Pulmonology exam questions
3 exam-length papers covering every published domain for Pulmonology.
DHA PUL50813 papers · 520 Qs
What is riding on this exam
~AED 1,030
Exam fee, per attempt
Published by DHA. Paid again on every re-sit.
3
Attempts - in total
The cap is three across all UAE authorities, not three each.
60%
Pass mark
Pass or fail only. Your score is never released.
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 4th of one exam fee.
Try two questions from this bank
Real questions from the bank - pick an answer to see the rationale and reference.
Q1Patient Safety, Professionalism, Ethics and Communication
Reviewing a discharge summary two days after writing it, you notice you recorded the wrong side for a chest drain insertion. What is the correct way to correct the medical record?
Choose an answer to see the rationale.
Not sure where you stand? Sit 25 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 520 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)
- ✓520 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
Exam route by authority
| Authority | Delivered by | Specialist title |
|---|---|---|
| DHA - Dubai | Prometric | Computer-based MCQ |
| DOH - Abu Dhabi | Pearson VUE | Computer-based MCQ |
| MOHAP - Northern Emirates | Prometric | Computer-based MCQ |
| SCFHS - Saudi Arabia | Prometric / Pearson | Computer-based MCQ |
| QCHP - Qatar | Prometric | Computer-based MCQ |
| NHRA - Bahrain | Prometric | Computer-based MCQ |
| OMSB - Oman | Prometric | MCQ then oral viva |
Assessment mode depends on your licence title as well as your profession. Confirm your own route on your Sheryan / TAMM eligibility notice.
What the Pulmonology exam covers
The published blueprint for this exam breaks into 13 domains and 260 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.
Obstructive Lung Disease~20% (SCFHS Pulmonology Blueprint published: 20%; DHA lists 'Obstructive Lung Disease' as its first named coverage area)20 topics
- Asthma: pathophysiology, type 2 vs non-type 2 inflammation, phenotypes and endotypes
- Asthma diagnosis: spirometry with bronchodilator reversibility, FeNO, peak flow variability, bronchial challenge testing
- GINA stepwise therapy, ICS-formoterol reliever strategy (MART/AIR), stepping up and stepping down
- Severe/difficult asthma: adherence and inhaler technique review, comorbidity assessment, biologic selection (anti-IgE, anti-IL5/IL5R, anti-IL4R, anti-TSLP)
- Acute severe asthma and near-fatal asthma: severity grading, magnesium, escalation, indications for ventilation
- Aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease, cough-variant asthma, exercise-induced bronchoconstriction
- +14 more in the bank
Interstitial and Inflammatory (Diffuse Parenchymal) Lung Disease~12% (SCFHS published: 12%; DHA lists 'Interstitial and Inflammatory Lung Disease')20 topics
- Classification of idiopathic interstitial pneumonias and the multidisciplinary diagnostic approach
- Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: UIP HRCT criteria, when biopsy or cryobiopsy is needed, antifibrotics (pirfenidone, nintedanib)
- Progressive pulmonary fibrosis phenotype: definition and antifibrotic eligibility across non-IPF ILD
- Nonspecific interstitial pneumonia: cellular vs fibrotic patterns and prognosis
- Cryptogenic organizing pneumonia and secondary organizing pneumonia: imaging patterns, steroid response, relapse
- Acute interstitial pneumonia and acute exacerbation of ILD
- +14 more in the bank
Respiratory Infections and Tuberculosis~10% (SCFHS published: Infections 10%; DHA lists 'Infections')20 topics
- Community-acquired pneumonia: microbiology, CURB-65/PSI severity scoring, empirical antibiotic choice, de-escalation and duration
- Hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated pneumonia: risk factors, MDR pathogen coverage, prevention bundles
- Aspiration pneumonia and aspiration pneumonitis: risk assessment, anaerobic cover, swallow evaluation
- Lung abscess and necrotising pneumonia: microbiology, drainage indications, antibiotic duration
- Non-resolving and recurrent pneumonia: differential diagnosis and bronchoscopic evaluation
- Parapneumonic effusion and empyema: Light's criteria, pleural fluid pH and glucose, chest tube, intrapleural fibrinolytics (tPA/DNase), surgical referral
- +14 more in the bank
