Paediatrics in the EMREE blueprint
The official Nov 2025 EMREE blueprint gives Paediatrics a weight of 15%. On a 120-question paper that is about 18 questions; this count is our arithmetic, because the blueprint publishes percentages only and allows distributions to vary by up to ±5% in each category.
Across all disciplines, the blueprint’s competency table weights Diagnoses & Investigations most heavily (25–30%), followed by Pharmacologic Therapies and Non-pharmacologic Management (15–20% each). Questions are pitched at a graduate with at least one year of training and set in a UAE context, so expect clinical vignettes asking for the most likely diagnosis, the best investigation or the next step in management. Paediatric content also appears within Internal Medicine and Surgery headings, so its real presence on the paper may feel larger.
An 18-month-old boy weighing 11 kg has had watery diarrhoea about 8 times a day and vomiting for 2 days. The vomiting has eased and he is now taking sips. He is alert, with dry mucous membranes, a heart rate of 140 beats/min and fewer wet nappies than usual. Capillary refill time is under 2 seconds, his eyes are not sunken, skin turgor is normal and his peripheral pulses are normal.
Which of the following is the most appropriate management?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D.
He has clinical dehydration (dry mucous membranes, tachycardia, reduced urine output) without signs of shock, so oral rehydration solution is first-line. The usual regimen is 50 mL/kg over 4 hours plus maintenance, given as small, frequent sips, and via nasogastric tube if he cannot drink enough or keeps vomiting. Intravenous fluids are reserved for shock, red-flag signs that are worsening, or failure of oral or nasogastric rehydration. Breastfeeding and normal feeding should continue once he is rehydrated.
- A: An intravenous bolus is for suspected or confirmed shock, which he does not have.
- B: Antidiarrhoeal drugs are not recommended in young children with gastroenteritis and can cause harm such as ileus.
- C: Fruit juices and fizzy drinks have the wrong sugar and electrolyte content and can worsen diarrhoea.
High-yield: Clinical dehydration without shock: ORS 50 mL/kg over 4 hours plus maintenance. · Use a nasogastric tube if oral intake is inadequate before considering IV fluids. · Do not give antidiarrhoeal drugs to young children with gastroenteritis.
Original practice question written by EMREE UAE — not a past EMREE question.
Paediatrics · Starter plan and above
Practise Paediatrics in tutor mode
What the official outline covers
- General paediatrics: gastroenteritis, nephrotic syndrome, febrile seizure, asthma, iron deficiency anaemia, bronchiolitis, pneumonia, otitis media, cellulitis, URTI, UTI, coeliac disease, Down syndrome, acute renal failure, Henoch-Schönlein purpura, constipation, fluid and electrolyte disturbance, rickets, hypertension, infantile colic, cerebral palsy, undescended testis, well-baby care.
- Ambulatory: immunisation, development and behaviour, growth and growth disorders, nutrition and nutritional disorders, failure to thrive, enuresis (the outline also lists “Sequent” without further detail).
- Neonatology: respiratory distress syndrome, transient tachypnoea of the newborn, intrauterine growth restriction, meconium aspiration, haemorrhagic disease of the newborn.
- Endocrinology: diabetes mellitus, thyroid disorders, diabetes insipidus, panhypopituitarism, short stature, precocious puberty, ambiguous genitalia, adrenal disorders, obesity.
- Genetic/metabolic: newborn screening, hypoglycaemia, galactosaemia, phenylketonuria, maple syrup urine disease, Turner and Marfan syndromes.
- Allergy/immunology: atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, primary immunodeficiencies.
Paediatric topics under other headings
Internal Medicine lists croup, laryngomalacia, cystic fibrosis, pyloric stenosis, intussusception, Kawasaki disease, retinoblastoma, Wilms tumour and neuroblastoma. Surgery’s paediatric section adds branchial and thyroglossal cysts, diaphragmatic hernia, tracheo-oesophageal fistula, Hirschsprung disease and circumcision.
High-yield focus areas (our recommendation)
- Fluids and dehydration: assessing dehydration in gastroenteritis and calculating maintenance and replacement fluids.
- Respiratory illness by age: bronchiolitis, croup, pneumonia and asthma, including severity assessment and when to admit.
- Immunisation and development: milestones, red flags and vaccine schedules. Check the current UAE national schedule rather than memorising another country’s.
- Neonatal problems: respiratory distress in term and preterm babies, jaundice and vitamin K deficiency bleeding.
- Endocrine and metabolic: DKA in children, hypoglycaemia work-up, newborn screening conditions and short stature.
- Renal: nephrotic syndrome, HSP and UTI investigation.
How our Paediatrics question bank works
Our Paediatrics questions are original practice items written for EMREE preparation. They are not recalled or real exam questions. Each one is:
- Mapped to the official outline, tagged by blueprint heading (for example General Paediatric, Neonatology or Genetic/Metabolic) so you can see your coverage.
- Tagged by competency and difficulty, using the blueprint’s seven competencies and a mix close to its 40/40/20 easy/moderate/difficult split.
- Written as a four-option single-best-answer vignette, the style used in the official 2012 sample paper.
- Fully explained, with the reasoning for the correct answer, why each distractor is wrong, two or three learning points and references to standard texts or current guidelines.
You can practise in tutor mode (explanations after each question) or timed mode, bookmark difficult items and, on Standard and Premium plans, build weak-area sets with the custom exam builder. Sample questions are available free.
Official recommended reading
The blueprint’s reading list (pages 32–33) recommends:
- Paediatrics for Medical Students (Bernstein, Shelov)
- Nelson Essentials of Pediatrics, 9th edition (2022)
- Illustrated Textbook of Paediatrics, 6th edition (Lissauer, Carroll)
Clinical guideline sources listed for all disciplines include NICE, AAFP, USPSTF, ACOG, RCOG, CDC and WHO. The blueprint states that the list is a study aid only, implies no endorsement, and that questions are not necessarily taken from these sources. The learning resources page still shows some older editions; we follow the newer blueprint list.
How to study Paediatrics for EMREE
- Start with normal: growth, development, nutrition and immunisation underpin many abnormal presentations.
- Study by age band: neonate, infant, child, adolescent. Vignettes often depend on age.
- Cross-reference the paediatric topics listed under Internal Medicine and Surgery.
- Memorise doses sparingly: focus on first-line choices and principles rather than exact weight-based doses.
- Test yourself with subject-specific tests, then full-length mocks.
Frequently asked questions
How many Paediatrics questions are in EMREE?
Paediatrics is weighted at 15% in the Nov 2025 blueprint, about 18 of 120 questions by our calculation. The blueprint gives percentages only, with a ±5% tolerance.
Are your Paediatrics MCQs real EMREE questions?
No. They are original practice questions mapped to the official blueprint outline. We do not use or claim recalled exam questions.
Which paediatrics books does the EMREE blueprint recommend?
Paediatrics for Medical Students, Nelson Essentials of Pediatrics (9th ed.) and the Illustrated Textbook of Paediatrics (6th ed.).
Are paediatric surgery topics part of Paediatrics?
The official outline lists paediatric surgery under Surgery, and some paediatric conditions under Internal Medicine. Study them alongside your Paediatrics revision.
Is neonatology covered in EMREE?
Yes. The outline lists respiratory distress syndrome, transient tachypnoea, IUGR, meconium aspiration and haemorrhagic disease of the newborn.
Sources
Official information last verified on . Rules and dates can change — always confirm on the official site before you register or apply.