HAAD · Abu Dhabi (now DOH)

The complete guide to the HAAD (DOH) licensing exam

Everyone still calls it the HAAD exam. Since 2017 it has been run by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DOH), on the same unified PQR and shared-attempt rules as DHA, MOHAP and SHA. Here's what is official, what DOH doesn't publish, and how to prepare.

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At a glance

Checked 1 October 2026

Regulator
Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DOH), HAAD's successor since 2017
Delivery
Computer-based test via Pearson VUE, booked through TAMM
Result
Pass/Fail only — DOH does not publish the question count or pass mark
Attempts
3 in total, pooled across all UAE authorities (DHA, DOH, MOHAP, SHA)

What's actually different from DHA

The HAAD-to-DOH facts worth knowing

The exam's nickname hasn't caught up with the paperwork — here's what changed and what didn't.

2017

HAAD became DOH

By November 2017 DOH's own manual already described itself as "previously known as HAAD" — yet almost everyone still calls it "the HAAD exam".

Pearson VUE

Test vendor

You pay and book in Abu Dhabi's TAMM portal, which hands you over to Pearson VUE — a different vendor and login from DHA's Prometric system.

3

Attempts, total

One pool across DHA, DOH, MOHAP and SHA. After 3 fails, the PQR allows one final attempt with a different authority.

Abu Dhabi

Jurisdiction

A DOH license lets you practice within the emirate of Abu Dhabi specifically — not federally, and not in Dubai.

The pathway

From PQR to an Abu Dhabi license

The same PQR, verification and exam framework as DHA, run through DOH and TAMM instead.

  1. Step 1: Confirm you meet the PQR

    The UAE uses one Unified PQR (3rd version, April 2025) across DOH, DHA, MOHAP and SHA. For the General Dentist title: a BDS/DMD/DDS, a 12-month internship, two years of clinical experience and a valid licence from your home country.

  2. Step 2: Primary Source Verification

    The PQR requires Primary Source Verification: your degree, licence, experience letters and good-standing certificate are checked directly with the bodies that issued them.

  3. Step 3: DOH credentials your file

    Abu Dhabi's own licensing team reviews your verified documents against the PQR for your title. As with DHA, an incomplete file here is the most common source of delay.

  4. Step 4: Your eligibility to book activates

    Once DOH clears your file, you can book a CBT slot. DOH doesn't publish fixed turnaround times for this step — check your application in TAMM.

  5. Step 5: Book through TAMM and Pearson VUE

    Pay the exam fee in TAMM, then use TAMM's "Book Pearson VUE exam" option, which takes you to Pearson VUE to pick a slot — a different vendor from DHA's Prometric system, not just a different login.

  6. Step 6: Sit the exam

    A computer-based exam in English, delivered by Pearson VUE. Bring two original IDs — your passport plus one other government-issued photo ID, one of them signed. Photocopies are refused.

  7. Step 7: Get your result

    Pearson VUE prints a Pass/Fail report at the test centre and sends the result to DOH; you then see it in TAMM. A fail uses one attempt from the shared UAE pool.

Read this before you book

Rules every HAAD/DOH candidate should know

What's shared nationally, and what's specific to Abu Dhabi's own system.

HAAD is gone, DOH is what's real

Your license, correspondence and portal login all say DOH now. "HAAD exam" survives purely as shorthand — like people still saying "landline" — but don't go looking for a HAAD website when you actually need to book something.

Attempts are pooled nationally

The unified PQR gives three attempts in total across DHA, DOH, MOHAP and SHA. An attempt used at DHA counts against your DOH total. After three fails, one final attempt with a different authority may be granted.

A DHA or MOH pass can exempt you here

If you hold a valid licence from another UAE authority for the same or a lower title, the PQR's licensure-recognition rules may exempt you from re-sitting — check DOH's criteria before you pay for a booking you don't need.

Abu Dhabi only, not federal

Unlike an MOH license, a DOH license authorizes you specifically within Abu Dhabi's licensed facilities — it doesn't automatically extend to Dubai or the Northern Emirates.

DOH doesn't publish its pass mark

Results are Pass/Fail only. You will see claims online about a 60% or 65% cut-off and subject-level rules, but they come from prep sites that contradict each other — not from DOH. Prepare across the whole General Dentist curriculum.

It's Pearson VUE, not Prometric

DOH exams run through Pearson VUE, a different testing vendor from the Prometric network used by DHA, MOHAP and SHA. Your Prometric login won't work here, and Pearson VUE sets its own reschedule and ID rules — check them on Pearson VUE's DOH page.

What to cover

The core General Dentist subjects

DOH does not publish an official blueprint or subject weights. These are the core General Dentist areas the exam draws on — the same curriculum as the other UAE authorities — not an official DOH breakdown.

  • Restorative Dentistry (Prosthodontics & Operative)
  • Oral Medicine & Surgery
  • Periodontics
  • Orthodontics & Paediatric Dentistry
  • Endodontics

Practise HAAD-style questions

20 questions free, with dentist-written explanations. No card needed.

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HAAD/DOH FAQ

Questions candidates actually ask

Answered against the current structure, not the old HAAD-era assumptions.

Is it 'HAAD' or 'DOH'? Which one do I actually apply to?

You apply to DOH — the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, which took over from HAAD by 2017. "HAAD exam" is just the name that stuck. Your licence, TAMM application and any official correspondence will say DOH.

Do my DHA attempts count against my HAAD/DOH attempts?

Yes. The unified PQR gives three attempts in total across DHA, DOH, MOHAP and SHA — a fail at one authority uses up an attempt everywhere. After three fails, one final attempt with a different authority may be granted, and you must declare all your attempts when applying.

Can I use my DHA or MOH pass to skip the DOH exam?

Possibly, through Licensure Recognition — if you hold a valid licence from another UAE authority for the same or a lower title, you may be exempted from sitting DOH's assessment. Confirm the current criteria before assuming it applies to your case.

Does DOH use Prometric like DHA does?

No — DOH delivers this exam through Pearson VUE, not Prometric. You pay and start the booking in TAMM, then pick your slot on Pearson VUE, which has its own interface, ID rules and reschedule rules.

Is the DOH (HAAD) exam harder than DHA?

There's no official difficulty ranking, and both draw on the same core dental curriculum. Candidates commonly report the recall pattern — which exact concepts repeat — differs a bit between authorities, which is more about question-bank overlap than one exam being objectively harder.

What does a DOH license actually let me do?

It authorizes you to practice within Abu Dhabi's licensed healthcare facilities specifically. It doesn't automatically extend to Dubai (DHA) or the Northern Emirates (MOH) — each is its own license, even under the shared national framework.

What score do I need to pass?

DOH doesn't publish a pass mark — results are Pass/Fail only. Figures you see online (60%, 65%, subject-level rules) come from prep sites and contradict each other, so don't plan around any of them.

Official sources

Checked 1 October 2026

The facts on this page come from these official pages. Rules change — confirm with the regulator before you book or apply.

HAAD articles on the blog

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