How to Pass the DOH Nursing Licensing (2026): A Realistic Plan
In short
To pass the DOH nursing exam you clear a threshold that varies by nursing title and candidate profile, so verify yours on TAMM before you set a target. The exam is about 150 multiple-choice questions in a single session, and Adult Nursing is the largest domain. Plan about 150 study hours.
What the DOH exam tests
Abu Dhabi's Department of Health (DOH) licenses nurses through a computer-based test at Pearson VUE centers, with eligibility issued through the TAMM platform. The paper is about 150 multiple-choice questions, sat in a single session of about 2.5 hours (roughly 150 minutes).
The four domains, led by Adult Nursing:
- Adult Nursing — 40%
- Maternal-Child Nursing — 30%
- Nursing Fundamentals — 20%
- Nursing Management and Leadership — 10%
The DOH doesn't publish fixed public domain percentages, so treat these weights as a working guide and confirm the current split in your DOH/TAMM materials. What's reliable is the shape: Adult Nursing dominates and Management & Leadership is the smallest slice. The passing threshold is the least fixed part of this exam — commonly reported at 60–70%, but it depends on your specific nursing title and profile. Your exact number comes from your DOH eligibility notice on TAMM, so read it before you set a practice target.
The plan, section by section
Budget about 150 hours — roughly five months — and spend them by domain weight:
Begin with Adult Nursing (40%, ~60 hours) → then Maternal-Child Nursing (30%, ~45 hours) → then Nursing Fundamentals (20%, ~30 hours) → finish with Management and Leadership (10%, ~15 hours).
Adult Nursing (40%)
The largest slice — medical and surgical nursing, critical care, community, and mental health. Because your threshold may be set high, treat prioritization and escalation scenarios as non-negotiable practice, not optional.
Maternal-Child Nursing (30%)
Covers the full span from antenatal care to neonatal and pediatric practice. Rehearse dosage calculations until they're automatic; a high pass bar leaves no room for arithmetic slips.
Nursing Fundamentals (20%)
physical assessment, pharmacology, and basic sciences — the reasoning foundation under every harder question. Don't shortchange it because it's only 20%.
Management and Leadership (10%)
Includes the DOH scope-of-practice and professional-conduct rules for Abu Dhabi alongside delegation and patient safety. The Abu Dhabi–specific content is the part international revision won't teach you.
Where people lose marks
The DOH's particular traps:
- Candidates guess their pass mark. The threshold isn't universal, so check your TAMM eligibility notice for the exact figure — preparing to the wrong number is the most expensive mistake on this exam, since your required score can sit anywhere in the 60–70% range depending on your title.
- People miss the two-step fee-and-eligibility flow. You pay a DOH eligibility fee via TAMM (around AED 100) and a separate Pearson VUE exam fee. Skip the TAMM eligibility step and you can't book the test.
- ID doesn't match the permit. Your identification must be unexpired and acceptable — a passport or applicable National ID. It has to match the name on your scheduling permit exactly, or you won't be admitted.
- The clock gets away from people. It's a single session of about 2.5 hours with no scheduled break, so pace yourself across roughly 150 questions and keep moving on anything that stalls you.
Common questions
What is the passing score for the DOH nursing exam? It varies by nursing title and profile — commonly reported in the 60–70% range. Confirm your exact threshold on your TAMM eligibility notice.
How many questions, and how long? About 150 multiple-choice questions in a single session of about 2.5 hours (roughly 150 minutes). The DOH doesn't publish an official count; confirm it in your DOH/TAMM materials.
What does it cost? About AED 100 for DOH eligibility via TAMM, plus a separate Pearson VUE exam fee (commonly reported around USD 95–350). Confirm the current amounts on TAMM and at Pearson VUE checkout.
Where is it held? Computer-based testing at Pearson VUE centers, with eligibility issued through TAMM.
Are some questions unscored? The DOH doesn't publish whether unscored pilot items are used, so answer every question fully.
How long should I prepare? Around 150 structured hours, weighted toward Adult and Maternal-Child Nursing.
When your pass mark varies by title and sits somewhere in the 60–70% range, the only safe preparation is knowing your real accuracy per domain. Only Ever maps the DOH blueprint to short study topics and gives the practice questions away free. Try the free DOH practice questions and check your scores against the exact threshold on your TAMM notice.