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GYANA EDUTECH PVT. LTD. Consultants is one stop solution for international medical studies. Established in 2002, the core activity lies in assisting students to make the right choice with regard to pursue higher medical education in overseas educational universities.
The Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board test – known as the PLAB test – helps us to make sure doctors who qualified abroad have the right knowledge and skills to practise medicine in the UK.
Before you can take the PLAB test, you’ll need to set up a GMC Online account and show us that your medical qualification and knowledge of English are acceptable. Your information will be verified, and if it meets our requirements, you can book your place on part 1 of the PLAB test.
There are two parts to the test. Part 1 is a written multiple choice exam, with 180 single best answer questions. Part 2 is a practical OBJECTIVE STRUCTURED CLINICAL EXAM, known as an OSCE. You’ll need to pass both parts before you can apply for registration with a licence to practise medicine in the UK.
PLAB 1 is an applied knowledge test (AKT). It tests your ability to apply your knowledge for the care of patients, and not how well you can remember and recite facts. Questions relate to current best practice in the UK, and equipment routinely available in UK hospitals. You’ll need to answer the questions in relation to published evidence and not according to your local arrangements.
The score ranges between 120-130 out of 180 questions.
The passing score for the PLAB 1 exam is 70%.
PLAB 1 is compliant with the Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA) requirements.
We run the exam four times a year. There are sittings in February, May, August and November. We hold the test in the UK and in a number of overseas locations.
Details of scheduled PLAB 1 exam and results dates are available to view in ‘Your results’ section.
Eligible candidates can view our current availability by registering for a GMC Online account and log into our PLAB booking service.
Bookings close for overseas PLAB 1 exams approximately six weeks prior to the exam date. Bookings close for UK PLAB 1 exams two weeks prior to the exam date.
All exam places are limited and in high demand. We carefully monitor demand to make sure that availability is evenly and fairly spread throughout the year.
If you have a UK job offer in the NHS that requires GMC registration or hold UK refugee status, please contact us at plab@gmc-uk.org and we will try and offer you a test place as soon as we can.
The number of places available for the PLAB exams is not linked to the number of jobs available.
The UK exams currently take place in: Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, London, Manchester, Oxford and Sheffield.
The exam can also be taken in two EU locations: Dublin and Madrid.
If you’ve secured a booking at a UK or EU location, you’ll receive confirmation of your venue address within 7 days of your exam. This information will be sent to you by the GMC approved supplier VICTVS, who are responsible for delivering and invigilating UK and EU based PLAB 1 exams on behalf of the GMC.
If your booking is for an exam taking place outside of the UK and EU, you’ll receive venue address details directly from the British Council.
Once you have booked online, please only contact VICTVS or the relevant British Council office if you have not received details of the venue at least one week before the exam. Contact details for all exam locations are listed below.
| Country | City | Contact details |
|---|---|---|
| India | Bangalore | BCEEnquiries@britishcouncil.org |
| India | Chennai | BCEEnquiries@britishcouncil.org |
| India | Hyderabad | BCEEnquiries@britishcouncil.org |
| India | Kolkata | BCEEnquiries@britishcouncil.org |
| India | Mumbai | BCEEnquiries@britishcouncil.org |
| India | New Delhi | BCEEnquiries@britishcouncil.org |
PLAB 2 is a clinical and professional skills assessment (CPSA). It’s a performance-based assessment of clinical and professional skills, knowledge and behaviours. The exam is made up of 16 scenarios, each lasting eight minutes and aims to reflect real life settings including a mock consultation or an acute ward.
You may also know this style of assessment as an objective structured clinical exam (OSCE).
PLAB 2 is compliant with the Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA) requirements
During the exam you will be marked against three areas or ‘domains' for each scenario.
| Domain | What this domain covers |
|---|---|
| Data gathering, technical and assessment skills | History taking, physical examination, practical procedures, investigations leading to a diagnosis |
| Clinical management skills | Formulating a diagnosis, explaining something to the patient, formulating a management plan |
| Interpersonal skills | How you approach the station: whether you establish a rapport with the patient, how you use open and closed questioning, involving the patient and demonstrating your professionalism and understanding of ethical principles |
When marking against the domains, the examiner will assess your competency across a number of skill areas.
Your booking confirmation will confirm which test centre you should attend, including the address.
As the addresses look very similar, please make sure you check this information carefully before arrival.
Addresses for all GMC offices can be found on our Contact us page.
We run PLAB 2 test dates throughout the year. You can view available dates in our PLAB booking service via GMC Online. You can only do this once you have your PLAB 1 results.
Demand for PLAB 2 places is high, and you may experience a wait for a test date.
To book PLAB 2 you must have an acceptable overseas primary medical qualification and a valid PLAB 1 pass.
You are limited to four attempts to pass the exam. If you would like to take the exam again following your fourth failed attempt, you must apply for an additional attempt.
If you fail this fifth and final attempt, you’ll no longer be eligible to take the exam.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we increased the amount of time a PLAB 1 pass is valid from two years to three years. This was due to the impact that travel restrictions and social distancing were having on candidates and our ability to offer places.
From 31 March 2025 this extension will end. This means:
Please note that your pass date is the date you took the test, and not the date your results were issued.
Each station/scenario is marked out of 12 marks in total.
In order to pass the PLAB 2 exam one must achieve the pass mark for that particular day as well as pass at least 11 out of 18 stations.
Here are some useful resources which you can use to help you prepare for the PLAB 2 exam.
The Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA) content map is a guide to what the exam covers and can help you prepare. It sets out the core knowledge, skills and behaviours you’re expected to demonstrate in the exam and UK practice. All the topics and skills needed to pass are covered in the content map.
All the topics and skill areas covered by the MLA content map match those typically faced by doctors starting the second year of their UK Foundation Programme training. This is how we make sure doctors who pass the PLAB test are at the same level as UK-qualified doctors.
Read the Foundation Programme curriculum.
Good medical practice is our core advice to doctors on the standards we expect of them. You will be expected to demonstrate the professional values and behaviours set out in Good medical practice when you take the exam and when you practise as a doctor in the UK.
You can build and test your knowledge of Good medical practice using:
The fees below are relevant for doctors who must sit PLAB 1 and 2 tests to register with us.
| Our PLAB test fees | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) test fees | Effective from 1 April 2024 | Effective from 1 April 2025 | |||||||||
| Part 1 of the PLAB test | £268.00 | £273.00 | |||||||||
| Part 2 of the PLAB test | £981.00 | £998.00 | |||||||||
| Our PLAB test cancellation fees | |||||||||||
| Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) test cancellation fees1 | Effective from 1 April 2024 | Effective from 1 April 2025 | |||||||||
| PLAB 1 - cancellations over 42 days before exam (10%) | £26.80 | £27.30 | |||||||||
| PLAB 1 - cancellations 42 days or less before exam (100%) | £268.00 | £273.00 | |||||||||
| PLAB 2 - cancellations over 42 days before exam (10%) | £98.10 | £99.80 | |||||||||
| PLAB 2 - cancellations between 42 and 29 days before exam (50%) | £490.50 | £499.00 | |||||||||
| PLAB 2 - cancellations 28 days or less before exam (100%) | £981.00 | £998.00 | |||||||||
For PLAB (Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board) exams, the primary proof of identity requirement is a valid passport
To enter the PLAB (Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board) exam centre, you'll need to bring: