NHRA GP exam: practice and paper requirements

Facts last verified 5 October 2026.

Practise diagnosis, investigation and treatment for general practice. Start with the case questions below, then use NHRA’s medical reading list to plan revision.

Is this the right paper for you?

Use General Practitioner practice for GP work. Only Bahraini or Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nationals with a valid GCC licence qualify for the GCC-licence exemption (qualification rules). ProMCQ does not cover specialist papers. NHRA gives them a separate route. Bahraini interns should check the internship rule conflict.

Pass 60%

Format at a glance

Question count not published. Time: 2.5 hours of exam time in a 3-hour seating (Prometric). Pass mark: 60%.

Delivered by Prometric.

Sources: NHRA exam booklet, Prometric NHRA page

NHRA's exam booklet and Prometric's NHRA page do not give a question count.

What the paper covers

We did not find published section weights for the NHRA paper for doctors. ProMCQ's mock papers use the published SCFHS blueprint for doctors as practice targets. These are not NHRA's own weights. Each mock includes national-topic content, so its final question shares can differ slightly from these targets.

  • Medicine (30%): Work through heart, lung, hormone, infection and nerve cases. Decide what is wrong or what to do next.
  • Obstetrics & Gynaecology (25%): Study care in pregnancy, bleeding, labour and birth control. Include common gynaecological problems seen in GP work.
  • Paediatrics (25%): Study fever in a child, growth, immunisation and newborn care. Check the Bahrain note for local immunisation rules.
  • Surgery (20%): Know how to assess acute abdomen and trauma. Study problems after surgery and when to refer.

Sample questions

These are eight original ProMCQ practice questions with explanations. Select an answer to see the explanation.

  1. A 14-month-old girl has had a first febrile E. coli UTI and improved within 48 hours of treatment. Her mother asks whether she needs a test for vesicoureteric reflux. Which additional finding would justify considering an MCUG?

    1. Family history of VUR
    2. Female sex
    3. Age under 3 years
    4. Prompt response to treatment
    Answer

    A. Reflux imaging (MCUG/VCUG) is not routine after childhood UTI. It is considered only in specified circumstances, such as dilatation on ultrasound, poor urine flow, non-E. coli infection or a family history of VUR. Of the options, only family history of VUR is one of these features.

  2. A 33-year-old woman with endometriosis has a 5-cm left ovarian endometrioma and persistent pain. Laparoscopic removal of the endometrioma is planned. She says her main concern is the cyst returning within the first year. Which surgical technique best addresses her priority?

    1. Simple cyst drainage
    2. Drainage with coagulation
    3. CO2 laser vaporisation
    4. Laparoscopic cystectomy
    Answer

    D. When an endometrioma needs removal, cystectomy is preferred to simple drainage because it gives lower recurrence. CO2 laser vaporisation is a selected alternative with similar recurrence beyond one year in limited evidence. When early recurrence is the concern, cystectomy is favoured. Surgery can harm ovarian reserve, so ovarian damage should be minimised.

  3. A 52-year-old man has a temperature of 38.1 °C 20 hours after an open inguinal hernia repair. He is haemodynamically stable with SpO2 97% on room air. His chest is clear, he has no urinary catheter, and the wound is clean without undue pain. What is the most likely explanation for this fever?

    1. Atelectasis
    2. Surgical-site infection
    3. Urinary tract infection
    4. Inflammatory response to surgery
    Answer

    D. Early postoperative fever (day 1–2) is often a non-infectious inflammatory response to surgery. The old 'Wind' teaching attributed it to atelectasis, but atelectasis is not an established cause of fever. With normal oxygenation, a clear chest and a benign wound, no focal source is present, and the fever began well after the immediate postoperative hours.

  4. Two investigators are counting cases in a febrile rash illness outbreak. One counts anyone with fever, while the other counts only patients with rash and laboratory confirmation, so their totals disagree. Which outbreak investigation step ensures both investigators count the same event?

