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Qatar for Nurses
The DHP Registered General Nurse Qualifying Examination is the national licensing exam for registered nurses who want to practise in Qatar. It is set by the Department of Healthcare Professions (DHP) under the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) and delivered through Prometric test centres worldwide. Passing the exam, combined with DataFlow credential verification, is the key requirement to obtain your DHP licence and work as a Registered Nurse in Qatar.
Pathway Snapshot
Create your DHP portal account, complete DataFlow Primary Source Verification of your nursing degree and credentials, receive your eligibility ID, book and pass the Prometric exam, and obtain your DHP licence.
Complete Journey: Nursing Degree → DataFlow PSV → DHP Portal & Eligibility → DHP Nursing Prometric Exam → DHP Licence Issuance → Nursing Practice in Qatar.
You must hold a recognised Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or an equivalent nursing degree from an accredited institution. Diploma-holders may also be eligible, but a BSN is strongly preferred by most employers. Internationally trained nurses generally need a minimum of two years of post-qualification clinical experience. Nurses with less experience may be considered if they complete a supervised internship in Qatar (or can demonstrate equivalent supervised clinical experience in their home country — confirm with DHP).
There is no universal English language test score mandated by the DHP for exam eligibility. However, the exam is administered in English, and individual employers in Qatar (such as Hamad Medical Corporation and Sidra Medicine) commonly require IELTS Academic (often 6.5 overall) or OET (Grade B). Confirm directly with your employer before relying on any specific score.
Primary Source Verification (PSV) is mandatory and handled exclusively through the DataFlow Group. You will submit your nursing degree, academic transcripts, home-country nursing licence, experience letters, and a Certificate of Good Standing. DataFlow contacts your issuing institutions directly to authenticate each document. DHP requires DataFlow verification with no exemptions, even for holders of qualifications that may exempt them from other Gulf exams. Fees vary by document package; confirm the current price on the DataFlow website before paying. Start this step as early as possible — it is often the longest part of the process.
The DHP Registration & Licensing portal is your central platform for all licensing services. Create an account, submit your documents, and apply for professional evaluation. Once DataFlow verification is complete and the DHP reviews your file, you will receive an Eligibility ID. This authorises you to book the Prometric exam. The process is sequential — you cannot schedule the exam until your eligibility is confirmed.
The DHP Registered General Nurse exam tests clinical knowledge, critical thinking, and patient safety using internationally recognised nursing standards.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
Questions |
150 multiple-choice questions (single best answer of four options) is the commonly reported format. Confirm the exact question count with DHP or during Prometric booking, as some sources indicate 100 MCQs for nursing. |
Format |
Computer-based test (CBT), Prometric |
Duration |
3 hours (180 minutes) — confirmed on the official Prometric Qatar page. A separate DHP document references 3.5 hours; confirm the exact duration when booking. |
Passing Standard |
50% for Registered General Nurses (officially published by DHP). Results are reported as Pass/Fail only. |
Attempts |
5 consecutive attempts, regardless of the gap between attempts (official DHP policy). |
Testing Centres |
Prometric centres worldwide |
Result Validity |
DHP exam results are valid for 3 years from the date of the examination, per DHP policy. Confirm the current validity period when you receive your result. |
Not officially published by DHP — based on candidate-reported and preparation-resource estimates:
| Domain | Approximate Emphasis |
|---|---|
Adult Medical-Surgical Nursing | Highest emphasis |
Maternal-Child Nursing (Maternity, Paediatrics) | High emphasis |
Nursing Fundamentals (Nursing process, patient safety, infection control, medication administration) | High emphasis |
Pharmacology & Drug Calculations | Moderate emphasis |
Mental Health & Psychiatric Nursing | Moderate emphasis |
Leadership, Management, Ethics & Qatar Healthcare Regulations | Moderate emphasis |
Community Health | Moderate emphasis |
The exam is built on the nursing process and tests clinical judgement, prioritisation, and delegation. Questions are predominantly clinical scenario-based and require application of knowledge, not simple recall. Some questions may integrate Qatar-specific regulatory content within the ethics and leadership domains.
Specialist nursing classification (ICU, Emergency, etc.) is credential-based — there are no separate specialist written exams. Midwifery has its own separate 150-MCQ qualifying exam, and other nursing categories (e.g., Nursing Technician) may also have distinct examinations under DHP.
What we offer
A comprehensive Qatar nursing question bank, built on a shared Gulf clinical core with dedicated Qatar-specific regulatory questions sourced from official DHP and MOPH documents. Includes detailed rationales, clinical-scenario practice, and local ethics and policy content.
Notify me when Qatar Nursing Prep is available →Candidates are permitted up to 5 consecutive attempts. There is no officially published mandatory waiting period between attempts, but standard Prometric booking availability may determine how quickly you can reschedule. After exhausting all 5 attempts, further applications are not considered.
Passing the exam allows the DHP to issue your professional licence, permitting you to work as a Registered Nurse in Qatar. Your employer will then complete the final steps for your residency visa and work permit.
Specialist titles (ICU, Emergency, etc.) are obtained through separate credential evaluation based on postgraduate qualifications and experience — there is no additional written exam. To change employers, you must follow DHP's licence transfer procedures.
All fees are approximate and based on 2026 data. Always confirm exact amounts on the official portals before payment.
| Item | Approx. Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
DataFlow PSV |
~$300–$350 USD | Varies by document package; confirm on dataflowgroup.com |
DHP Evaluation / Application Fee |
Confirm with DHP | Some sources cite ~100 QAR (~$27); others cite ~$100 USD (~365 QAR). Verify current rate on the DHP portal. |
Prometric Exam Fee |
$244 USD (official DHP rate, effective 2026) | Confirm exact amount on Prometric website when booking. |
Licence Issuance |
Arranged by employer | Paid by hiring facility; separate from exam and PSV fees. |
Note on Fees: All fees are set by DHP, DataFlow, and Prometric and are subject to change. The official pass mark for the Registered General Nurse exam is 50%. Figures shown are approximate and based on 2026 data. Always confirm exact fees and the current exam details on the official DHP and Prometric websites before payment or booking.