Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board part 1 (PLAB 1)

À propos de l’examen

PLAB 1 is the written first part of the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board test, which the General Medical Council (GMC) uses to check that doctors who qualified abroad have the knowledge and skills to practise in the UK. It is an applied knowledge test: short clinical scenarios ask what you would do, judged against current UK best practice rather than local arrangements.

Passing PLAB 1 lets you book PLAB 2, the practical clinical exam, which you must pass within two years of your PLAB 1 date. Together they lead to an application for GMC registration with a licence to practise. PLAB now meets the requirements of the Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA), and its questions are based on the MLA content map.

What surprises many candidates is that PLAB 1 is still a paper exam: you mark your answers on a printed sheet in HB pencil, at venues run by VICTVS in the UK and EU or by the British Council elsewhere. Places can also be scarce where demand is high.

Qui doit le passer

Doctors who qualified outside the UK and are seeking registration through the PLAB route. To book you need an acceptable overseas primary medical qualification (or confirmation that you have passed your final exams and met the other requirements for it) and accepted evidence of your English. That can be academic IELTS with at least 7.0 in each area and 7.5 overall, or OET Medicine with at least a B in each area, achieved in one sitting. The certificate is valid for two years and must still be valid on the day you sit PLAB 1.

Ce qu’il couvre

Scope

Common, important and acute conditions seen by a doctor in the second Foundation year (F2), and the management of long-term conditions in primary care. The advanced duties of a GP are excluded.

Cardiorespiratory

Heart and lung conditions, from emergencies to ongoing care.

Child and adolescent health

Illness and development in children and young people.

Endocrine, metabolic and clinical haematology

Hormonal and metabolic disorders and blood conditions.

Gastrointestinal

Conditions of the digestive tract, liver and related organs.

Mental health

Recognising and managing psychiatric illness.

Musculoskeletal

Bone, joint and soft-tissue problems.

Neurosciences and senses (including skin)

Neurological conditions, the eyes and ears, and skin disease.

Renal and urology

Kidney and urinary tract conditions.

Reproductive health

Sexual and reproductive health, including pregnancy.

Ethics and other

Professional, ethical and other areas of practice that do not belong to one body system.

L’épreuve

• 180 single-best-answer questions in three hours. Each gives a short scenario and five possible answers.
• On paper: you mark a double-sided answer sheet in pencil, so bring HB pencils, an eraser and a sharpener.
• Each correct answer earns one mark, and your score is the number you get right.
• The pass mark is set for each sitting using the Angoff method plus one standard error of measurement, pitched at what is expected of a doctor starting the second Foundation year.
• No phones, calculators, watches or other electronic devices are allowed; the time is shown in the hall. Water in a clear, unlabelled bottle and a little fruit are allowed.
• You cannot enter if you are more than 30 minutes late, and you cannot leave in the first or last 30 minutes. Expect to be at the venue for at least four hours.
• Your results show your score, the pass mark, the average score and how you did in each of ten clinical areas. The GMC's guide explains how to ask for adjustments for a health need.

Comment s’inscrire

1. Check that your primary medical qualification is acceptable and get accepted English language evidence, such as IELTS or OET.
2. Set up a GMC Online account and enter your English language scores under My Tests; checking them can take up to two working days.
3. Book through the PLAB booking service in GMC Online, the only way to book, and pay GBP 283. Availability varies by location, and booking can close two to six weeks before the exam.
4. Your venue address arrives at least seven days before the exam, from VICTVS (UK and EU) or the British Council (elsewhere).
5. On the day, bring a valid passport or other accepted ID (such as a UK driving licence, EU identity card or Home Office travel document) and your booking confirmation with your GMC reference number.
6. To change dates you must cancel and rebook. Cancelling more than 42 days before the exam costs 10% of the fee; within 42 days you lose the whole fee.
7. Results come out in GMC Online six weeks later. If you pass, book PLAB 2; if you fail, you can book again. After four failures, a fifth and final attempt needs an application backed by 12 months of clinical practice or a relevant postgraduate qualification.

Frais et dates

Fee

GBP 283 (about EUR 331), from 1 April 2026 (source 7)

When

Four times a year (February, May, August, November); next 5 November 2026 and 11 February 2027 (source 4)

February 2027

UK and EU venues only; no international venues (source 8)

Results

Six weeks after the exam: 17 December 2026 for 5 November 2026; 25 March 2027 for 11 February 2027 (source 4)

Validity

PLAB 2 must be passed within two years of the date you sat PLAB 1 (source 5)

Cancellation fee

GBP 28.30 more than 42 days before (about EUR 33); the full GBP 283 within 42 days (source 7)

Attempts

Four; a fifth and final attempt only by application after 12 months of further learning (source 9)

Les frais et les dates changent : chacun est indiqué tel que sa source le mentionnait le 29 octobre 2026. Vérifiez-le à la source avant de vous inscrire.

Questions fréquentes

How many questions are in PLAB 1?

180 single-best-answer questions, to be answered in three hours. Each starts with a short clinical scenario and offers five options.

What is the pass mark for PLAB 1?

There is no fixed pass mark. The GMC sets it for each sitting using the Angoff method plus one standard error of measurement, and your results show your score next to the pass mark and the average.

Is PLAB 1 on computer, or can I take it online?

Neither. PLAB 1 is a paper exam sat in person: you mark an answer sheet in HB pencil at a venue run by VICTVS or the British Council.

Where can I take PLAB 1?

In the UK at Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, London and Manchester; in the EU at Dublin and Madrid; and at British Council venues in several other countries. From 2027, Dhaka, Alexandria, Accra, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata will no longer run the exam.

How long is a PLAB 1 pass valid?

You must pass PLAB 2 within two years of passing PLAB 1. The two years run from the date you sat PLAB 1, not the date your result was issued.

How many times can I take PLAB 1?

You can keep trying until you have failed four times. A fifth and final attempt needs an application to the GMC, with evidence of 12 months of clinical practice or a relevant postgraduate qualification completed after the fourth failure.

What English language score do I need for PLAB 1?

Academic IELTS with at least 7.0 in each area and 7.5 overall, or OET Medicine with at least a B in each area, achieved in the same sitting and in your most recent attempt. The certificate must still be valid (two years) on the day you sit PLAB 1.

Sources

1. What is the PLAB 1 exam? — General Medical Council
2. When and where can I take PLAB 1? — GMC
3. Information on booking a PLAB 1 place — GMC
4. PLAB 1: Your results — GMC
5. PLAB 1: What do you do after you get your results? — GMC
6. PLAB 1: What can you expect on the day? — GMC
7. Fees for doctors — GMC
8. Changes to PLAB 1 in 2027 — GMC
9. Are you eligible for an additional PLAB 1 attempt? — GMC
10. Using your IELTS certificate — GMC

Vérifié auprès de ces sources le 29 octobre 2026.