Key facts
| Exam stages | Three stages: preliminary written, final knowledge written and final practical. |
|---|---|
| Training length | Four years of training: three years in anaesthesia and at least one year in intensive care. |
| Written format | Each 2026 written paper is electronic, in English, and has 150 multiple-choice questions with 3.5 hours allowed. |
| Next written sittings | Preliminary written exam: October 21; final knowledge exam: October 22, 2026, both at 10:00 a.m. Mecca time. |
| Pass mark | The general regulations set a 60% pass mark for preliminary written, final written and clinical/oral exams. |
| Preliminary eligibility | The 2026 preliminary notice requires registration at an approved centre, nine months of training completed and ongoing training. |
| Upcoming practical sitting | The remaining announced 2026 practical application deadline is Cairo on October 29; the exam is scheduled for December 16–18. |
The Arab Board Anaesthesia and Intensive Care pathway
The Arab Board of Health Specializations assesses trainees in Anesthesia and Intensive Care through three stages: a preliminary written exam, a final knowledge exam and a final practical exam. The training programme lasts four years, with three years in anaesthesia and at least one year in intensive care distributed across the programme.
Arab Board written and practical exam format
Written exams
Both the preliminary and final knowledge exams are single-paper, electronic exams in English. Each paper has 150 multiple-choice questions and lasts three and a half hours.
Final practical exam
The practical exam is held over two days. The oral day consists of two clinical cases, 14 minutes per case, assessed by two examiners. The second day is an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), with seven minutes per station and one examiner per station. Published OSCE areas include short clinical cases, ventilation, resuscitation, anaesthesia equipment and its use, laboratory results, radiographs, electrocardiograms, and communication with patients and families about anaesthesia and complications.
Arab Board exam dates and deadlines in 2026
Written sittings in 2026
The next preliminary written exam is scheduled for October 21, and the final knowledge exam for October 22. Both begin at 10:00 a.m. Mecca time. The application deadline for both sittings was August 2, 2026.
Practical sittings in 2026
| Centre | Exam dates | Application deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Baghdad, Iraq | November 18–19 | October 1 (passed) |
| Cairo, Egypt | December 16–18 | October 29 |
The exact practical-exam venues are announced closer to the exam dates. The board’s May 14 written-exam results were announced on June 2; no results date is listed for the October sittings.
Arab Board anaesthesia exam eligibility
Preliminary exam
The 2026 notice requires candidates to be registered at a training centre approved by the scientific council, to have completed nine months of training and to remain in training. Candidates must pay the required fees, including the exam fee, and activate their Arab Board institutional email. The application requires a form signed by the training supervisor and department chair, proof of the training start date and continuing status, a valid passport copy, two photographs and proof of payment. Applications are submitted through the local body.
Final knowledge exam
Candidates must complete the four-year training programme at an approved centre, pass the preliminary exam and submit the required scientific and practical logbook for review. They must also pay the applicable fees and activate their institutional email.
Final practical exam
Candidates must complete training, pass the final knowledge exam and pay the applicable fees. The practical notices require an application form, a valid passport copy and proof of payment.
Arab Board anaesthesia syllabus
The board guidebook groups the curriculum into four broad areas:
- Basic sciences: anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and applied physics and measurement.
- Anaesthesia: general and regional anaesthesia, applied principles and care across surgical specialties.
- Intensive care: critical-care principles and care of patients after surgery.
- Pain medicine: acute and chronic pain management.
The guidebook’s training rotations include general, orthopaedic, urological, obstetric, paediatric, cardiac, neuro-, ENT, plastic, ophthalmic and maxillofacial anaesthesia. Practical preparation should also cover interpretation and communication, not only recall.
Arab Board pass mark and results
The board’s general exam regulations set the pass mark at 60% for the preliminary written, final written and clinical/oral exams. For the practical exam, unsuccessful candidates receive a report describing the reasons for failure and areas of weakness rather than a numerical score.
The board announced the pass lists for the May 14, 2026 written exams on June 2. No results date is listed for the October 2026 written exams.
Preparing for the Arab Board anaesthesia exams
Use the published curriculum as your written-exam map. Revise basic sciences alongside their clinical applications, then cover general and regional anaesthesia, intensive care and pain medicine. The practical assessment rewards applied reasoning as well as knowledge: practise explaining a plan clearly, interpreting investigations and communicating risks in plain language.
