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100+ Free DHA Specialist Exam Practice Questions

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A 55-year-old man presents with an acutely hot, swollen, red first metatarsophalangeal joint. Joint aspiration shows negatively birefringent needle-shaped crystals under polarised light. What is the most appropriate acute treatment if there is no contraindication?

A
B
C
D
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Sample DHA Specialist Exam Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your DHA Specialist Exam exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1A 58-year-old man presents with crushing central chest pain for 40 minutes. ECG shows 3 mm ST-segment elevation in leads II, III and aVF. Which coronary artery is most likely occluded?
A.Right coronary artery
B.Left anterior descending artery
C.Left circumflex artery
D.Left main coronary artery
Explanation: ST elevation in the inferior leads II, III and aVF indicates an inferior STEMI, which most commonly results from occlusion of the right coronary artery (the dominant artery in ~85% of people). Inferior MI may be complicated by bradyarrhythmias and right ventricular involvement.
2A 64-year-old man with an acute anterior STEMI presents 2 hours after symptom onset to a facility with a cardiac catheterisation lab. What is the preferred reperfusion strategy?
A.Fibrinolysis with alteplase
B.Primary percutaneous coronary intervention
C.High-dose statin alone
D.Elective angiography in 48 hours
Explanation: When a patient with STEMI can undergo primary PCI within the guideline time window (ideally <120 minutes from first medical contact) at a PCI-capable centre, primary PCI is the reperfusion strategy of choice because it restores patency more reliably than fibrinolysis with lower reinfarction and bleeding risk.
3A 72-year-old woman with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (LVEF 30%) remains symptomatic on an ACE inhibitor, beta-blocker and a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist. Which additional drug class has been shown to reduce cardiovascular death and heart-failure hospitalisation in this setting?
A.Calcium channel blocker (amlodipine)
B.Class I antiarrhythmic
C.SGLT2 inhibitor
D.Long-acting nitrate monotherapy
Explanation: SGLT2 inhibitors such as dapagliflozin and empagliflozin reduce cardiovascular death and heart-failure hospitalisation in HFrEF regardless of diabetes status, and are now a foundational fourth pillar of guideline-directed medical therapy.
4A 45-year-old man has a clinic blood pressure of 158/96 mmHg confirmed on ambulatory monitoring. He has no diabetes or chronic kidney disease and is of non-African ancestry. Which first-line antihypertensive is most appropriate to initiate?
A.Doxazosin
B.Spironolactone
C.Hydralazine
D.An ACE inhibitor such as ramipril
Explanation: For a patient under 55 years without specific compelling indications, an ACE inhibitor (or ARB) is first-line antihypertensive therapy. ACE inhibitors are well tolerated, evidence-based for cardiovascular protection, and renally protective.
5A 68-year-old man with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation has a CHA2DS2-VASc score of 4. What is the most appropriate stroke-prevention strategy?
A.Oral anticoagulation, preferably a direct oral anticoagulant
B.Aspirin 75 mg daily
C.No antithrombotic therapy
D.Clopidogrel monotherapy
Explanation: A CHA2DS2-VASc score of 4 confers a high annual stroke risk, so oral anticoagulation is indicated. A direct oral anticoagulant (such as apixaban or rivaroxaban) is preferred over warfarin in non-valvular AF for comparable efficacy with lower intracranial bleeding risk.
6A 30-year-old woman presents with sudden pleuritic chest pain and dyspnoea. She is tachycardic, has a normal chest X-ray, and is haemodynamically stable. A Wells score suggests pulmonary embolism is likely. What is the most appropriate next investigation?
A.D-dimer assay
B.CT pulmonary angiography
C.Bedside echocardiography
D.Repeat chest X-ray in 24 hours
Explanation: When clinical probability of pulmonary embolism is high (PE 'likely'), CT pulmonary angiography is the imaging test of choice to confirm or exclude PE. D-dimer is most useful when clinical probability is low or intermediate to rule out PE.
7A 55-year-old smoker with COPD has worsening breathlessness, increased sputum volume and sputum purulence over 3 days. He is afebrile with no consolidation on chest X-ray. In addition to bronchodilators and steroids, what is the most appropriate adjunctive treatment?
A.Long-term oxygen therapy started immediately
B.Inhaled corticosteroid dose doubling only
C.A course of oral antibiotics
D.Diuretic therapy
Explanation: An acute exacerbation of COPD with all three cardinal Anthonisen features (increased dyspnoea, sputum volume and purulence) warrants antibiotics in addition to bronchodilators and a short course of oral corticosteroids. Purulent sputum is the best clinical predictor of bacterial benefit.
8A 26-year-old asthmatic presents with a peak flow of 35% predicted, inability to complete sentences, and a respiratory rate of 30/min. What feature would specifically indicate a life-threatening (rather than acute severe) asthma attack?
A.Peak flow of 40% predicted
B.Heart rate of 115/min
C.Use of accessory muscles
D.Oxygen saturation below 92% or a normal/raised PaCO2
Explanation: Life-threatening asthma is defined by features such as SpO2 below 92%, a normal or rising PaCO2 (signalling exhaustion), silent chest, cyanosis, hypotension, exhaustion or altered consciousness. A normalising or raised PaCO2 in an acutely breathless asthmatic is an ominous sign of impending respiratory failure.
9A 60-year-old man with type 2 diabetes has an HbA1c of 8.4% on metformin. He has established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Which add-on agent provides the greatest cardiovascular benefit?
A.A GLP-1 receptor agonist or SGLT2 inhibitor with proven cardiovascular benefit
B.A sulfonylurea such as glibenclamide
C.Basal insulin
D.Pioglitazone
Explanation: In type 2 diabetes with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, guidelines favour adding a GLP-1 receptor agonist or an SGLT2 inhibitor with proven cardiovascular benefit, independent of HbA1c, because these classes reduce major adverse cardiovascular events.
10A 22-year-old with type 1 diabetes presents with vomiting, abdominal pain, Kussmaul breathing, blood glucose 28 mmol/L, pH 7.10 and ketonaemia. After starting IV 0.9% sodium chloride, when should potassium typically be added to fluids in diabetic ketoacidosis?
A.Only after the acidosis has fully resolved
B.Once serum potassium falls below 5.5 mmol/L and the patient is passing urine
C.Immediately, regardless of the potassium level
D.Never, because insulin alone corrects potassium
Explanation: In DKA, insulin drives potassium intracellularly and total-body potassium is depleted despite a normal or high initial serum level. Potassium replacement is added to fluids once serum potassium is below about 5.5 mmol/L and urine output is confirmed, to prevent dangerous hypokalaemia.

