden; Morton |
| Mental health | Townsend | Boyd; Videbeck |
| Community health | Allender & Rector | Rector; Stanhope & Lancaster |
| Leadership | None named | Marquis & Huston; Sherwood & Barnsteiner (quality and safety); Sewell (informatics) |
Kozier, Brunner and Suddarth, Dudek, Murray and McKinney, and Wong's appear on both lists — a core that serves either exam. Kuwait adds more on critical care, mental health and leadership, which fits its published 15 items on management and leadership.
What the other UAE regulators do publish
| Regulator | Published |
|---|---|
| DOH Abu Dhabi | Format and fee in its 2024 licensing catalogue (Circular 151/2024): Registered Nurse 150 MCQs in 3 hours, AED 540; Assistant Nurse, School Nurse and Midwife 100 MCQs in 2 hours, AED 500; PASS/FAIL within 24 hours on TAMM; no published pass mark or blueprint. Booking route: pay in TAMM, then book with Pearson VUE |
| MOHAP | Evaluation service: AED 400 for nurses and midwives, 5 working days; exam, if required, scheduled by type (written, oral or Prometric); no gap over three years |
| Sharjah (SHA) | Assessment service: AED 300 for nursing and midwifery, 8 working days; no gap over three years; previous attempts must be declared |
Choosing between Dubai and Kuwait
| Factor | Dubai (DHA) | Kuwait (MOH) |
|---|---|---|
| Published pass mark | 50% | 60% |
| Published blueprint | Four areas, no weights | Item counts for every sub-section |
| Time | 3 hours including registration | 170 minutes plus a 10-minute break |
| Retakes | No waiting time; 3 attempts across the UAE | At least 6 weeks apart; 3 attempts |
| Eligibility rules published | Yes — the Unified PQR | Not in the published material we found |
| Exam fee published | USD 240 | Not published |
The honest summary is that Dubai tells a candidate more about who may apply and what it costs, and Kuwait more about what the exam contains. A nurse keeping both options open loses little by preparing to Kuwait's blueprint and pass mark: it is the stricter of the two on paper.
What to check before choosing a country
- Your title under each regulator's rules — in the UAE, the Unified PQR; in Kuwait, ask the employer or MOH, since eligibility is not published with the blueprint.
- Experience requirements: the PQR (§14) sets "no experience required" for UAE Registered and Assistant Nurses, subject to the gap-of-practice rules; Kuwait's are not published in the material we found.
- The attempt rules: shared across the UAE; three, six weeks apart, in Kuwait.
- Whether the job comes first: in the UAE you can pass the exam and obtain a registration before having an employer, but the licence itself is activated by an employing facility.
Moving between UAE regulators
What the Unified PQR says
- One set of qualification requirements for DHA, DOH, MOHAP and SHA.
- Three attempts counted across all of them (1.5.4), with a possible fourth at another authority (1.5.5).
- A valid licence from one authority exempts you from the others' exams, if you have not exceeded the attempts, with a valid good-standing certificate and full verification (§3).
- A suspension or revocation by one authority applies across the others (§3.4).
Unified PQR, April 2025.
So the practical choice inside the UAE is less about which exam is easier — DHA and DOH publish a format, only DHA a pass mark — and more about where the job is: DHA and DOH licences are both activated by an employer, and moving later is a recognition, not a new exam.
Practise it, don't just read it
The four domains are the same in Dubai and Kuwait; practise them once, for both.
The ProSyllabus DHA nursing library has topic quizzes for Fundamentals of Nursing, Medical-Surgical Nursing, Pharmacology for Nurses, Maternal and Newborn Nursing, Pediatric Nursing, Infection Prevention and Control, Mental Health Nursing and Professional Practice and UAE Health Regulations. Each question comes with an explanation.
What is the Kuwait nursing exam pattern?
150 computer-based multiple-choice questions, "170 Minutes with 10 minutes break in between" (the document does not say whether the break is inside the 170 minutes), pass mark 60%, three attempts at least six weeks apart, per the reference document on Prometric's MOH Kuwait page.
Is the Kuwait nursing exam harder than DHA?
Its published pass mark is higher (60% against 50%), which means about 90 correct answers out of 150 against 75 if every item is scored. Kuwait publishes its blueprint; DHA does not.
What is the DOH Abu Dhabi nursing exam format?
DOH's 2024 licensing catalogue (Circular 151/2024) gives the Registered Nurse exam as 150 MCQs in 3 hours and the Assistant Nurse exam as 100 MCQs in 2 hours. It publishes no pass mark. The exams are delivered by Pearson VUE, paid for through TAMM.
Does a DHA licence let me work in Abu Dhabi?
Under the Unified PQR a valid licence from one UAE authority exempts you from the other authorities' exams, subject to attempts, good standing and verification; the new authority still issues its own licence.
What does the Kuwait nursing exam cover?
Nursing fundamentals (30 items), adult nursing (60), maternal–child nursing (45) and nursing management and leadership (15), with item counts published for each sub-section.
How many attempts does Kuwait allow for the nursing exam?
Three, at least six weeks apart, according to the Kuwait licensing-exam reference document on Prometric's MOH Kuwait page.
Is the Kuwait nursing exam conducted by Prometric?
Yes. Prometric's MOH Kuwait page links the reference document, and the exam is computer-based.
What is the Sharjah nursing assessment fee?
The Sharjah Health Authority lists AED 300 for nursing and midwifery assessment, with a review time of 8 working days and no gap over three years.
Which is the nursing exam for Abu Dhabi?
The DOH Abu Dhabi licensing exam, delivered by Pearson VUE and paid for through TAMM once the licensing department approves you for it. DOH's 2024 catalogue gives 150 MCQs in 3 hours for Registered Nurse but no pass mark.
Can I prepare for the DHA and Kuwait nursing exams together?
Yes. They name the same four domains and share core references — Kozier, Brunner and Suddarth, Dudek, Murray and McKinney, and Wong's. Kuwait's higher pass mark and heavier leadership list are the main differences to allow for.
Which UAE nursing licence should I apply for first?
The qualification rules are the same across the UAE; the difference is where the job is. Only DHA publishes its exam format, and a licence from one authority exempts you from the others' exams under the PQR.
What is the MOHAP nursing evaluation fee?
MOHAP's evaluation service listed AED 400 for nurses and midwives (archived November 2025); the exam, if required, is scheduled by type — written, oral or Prometric.
More in this series
- The DHA nursing exam: codes, format, pass mark, references
- Eligibility: GNM, B.Sc, Post-Basic, M.Sc — which DHA title
- From Sheryan to licence: the DHA process and every fee
- Attempts, gaps in practice and exemptions
- A 10-week study plan for the DHA nursing exam
- DHA nursing notice board — official updates
- Gulf nursing licences compared
Sources
- official — DHA computer-based test guideline (updated Sep 2026)
- official — Prometric — Kuwait MOH licensing exam references (PDF)
- official — Prometric — Kuwait MOH
- official — Pearson VUE — DOH Abu Dhabi
- official — DOH Circular 151/2024 — Licensing Service Catalogue and Procedural Manual
- official — DOH Abu Dhabi — licensing FAQ
- official — MOHAP — Evaluation of Health Professional (archived Nov 2025)
- official — Sharjah Health Authority — healthcare professional assessment
- official — Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR), April 2025
- official — DHA Manual for Professional Assessment v1.1 (May 2025)
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
