GCC Medical Licensing Exam Codes 2026: The Complete Directory by Profession

Before a fee is paid, before a single MCQ is practised, every GCC licensing application comes down to one line on a form: the exam code. It decides which paper you sit, which blueprint you study, and which job titles you can legally hold once you are licensed. Choose it wrongly and the rest of the file goes to waste.

This page is the directory. Every practice exam we run is listed here by profession with its code, so you can find yours in under a minute and move on to the part that matters.

How an exam code is built

Codes look random. They are not. Each one ties a profession to a grade, and the grade is the part candidates get wrong.

• General covers entry level practice, for example General Practice GEN5331 and General Dentist GEN5301.
• Specialist requires a recognised postgraduate qualification in that field plus experience.
• Consultant sits above Specialist and normally needs several more years in the specialty, often with an oral panel.
• Assistant, Technician and Technologist are three separate grades in allied health, each with its own code and its own scope of practice.

Two professionals doing similar day to day work can sit completely different papers because their qualifications place them at different grades. Your degree, your home country registration and your experience letters decide the grade. Your preference does not.

Which authority licenses you

The code tells you the paper. The authority tells you where the licence is valid. Results are not shared between regulators, so pick the country first.

• Dubai: Dubai Health Authority. See our DHA exam guide.
• Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra: Department of Health.
• Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah: Ministry of Health and Prevention. See the MOHAP licence guide.
• Saudi Arabia: Saudi Commission for Health Specialties. See the SCFHS guide.
• Qatar: Department of Healthcare Professions. See the QCHP requirements.
• Bahrain and Oman: NHRA and OMSB. See the overlooked GCC routes.

If you are weighing up the three UAE regulators, read DHA vs MOHAP vs DOH before you commit, because the order you take them in changes how quickly you can start work.

Physician exam codes

• General Practice GEN5331
• Specialist Anesthesia ANA5781
• Specialist Anatomic Pathology HIS5571
• Specialist Cardiology CRD5751
• Specialist Clinical Biochemistry BIO5900, Consultant Clinical Biochemistry BIO6100
• Specialist Clinical Pathology CPA5541
• Specialist Community Medicine SCO6012
• Specialist Critical Care Medicine ICU5231
• Specialist Dermatology DER5421, Consultant Dermatology DER5762
• Specialist Diagnostic Radiology SDR6042
• Specialist Emergency Medicine EME5531
• Specialist Endocrinology END5492, Consultant Endocrinology CEN6052
• Specialist Family Medicine FAM5871, Consultant Family Medicine FAM5742
• Specialist Forensic Medicine FRM5161
• Specialist Gastroenterology GES5171
• Specialist General Surgery GEN5341
• Specialist Hematopathology HEM4711
• Specialist Internal Medicine INT5921, Consultant Internal Medicine INT5732
• Specialist Medical Microbiology MIC5251
• Specialist Nephrology NEP5991
• Specialist Neurology NRO5011
• Specialist Neurosurgery NEU5311
• Specialist and Consultant Obstetrics and Gynecology OBG5891
• Specialist Oncology ONC5900, Consultant Oncology ONC6100
• Specialist Ophthalmology OPH5841, Consultant Ophthalmology COP6072
• Specialist Orthopedic Surgery ORT5971
• Specialist Otolaryngology ENT5721
• Specialist Pediatrics PED5391, Consultant Pediatrics PED5712
• Specialist Pediatric Surgery PED5492
• Specialist Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation PHY5261
• Specialist and Consultant Plastic Surgery PLA5671
• Specialist Psychiatry PSY5961
• Specialist Public Health and General Preventive Medicine SPH6022
• Specialist Public Health Medicine COM5551
• Specialist Pulmonary Disease PUL5081
• Specialist Reproductive Medicine and Infertility RMA6062
• Specialist Rheumatology RHU5501
• Specialist Sports Medicine SPM5792
• Specialist Urology URO5931
• Specialist Vascular Surgery VAS5291
• Laser Hair Reduction privilege LHR6103

Dental exam codes

• General Dentist GEN5301
• Implantology IMP4411
• Specialist Endodontics END5021, Consultant Endodontics CEN5022
• Specialist Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery OMS5351
• Specialist Oral Surgery ORS5941, Consultant Oral Surgery COR6082
• Specialist Orthodontics ORD5211, Consultant Orthodontics COD6072
• Specialist Pediatric Dentistry PED5911, Consultant Pediatric Dentistry CPE5912
• Specialist Periodontics PER5131, Consultant Periodontics PRI5772
• Specialist Prosthodontics PRO5051, Consultant Prosthodontics CBR6032
• Specialist Restorative Dentistry RES5221, Consultant Restorative Dentistry CRE5222

Nursing and midwifery exam codes

• Registered Nurse RNT0312
• Assistant Nurse ARN5061
• Registered Midwife MID5104
• Assistant Midwife MID5101

Nurses trained outside the Gulf often ask whether an American licensure exam replaces this paper. It does not. We cover that in NCLEX vs Prometric, and the paper itself in the Prometric exam for nurses.

Allied health exam codes

This is the largest group and the one where grade mistakes are most common. Read the Technician and Technologist entries carefully before you pick.