Sleep Medicine and Sleep-Disordered Breathing~10% (SCFHS published: 10%; DHA lists 'Sleep Medicine')20 topics
- Normal sleep architecture, sleep stages, neurotransmitters and physiological changes during sleep
- Control of ventilation and gas exchange during sleep; loop gain and arousal threshold
- Obstructive sleep apnoea: risk factors, symptoms, STOP-BANG and Epworth, physical examination findings
- Polysomnography: indications, montage, scoring rules, apnoea/hypopnoea/RERA definitions, AHI and RDI, oxygen desaturation index
- Home sleep apnoea testing: indications, limitations and pitfalls
- OSA treatment: CPAP titration, auto-CPAP, adherence management, mask problems and side effects
- +14 more in the bank
Pulmonary Vascular Disorders~10% (SCFHS published: Vascular Disorders 10%; DHA lists 'Vascular Disorders')20 topics
- Acute pulmonary embolism: pathogenesis, risk factors, Wells and Geneva scores, PERC rule, D-dimer with age adjustment
- PE imaging: CTPA, V/Q and V/Q SPECT, lower-limb ultrasound, echocardiographic right-heart strain
- PE risk stratification: sPESI, troponin and BNP, right-ventricular dysfunction, high-risk vs intermediate-high risk
- PE treatment: anticoagulant selection (DOACs, LMWH, warfarin), systemic thrombolysis, catheter-directed therapy, embolectomy, IVC filters
- Duration of anticoagulation, provoked vs unprovoked VTE, thrombophilia and antiphospholipid testing, cancer-associated thrombosis
- VTE in pregnancy and post-partum; VTE prophylaxis in medical and surgical inpatients
- +14 more in the bank
Thoracic Neoplasms and Lung Cancer~8% (SCFHS published: Neoplasms 8%; DHA lists 'Neoplasms')20 topics
- Solitary pulmonary nodule: Fleischner and BTS follow-up algorithms, malignancy risk models, solid vs subsolid nodules
- Lung cancer screening with low-dose CT: eligibility, Lung-RADS, benefits, harms and shared decision-making
- Non-small cell lung cancer: histological subtypes, presentation, TNM (8th/9th edition) staging
- Small cell lung cancer: limited vs extensive stage, chemoimmunotherapy, prophylactic cranial irradiation
- Diagnostic and staging techniques: bronchoscopic biopsy, EBUS-TBNA and EUS-B, navigational bronchoscopy, CT-guided biopsy, mediastinoscopy
- PET-CT and brain imaging: indications, false positives and false negatives
- +14 more in the bank
Pleural Diseases~5% (SCFHS published: 5%; DHA lists 'Pleural Diseases')20 topics
- Pleural anatomy, physiology and fluid turnover; mechanisms of effusion formation
- Clinical and radiographic assessment of pleural effusion; the role of thoracic ultrasound
- Light's criteria, transudate vs exudate, and the causes of a false exudate
- Pleural fluid analysis: cell count and differential, pH, glucose, LDH, protein, adenosine deaminase, amylase, triglycerides, cytology
- Undiagnosed exudative effusion: pleural biopsy (image-guided vs thoracoscopic), repeat cytology, when to observe
- Parapneumonic effusion and empyema: RAPID score, chest drain selection, intrapleural tPA/DNase, VATS decortication
- +14 more in the bank
Occupational and Environmental Lung Disease~5% (SCFHS published: 5%; DHA lists 'Occupational and Environmental Diseases')20 topics
- Taking an occupational and environmental exposure history; latency and dose-response principles
- Silicosis: simple, complicated and accelerated forms; artificial-stone (engineered quartz) silicosis; silicotuberculosis
- Asbestos-related disease: asbestosis, pleural plaques, mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer
- Coal workers' pneumoconiosis and progressive massive fibrosis
- Chronic beryllium disease: beryllium lymphocyte proliferation test, distinction from sarcoidosis
- Hard-metal (cobalt) lung disease and giant cell interstitial pneumonia
- +14 more in the bank
Congenital, Neuromuscular, Chest Wall and Airway Structural Disorders~5% (SCFHS published: Congenital, Neuromuscular, and Skeletal Abnormalities 5%; DHA lists the identical heading)20 topics
- Respiratory physiology of restrictive extrapulmonary disease and the principles of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation
- Primary ciliary dyskinesia and Kartagener syndrome: diagnosis by nasal NO, ciliary studies and genetics
- Congenital pulmonary airway malformation, bronchogenic cyst, pulmonary sequestration, azygos fissure
- Congenital diaphragmatic hernia and other diaphragmatic disorders
