DHA optometrist exam: format, pass score and the eleven content areas DHA lists

What does the DHA optometrist exam look like?

Optometrists sit the DHA computer-based test run by Prometric. DHA prints one row for the title, and everything in this guide comes from that row and from DHA’s assessment manual. It is meant for planning, not for predicting a result. Meddex is independent and is not connected to the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) or Prometric.

What are the eleven content areas?

The guideline lists these headings, with no weights.

1. Geometric Optics.
2. Ocular Disease.
3. Clinical Visual Optics.
4. Pediatric Optometry.
5. Basic Ocular Anatomy and Physiology.
6. Geriatric Optometry.
7. Binocular Vision.
8. Low Vision Practice.
9. Refraction.
10. Environmental Optometry.
11. Contact Lenses.

How could you group eleven headings?

Grouping is our suggestion, because DHA gives a flat list. One group is the science underneath: geometric optics, basic ocular anatomy and physiology, and clinical visual optics. A second is the examination and correction work you do daily: refraction, binocular vision and contact lenses. A third is by patient: paediatric and geriatric optometry, and low vision practice. The last two, ocular disease and environmental optometry, are about recognising disease and external factors that affect the eye.

Groups help you plan a week. They do not tell you which group carries most marks, because DHA does not say.

What about calculation questions?

The list includes geometric optics, clinical visual optics and refraction, which suggests that some questions may need arithmetic on powers, distances or prescriptions. That is an inference from the headings, not a DHA statement. Practise by hand, as you will have no phone on the exam. If the on-screen tools for your sitting include a calculator, you will see that on the day. Our Prometric check-in guide lists what DHA and Prometric do and do not say about tools.

How long should you plan for eleven areas?

DHA gives no recommended study time. As a starting point, many candidates plan several weeks of steady work, with the exact length set by your baseline and your exam date. Our allied health six-week plan shows one way to split the weeks, and how to turn headings into a plan shows how to adapt it to a list like this one.

What practice content is there?

Meddex has no question bank written for optometry as of the date of this page, and full mocks are not offered for allied titles. See the allied health hub for what the shared questions cover. Your own textbooks and the reference list DHA prints for your row remain the main material.

What might one week look like?

An example of a single week, with invented ratings, to show the method. Suppose you rate refraction and contact lenses green, geometric optics amber, and low vision practice, binocular vision and environmental optometry red. You would give the three red headings two slots each, geometric optics one, and the two green headings one short slot between them. Add one timed mixed set at the end of the week, and a short look at the error log on the last day. Next week, rerate only the headings where you have new evidence, such as two sets in a row going well.

Frequently asked questions