So, I've been getting a lot of questions from doctors who wished to know how to prepare for the Saudi Licensing Exam. Instead of responding to each individual email, I thought it would be time-saving to respond to most of the questions that I typically get.
What is the Saudi Licensing Exam (SLE)?
The SLE is a one-step examination for healthcare professionals in Saudi Arabia. Physicians who wish to practice in the kingdom have to take the exam in order to be registered with the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties. While some physicians have been reported to practice without sitting for the SLE, the exam is mandatory for those who wish to join a residency programme in Saudi Arabia or for those who earned their medical degrees out of the kingdom to ensure that they have achieved the appropriate standards and criteria to practice in the kingdom.
The exam for general practice consists of 100 multiple choice questions (MCQs) from the following areas:
- Internal medicine (25 questions)
- Family medicine (15 questions)
- Ophthalmology (3 questions)
- Gynaecology/obstetrics (10 questions)
- Paediatrics (15 questions)
- General surgery (15 questions)
- Orthopaedics (3 questions)
- Ear, nose, and throat (3 questions)
- Basic sciences (3 questions)
- Psychiatry (5 questions)
- Dermatology (3 questions)
It is considered an easy exam to pass, but candidates need to put in more work to get high scores. The passing grade for the SLE is 50%, but you should aim for a much higher grade (>75%) if you wish to increase your chances of joining a postgraduate programme.
Resources
Anecdotal reports from interns and general practitioners suggest that the questions are recycled. This said, it might help to revise previous exam questions. A few books currently on the market are great for the exam:
SLE Made Easy: Saudi License Examination by Dr. Yasser Albrahim
Where to purchase: Jarir Bookstore
This 769-page long book contains over 1,300 MCQ, including answers and explanations, to help students understand concepts instead of them just practising to memorise answers to questions.
Comprehensive Review for Saudi License Examination (SLE) by Dr Yahia M Al-Khaldi.
Price: 26.66 USD (100 SAR)
Where to purchase: Jarir Bookstore (either online or at a physical store in your area)
Format: Paperback
This 306-page long book contains more than 1,200 MCQs, with answers provided by the author.
Other helpful books
Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine by Murray Longmore, Ian Wilkinson, Andrew Baldwin, and Elizabeth Wallin
Price: 39.49 USD (148.13 SAR) for the Kindle version and 46.81 USD (175.59 SAR) for the flexibound version
Where to purchase: Amazon and Jarir Bookstore
Format: Kindle and flexibound
First Aid for the USMLE Step 3 by Tao Le, Vikas Bhushan, James Yeh, and Kachiu Lee
Price: 33.08 USD (124.07 SAR) for the Kindle version and 42.32 USD (158.73 SAR) for the paperback version
Where to purchase: Amazon and Jarir Bookstore
Format: Kindle and paperback
How to Register for the SLE
To register for the exam, you need to visit the offices of the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS). They have offices in several cities of the kingdom. You can visit their website for information on how to register and the location of testing centres, both within and outside Saudi Arabia.
The SCFHS warns all candidates on their website not to submit fraudulent degrees when registering for the exam, as they check all certificates submitted to the council. Frauds risk a jail term and a permanent ban from Saudi if caught.
Have you taken the SLE? If yes, please share your experience below. And for first-time takers of the exam, I wish you all the best!
What is the Saudi Licensing Exam (SLE)?
The SLE is a one-step examination for healthcare professionals in Saudi Arabia. Physicians who wish to practice in the kingdom have to take the exam in order to be registered with the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties. While some physicians have been reported to practice without sitting for the SLE, the exam is mandatory for those who wish to join a residency programme in Saudi Arabia or for those who earned their medical degrees out of the kingdom to ensure that they have achieved the appropriate standards and criteria to practice in the kingdom.
The exam for general practice consists of 100 multiple choice questions (MCQs) from the following areas:
- Internal medicine (25 questions)
- Family medicine (15 questions)
- Ophthalmology (3 questions)
- Gynaecology/obstetrics (10 questions)
- Paediatrics (15 questions)
- General surgery (15 questions)
- Orthopaedics (3 questions)
- Ear, nose, and throat (3 questions)
- Basic sciences (3 questions)
- Psychiatry (5 questions)
- Dermatology (3 questions)
It is considered an easy exam to pass, but candidates need to put in more work to get high scores. The passing grade for the SLE is 50%, but you should aim for a much higher grade (>75%) if you wish to increase your chances of joining a postgraduate programme.