About the DHA Specialist Exam Exam

The DHA Specialist Licensing Assessment is a computer-based examination required for specialist-grade doctors seeking to practise in Dubai. It is delivered through Prometric and tests specialty-specific clinical medicine alongside UAE clinical regulations, ethics and patient safety. Eligibility generally requires a recognised postgraduate qualification and relevant experience verified through DataFlow.

Assessment

Computer-based multiple-choice assessment, specialty-specific, delivered at Prometric test centres. Commonly 150 single-best-answer MCQs in English with no negative marking.

Time Limit

Approximately 150-170 minutes (commonly 150 MCQs in about 150-170 minutes).

Passing Score

Generally 60% for most specialties; some specialties set a higher pass standard. Confirm the specialty-specific standard via the Sheryan portal.

Exam Fee

Approximately USD 280 (~AED 1,028) Prometric fee for specialist doctors, in addition to DataFlow Primary Source Verification and Sheryan eligibility/licensing fees. (Dubai Health (formerly DHA))

DHA Specialist Exam Exam Content Outline

55%

Specialty clinical medicine

Specialty-specific diagnosis and evidence-based management; for internal medicine this spans cardiology, respiratory, endocrine, gastroenterology, nephrology, rheumatology, infectious disease, haematology and neurology.

12%

Emergency and acute care

Immediate management of medical emergencies including resuscitation, sepsis, anaphylaxis, toxicology and environmental emergencies common in the UAE.

10%

Pharmacology and therapeutics

Safe prescribing, drug interactions, adverse drug reactions, therapeutic drug monitoring and dosing in renal and other special populations.

11%

UAE clinical regulations

DHA licensing and scope of practice, controlled-drug prescribing, communicable-disease notification, confidentiality and health-data law, child protection and end-of-life law.

6%

Medical ethics and professionalism

Consent and autonomy, confidentiality, conflicts of interest, integrity and professional conduct expected of licensed practitioners.

6%

Patient safety and quality

Patient identification, infection prevention, surgical safety, incident reporting, root cause analysis and quality improvement.

How to Pass the DHA Specialist Exam Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Generally 60% for most specialties; some specialties set a higher pass standard. Confirm the specialty-specific standard via the Sheryan portal.
  • Assessment: Computer-based multiple-choice assessment, specialty-specific, delivered at Prometric test centres. Commonly 150 single-best-answer MCQs in English with no negative marking.
  • Time limit: Approximately 150-170 minutes (commonly 150 MCQs in about 150-170 minutes).
  • Exam fee: Approximately USD 280 (~AED 1,028) Prometric fee for specialist doctors, in addition to DataFlow Primary Source Verification and Sheryan eligibility/licensing fees.

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

DHA Specialist Exam Study Tips from Top Performers

1Study from your specialty's clinical guidelines and standards, and reinforce them with applied vignette practice rather than pure recall, since the exam emphasises clinical decision-making.
2Dedicate focused revision to UAE-specific regulations, including DHA scope of practice, controlled-drug prescribing, communicable-disease notification timeframes and confidentiality law, as these recur on the assessment.
3Practise under timed conditions to build the pace needed for ~150 MCQs, and review every wrong answer's explanation to convert errors into durable learning.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the DHA Specialist exam and how long is it?

The DHA specialist exam is a Prometric computer-based test that commonly contains around 150 single-best-answer MCQs to be completed in roughly 150-170 minutes. The exact count and time can vary by specialty, so confirm your specialty's structure on the Sheryan portal.

What is the passing score for the DHA Specialist exam?

Most DHA specialty exams require approximately 60% to pass, although some specialties set a higher standard. The result is reported as Pass or Fail in your Sheryan account, and you should verify your specialty's specific standard with Dubai Health.

How do I become eligible to sit the DHA Specialist exam?

Candidates apply through the Sheryan portal, complete DataFlow Primary Source Verification of their qualifications, and must hold a recognised postgraduate specialist qualification with the required experience. Once eligibility is confirmed, you schedule the exam on the Prometric website.

How many attempts are allowed for the DHA exam?

Candidates are generally allowed up to three attempts per year. If all three attempts in a cycle are unsuccessful, a waiting period may apply before reapplying. Confirm current rules via Dubai Health, as policies can change.