For timed written practice, 150 questions in 3.5 hours gives an average of about 84 seconds per question. Use timed sets to build a steady pace, then review every uncertain answer and the reasoning behind it. For the practical exam, rehearse 14-minute oral cases and seven-minute OSCE tasks on the published areas: short cases, ventilation, resuscitation, equipment, investigations and patient or family communication.
Practise for the Arab Board with Anesthesia Zone
For foundational revision, the Primary/Basic anesthesia MCQ/MTF bank contains 1,463 questions across multiple-choice, multiple true/false, single best answer and multiple best answer formats. The Final/Advanced anesthesia MCQ/MTF bank has 1,281 questions in those formats, including anaesthesia subspecialties, critical care, pain management and regional anaesthesia. For oral-case practice, the Final/Advanced Anesthesia Structured Oral Examination (SOE) contains 229 SOE questions. These resources offer broad exam practice, not a Board-specific replica or a promise of complete syllabus coverage. New accounts receive a three-day free trial after email verification.
- Primary/Basic anesthesia MCQ/MTF 1,463 questions
- Final/Advanced anesthesia MCQ/MTF 1,281 questions
- Final/Advanced Anesthesia Structured Oral Examination (SOE) 229 questions
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are in the Arab Board written exam?
Each 2026 written paper is a single electronic, English-language paper with 150 multiple-choice questions and 3.5 hours allowed.
When is the next Arab Board anaesthesia exam?
The 2026 preliminary and final knowledge exams are scheduled for October 21 and 22, respectively, at 10:00 a.m. Mecca time. The remaining announced practical sitting is in Cairo on December 16–18; its application deadline is October 29.
Who is eligible for the preliminary and final knowledge exams?
For the 2026 preliminary exam, candidates must be registered at an approved training centre, have completed nine months of training and remain in training. The final knowledge exam requires completion of the four-year programme, passing the preliminary exam and submitting the required logbook for review.
What is the Arab Board final practical exam format?
It has an oral day with two clinical cases, 14 minutes per case, followed by an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) with timed seven-minute stations. The OSCE covers short cases, ventilation, resuscitation, anaesthesia equipment, investigations and communication.
What is the Arab Board anaesthesia pass mark?
The board’s general regulations set a 60% pass mark for the preliminary written, final written and clinical/oral exams. Unsuccessful practical candidates receive a report describing the reasons and areas of weakness rather than a numerical score.
When are Arab Board anaesthesia exam results released?
The board announced the results for the May 14, 2026 written exams on June 2. No results date is listed for the October 2026 written exams.
References
Show 10 references
- التخدير والعناية المركزة | المجلس العربي للاختصاصات الصحية
- الامتحان الأولي لاختصاص التخدير والعناية المركزة | المجلس العربي للاختصاصات الصحية (effective 2026-10-21)
- الامتحان النهائي المعرفي لاختصاص التخدير والعناية المركزة | المجلس العربي للاختصاصات الصحية (effective 2026-10-22)
- الجدولة السنوية للامتحانات | المجلس العربي للاختصاصات الصحية
- الامتحان النهائي العملي لاختصاص التخدير والعناية المركزة في بغداد - جمهورية العراق | المجلس العربي للاختصاصات الصحية (effective 2026-11-18)
- الامتحان النهائي العملي لاختصاص التخدير والعناية المركزة في القاهرة– جمهورية مصر العربية | المجلس العربي للاختصاصات الصحية (effective 2026-12-16)
- النظام المحدث للامتحان النهائي العملي لاختصاص التخدير والعناية المركزة | المجلس العربي للاختصاصات الصحية (effective 2023-04-27)
- أنظمة وقوانين الامتحانات | المجلس العربي للاختصاصات الصحية
- Guidebook of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care
- أسماء الناجحين في الامتحان الأولي والنهائي المعرفي لاختصاص التخدير والعناية المركزة والذي عقد بتاريخ 14 مايو 2026 | المجلس العربي للاختصاصات الصحية (effective 2026-06-02)
Exam rules, dates and fees change. Always confirm the details with the awarding body before you apply.