DHA Community & Public Health Medicine exam questions
Epidemiology, biostatistics, screening, health policy and outbreak control.
Card checkout is being set up. We send it directly, usually the same day.
What is riding on this exam
One failed attempt costs you the fee again, plus months of delay on your licence, your visa and your start date. This bank costs about a quarter of one exam fee.
Pass marks at a glance: DHA exam codes and pass marks for all written exams in one sourced table.
DHA Community & Public Health Medicine exam at a glance
- Exam code
- SCO6012
- Questions
- 150 MCQs
- Duration
- 3 hours
- Pass mark
- 65%
- Fee per attempt
- USD 280 (about AED 1,030)
- Result
- Pass or fail, no score
From the DHA CBT Guideline, Sep 2026. Delivered by Prometric; three attempts in total across the UAE authorities. Full DHA exam guide.
Try two questions from this bank
Original questions from the bank - pick an answer to see the rationale and reference.
A small trial finds no significant difference between two drugs, although a clinically important difference truly exists. What has occurred?
Choose an answer to see the rationale.
A 3-year-old lives with his father, who has smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis. The child is well, with a normal examination and chest radiograph. What is the next step?
Choose an answer to see the rationale.
Not sure where you stand? Sit 12 of these questions free, timed at real exam pace, and see which domains you are weakest in.
Take the free mock exam →Liked those? The full bank has 450 questions at this standard - every one with a rationale and a reference.
Get the full bank - AED 289What's inside
- ✓3 full-length papers (~150 Q each)
- ✓450 questions, no overlap between papers
- ✓Four options, one unambiguous best answer
- ✓A full rationale on every question
- ✓A real guideline or textbook reference
- ✓Every sub-topic in the published blueprint
The Community & Public Health Medicine exam in every GCC country
| Regulator | Exam | Format | Pass mark | Fee per attempt | Practise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DHA Dubai | Specialist Community Medicine (SCO6012) | 150 MCQs in 3 hours | 65% | USD 280 (about AED 1,030) | DHA questions → |
| DOH Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra | DOH licensing exam Regulator-wide format | Written + oral/OSCE | Pass / fail only | Not published | DOH questions → |
| MOHAP Northern Emirates - Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah | MOHAP licensing exam Regulator-wide format | Computer-based | Not published | Not published | MOHAP questions → |
| SHA Emirate of Sharjah | SHA licensing exam Regulator-wide format | Set at assessment | Not published | Not published | SHA questions → |
| SCFHS Kingdom of Saudi Arabia | SCFHS licensing exam Regulator-wide format | 200 MCQs, 240 min | 500-560 of 800 | Not published | SCFHS questions → |
| QCHP State of Qatar | Specialist Community Medicine | 150 MCQs in 3 hours | 65% | Not published | QCHP questions → |
| NHRA Kingdom of Bahrain | NHRA licensing exam Regulator-wide format | Prometric CBT | Not published | Not published | NHRA questions → |
| OMSB Sultanate of Oman | OMSB licensing exam Regulator-wide format | Computer-based OC exam | Not published | Not published | OMSB questions → |
| Kuwait MOH State of Kuwait | Kuwait MOH licensing exam Regulator-wide format | 150 MCQs, 170 min | 60-70% | Not published | Kuwait MOH questions → |
exact exam published for Community & Public Health Medicine
From each regulator's own exam pages; anything a regulator does not publish says so. Assessment mode also depends on your licence title, so confirm your route on your eligibility notice.
Try 15 free Community & Public Health Medicine questions with answersDifferent from the samples on this page - each with a full explanationStart →What the Community & Public Health Medicine exam covers
The published blueprint for this exam breaks into 8 domains and 55 testable sub-topics. Our bank covers every one of them - here is the full map, so you can see exactly what you are expected to know.
Epidemiology and Research Methods~18%8 topics
- Measures of disease frequency: incidence, prevalence, rates and ratios
- Measures of association: relative risk, odds ratio, attributable risk
- Cohort, case-control and cross-sectional designs
- Randomised controlled trials: allocation, blinding, intention-to-treat
- Bias, confounding and effect modification
- Causal inference: Bradford Hill criteria
- Screening biases: lead-time, length-time, overdiagnosis
- Systematic reviews and meta-analysis
Biostatistics~14%7 topics
- Sensitivity, specificity and predictive values
- Effect of prevalence on predictive values
- Hypothesis testing, p values and type I and II errors
- Confidence intervals and sample size
- Choice of statistical test for data type
- Number needed to treat and absolute risk reduction
- Agreement and reliability: kappa statistic
Communicable Disease Control~16%8 topics
- Outbreak investigation steps and epidemic curves
- Attack rates, secondary attack rate and incubation periods
- Basic reproduction number and herd immunity threshold
- Foodborne and waterborne disease control
- Tuberculosis contact tracing and preventive treatment
- Zoonoses: rabies post-exposure prophylaxis, brucellosis
- Transmission-based isolation precautions
- Surveillance systems and notifiable diseases
Immunization and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases~10%6 topics
- National immunization schedules and catch-up
- Cold chain, vaccine vial monitors and shake test
- Live versus inactivated vaccines: contraindications
- Post-exposure vaccination and immunoglobulins
- Adverse events following immunization
- Vaccine hesitancy and coverage surveys
Non-Communicable Diseases and Screening~12%7 topics
- Levels of prevention: primordial to tertiary
- Wilson and Jungner screening criteria
- High-risk versus population strategy (Rose)
- Diabetes and hypertension screening thresholds
- Cancer screening: cervical, breast, colorectal
- Tobacco control and the WHO FCTC
- Cardiovascular risk estimation
Environmental and Occupational Health~10%7 topics
- Drinking water safety and chlorination
- Heat-related illness prevention in workers
- Hierarchy of hazard controls
- Pneumoconioses and occupational lung disease
- Noise-induced hearing loss and audiometry
- Air pollution and health
- Healthcare waste management
Maternal, Child Health and Nutrition~10%6 topics
- Maternal and infant mortality indicators
- Breastfeeding and complementary feeding
- Growth monitoring and WHO growth standards
- Severe acute malnutrition: community management
- Micronutrient deficiencies: vitamin A, iron, iodine
- Antenatal care and family planning
Health Systems, Policy, Promotion and Ethics~10%6 topics
- Health promotion models: transtheoretical, health belief
- Health economics: cost-effectiveness and cost-utility
- Primary health care and universal health coverage
- Public health ethics: surveillance and confidentiality
- Health indicators and burden of disease (DALYs)
- International Health Regulations
6 worked Community & Public Health Medicine practice questions
Original exam-style questions from the bank, spread across the blueprint domains. They are not real or recalled exam questions. Try each one, then open the answer for the rationale and reference. None of them appear in the free mock exam, so reading them will not spoil it.
