PLAB

The Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) exam is the main route by which international medical graduates demonstrate that they have the necessary skills and knowledge to practise medicine in the UK. The exam includes PLAB part 1 and PLAB part 2. You will need to pass both parts of the exam to gain full registration with the General Medical Council. 

PLAB part 1 is a three-hour computer marked written examination comprising 180 single best answer questions. The examination tests four skill areas which include diagnosis, investigation, management as well as the context of clinical practice. Questions may include images, electrocardiograms and X-rays.

PLAB part 2, also referred to as OSCE which is a practical examination testing your clinical skills through scenarios mimicking real-life consultations. 

To find out more about the PLAB exam and if you need to take it, click here.

What will happen to the PLAB exam in 2024?

Beginning 8th August 2024, the PLAB 1 will align with the guidelines set forth in the Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA) content map. The examination will continue to be known as the PLAB exam; there will be no change to its name. International medical graduates who are currently taking the PLAB exam and want to practise in the UK will continue to take the PLAB exam in 2024 and beyond. The PLAB exam would be very similar to the current PLAB exam with slight changes to meet the MLA Content Map. We have updated our PLAB question bank to reflect this and will ensure it remains current by incorporating ongoing changes.

Plabable Tips

There are 180 questions to be completed in 3 hours. This means you have 60 seconds to complete one question. Ideally, you should aim for 45 seconds per question. What this means is that by the first hour, you should aim to have completed 80 questions. There is a high proportion of people who fail because they were not able to complete the exam. Do not be one of them! Plan your time wisely.

In the PLAB part 1 exam, you will be provided with the normal laboratory values at the back of the question booklet, so you do not need to remember the normal values. However, memorising some common ones can save you time from flipping back and looking for those values.

Here are some values we think are worth memorising:

• Haemoglobin: Men: 130–180g/L, Women: 115–160g/L 

• White cells (total): 4-11 x 109/L

• Platelets: 150-400 x 109/L

• pH: 7.35–7.45 

• PaO2: >10 kPa

• Bicarbonate: 22-26 mmol/L

• PaCO2: 4.7–6 kPa

• Sodium: 135–145 mmol/L

• Potassium: 3.5–5 mmol/L

• Calcium: 2.1 - 2.6 mmol/L

• Urea: 2.5–6.7mmol/L 

• C-reactive protein, CRP: <10mg/L

• Mean cell volume, MCV: 76–96fL

On your exam day: In the UK, the time of arrival is usually at 10 am, but this varies at other centres overseas. Ensure you set your alarm!

What to bring:

• Your passport

• HB pencils

• Erasers

• Pencil sharpeners

• Water, snacks and medication as needed

• An ordinary watch if you like

You will not need a calculator.

What about phones and valuables?

The cloakrooms are usually not monitored so it is not a wise idea to leave your phones in your bags in the cloakrooms. The current regulations allow you to bring in your phones into the exam hall provided you declare it to the invigilator. The invigilator will provide you with an envelope to put your phone inside. It must be switched off and left underneath your desk.