PLAB 2026: test dates, PLAB 1 format, how to book and free practice tests
The PLAB test is the General Medical Council's two-part assessment for many doctors who qualified outside the UK, the European Economic Area or Switzerland. Passing both parts lets you apply for registration with a licence to practise in the UK. PLAB 1 is a 180-question written paper; PLAB 2 is a 16-station clinical exam. The thing most candidates want to know first is the next PLAB 1 date: the GMC shows dates and places only in its PLAB booking service in GMC Online, and its website could not be read on 20 October 2026, so this guide does not quote a date. It covers how to book, what each part tests, how the pass mark works, and a plan for the weeks before your sitting.
PLAB at a glance
| Conducting body | General Medical Council (GMC) |
| What it is for | Registration with a licence to practise in the UK, for many overseas-qualified doctors |
| Level tested | A doctor starting the second year of the UK Foundation Programme (F2) |
| PLAB 1 | 180 single best answer questions in 3 hours, a written paper at a test centre in the UK or abroad |
| PLAB 2 | 16 eight-minute stations (an OSCE), about 3 hours, at the GMC clinical assessment centre |
| Marking | PLAB 1: one mark per correct answer; pass mark set for each paper |
| Results | PLAB 1 about six weeks after the exam, in GMC Online |
| Official website | gmc-uk.org |
Test dates and booking
PLAB 1: sittings are held on fixed dates at centres in the UK and in other countries, and the dates and seats are shown in the PLAB booking service in your GMC Online account. The GMC website blocked automated reading on 20 October 2026, so the next PLAB 1 date is not confirmed here. Check the GMC page when and where can I take PLAB 1 and the booking service for current dates, places and closing dates. Exam centres and the number of sittings can change, so check before you plan travel.
PLAB 2: runs through the year at the GMC clinical assessment centre. You can book it only after passing PLAB 1.
How to book PLAB 1
- Create a GMC Online account.
- Check you are eligible: you need an acceptable primary medical qualification and acceptable evidence of your English. Both must be in place before you can book a PLAB 1 place. English tests such as IELTS Academic or OET may serve as evidence; confirm which tests and scores the GMC accepts on its own pages before you sit one.
- Book a place in the PLAB booking service in GMC Online, choosing a date and a centre with seats free. Pay the fee shown there.
- Read the GMC's booking and cancellation pages for the rules on changing or cancelling a place: information on booking a PLAB 1 place.
- On the day, bring the identification the GMC asks for. Results appear in the My Tests section of GMC Online about six weeks later.
After passing both parts, you apply for registration with a licence to practise. The GMC says that application must be approved within two years of passing PLAB 2.
PLAB exam pattern
PLAB 1
| Feature | PLAB 1 |
|---|---|
| Questions | 180 single best answer questions |
| Format | A short clinical scenario, a lead-in, and five options |
| Time | 3 hours, about one minute a question |
| Marking | One mark per correct answer; the score is the number correct |
| Pass mark | Set for each paper by the Angoff method, plus one standard error of measurement |
| Your result | Your score, the pass mark for that paper, and the average score of candidates |
There is no fixed pass mark and no expected pass rate: the standard is meant to stay at that of a doctor entering Foundation Year 2. The candidate pages say the score is the number of correct answers.
PLAB 2
Sixteen scenarios of eight minutes each, with at least two rest stations. Before each scenario you get 1 minute 30 seconds to move and read the instructions. Stations can be a consultation, a telephone call, an examination, a practical procedure or an acute ward, with a simulated patient, a manikin or a simulator. Examiners mark three domains: data gathering, technical and assessment skills; clinical management skills; and interpersonal skills. To pass you need both the overall pass mark and a minimum number of stations, and both are calculated for each exam.
Syllabus: what PLAB 1 covers
PLAB 1 asks you to apply knowledge to patient care using current UK practice and equipment routinely available in UK hospitals. It covers common, important and acute conditions an F2 doctor sees, and the management of long-term conditions in primary care, but not the advanced duties of a GP. The GMC states that PLAB 1 meets the requirements of the Medical Licensing Assessment. Feedback groups questions into ten areas:
- Cardiorespiratory
- Gastrointestinal
- Endocrine, metabolic and clinical haematology
- Child and adolescent health
- Musculoskeletal
- Mental health
- Neurosciences and senses, including skin
- Renal and urology
- Reproductive health
- Ethics and other (professionalism, prescribing and acute care)
The GMC does not publish how many questions fall in each area. More detail is on our PLAB syllabus page.
A plan for the weeks before your PLAB 1
Once you have a seat, plan back from the date. An eight-week plan:
- Week 1: sit a full 180-question PLAB 1 mock test in three hours. Score yourself by the ten areas above.
- Weeks 2–5: two or three areas a week, weakest first. Learn the UK way of doing things: national guidelines, referral pathways, and drug names as in the British National Formulary. Many wrong answers from overseas doctors are right in their home system but not in UK practice.
- Week 6: ethics, consent, confidentiality and safe prescribing, which turn up across all areas.
- Week 7: a second full mock at the time of day your exam starts. Analyse it using how to analyse a mock test.
- Week 8: timed sets of 60 questions in an hour, a review of your error list, and rest.
Our PLAB 1 practice paper reports your raw mark out of 180 and does not apply a pass mark, because the real one changes from paper to paper.
Useful links
- A guide to the PLAB test (gmc-uk.org)
- When and where can I take PLAB 1 (gmc-uk.org)
- What is the PLAB 1 exam? (gmc-uk.org)
- Free PLAB 1 mock tests
- PLAB syllabus
- PLAB test dates
- USMLE 2026: test dates, Step 1 format and how to apply
- AMC CAT MCQ: test dates, format and how to book
Frequently asked questions
When is the next PLAB 1 exam date?
The dates are shown in the PLAB booking service in GMC Online and on the GMC's PLAB 1 pages. We could not read those pages on 20 October 2026, so check there for the next sitting and its closing date.
What is the PLAB 1 pass mark?
It is not fixed. The GMC sets it for each paper by the Angoff method and adds one standard error of measurement, and your result shows the pass mark for your paper.
Is there negative marking in PLAB 1?
The GMC's candidate pages say your score is the number of correct answers, so a wrong answer earns nothing; they do not describe any deduction. Answer every question.
What do I need before I can book PLAB 1?
A GMC Online account, an acceptable primary medical qualification and acceptable evidence of your English.
How long is PLAB valid after I pass?
The GMC says your application for registration with a licence to practise must be approved within two years of passing PLAB 2.