This plan assumes 10–15 hours a week alongside a job. Increase the hours if you can study full-time.
| Weeks | Focus | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Good Medical Practice, ethics, consent, capacity, confidentiality | Summary sheet of GMC guidance |
| 3–5 | Medicine and emergency medicine using NICE and CKS | 300 questions reviewed |
| 6–7 | Surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics | 300 questions reviewed |
| 8 | Psychiatry, community and public health | 150 questions reviewed |
| 9–10 | Mixed timed blocks, weak-area revision | 600 questions, analysed |
| 11 | Two full timed mock exams | Review of every error |
| 12 | Light revision and rest | Confidence and sleep |
- Review every wrong answer and write the reason in one sentence.
- Make short notes of UK first-line treatments, doses and thresholds.
- Practise time management: aim for a steady pace of 60 seconds a question.
Common mistakes
- Studying only your home country’s guidelines. PLAB uses UK practice (NICE, SIGN, BNF).
- Skipping ethics and professionalism: these questions are common and rewarding.
- Doing questions without reviewing explanations.
- Booking too early and having to rebook, or too late and missing the sitting you need.
Fees, English-test scores and dates were last checked against official sources on 24 October 2026.
This page is general education, reviewed 24 October 2026. Rules, fees and dates change: always confirm with the official sources below. It is not medical, legal or immigration advice.