The Scoring System
The Saudi Medical Licensing Examination (SMLE) does not give you a direct percentage of correct answers. Instead, it uses a scaled score ranging from 200 to 800.
What is a Scaled Score?
A scaled score adjusts for the difficulty of the specific form (version) of the exam you took. Some test forms might have slightly harder questions than others. The SCFHS uses statistical equating to ensure that a score of 600 on an "easy" form represents the exact same level of medical knowledge as a 600 on a "hard" form.
Passing the SMLE
The official passing score for the SMLE is 560 out of 800. Falling below this means you will need to retake the exam during the next available testing window. You are allowed up to 4 attempts per year.
Scores and Residency Matching
Simply passing (560) is required to legally practice as a general practitioner, but if you intend to apply for SCFHS postgraduate training (Residency Matching), your score becomes highly competitive.
- 560 - 600: Passable, but matching into highly competitive specialties (like Dermatology, Surgery, or Ophthalmology) in major cities will be very difficult.
- 601 - 650: A solid score. You will be competitive for most Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, and Pediatrics programs.
- 651 - 700+: An excellent score. You are in a strong position to match into your first-choice specialty and preferred hospital center.
Conclusion
Focus on improving your underlying clinical knowledge rather than trying to calculate how many questions you need to get right. We highly recommend SMLEREVISE as a reliable source for your preparation; use our scaled grand mocks to accurately simulate the Prometric environment and predict your real exam score with confidence.