Resources
Anecdotal reports from interns and general practitioners suggest that the questions are recycled. This said, it might help to revise previous exam questions. A few books currently on the market are great for the exam:
Where to purchase: Jarir Bookstore
This 769-page long book contains over 1,300 MCQ, including answers and explanations, to help students understand concepts instead of them just practising to memorise answers to questions.
Price: 26.66 USD (100 SAR)
Where to purchase: Jarir Bookstore (either online or at a physical store in your area)
Format: Paperback
This 306-page long book contains more than 1,200 MCQs, with answers provided by the author.
Other helpful books
Price: 39.49 USD (148.13 SAR) for the Kindle version and 46.81 USD (175.59 SAR) for the flexibound version
Where to purchase: Amazon and Jarir Bookstore
Format: Kindle and flexibound
Price: 33.08 USD (124.07 SAR) for the Kindle version and 42.32 USD (158.73 SAR) for the paperback version
Where to purchase: Amazon and Jarir Bookstore
Format: Kindle and paperback
How to Register for the SLE
To register for the exam, you need to visit the offices of the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS). They have offices in several cities of the kingdom. You can visit their website for information on how to register and the location of testing centres, both within and outside Saudi Arabia.
The SCFHS warns all candidates on their website not to submit fraudulent degrees when registering for the exam, as they check all certificates submitted to the council. Frauds risk a jail term and a permanent ban from Saudi if caught.
Have you taken the SLE? If yes, please share your experience below. And for first-time takers of the exam, I wish you all the best!
Can a fresher MBBS from India sit for the Saudi License exam or is any experience required? I have 3 years hospital experience spread over 12 years.
ReplyDeletePreviously, fresh graduates and GPs who had experience in their home countries had to complete an internship of at least 3-6 months at a Saudi-based hospital. However, I have encountered a few fresh graduates who took the SLE without fulfilling the internship requirement. You might want to visit the offices of the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties in your region to find out more.
ReplyDeleteGreetings for the day sir
ReplyDeleteI, umair Mahmood appeared for prometric exam for the category of "Dental Hygiene Technician" position on 18-April-2016 at exam center 8783 at Pakistan, city lahore FC college bearing eligibility number G160037540, passport number: PD 0159722 and i have scored a percentage of 44%.
I came to knew that 40% is considered to be a passing score but I secured a percentage of 44% and my result is mentioned as fail, so I request you to please help me with the passing percentage required for the same
Thank you
Hi
ReplyDeleteAdmin please confirm the validity of SLE is now five years or three years.
Actually today in the office of scfhs some one said me that it is now 5 years instead of 3 years
As far as I know it is 3 years for expats and longer for nationals. But I'm not sure whether the SCFHS has made changes, so the best place where you could have had confirmation was at their offices.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure the place you are getting your information, however good topic. I needs to spend some time studying more or understanding more. Thank you for wonderful information I was in search of this info for my mission.
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Hi there, can you please guide that what is the minnmin experience needed for exam qualification? I am a freh graduate,can i apply now?
ReplyDeleteAs far as I know, there's no minimum experience. In the past, physicians were required to have at least three-months experience within the kingdom, but clinics and hospitals typically declined to accept physicians who were not registered with the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) to practice in their institutions. This made sense, and I wasn't sure why the SCFHS made this a requirement. Fortunately, clinically experience is no longer a requirement. But their requirements are bound to change, so it is worth visiting their offices to find out they recommend.
DeleteHi there. thank you for such a useful information. i was desperately in need of these answers .
ReplyDeleteanyway, i have a question please. I am a fresh graduate and applying for SLE. if i pass , would i be able to work as a general practitioner ? or there will be several steps ahead ?
kindly reply.
thanks
Hi! I hope you've finally applied to take the SLE. Passing the SLE is not a guarantee that you'll get a job in Saudi Arabia. However, it is necessary that you register with the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties if you wish to increase your chances of working at a health institution. It is one of the requirements, besides having a valid iqama, to work as a doctor in any clinic or hospital.
