SPHLE Public Health Syllabus: Sections and Question Counts
How the 200 SPHLE Public Health questions split by section: Fundamentals of Public Health 20%, Epidemiology 20%, with the topics in each section and the source.
- Questions and time
- 200 questions · 240 minutes
- Pass mark
- 500 on the 200–800 reporting scale
- Exam fee
- Check the fee shown in your SCFHS application; the 2026 SPHLE guide does not specify a fixed amount.
Start with 10 free questions to find what needs more work. No sign-up, with answer explanations.
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Start with 10 free questions to find what needs more work. No sign-up, with answer explanations.
Try 10 free questions and see your levelLast verified: 11 November 2026. This is an independent guide; it is not affiliated with Saudi Commission for Health Specialties or any government body. Exam details can change, so check the exam page at Saudi Commission for Health Specialties before relying on any figure.
How the questions are split
The exam has 200 questions in 240 minutes, split across the sections according to the exam specification from Saudi Commission for Health Specialties.
| Section | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations of Biological and Life Sciences | 10 | 5% |
| Fundamentals of Public Health | 40 | 20% |
| Biostatistics and Data Science | 20 | 10% |
| Environmental and Occupational Health | 30 | 15% |
| Epidemiology | 40 | 20% |
| Health Policy, Management, and Economics | 30 | 15% |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences, Health Communication, and Health Promotion | 30 | 15% |
| Total | 200 | 100% |
The two largest sections are Fundamentals of Public Health and Epidemiology: together 80 of the 200 questions (40%). Start with them, then take the rest in order of size.
Notes on this split
- Two 120-minute parts are separated by a 30-minute break. Up to 10% additional pilot items may be included.
- The passing score is scaled and cannot be directly converted to a practice accuracy percentage.
Topics in each section
Foundations of Biological and Life Sciences (10 questions)
- Host susceptibility and genetic factors
- Immune responses, agent virulence and treatment resistance
- Biological basis and determinants of communicable and noncommunicable diseases
Fundamentals of Public Health (40 questions)
- Public health history, values and functions
- National and global priorities and mass gatherings
- Globalization, disease control and immunization
- Needs assessment and prioritization
- Intervention planning, implementation and evaluation
- Health determinants and disparities
Biostatistics and Data Science (20 questions)
- Statistical concepts and research analysis
- Selection and application of statistical tests
- Interpretation of data analysis
Environmental and Occupational Health (30 questions)
- Disaster prevention and management
- Environmental and occupational exposures and outcomes
- Air, food, water and waste policies
- Risk assessment and surveillance
Epidemiology (40 questions)
- Epidemiologic principles and causation
- Prevention, morbidity and mortality
- Infection transmission and precautions
- Outbreak investigation and surveillance
- Study design and quantitative and qualitative research
- Evidence-based practice and communicating results
- Calculating measures of effect, impact, morbidity and mortality
Health Policy, Management, and Economics (30 questions)
- Health economics and health system building blocks
- Saudi health system and agency responsibilities
- Access, quality, costs and policy evaluation
- Quality management, governance and patient safety
- Ethics, law and program priorities
Social and Behavioral Sciences, Health Communication, and Health Promotion (30 questions)
- Health behavior theories and models
- Health communication, writing and media
- Health promotion needs assessment
- Program development and implementation
How to use this split
Start with the 10 free questions, no sign-up: your score comes back split by section, so you see the weakest one. Then spread your study days according to the table above, as laid out in the study plan.
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