PLAB: What It Is, Who Takes It, and How to Prepare

When you finish medical school outside the UK and want to work as a doctor there, you need to pass the PLAB, a two-part licensing exam administered by the General Medical Council to assess whether international medical graduates have the knowledge and skills to practice safely in the UK. Also known as the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board test, it’s not just a formality—it’s the only legal path for many doctors to join the NHS. Unlike exams like USMLE or NEET, PLAB focuses on practical clinical reasoning, not memorizing facts. It’s designed to see if you can handle real patient cases in a British healthcare setting.

Most people who take PLAB are doctors from India, Pakistan, Nigeria, and other countries where medical degrees are recognized but require additional validation for UK practice. The exam has two parts: PLAB 1 is a written test with 180 multiple-choice questions, and PLAB 2 is a practical exam with 14 clinical stations where you interact with standardized patients. You don’t need to be fluent in British English, but you do need to communicate clearly, show empathy, and follow UK clinical guidelines. Many fail not because they don’t know the medicine, but because they don’t understand how British doctors think—like how they document cases, when they refer patients, or how they handle ethical dilemmas.

What makes PLAB different from other medical exams is how much it values process over perfection. A candidate who takes time to explain options to a patient, checks for allergies, and offers follow-up care will score higher than someone who gives the right diagnosis but rushes through the interaction. The General Medical Council doesn’t just want skilled doctors—they want doctors who fit into the NHS culture. That’s why resources like mock stations, feedback from UK-trained doctors, and real patient scenarios matter more than textbooks. You won’t find this kind of insight in standard prep books.

There’s a lot of noise out there about PLAB—coaching centers promise guaranteed passes, forums are full of conflicting advice, and some candidates burn out trying to memorize every possible scenario. But the truth is simpler: focus on understanding the exam format, practicing with real cases, and learning how UK doctors communicate. The posts below give you exactly that—no fluff, no hype. You’ll find real experiences from people who passed on their first try, breakdowns of the most common station types, and tips on how to handle stress during the clinical exam. Whether you’re just starting out or stuck on PLAB 2, there’s something here that’ll help you move forward.