What PLAB 2 tests
PLAB 2 tests whether you can do what a UK foundation doctor does: take a focused history, examine, interpret data, explain, make a safe plan and communicate with patients and colleagues, all under time pressure. It is a performance exam, so practise out loud, with a partner, to a clock.
| Typical station types | What you are asked to do |
|---|---|
| History taking | Take a focused history, summarise and give an initial plan |
| Examination | Examine a system or a part of the body, explain what you are doing, then state your findings |
| Practical skills and data | A simulated procedure, or interpret an ECG, X-ray or blood results and act on them |
| Explaining and counselling | Explain a diagnosis, medicine or investigation; obtain consent; discuss lifestyle |
| Breaking bad news and difficult conversations | Be honest and compassionate; respond to emotion; check understanding |
| Ethics, professionalism and handover | Deal with confidentiality, a mistake, or a colleague’s concern; hand over safely |
How stations are marked
Examiners assess each station across three broad areas, plus an overall judgement. Check the GMC’s PLAB 2 guide for the current wording.
| Area | Examiners look for |
|---|---|
| Data gathering, technical and assessment skills | Relevant, structured questions; a safe, systematic examination or procedure; correct interpretation of findings |
| Clinical management skills | A sensible differential, appropriate tests, a safe plan, escalation and safety-netting |
| Interpersonal skills | Introducing yourself, consent, empathy, plain language, checking understanding, sensitivity to the patient’s ideas, concerns and expectations |
Preparing, week by week
- Learn the structure of a consultation (see the Resources section) until the opening and closing are automatic.
- Practise 8-minute stations with a partner every other day. Record yourself and watch the playback.
- Learn the examination sequences (cardiovascular, respiratory, abdominal, neurological, musculoskeletal) and say what you are doing as you go.
- Build a bank of explanations in plain English: a diagnosis, a medicine, an investigation, a lifestyle change.
- In the last week, run full mock circuits with unfamiliar partners and a timer, and rehearse the journey to Manchester.
Booking and travel
- PLAB 2 booking opens after you pass PLAB 1, and demand is high. Check the available dates the day your result arrives.
- The GMC clinical assessment centre is on Hardman Street in Manchester. Use the address in your booking confirmation (the GMC uses two nearby addresses).
- You arrange your own visa, travel and accommodation. Book flexible travel until the date is confirmed.
- Bring the identification the GMC specifies and wear smart, practical clothing: sleeves must allow you to wash your hands and examine patients.
Two sample stations
Original practice stations in the PLAB 2 style. Practise them aloud with a partner, with a timer set for eight minutes, then compare with the model approach. They are not GMC stations and do not predict your exam.
Station A: abdominal pain in a young woman
You are a foundation doctor in a GP surgery. Ms Sarah Jones, aged 24, has come with lower abdominal pain that started six hours ago. Take a focused history, and then explain your initial impression and plan to her. You have eight minutes. You do not need to examine her.
Role-player brief (only for your practice partner)
The pain is sharp and on the right, 6/10, constant, spreading to the shoulder tip when she lies back. Last period was six weeks ago and was lighter than usual; she has had a little brown spotting since this morning. No contraception. Previous chlamydia infection two years ago, treated. No vomiting or urinary symptoms. She feels slightly dizzy. She is worried it is appendicitis and wants to go to work.
What examiners look for
- Opens with name, role and consent; confirms her name and age
- Pain: site, onset, character, radiation, severity, timing, aggravating or relieving factors
- Associated: vaginal bleeding or discharge, dizziness or fainting, vomiting, bowels, urinary symptoms, fever
- Gynaecological and sexual history: last menstrual period, contraception, sexual activity, previous infections, previous ectopic pregnancy or pelvic surgery
- Past medical history, medicines, allergies; social impact
- Explores her ideas, concerns and expectations; summarises and checks
Model approach
Think first of the most dangerous diagnosis: a ruptured or leaking ectopic pregnancy (missed period, pain, spotting, shoulder-tip pain, dizziness, previous pelvic infection, no contraception). Other possibilities are appendicitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, ovarian cyst accident and urinary infection. Tell her honestly that you are concerned about a pregnancy outside the womb and that she needs urgent assessment today. Plan: a pregnancy test, observations, and immediate transfer to an emergency or early-pregnancy unit (she should not go to work and should not eat or drink in case of surgery). Explain what will happen, why you cannot wait, and what to do if she collapses. Offer to ring ahead, ask about someone who can accompany her, and check she understands.
