Exam guide
The SNLE, explained
The Saudi Nursing Licensure Examination (SNLE) is the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties' assessment of whether a nurse is ready to practise in Saudi Arabia — the same regulator that runs the SMLE for physicians. It is a computer based multiple choice exam of 200 questions, split into two 100 question blocks with a scheduled break between them, sat at Prometric test centres in English, and reported on a scale of 200 to 800 with 500 to pass.
Last checked 16 August 2026. Every figure below is taken from the SCFHS's Saudi Nursing Licensure Examination Examination Content Guideline (2024 edition). Exam rules change, so confirm the current detail with the SCFHS before you book.
Who sits the SNLE
The SNLE is written for people entering nursing practice in Saudi Arabia. Under the guide you may apply if you hold a recognised primary nursing degree — a BSN or its equivalent — from an accredited health science programme, or if you have commenced training during the internship year. Saudi students specifically may sit the SNLE during their final undergraduate year.
A candidate cannot sit the exam twice in the same testing window — the first dated result stands, and a second attempt in the same window is recorded but invalid.
How the exam is structured
The SNLE consists of 200 multiple choice questions, split into two computer based blocks of 100 questions each. Each block runs 120 minutes, with one scheduled 30 minute break between them — a session of about four and a half hours in total. Up to 10% of the items in each block may be unscored pilot questions that do not count toward your result. Every question offers four options and asks for the single best answer, mixing recall items with scenario items that test interpretation, analysis, decision making, reasoning and problem solving.
| Questions | 200 MCQs, in two blocks of 100 |
|---|---|
| Time | 120 minutes per block, with a scheduled 30 minute break between blocks (about 4.5 hours in total) |
| Pilot items | Up to 10% of items in each block may be unscored |
| Question type | Four options, one best answer |
| Delivery | Computer based, at SCFHS approved Prometric test centres, inside and outside Saudi Arabia |
| Language | English |
| Score scale | 200 to 800 |
| Pass score | 500 |
That works out to a little over a minute — about 72 seconds — for each of the 100 questions in a block. Pace has to be trained before exam day: there is no time to reason every item from first principles.
How the SNLE is scored
Results are reported on a scale of 200 to 800, and the pass score is 500. This is not a raw percentage — it is a scaled score, set through a standard setting exercise with a panel of Saudi nurses and approved by SCFHS's Central Assessment Committee. Candidates comparing notes about scoring "60%" on the SNLE are usually thinking of a different exam, or misremembering how this one is reported: there is no percentage to hit, only the scaled score of 500.
What the exam covers
Unlike most exams on this platform, the SNLE's content weighting is officially published. The SCFHS's own blueprint sets four sections:
| Section | Weight |
|---|---|
| Nursing Fundamentals | 20% |
| Adult Nursing | 40% |
| Maternal & Child Nursing | 30% |
| Nursing Management & Leadership | 10% |
The guide names several subsections under each of the four — assessment, pharmacology, critical care, maternity nursing, leadership and more — but publishes a percentage for the section as a whole, not for each subsection individually.
The guide also carries its own disclaimer about the textbooks it lists for study, worth reading in full: "This list is intended for use as a study aid only. SCFHS does not intend the list to imply endorsement of these specific references, nor are the exam questions necessarily taken from these sources." Treat the named texts as orientation for scope and register, not as an answer key.
How many attempts you get
Eligible candidates may sit the SNLE up to four times a year, from the first attempt until a pass score is obtained. Passing does not close the door: you may sit up to two further times to improve your score, for postgraduate selection purposes. As above, you cannot sit the exam twice within the same testing window.
How to prepare for the SNLE
- Practise priority decisions, not fact lists. The SNLE asks which action the nurse should take first, not what the diagnosis is — the skill is judgement under a scenario, and it only builds by making the call, not by reading about it.
- Rehearse the pace. About 72 seconds per question, sustained across a 100 question block, twice. Train it before the day.
- Cover the four sections at their published weights. This is the one exam on this platform where the weighting is official — Adult Nursing at 40% and Maternal & Child Nursing at 30% together carry seven tenths of the paper, so revise accordingly.
- Revise against current guidelines and protocols, not just the listed textbooks. SCFHS's own guide says the textbooks orient scope; they do not settle a contested answer.
- Space the work and return to your mistakes. Missed questions are the highest yield material you own, and they are worth nothing unless something brings them back.
Questions about the SNLE
What is the SNLE?
The Saudi Nursing Licensure Examination (SNLE) is the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties' assessment of whether a nurse is ready to practise in Saudi Arabia — the same regulator that runs the SMLE for physicians. It is a computer based multiple choice exam sat at Prometric test centres, reported on a scale of 200 to 800 with 500 to pass.
How many questions are on the SNLE, and how long does it take?
200 multiple choice questions, split into two computer based blocks of 100 questions each. Each block runs 120 minutes, with one scheduled 30 minute break between them — a session of about four and a half hours in total.
What score do I need to pass the SNLE?
500, on a reporting scale of 200 to 800. This is not a raw percentage — it is a scaled score set through a standard setting exercise with a panel of Saudi nurses and approved by SCFHS's Central Assessment Committee. Candidates comparing notes about a 60% pass mark are thinking of a different exam.
Does the SCFHS publish a syllabus for the SNLE?
Yes, and unusually for this platform's exams it is officially published: Nursing Fundamentals 20%, Adult Nursing 40%, Maternal & Child Nursing 30%, and Nursing Management & Leadership 10%. The guide names subsections under each but does not publish a percentage for each individually.
Who is eligible to sit the SNLE?
Candidates who hold a recognised primary nursing degree, a BSN or its equivalent, from an accredited health science programme, or who have commenced training during the internship year. Saudi students may also sit the SNLE during their final undergraduate year.
How many times can you sit the SNLE?
Up to four times a year, from the first attempt until a pass score is obtained. After passing, a candidate may sit up to two further times to improve their score for postgraduate selection purposes. You cannot sit the exam twice within the same testing window.
Where PassCurve fits
PassCurve's SNLE bank is built from nursing-action vignettes set in Saudi practice — prioritisation, safety and care decisions, not a diagnosis to name. Sessions balance the four sections at their published weights, then tilt toward whichever is currently costing you marks. Anything you miss returns on a spacing curve until it sticks, and every answer names the guideline or protocol it rests on and the date that source was last read.
Five questions a day are free, with no card required, and the review deck is free for good.
Sitting the physicians' exam instead? The SMLE runs through the same regulator, the SCFHS, and PassCurve covers it with its own exam guide.
PassCurve is an independent revision tool. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or accredited by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, Prometric, or any exam authority. This page summarises the SCFHS's published SNLE guide for candidates and is not a substitute for it. Always confirm current exam rules, fees and dates with the SCFHS before applying.