Choose the plan that matches your free time and adjust it each week. Use your browser’s print function to keep a paper copy.
PLAB 1: 12 weeks
| Weeks | Focus | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Good Medical Practice, ethics, consent, capacity, confidentiality, safeguarding | One-page summary of each principle |
| 3–5 | Emergency, cardiology, respiratory, endocrine using the guidelines map | 300 questions reviewed |
| 6–7 | Surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics | 300 questions reviewed |
| 8 | Psychiatry, community, public health and statistics | 150 questions reviewed |
| 9–10 | Mixed timed blocks and weak topics | 600 questions analysed |
| 11 | Two full 180-question mock exams | Every error reviewed |
| 12 | Light revision, rest, logistics | Rested and ready |
PLAB 2: 8 weeks
| Weeks | Focus | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Consultation structure, opening and closing, safety-netting | A script you can say from memory |
| 2–3 | History stations: chest pain, abdominal pain, headache, breathlessness, mental health | 10 practised stations |
| 4 | Examination routines for every system | Each routine spoken aloud |
| 5 | Explaining, consent and counselling: diagnosis, medicines, procedures | 8 plain-English explanations |
| 6 | Breaking bad news, anger, capacity, ethics, handovers | 8 practised stations |
| 7 | Full 8-minute mocks with unfamiliar partners and a timer | Written feedback |
| 8 | Weak stations, travel and accommodation, rest | Calm and prepared |
The week before the exam
- Confirm your booking, ID and the address of the venue.
- Plan travel with time to spare; for PLAB 2, arrive in Manchester the day before.
- Prepare clothes and your list of what to take.
- Do light practice, not new topics. Sleep matters more than one more question.
General education, reviewed 24 October 2026. Guidance changes: confirm with the official sources. Not medical, legal or immigration advice.