- Unilateral and bilateral diaphragmatic paralysis: sniff test, ultrasound, supine vital capacity fall, phrenic nerve studies
- Primary and secondary immunodeficiencies presenting with recurrent respiratory infection and bronchiectasis
- +14 more in the bank
Critical Care Medicine and Respiratory Failure~5% (SCFHS published: Critical Care Medicine 5%; DHA lists 'Critical Care Medicine')20 topics
- Classification of respiratory failure: type 1 vs type 2, acute vs chronic vs acute-on-chronic; A-a gradient
- Arterial blood gas interpretation and acid-base disorders including mixed disturbances and compensation rules
- Oxygen therapy: targets, delivery devices, high-flow nasal oxygen, hazards of hyperoxia and CO2 retention
- Non-invasive ventilation: indications, contraindications, interface selection, settings, monitoring and failure criteria
- Endotracheal intubation and difficult airway assessment; rapid sequence induction; the failed airway algorithm
- Invasive mechanical ventilation: modes, volume vs pressure control, triggering, cycling and monitoring
- +14 more in the bank
Respiratory Physiology, Pulmonary Function Testing and Thoracic Imaging~5% (est. - not a standalone SCFHS/DHA blueprint heading, but the SCFHS Respiratory Medicine curriculum devotes full appendices to Physiology, Pulmonary Function Test and Thoracic Radiology, and PFT/imaging stimulus is embedded throughout every other section)20 topics
- Anatomy of the lung, airways, rib cage and diaphragm; pulmonary and bronchial circulations; respiratory embryology
- Mechanics of breathing: compliance, resistance, work of breathing, time constants, surfactant
- Gas exchange: diffusion, ventilation-perfusion relationships, shunt, dead space, oxygen and CO2 transport
- Control of breathing, chemoreceptor responses and the pathogenesis of hypoxaemia and hypercapnia
- Pulmonary haemodynamics, hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction and exercise physiology
- Spirometry: acceptability and repeatability criteria, obstructive vs restrictive patterns, severity grading, bronchodilator response
- +14 more in the bank
Interventional Pulmonology, Bronchoscopy and Lung Transplantation~5% (est. - not a standalone SCFHS/DHA blueprint heading, but the SCFHS Respiratory Medicine curriculum mandates bronchoscopy and pleural-ultrasound workshops, a logbook of 50 bronchoscopies and 10 ultrasound-guided thoracenteses, and a full Lung Transplant appendix; heavily sampled in oral assessment)20 topics
- Flexible bronchoscopy: indications, contraindications, sedation and topical anaesthesia, monitoring and consent
- Bronchoalveolar lavage: technique, cellular and microbiological interpretation, diagnostic yield by disease
- Endobronchial and transbronchial lung biopsy: yield, bleeding and pneumothorax risk, peri-procedural anticoagulation management
- Transbronchial lung cryobiopsy for ILD: patient selection, safety measures, comparison with surgical biopsy
- EBUS-TBNA and EUS-B-FNA: systematic nodal mapping, ROSE, staging accuracy, sample handling for molecular testing
- Navigational and robotic bronchoscopy for peripheral nodules; radial EBUS
- +14 more in the bank
Patient Safety, Professionalism, Ethics and Communication~10% (SCFHS published: Patient Safety 5% and Professionalism and Ethics 5%; DHA lists both 'Patient Safety' and 'Professionalism and Ethics' as named coverage areas)20 topics
- Principles of medical ethics: autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, and their application in respiratory practice
- Informed consent for bronchoscopy, EBUS, pleural procedures and lung biopsy; capacity assessment and surrogate decision-making
- Breaking bad news: lung cancer diagnosis, IPF prognosis, transplant ineligibility - SPIKES and equivalent frameworks
- Advance care planning, DNAR/DNR discussion, and withdrawal or withholding of ventilatory support
- End-of-life and palliative care in advanced lung disease: opioids for breathlessness, terminal secretions, hospice referral
- Confidentiality and its limits: notifiable disease reporting (tuberculosis, MERS-CoV), contact tracing, workplace and driving disclosure
- +14 more in the bank
Before you book your exam
Pulmonology licensing in the GCC
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Frequently asked questions
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