PLAB Exam

The Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) exam is a two part licensing test run by the GMC. It's meant for doctors trained outside UK who want to practice medicine here. Passing it is one of the main ways to get registered and start working in the NHS.

There's a written paper first, called PLAB 1. Then a practical clinical round called PLAB 2. Both parts are compulsory, and both need to be cleared within a set time frame. The fees, the pattern, and the eligibility rules all come straight from GMC, and they get updated almost every year.

In this article, we'll walk through everything step by step. Who can apply, what the exam actually looks like, how much it costs, and how to prepare for it properly. By the end, you'll have a clear picture of what the PLAB exam demands and how to plan your journey around it.

PLAB Exam Eligibility and Requirements

GMC has a checklist before anyone gets to sit this exam. Your degree matters. Your English score matters. Your documents need to line up too.

Skip even one of these and your application just sits there, going nowhere. So let's get into what's actually needed.

Who Can Take the PLAB Exam?

First thing GMC looks at is your medical degree. It has to come from a school listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools. They're strict about this list.

Here's what you'll need sorted:

• A medical qualification GMC actually accepts
• A passport that matches your GMC Online details exactly
• Proof your college is on GMC's approved list

If your college isn't there, that's a dead end. And no PLAB registration happens without it. So check this first, before you plan anything else around the PLAB exam.

English Language and Medical Qualification Requirements

Doctors spend most of their day talking. To patients, to nurses, to other doctors. So GMC wants proof your English is actually strong.

Two tests work here:

• IELTS Academic, 7.5 overall, and 7.0 minimum in each section
• OET Medicine, grade B minimum in all four sections

One catch though. All four scores need to come from one single sitting. You can't pick your best writing score from one attempt and pair it with a better speaking score from another. GMC won't accept a mix and match like that.

Attempts are limited too. You get 4 tries at PLAB 1, and 4 at PLAB 2. Run out of attempts, and you'll need to show proof of extra training before GMC lets you try again.

PLAB Exam Pattern and Syllabus

The PLAB exam checks two very different things. Your medical knowledge first. Then how you behave with real patients.

Knowing both formats early makes your prep sharper.

PLAB 1 Exam

PLAB 1 is a written paper, and it's the first hurdle in the whole PLAB exam journey. Each question opens with a short patient case, then asks what you'd do next, so it's less about theory and more about real judgement calls.

Quick facts about this part:

• 180 single best answer questions
• 3 hours total exam time
• Covers medicine, surgery, paediatrics, OBGYN, psychiatry, ethics and law
• Five answer options per question

Many candidates search for PLAB 1 exam questions early on. The style here is different from regular med school papers. It's less about memory and more about applying what you know.

GMC has also shared 85 official sample questions on its site. Going through these plab exam sample questions first is a great starting point. Do this before buying any paid question bank.

PLAB 2 Exam

PLAB 2 happens only in Manchester, and there's no getting around that. It doesn't matter where you're from or which centre you'd prefer, this part of the exam runs at just one location worldwide.

Here's the format:

• 16 stations
• 8 minutes per station
• 90 seconds between stations to read the next scenario
• Marks you on data gathering, clinical management and communication

Practicing plab exam questions styled like real OSCE stations helps a lot. It builds the right rhythm before test day.

PLAB Exam Fees and Registration

GMC revises PLAB exam fees every year on 1st April. The current PLAB 1 fee is £283 (₹35,941), and PLAB 2 costs £1,036 (₹1,31,572). Here's the full breakdown along with how registration actually works.

PLAB Exam Fees

Fees for the PLAB exam went up slightly this year, and GMC applies the new rates from April 2026 onward. Worth checking this table before you plan your budget, since even a small hike can affect your total cost.

Exam Part	Fee in GBP	Fee in INR (₹)
PLAB 1	£283	₹35,941
PLAB 2	£1,036	₹1,31,572

Cancellation charges apply too. They depend on how early you cancel.

Cancellation Timing	PLAB 1 Charge	PLAB 2 Charge
More than 42 days before exam	£28.30 (₹3,594)	£103.60 (₹13,157)
Between 42 and 29 days before exam	Full fee, no refund	£518 (₹65,786)
Less than 28 days before exam	Full fee, no refund	Full fee, no refund

Cancel early if plans change. Waiting too long costs you the full PLAB exam fees amount.

How to Register for the PLAB Exam

Registration for the PLAB exam happens entirely through GMC's own online portal, GMC Online. It takes six clear steps from account creation to booking your test date.

• Create your GMC Online account
• Upload your degree certificate and English test results
• Choose your test date and centre
• Pay the fee to confirm your booking
• Download your admission ticket
• Book PLAB 2 only after clearing PLAB 1

One thing worth knowing. GMC plans to cut international PLAB 1 test locations from February 2027. Seats already fill up fast. Booking early really helps, especially for candidates applying from India.

How to Prepare for the PLAB Exam?

Most candidates take 3 to 6 months to prepare for the PLAB exam, based on how many hours they can give it daily. GMC's own blueprint and 85 sample questions form the base most doctors build their prep around.

PLAB Preparation Strategy

A month wise approach works well for most candidates preparing for the PLAB exam.

• Months 1 and 2, build core knowledge subject by subject using the GMC blueprint
• Months 3 and 4, solve plab exam questions daily, around 50 to 100 a day, and track weak areas
• Months 5 and 6, attempt full length mock tests under real time pressure

For PLAB 2, reading alone won't cut it. Practice speaking out loud with a friend. Time each station at 8 minutes and see how much you cover comfortably.

Recommended Resources and Practice

Four resources cover most of what's needed for solid PLAB exam prep, no need to hunt for dozens more.

• GMC's official PLAB blueprint for topic wise clarity
• GMC's 85 free sample questions as a starting benchmark
• Question banks like PLABable or Passmedicine for daily practice
• PLAB 2 coaching centres in Manchester for live station practice

Starting with official PLAB exam sample questions gives a clear sense of difficulty. Do this before moving to bigger paid banks.

What Happens After Passing the PLAB Exam?

Clearing both parts of the PLAB exam opens the door to GMC registration. This step needs approval within 2 years of passing PLAB 2, so it's best handled without delay.

Depending on your training background, you'll receive one of these.

• Provisional registration, if an internship hasn't been completed yet
• Full registration, if the internship is already done

Once registered, working at the Foundation Year 2 level in the NHS becomes possible. That's really the whole point behind taking the PLAB exam in the first place.

Conclusion

The PLAB exam takes time and steady effort. But it's completely doable with the right plan in place.

Here's what really helps along the way:

• Sort out eligibility early, especially your medical degree check
• Get IELTS or OET done well in advance, don't leave it for later
• Give preparation the full time it needs, don't rush the process
• Practice plab exam quesPLABs daily instead of cramming close to the date
• Treat PLAB 2 stations like real patient conversations, not just theory

Small consistent effort adds up faster than people expect. Stay steady through each stage, and a UK medical career will feel a lot closer than it did at the start.

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