PLAB
Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board test (UK)
The two-part route to GMC registration and practice in the United Kingdom.
About the exam
PLAB checks that an international medical graduate can work safely as a first-year doctor in the NHS. PLAB 1 is a written paper; PLAB 2 is an OSCE-style circuit of clinical scenarios taken in the UK.
Both parts are built around UK guidelines and communication standards, so preparation is as much about approach and phrasing as it is about medicine.
Exam pattern at a glance
- Regulator
- General Medical Council (GMC)
- PLAB 1
- 180 single-best-answer questions · 3 hours
- PLAB 2
- 18-station OSCE · 8 minutes per station
- English requirement
- IELTS 7.5 overall or OET B grade
- Attempts
- Four per part
- Validity
- PLAB 2 must be passed within two years of PLAB 1
Syllabus & sections
Recognising and escalating the deteriorating patient using UK protocols.
Common NHS prescribing decisions, interactions and safe-handover practice.
Breaking bad news, consent, counselling and dealing with an angry relative.
Capacity, confidentiality, safeguarding and GMC Good Medical Practice.
Who can apply
- Primary medical qualification acceptable to the GMC.
- Approved English language evidence before applying for PLAB 1.
- Evidence of internship or equivalent for full registration after passing.
Study timeline
- 1. PLAB 1 · 3–4 months
UK guideline-based reading with daily single-best-answer practice.
- 2. PLAB 2 · 8–10 weeks
Station scripts, timed role-play with a partner, and feedback on phrasing.
- 3. Final 2 weeks
Mock circuits in exam conditions plus data-interpretation stations.
Frequently asked
Yes — the GMC requires approved English evidence at the application stage, and IELTS 7.5 overall with no band under 7.0 is the usual route.
Communication carries heavy marks, but every station still assesses clinical management and patient safety.