SMLE vs DHA: Which Exam Should an IMG Take, Saudi Arabia or Dubai?

Both exams are open to doctors from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Egypt and other countries, and both are taken at Prometric centres. They lead to different licences, so the right choice depends on where you want to work.

Side by side

	SMLE (Saudi Arabia)	DHA GP (Dubai)
Regulator	SCFHS	Dubai Health Authority
Questions	200, two blocks of 100	150, one sitting
Time	120 min per block, 30-min break	3 hours including check-in
Pass mark	560 on a 200 to 800 scale	60% for General Practice
Content	Medicine, OB/GYN, Pediatrics, Surgery, plus ethics and preventive medicine	Primary-care list: chronic disease, acute medicine, pediatrics, women's health, emergency, surgery, psychiatry, eye/ENT, derm, EBM
Results	2 to 6 weeks after the window closes; score and feedback report	Pass or Fail in Sheryan; score not shared
Attempts	Up to 4 per year until you pass	Limited; reported as 3 in total across UAE authorities
Exam fee (doctors)	Shown on the SCFHS portal at application	USD 280 per attempt

Which is "easier"?

They test different things, so there is no honest universal answer. The SMLE is longer and has a four-discipline blueprint with a specific list of topics at three mastery levels, so a systematic candidate can map it closely. The DHA GP exam is shorter and broad, centred on primary care and family medicine, so strong general practice judgement matters more than specialist depth.

How to choose

• You want Saudi Arabia, or Saudi residency (SCFHS programmes): the SMLE is the route.
• You want Dubai: the DHA exam, with Sheryan registration and Prometric booking.
• You are undecided or want flexibility: start with the discipline-based foundation of the SMLE, because its Medicine, OB/GYN, Pediatrics and Surgery core also supports primary care exams. Then take a short DHA topping-up block on epidemiology, screening and family medicine concepts.

Other emirates and other Gulf countries have their own regulators and exams, so check the one that matches your target employer. For the wider picture see our DHA vs SMLE vs MCCQE vs NLE comparison.

Prepare for either with the SMLE QBank or the DHA QBank. Both include timed mock exams. Your first 20 questions in each are free.

Exam rules change. Everything above comes from the SCFHS SMLE guideline and the DHA CBT guideline; confirm the current version on the official portal before you book or pay.