SMLE eligibility and how to book your seat

Who may apply

To apply for the SMLE you must be in one of these positions:

• You hold a recognised primary degree in medicine (MBBS or equivalent) from an accredited health science programme, or
• you have commenced your internship year, or
• you are one year away from graduation.

Students at Saudi universities and colleges may sit the SMLE during their final undergraduate year, without waiting to graduate.

The order of steps

• Apply through the Commission’s e-application.
• Once your application is processed, a scheduling permit is issued with your eligibility period, and you receive an email explaining how to access it.
• With the permit in hand, book a seat at an SCFHS-approved Prometric centre, in Saudi Arabia or abroad, from the locations shown when you schedule.
• Scheduling is not available more than three months in advance. Check with SCFHS for available testing windows.

What is on you

The guide is explicit: scheduling your permitted attempts during the year is the sole responsibility of the candidate, and SCFHS is not responsible for you delaying your attempts to the end of the year and then not finding a seat.

That sentence is worth reading twice. Seats and windows are finite, and a candidate who postpones booking until they feel ready can find the readiness decision has been taken for them.

Before you book

Read the blueprint so you know what you will actually be asked, and the test-day page so you know what to carry. The ID, the permit and the exact name match are entry conditions, not paperwork.

Where this comes from

Every figure on this page is transcribed from the Saudi Medical Licensure Examination (SMLE) Examination Content Guideline, 2026 blueprint, published by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, in the edition on the Commission’s website, read on 31 August 2026.

SCFHS revises these guides from time to time. Before you apply, open the current guide on the Commission’s site and check for yourself: the official PDF. Any page on the internet, this one included, can lag behind the official document, and this is not a substitute for it.

SQB is an independent educational platform, not affiliated with the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties or with Prometric.