Question 1 · Biostatistics
A screening test with fixed sensitivity and specificity is moved from a high-risk clinic to the general population, where prevalence is much lower. What change is expected?
- APPV falls and NPV rises
- BPPV rises and NPV falls
- CSensitivity falls and specificity rises
- DBoth predictive values stay the same
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. PPV falls and NPV rises
Predictive values depend on prevalence: as prevalence falls, false positives make up a larger share of positive results, so PPV falls while NPV rises. Sensitivity and specificity are properties of the test and do not change with prevalence.
Reference: Gordis Epidemiology, 6th ed.
Question 2 · Communicable Disease Control
Within 2 hours of eating reheated fried rice at a restaurant, several diners develop vomiting without fever. Which agent is most likely?
- ASalmonella enteritidis
- BBacillus cereus
- CClostridium perfringens
- DCampylobacter jejuni
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Bacillus cereus
The emetic toxin of Bacillus cereus, classically linked to rice held warm and reheated, causes vomiting within about 1-6 hours. Clostridium perfringens causes diarrhoea after a longer incubation of roughly 8-16 hours.
Reference: Heymann, Control of Communicable Diseases Manual, 21st ed.
Question 3 · Communicable Disease Control
A child with suspected measles is admitted to hospital. Which transmission-based precaution is required?
- ADroplet precautions in a shared bay of four beds
- BContact precautions with gloves and gown only
- CStandard precautions only, without any isolation
- DAirborne precautions in a single negative-pressure room
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. Airborne precautions in a single negative-pressure room
Measles spreads by the airborne route and needs an airborne infection isolation room with respirators for susceptible staff. Droplet precautions are not enough because the virus stays suspended in air for long periods.
Reference: CDC Guideline for Isolation Precautions 2007
Question 4 · Environmental and Occupational Health
For effective disinfection of piped drinking water at pH below 8, what minimum free chlorine residual is recommended after at least 30 minutes of contact time?
- A0.5 mg/L
- B0.05 mg/L
- C2.0 mg/L
- D5.0 mg/L
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. 0.5 mg/L
WHO recommends a free chlorine residual of at least 0.5 mg/L after 30 minutes of contact at pH below 8. The 5 mg/L figure is the health-based guideline maximum, not the target residual.
Reference: WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality, 4th ed.
Question 5 · Epidemiology and Research Methods
A new screening test detects pancreatic cancer 2 years earlier than clinical diagnosis. Five-year survival from diagnosis rises, but the average age at death is unchanged. What best explains this?
- ALead-time bias
- BLength-time bias
- COverdiagnosis bias
- DVolunteer bias
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Lead-time bias
Earlier detection adds time to survival measured from diagnosis without delaying death, which is lead-time bias. Length-time bias is the preferential detection of slower-growing tumours by screening, which is a different mechanism.
Reference: Gordis Epidemiology, 6th ed.
Question 6 · Immunization and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
A healthy, non-pregnant 25-year-old health worker with no record of measles vaccination was exposed to a measles case 48 hours ago. What is the best action?
- AGive MMR vaccine in 3 weeks
- BGive oral ribavirin prophylaxis
- CGive MMR vaccine now
- DNo action; the window has passed
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Give MMR vaccine now
MMR vaccine given within 72 hours of exposure can prevent or modify measles in susceptible contacts. Delaying vaccination loses this window, and there is no role for ribavirin prophylaxis.
Reference: CDC ACIP: Prevention of Measles, Rubella, CRS and Mumps 2013
Last reviewed September 2026
About these questions: every question is original, written to the published blueprint, with a rationale and a reference. No recalled or leaked exam content is used. How we write our questions.
Before you book your exam
Frequently asked questions
Are these real Community & Public Health Medicine exam questions?
How many questions are in the Community & Public Health Medicine bank?
What is the pass mark for the DHA Community & Public Health Medicine exam?
How many questions are in the DHA Community & Public Health Medicine exam, and how long is it?
How much does the DHA Community & Public Health Medicine exam cost?
How many attempts do I get?
Does this cover DHA, DOH, MOHAP and SCFHS?
How do I receive it?
Still unsure whether you even need this exam?
Your route depends on your profession, your licence title and the authority. We have guided over 1,000 professionals through GCC licensing - tell us your situation and we will confirm exactly what you need to sit.