PLAB 1 is the written exam most internationally qualified doctors sit on the way to GMC registration — and for many, it is the first UK medical exam they have ever taken. The format and the style of question it rewards are both distinct from exams sat in other systems. Here is what to expect.
- Format 180 single-best-answer questions in 3 hours
- Content basis Medical Licensing Assessment content map
- Leads to PLAB 2 — the practical OSCE in Manchester
- Sat at Test centres in the UK and overseas
What PLAB 1 actually tests
PLAB 1 checks whether you can apply medical knowledge to patient care the way a doctor starting the second year of the UK Foundation Programme would. It is not a test of obscure or rare conditions — it follows the Medical Licensing Assessment content map, the same presentations, conditions and professional standards that UK medical graduates are examined on themselves.
Each question is a clinical scenario followed by a single question and multiple options, with one best answer — a format usually called "single best answer" rather than simple multiple choice, because more than one option can sound plausible.
The topic spread
PLAB 1 covers the full range of clinical practice:
- Cardiovascular and respiratory medicine
- Gastroenterology and renal medicine
- Endocrine, metabolic conditions and acute emergencies
- Neurology and psychiatry
- Paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology
- Infection, haematology and oncology
- Musculoskeletal, dermatology and ENT
- General practice and chronic disease management
- Surgery, trauma and emergency medicine
- Pharmacology and prescribing safety
- Ophthalmology, urology and sexual health
- Ethics, law and Good Medical Practice
That last category catches people out most often: PLAB examines Good Medical Practice alongside clinical medicine, so consent, capacity, confidentiality and candour are genuinely examinable content, not a footnote.
Practise single-best-answer questions across every area. PassNova's PLAB 1 bank is 128 free questions weighted across the content map, with a clear explanation on every answer — no sign-up.
What the questions actually reward
PLAB 1 rewards knowing the UK approach to a presentation, which is not always the approach you may have trained under elsewhere:
- NICE first-line treatments — the guideline-recommended first step, not every treatment that could theoretically work.
- Resuscitation Council UK emergency algorithms — the exact sequence UK practice follows.
- Threshold scores that trigger action — NEWS2, CURB-65, Wells score — and what crossing them means you do next.
- Referral pathways — including when a two-week-wait referral applies.
- Good Medical Practice expectations around consent, capacity, confidentiality and candour.
Booking and attempts
Fees, booking windows and the number of attempts allowed are set by the GMC and change from time to time — always check the GMC's own PLAB pages rather than relying on third-party summaries. At the time of writing the GMC allows four attempts at PLAB 1, with a fifth and final attempt only by application after at least 12 months of further learning and development. From 2027, the GMC is running fewer international sittings, so overseas candidates should check venue availability early rather than assuming their usual test centre will still be running.
How to revise
- Work by system, and learn the decision rule, not just the fact. Practise reading a scenario for the single detail that changes the answer — forehead sparing pointing to a stroke rather than Bell's palsy, an empty uterus pointing to an ectopic pregnancy.
- Time yourself early. A minute a question across 180 questions leaves little room for questions you have to re-read — build pace into your practice from the start, not just in the final weeks.
- Do not skip the ethics and law category. It is examined as seriously as clinical content, and it is the category most candidates under-revise.
Frequently asked questions
What score do I need to pass PLAB 1?
The GMC sets and can adjust the pass mark, so always check the GMC's own PLAB pages for the current standard rather than an older figure.
Can I book PLAB 2 before passing PLAB 1?
No. A pass in PLAB 1 is required before you can book PLAB 2, the practical OSCE held in Manchester.
How many times can I sit PLAB 1?
At the time of writing, the GMC allows four standard attempts, with a fifth and final attempt available only by application after at least 12 months of further learning and development. Confirm the current limit on the GMC's own pages, as this can change.
One point of clarity: every question in PassNova's bank was checked against NICE, Resuscitation Council UK, MHRA and GMC guidance, but the bank has not been reviewed by a UK-registered doctor — treat it as exam practice, not clinical guidance. PassNova is not affiliated with the GMC; book PLAB through the GMC's own PLAB pages, checked in September 2026.