DeleteHi there, ifound your blog helpful i wanted to know i am a specialist post md in psychiatry with over an year of experience here in india i wanted to know whether i will have to apply for smle exam or will there be a separate psych specialist exam that i need to qualify as people here are not sure.thank you your inputs would be valuable
ReplyDeletehi i want to know how to registered for sle as i did completely registration from SCHFS but they said for prometric exam u will pay to prometric i couldnt get this wat to do need to take exam date
ReplyDeleteHiee..i completed my mbbs with 6months of work experience from india..how can i apply for the saudi license exam and may i know the exam date..
ReplyDeleteI have done SLE in Gynae in 2015,no data flow done. How I can do data flow
ReplyDeleteHello
ReplyDeleteI need to get some info regarding SMLE as well as testing windows.i gave my exam last month but unfortunately I couldn't clear it.i want to try again but when I try to schedule on prometric the dates r not visible to me.Is it some eligibility issue or just the testing windows have been closed but the last date for the exam is 27th Dec.I couldn't find any nearby testing centre with open dates.What should I do?I have submitted my request to SCFHS and it's been more than 15working days..no reply from their side
...prometric says that u will have to get new eligibility id and again registration from SCFHS....will I have to pay the fee for registration again too along with exam fee?kindly help me if u know anything about it
Hello
DeleteDid you again apply for sle
And can you tell me whats the pattern how many questions and for how much time
And which book to read
Thank you
hi , i would like to inform that the exam pattern for general medicine smle has completely changed . its no more for 100 marks, but 300 mcqs lasting for 6 hours and total score of 800.
ReplyDeletei appeared in dec 2018.
was it the same before ????? has anyone appeared for the same.
is there difference between general practitioner exam and general medicine exam ? both are same right
hi, I am too going to appear for the general medicine exam. The news that you shared is shocking! How did you find the questions? Any thing from ethics, statistics? please reply
DeleteI totally agree with you: things have changed considerably. It's unfortunate that I'm working on multiple projects at this time and haven't had to time to post or update my blog posts. Hopefully, I'll get around to do that in the nearest future.
DeleteI'm not sure about the GP and general medicine exam. I had asked a family medicine specialist whom I was with, and she had no idea because she wasn't required to take the exam to work at a university hospital. Additionally, it wasn't a requirement at the time that she attended an interview in Pakistan.
Hi, I'm going 2 give gp exam next month, plz let me know. What is the exam pattern, passing score, exam duration in 2019
ReplyDeleteHi, Skr. I am not sure about the current exam pattern; things must have changed a lot since the last time I took the exam in 2009. I will try to inquire from physicians who took the exam recently.
ReplyDeleteHello
ReplyDeleteI want to give sle from india
Can you please gyide me what all documents i will be required
Like BLS certificate and what else before the exam
Because if im appearing from saudi they need
BLS certificate
Data flow
Insurance before exam
Please guide me in this
Thank you
hello.. i am an EMT(EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN) from Phillipines and willing to work here in ksa. Do i still need to take a prometric exam before having a work here in saudi arabia? thank you and waiting for a response
ReplyDeletei am an EMT from the phillipines and willing to work here in ksa.. do i need to take prometric exam before i can apply for work here?? thanks
ReplyDeleteCan i do internship in saudi?
ReplyDeleteHi there, I found this blog useful & am General practioner from Ethiopia & I have ~ 1yr & 8months experience & i hv planned to take SLE but I don't know full requirements for the exam?
ReplyDeleteHi there, I found this blog useful & am General practioner from Ethiopia & I have ~ 1yr & 8months experience & i hv planned to take SLE but I don't know full requirements for the exam?
ReplyDeleteHi there Is it possible for Ethiopian (East Africa) physicians to take SMLE & to work at KSA?
ReplyDeleteHello every one I want to know the exam date of sle exam in this year.
ReplyDeleteN how can we apply in Saudia for the exam?
Assalamu alaikum. I'm a BangladeshinMBBS Dr. My question is, if I pass MRCP(UK), will I be accepted without SLE ? Or, Is there a different exam that I have to face? How much will be the salary in that case? (If I have no experience after MRCP)
ReplyDeleteAnybody have any idea about the pass percentageof saudi specialist exam for dentist
ReplyDeleteHello Admin Good morning,
ReplyDeleteCan you please suggest me the books I need to study to clear Saudi Licensing Exam (Prometric Exam) in the Speciality of internal medicine. Thank you..
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