Free Dermatology mock exam

What the real Dermatology licensing exam looks like

What is on the Dermatology exam: the full blueprint

The published blueprint splits into 13 domains and 235 testable sub-topics. The diagnostic above samples across all of them, which is why its breakdown maps onto the structure the real paper is built from.

• Basic Science, Skin Biology, Cutaneous Immunology and Dermatopathology~8%17 topics

  est.; DHA lists 'Basic Science'; SCFHS Part One allots 10% anatomy/structure/development, 10% innate immunity, 10% adaptive immunity, 5% keratinocytes and dermal-epidermal cohesion

• Papulosquamous and Eczematous Dermatoses~10%18 topics

  est.; DHA heading; SCFHS Final Written allots 10% to T-cell mediated inflammatory disease

• Urticaria, Erythemas, Drug Eruptions, Purpura and Cutaneous Vasculitis~9%19 topics

  est.; DHA heading 'Urticaria, Erythemas, Purpura and Connective Tissue Diseases'; SCFHS Final Written allots 10% to neutrophil/eosinophil and humoral-mediated disease

• Vesiculobullous and Autoimmune Blistering Diseases~5%16 topics

  est.; DHA heading; SCFHS Final Written allots 5%

• Connective Tissue Disease, Dermal, Subcutaneous, Metabolic and Systemic Skin Disease~8%19 topics

  est.; DHA headings 'Metabolic, Systemic Diseases and Disorders of Dermal Connective Tissues and Subcutaneous Fat' and 'Skin Manifestations of Other Diseases'; SCFHS Final Written allots 10% plus 5% metabolic/systemic

• Cutaneous Infections, Infestations, Bites and Sexually Transmitted Infections~10%19 topics

  est.; DHA heading 'Infections, Infestations and Bites'; SCFHS Final Written allots 10%

• Cutaneous Neoplasms and Skin Cancer~9%18 topics

  est.; DHA heading 'Cutaneous Neoplasms'; SCFHS allots 10% in both Part One and Final Written

• Hair, Nail, Adnexal and Mucous Membrane Disorders~7%18 topics

  est.; DHA heading 'Adnexal, Hair, Nails and Mucous Membranes Diseases'; SCFHS allots 5% hair/nail/mucosa plus 5% skin appendages

• Pigmentary Disorders and Photodermatoses~6%18 topics

  est.; DHA heading; SCFHS Final Written groups pigmentary/adnexal/physical-agent disorders at 10%, Part One allots 5% pigmentation

• Pediatric Dermatology and Genodermatoses~8%18 topics

  est.; DHA heading 'Pediatric Dermatology'; SCFHS Final Written allots 10% to genodermatosis and paediatric dermatology, Part One 10% genodermatosis

• Dermatologic Therapeutics and Pharmacology~7%18 topics

  est.; SCFHS Part One allots 10% to therapeutics; DHA references Wolverton Comprehensive Dermatologic Drug Therapy

• Procedural, Surgical, Laser and Cosmetic Dermatology~8%19 topics

  est.; DHA heading 'Procedural Dermatology'; SCFHS Final Written allots 10%

• Dermatologic Emergencies, Patient Safety, Professionalism and Ethics~5%18 topics

  est.; DHA lists 'Patient Safety' and 'Professionalism and Ethics' as separate coverage headings for both bands; SCFHS states these are embedded across domains

Questions

~150 (DHA Specialist Dermatology = 150; DHA Consultant Dermatology = 100; MOHAP/DOH dermatology papers ~150; SCFHS Saudi Board Part One = 150 SBA; SCFHS Final Written = 2 papers of 100-125 SBA)

Duration

3 hours (DHA states 3 Hrs inclusive of registration, process introduction and exam content; MOHAP/DOH/NHRA/OMSB dermatology papers also ~3 hours)

Pass mark

65% (DHA Specialist Dermatology); 70% (DHA Consultant Dermatology); 60% (MOHAP, NHRA, OMSB baseline); 65% (DOH since Jan-2023, unverified); SCFHS Board Part One 65% with a floor of 60%, Final Written 70% with a floor of 65%

Single-best-answer, clinical-vignette weighted MCQs; computer-delivered by Prometric (DHA, MOHAP, SCFHS, QCHP, NHRA, OMSB) or Pearson VUE (DOH Abu Dhabi, and OMSB in part). Up to 10% unscored pretest items may be embedded (explicit in SCFHS blueprints). DHA reports Pass/Fail only and does not release the score. Morphology/image-based stems (clinical photographs, dermoscopy, histopathology) are heavily represented in dermatology papers relative to other medical specialties. DHA Specialist fee USD280 (code DER5421); DHA Consultant fee USD280 (code DER5762). Three attempts are permitted across the UAE Authorities (a fourth may be granted at a different authority, but not for a Tier-3 consultant upgrade); QCHP allows 3 attempts for specialty titles. SCFHS may lower the pass score one mark at a time to reach a ~70% pass rate but never below the stated floor. Blueprint category weights may vary +/-5% per SCFHS. DHA's published exam coverage for BOTH Specialist and Consultant Dermatology is identical in headings - the bands differ in item count and pass mark (150/65% vs 100/70%), i.e. the consultant paper is shorter but graded harder and pitched at greater depth and independent decision-making.

A worked Dermatology exam question

Every question in the diagnostic and in the paid bank is written to this standard: a clinical stem, four plausible options and the reasoning for the answer, with its source.

How to use this diagnostic properly

1. 1Sit it cold, once. Do not look anything up. A diagnostic you help yourself through tells you nothing. The number you get is only useful if it is honest.
2. 2Read every rationale - especially the ones you got right. Getting a question right by elimination is not the same as knowing it. The worked reasoning is free above, whether or not you buy anything.
3. 3Work weakest domain first. The breakdown orders your domains worst-first for exactly this reason. Studying what you are already good at feels productive and moves nothing.
4. 4Re-sit under full exam conditions later. The real paper is far longer than this and stamina matters. Full-length timed papers are what the paid bank is for.

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