• Pharmacist PHO5481, Clinical Pharmacy PHO5482, Pharmacy Assistant and Technician PHT5451
• Medical Laboratory Technician LAB5601, Medical Laboratory Technologist LAB5631
• Clinical Biochemistry Clinical Scientist BIC5662, Clinical Biochemistry Technologist BIC5661
• Hematology Clinical Scientist MTH4611, Hematology Technologist MTH4612
• Medical Microbiology Clinical Scientist MIC5692, Medical Microbiology Technologist MIC5691
• Radiographer RAD5152, Radiography Technician RAD5622
• Physiotherapist PHY5121, Physiotherapy Technician PHY4011
• Occupational Therapist ORA5562, Occupational Therapy Assistant ORA5563
• Speech Therapist and Speech Language Pathologist SPL6732
• Audiologist AUD4312, Audiology Assistant AUD4311
• Optometrist OPT5581
• Clinical Psychology CPS5071
• Clinical Dietitian NUT4112, Nutritionist NUT4111
• Respiratory Therapist RES5882, Respiratory Technician RES5881
• Anesthesia Technician ANA5701, Anesthesia Technologist ANA5702
• Operation Theatre Technician OPE6112, Operation Theatre Technologist OPE6113
• Dialysis Technician RDT5161, Dialysis Technologist RDT5162
• ECG Technician ECG5612, ECG Technologist ECG5613
• Cardiac Perfusionist CAR5371
• Central Sterile Services Aide STE5653, Central Sterile Services Technician STE5652
• Prosthetics and Orthotics Technician PRO5951, Prosthetics and Orthotics Technologist PRO5952
• Dental Assistant DAS5111, Dental Hygienist DEN5141, Dental Lab Technician and Dental Lab Aide
• Massage Therapist MAS5511
• Aesthetician and Beauty Therapist BYT5862
• Laser Hair Reduction Technician LHR6102

Emergency medical services exam codes

• Critical Care Paramedic CCP7001
• Advanced Care Paramedic ACP7002
• Paramedic PMD7003
• Emergency Medical Technician EMT7004
• Medical Emergency Responder EMR7005

Traditional, complementary and integrative medicine exam codes

• Acupuncture Practitioner PAC6092
• Homeopathy Practitioner PHO5832
• Unani Practitioner PUN6062
• Ayurveda Practitioner

Residency entrance

Graduates aiming at a UAE residency programme sit the Emirates Medical Residency Entrance Exam, EMREE120, rather than a licensing paper. The registration season, the structure and the preparation window are set out in our EMREE guide.

Technician, Technologist, Assistant: the grade words that cost people months

Take three examples from the list above. Medical Laboratory Technician LAB5601 and Medical Laboratory Technologist LAB5631 are different exams. Dialysis Technician RDT5161 and Dialysis Technologist RDT5162 are different exams. Occupational Therapist ORA5562 and Occupational Therapy Assistant ORA5563 are different exams.

In each pair the higher grade needs a longer or more advanced qualification, and in most hospitals it carries a wider scope and a different salary band. Applying one grade above what your paperwork supports does not usually get caught at booking. It gets caught later, after the fee, after the study, sometimes after the pass, and the file then has to be rebuilt. If your documents sit close to the line between two grades, have them read before you book rather than after. For the Saudi version of the same question, see Mumaris+ classification explained.

Four checks before you book your code

• Match the code to your documents. Degree, home registration and experience letters have to support the grade you are applying for.
• Start primary source verification early. It runs on its own timeline and is the most common cause of a stalled file. Our Dataflow guide has the document list.
• Request your good standing certificate now. Some councils take weeks. See how to get one quickly.
• Read the rejection list. Most refusals repeat the same handful of causes, set out in ten reasons applications get rejected.

Preparing for your specific code

Once the code is fixed, preparation stops being general. The blueprint for your code tells you which topics carry the most questions, and a candidate who studies to that weighting covers the paper in a fraction of the time a textbook takes.

The questions themselves are clinical vignettes with one best answer. You are given a patient, a set of findings and four plausible options, and you are asked what happens next. Recall style revision does not prepare you for that. Practising full length papers under time, then reading the reasoning behind every option, does. There is more on method in passing on the first attempt and how to practise MCQs the right way.

Our practice exams are built code by code against the current blueprint, written from scratch rather than collected from recalled papers, with an explanation on every question that says why the key is right and why each distractor is wrong. Senior categories that face an oral panel also get scenario practice with model answers. You can browse the full catalogue on our practice exams page.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find my exam code? Locate your profession in the lists above, then confirm the grade against your qualification and experience. If two grades look possible, that is the point to ask for a review rather than guess.

Is the code the same for every GCC authority? The profession and grade structure is broadly similar across the region, but each regulator maintains its own catalogue and its own qualification requirements. Confirm against the authority you are applying to.

Can I use a pass from one authority in another country? Generally no. Each regulator examines separately, so a second country normally means a second application and a second paper.

What is the difference between Technician and Technologist? Different qualification level, different scope of practice and a different exam code. They are not interchangeable job titles.

Do allied health professionals sit the same paper as doctors? No. Every profession has its own blueprint, and within a profession each grade has its own paper.

How long should I prepare? It depends on the code, how recently you trained and how much clinical work you are doing now. Start the paperwork in parallel with study so that neither one waits for the other.

Get your code confirmed before you pay

First Medical Consultancy works with doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives and allied health professionals across the Gulf, from the first eligibility check through verification, examination and hospital placement. Eligibility questions cost nothing to ask.

Email info@firstmedicalconsultancy.com or call and message on +971 50 512 0102, and tell us your profession, your qualification and the country you are targeting. We will tell you which code fits and what your file still needs.