Common pitfalls
- Not asking about the last period or pregnancy possibility
- Settling on appendicitis too early (premature closure)
- Sending her home with painkillers or an outpatient review
- Using jargon such as “ectopic” without explaining it
- Running out of time before explaining the plan
Station B: explaining a new diagnosis of type 2 diabetes
You are a foundation doctor in a general practice. Mr Imran Khan, aged 52, had a routine blood test that showed an HbA1c of 58 mmol/mol (7.5%); a repeat sample confirms the result. He has no symptoms. Explain the diagnosis, discuss what happens next, and answer his questions. You have eight minutes. You do not need to take a history.
Role-player brief (only for your practice partner)
You are a taxi driver and worry about your job and about needing injections. Your father had diabetes and lost his sight. You eat takeaways most evenings and do little exercise. You will ask: “Is this because I ate too much sugar?”, “Will I have to take insulin?” and “Can I carry on driving?”
What examiners look for
- Introduces self; checks what he already knows or fears (ideas, concerns, expectations)
- Explains in plain language: diabetes is a long-term condition in which blood sugar stays too high; it is not caused by sugar alone
- Positive framing: it can be managed, and early good control lowers the risk of complications
- Lifestyle: diet, activity, weight, structured education; stop-smoking support if relevant
- Medicines: metformin is usually the first treatment, what it does and common side effects; insulin is not needed now
- Monitoring and prevention: regular reviews, eye and foot checks, blood pressure and cholesterol, kidney tests
- Safety-netting and follow-up; checks understanding; offers written information
Model approach
Open by asking what he knows and what worries him, and respond directly to his father’s experience: his future is not fixed, and modern care and screening greatly reduce the risk of sight loss. Give information in small chunks and check each time. Explain that type 2 diabetes is not simply caused by eating sugar, but weight, inactivity and family history all contribute. Outline the plan: lifestyle change, a structured education programme, a trial of metformin as first-line treatment if lifestyle alone does not bring control or as recommended, and regular checks. Reassure him he does not need insulin now. On driving, say that most people with type 2 diabetes treated with diet or metformin can keep driving and are not usually required to tell the licensing authority, but they must tell it if they develop complications that affect driving, and he should check the official driving guidance. As he drives a taxi, he should also check the medical rules of his local taxi licensing authority, which can be stricter. Agree next steps and a follow-up appointment, and offer written information.
Common pitfalls
- A lecture without checking understanding
- Medical jargon (“glycaemic control”, “microvascular”)
- Ignoring his fear about his job and insulin
- Making promises (“it will go away”) or giving frightening statistics
- Forgetting follow-up and who to contact
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Where to sit PLAB 2
PLAB 2 is held only in Manchester. See the full directory, including centres closing from February 2027.
- Manchester, England
3 Hardman Street, Manchester M3 3AW (check your booking confirmation: the GMC uses two nearby Hardman Street/Square addresses)
Frequently asked questions
How many stations are there?
The GMC publishes the current number of scored stations and the timings in its PLAB 2 guide. Check it before your exam; formats can be updated.
Do I have to travel to Manchester?
Yes. PLAB 2 is held only at the GMC’s clinical assessment centre in Manchester.
Can I practise with other candidates?
Yes. Most candidates prepare in small groups, taking turns as doctor, patient and examiner. Giving feedback improves your own performance too.
What if I fail?
You can rebook, subject to the attempt limits. Your feedback shows which areas need work, and the rule that PLAB 2 must be passed within two years of PLAB 1 still applies.
Keep going
- Communication frameworks for PLAB 2 · The structures behind a good UK consultation, with phrases you can use tomorrow.
- 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.
- Moving to the UK as a doctor: a practical checklist · What to organise before you travel, in your first week and in your first month.
- Recommended books
- The full step-by-step guide to PLAB 2
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.