Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Saudi Licensing Exam for General Practitioners: Resources to Help You Succeed

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!

35 comments:

  1. 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.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Previously, 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.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Greetings for the day sir

    I, 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

    ReplyDelete
  4. The given information was very excellent & Great tips, thanks

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi
    Admin 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

    ReplyDelete
  6. 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.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I 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.
    Facility management companies in Chennai
    Manpower agencies in chennai

    ReplyDelete
  8. 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?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As 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.

      Delete
  9. Hi there. thank you for such a useful information. i was desperately in need of these answers .
    anyway, 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

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 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.

      Delete
  10. Hi 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

    ReplyDelete
  11. hi 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

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hiee..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..

    ReplyDelete
  13. I have done SLE in Gynae in 2015,no data flow done. How I can do data flow

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hello
    I 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

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello
      Did 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

      Delete
  15. 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.
    i 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

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 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

      Delete
    2. I 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.

      I'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.

      Delete
  16. 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

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi, 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.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hello
    I 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

    ReplyDelete
  19. 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

    ReplyDelete
  20. i 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

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hi 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?

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hi 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?

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hi there Is it possible for Ethiopian (East Africa) physicians to take SMLE & to work at KSA?

    ReplyDelete
  24. Hello every one I want to know the exam date of sle exam in this year.
    N how can we apply in Saudia for the exam?

    ReplyDelete
  25. 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)

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anybody have any idea about the pass percentageof saudi specialist exam for dentist

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hello Admin Good morning,
    Can 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..

    ReplyDelete
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