    1. Standardised case definition
    2. Epidemic curve construction
    3. Analytic cohort study
    4. Spot map of residences
    Answer

    A. Cases need to be counted consistently, which is the purpose of the case definition. It standardises clinical, laboratory, person, place and time criteria and classifies cases as confirmed, probable or suspected.

  5. A patient has polymorphic VT with a pulse and hypotension. Which immediate electrical treatment is required?

    1. Cardioversion synchronised to the R wave
    2. Defibrillation delivered without R-wave synchronisation
    3. Overdrive pacing to increase the ventricular rate
    4. Defibrillation accompanied by immediate CPR
    Answer

    B. Polymorphic VT cannot be reliably synchronised, so haemodynamic instability requires immediate unsynchronised defibrillation even when a pulse is present.

  6. A patient with deficiency anaemia starts vitamin B12. Four days later, the reticulocyte count has risen. What is the most appropriate interpretation of this finding?

    1. Expected marrow response to vitamin B12 replacement
    2. Ongoing haemolysis as the cause of the anaemia
    3. Too early to represent a treatment response to vitamin B12
    4. Concurrent iron deficiency masking the macrocytosis
    Answer

    A. Reticulocytosis 3–5 days after starting iron or vitamin B12 is an expected treatment response. The rise at four days therefore shows marrow response but is not, by itself, proof of haemolysis.

  7. Meningococcal disease was confirmed 12 hours ago in an adult. Several contacts are assessed for chemoprophylaxis. Which contact should receive chemoprophylaxis as soon as possible?

    1. A nurse who suctioned the airway wearing full PPE
    2. A friend who shared a restaurant table for one meal
    3. A colleague who worked in the same open-plan office
    4. A clinician with unprotected exposure to oral secretions
    Answer

    D. Chemoprophylaxis is indicated for close contacts and anyone directly exposed to oral or respiratory secretions, including during unprotected airway management. It should be given as soon as possible, ideally within 24 hours.

  8. An adult has symmetric, well-demarcated salmon-pink plaques with thick silvery scale over the elbows, knees, and scalp. Removing the scale produces pinpoint bleeding. Which diagnosis best fits this presentation?

    1. Chronic plaque psoriasis
    2. Tinea corporis
    3. Seborrhoeic dermatitis
    4. Guttate psoriasis
    Answer

    A. The extensor distribution, sharply demarcated salmon-pink plaques, thick silvery scale, and Auspitz sign together identify chronic plaque psoriasis.

Timed practice papers

10 timed mock papers of 150 questions each, built to the weights above. No question repeats across papers.

How to prepare

  • Try reading the last line first. Identify whether the question asks for diagnosis, investigation or treatment.
  • If you mainly treat adults, give women’s and children’s health extra study time.
  • Check scope against NHRA’s medical reading list. It includes Harrison, Nelson, primary care, and obstetrics and gynaecology.
  • Review Bahrain’s health-system and national-programme notes alongside clinical cases.

Licensing steps

  1. Check the licence steps: Check your title and documents. Apply through Mehan. Read the guide
  2. Check costs and book: Get NHRA’s approval and your code before you book. Read the guide
  3. Send your result: Send your report through Mehan. Check what to do next. Read the guide

Frequently asked questions

What is the pass mark for the NHRA GP exam?

60%. NHRA’s booklet and Prometric agree for medicine.

Where can you find sample questions?

Use the NHRA GP samples. Each sample has an explanation.

What should you do after the exam?

Send your report through Mehan. Follow NHRA results and next steps if you pass or fail.

Which books should you use?

Use NHRA’s book list for your profession.

Sources

Facts last verified 2026-10-05.

  1. Licensure Examination 2022, updated, National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA)
  2. National Health Regulatory Authority examination programme, Prometric
  3. Frequently Asked Questions: Mehan, National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA)
  4. Medical Professional Qualification Requirements, version 3, National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA)
  5. Approximate Cost, Cost - Aug 2022, National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA)
  6. Annual Report 2022, National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA)
  7. Medical Examination References, National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA)
  8. Customer Reference for NHRA, DataFlow Group