What PLAB 1 tests
PLAB 1 checks that you can apply medical knowledge to the kind of patient you will meet as a new doctor in the UK. Questions are based on the GMC’s expectations of a newly qualified UK doctor, on Good Medical Practice, and on current UK guidance. A correct answer is the best answer in the UK system, which can differ from practice in your home country.
| Area | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Emergency and acute care | Recognition and first management: sepsis, chest pain, anaphylaxis, trauma, overdose, acute abdomen |
| Medicine and surgery | Common long-term conditions, investigations, interpreting results, prescribing and referral |
| Women’s and children’s health | Pregnancy, contraception, gynaecology, child development, safeguarding, paediatric emergencies |
| Mental health and learning disability | Risk assessment, capacity, the Mental Health Act, common conditions |
| Ethics, law and professionalism | Consent, confidentiality, capacity, raising concerns, honesty, boundaries |
| Evidence and statistics | Interpreting trials, screening, risk, basic statistics |
How to prepare, in order
- Read the GMC’s PLAB 1 guide and sample questions so you know the style.
- Learn Good Medical Practice and the GMC’s core ethical guidance. These questions are easy marks once you know the principles.
- Study by UK guideline, not by textbook chapter: NICE, CKS, SIGN and the BNF are your syllabus (see the Resources section).
- Do timed blocks of 50–60 questions. You have about one minute per question.
- Review every wrong answer and write the reason in one sentence. Revisit your weak areas weekly.
- Sit two full 180-question mocks in the last fortnight, in exam conditions.
Booking and exam day
- Book through your GMC online account. Check the closing date for your centre: overseas closing dates are earlier than UK ones.
- Take the identification the GMC specifies. A name that does not match your booking can mean you are refused entry.
- Arrive early; you will be asked to store phones and bags.
- Results are published by the GMC online; check the current waiting time on the GMC site.
Two sample questions
Original practice questions in the PLAB 1 style. Choose an answer, then read the explanation. They are not GMC questions and do not predict your exam.
A 58-year-old man has had central, crushing chest pain for 45 minutes. He is sweating and nauseated. His ECG shows ST-segment elevation in leads II, III and aVF. Blood pressure is 118/74 mmHg, heart rate 88/min and oxygen saturation 97% on air. A centre that can perform primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is 60 minutes away by ambulance. What is the most appropriate management?
Show the answer and explanation
Best answer: A. Aspirin 300 mg orally and urgent transfer for primary PCI
This is an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (inferior). UK guidance (NICE NG185) is to offer primary PCI as the preferred reperfusion strategy when the patient presents within 12 hours of symptom onset and PCI can be delivered within 120 minutes of the time when fibrinolysis could have been given. Here PCI is 60 minutes away, so he is transferred for primary PCI. He should also receive a 300 mg aspirin loading dose, with further antithrombotic treatment according to local protocol. Fibrinolysis is used only when primary PCI cannot be delivered within that window. Oxygen is not given routinely unless saturations are low. GTN alone, a beta-blocker on a ward, or heparin and observation would delay reperfusion.
Exam point: Know the immediate management of ACS and the 120-minute rule from the current NICE guideline.
A 14-year-old girl attends your clinic alone and asks for contraception. She is in a relationship with a 15-year-old classmate. She tells you she does not want her parents to know. She understands the benefits, risks and alternatives, and you are satisfied that she is likely to have sex whether or not you treat her. You have no concerns about coercion, exploitation or abuse. What is the most appropriate action?
Show the answer and explanation
Best answer: A. Assess her understanding, provide contraception in confidence, encourage her to involve a parent, and document your assessment
A young person under 16 who has sufficient maturity and understanding (Gillick competence) can consent to treatment, and the Fraser criteria describe when contraceptive advice and treatment may be given without parental knowledge: she understands the advice, cannot be persuaded to tell her parents or let you do so, is likely to begin or continue sexual activity, her health is likely to suffer without treatment, and treatment is in her best interests. Always look for safeguarding concerns (very young age, a large age gap, coercion, exploitation, a position of power); here there are none. Encourage parental involvement without making it a condition, record your reasoning, and offer follow-up and advice on sexually transmitted infections. Refusing, breaching confidentiality, or reporting in every case would be wrong and could put her at risk.
Exam point: Professionalism questions reward the principle (competence, confidentiality, safeguarding), not a fixed age cut-off.
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Where to sit PLAB 1
30 centres are listed in the UK, Europe and overseas. See the full directory, including centres closing from February 2027.
- Alexandria, Egypt PLAB 1 withdrawn from February 2027
- Cairo, Egypt
- Accra, Ghana PLAB 1 withdrawn from February 2027
- Nairobi, Kenya
- Abuja, Nigeria
- Lagos, Nigeria
- Johannesburg, South Africa
- Toronto, Canada
Frequently asked questions
Is PLAB 1 hard?
It is a passable exam for a well-prepared doctor, but pass rates vary by year. The most common difficulty is applying UK guidelines under time pressure. Practise timed blocks.
Can I sit PLAB 1 before my English test?
Yes, there is no required order, but you need both for registration, and your PLAB 1 result has a limited life (PLAB 2 must be passed within two years). Plan so neither expires.
How many questions should I practise?
There is no magic number. Many candidates do several thousand questions, but what matters is reviewing the reason behind each answer.
Do I need a visa to sit it?
Many candidates enter the UK as Standard Visitors to sit exams, and PLAB 1 can also be taken at overseas centres. Check GOV.UK for the current rules.
Keep going
- The UK guidelines to learn for PLAB 1 · A study map linking common exam topics to the national guidance behind them.
- Choosing question banks and courses · How to judge paid and free preparation material without wasting money.
- Study planners for PLAB 1 and PLAB 2 · Two printable study plans for PLAB 1 and PLAB 2, plus a checklist for the week before each exam.
- Recommended books
- The full step-by-step guide to PLAB 1
General education, reviewed 24 October 2026. Fees, formats and centres change: confirm with the GMC before booking. Sample material is our own and is not from the GMC.