PLAB, or Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board, is a test that international medical graduates (IMG) must pass to practice medicine in the United Kingdom.

The PLAB Exam for the United Kingdom is a stepping stone to medical school. The PLAB test is a two-part evaluation that evaluates foreign medical graduates' medical knowledge and communication abilities.

The PLAB test is a two-level medical entry aptitude exam in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom, like every other country, has a system in place for foreign doctors who want to practice medicine in the country.

The GMC, or General Medical Council, the UK institution in charge of the system's upkeep and rules, standards, recruiting, and other permitted duties, administers an exam to all medical graduates.

This test is for students who have finished their schooling outside the United Kingdom, the EU, and Switzerland. It intends to check that the graduate's medical aptitude meets the UK's Health and Medical system standards.

The test ensures that no medical practitioner in the UK serves substandard or ignorant medical assistance to the general public.

Qualification and requirements

To apply for the PLAB exam, you must meet a few conditions. All PLAB exam criteria are stated here.

• A Primary Medical Qualification (PMQ) is granted by a World Directory of Medical Schools for limited registration.
• A minimum of 12 months of postgraduate clinical experience in a teaching hospital is required.
• A minimum overall IELTS score of 7.5 and a minimum IELTS score of 7.0 in each module.
• The examination fee is GBR 350.
• Exam Date: Most countries have only one exam date. Availability: Every two months

Application Processes

The following are the detailed processes for the PLAB exam application process:

Step 1 Create a GMC Online Account: 

To apply for the PLAB test, applicants must first visit the GMC's official website and register an online account. The registration process will create login credentials that may be used to reaccess the site.

Step 2 Provide the Necessary Information: 

Candidates must fill up the online GMC account with all of their personal information, academic background, academic qualifications, medical qualifications, valuable training data, and so forth. Candidates must ensure that all relevant information is entered into the account.

Step 3 Obtain Verification: 

GMC will review the information submitted and designate the data and account as verified if the eligibility criteria and other conditions are met.

Step 4 Reserve a Seat for PLAB Part 1: 

After receiving verification, the candidate will reserve a seat for the PLAB Part 1 test. They can select the nations and test sites available in those countries at their leisure.

Step 5: Take the PLAB exam: 

Once the application is complete, the candidate must prepare for the exam and take it on the scheduled day.

Dates and results

PLAB exam and result date for the year 2022 have been released, which are as follows:

PLAB exam dates for the year 2023 have also been released, which are as follows:

• 16 February 2023
• 25 May 2023
• 10 August 2023

Most of the time result of PLAB comes out in the following patterns:

• Part 1, i.e., PLAB 1, is usually declared four weeks after appearing for the test.
• Part 2, i.e., PLAB 2, is usually declared two weeks after appearing for the test.

Syllabus

PLAB, as we all know, is separated into two components. PLAB 1 is a three-hour, multiple-choice exam consisting of 180 questions (1 min/Qns). PLAB 2 is a 2-hour OSCE test comprising 18 real-life case situations (10 min/Case scenario & 2 rest points).

PLAB 1 Syllabus

Blood and Lymph:

• Abnormal blood film
• Bruising/ bleeding/ purpura
• Generalized enlarged lymph nodes
• Pallor

Breast

• Breast lump and pain

Cardiovascular

• Chest pain
• Fatigue
• Heart murmur
• Hypertension
• Palpitations
• Peripheral arterial disease
• Peripheral edema, breathlessness
• Peripheral venous problems

Child Health

• Congenital abnormalities
• Developmental problems (Physical, Psychological, and social)
• Failure to thrive (Physical, Psychological, and social)

Digestive

• Abdominal mass
• Abdominal pain
• Anorexia and weight loss
• Facial pain and swelling
• Jaundice
• Lower GI symptoms
• Upper GI symptoms
• Nutrition

Endocrine

• Abnormal blood sugar
• General endocrine disorder
• Thyroid abnormalities

ENT

• Earache
• Hearing problems
• Hoarseness and/or stridor
• Nasal symptoms
• Vertigo

Ethical and Professional

• Drawing from GMC explanatory guidance
• Drawing from Good medical practice (2013) Duties of a doctor

Eye

• Eye pain
• Orbital swelling
• Red-eye
• Visual impairment

Genitourinary

• Urethral discharge
• Vaginal discharge

Homeostatic

• Acid-base imbalance and blood gas abnormalities
• Electrolyte abnormalities

Infectious diseases

• Hospital-acquired infection
• Serious infection
• Travel medicine and tropical infections
• Viral infections

Mental Health

• Alcohol and drug use disorder and dependence
• Anxiety
• Deliberate self-harm
• Eating problems
• Learning and communication problems
• Medically unexplained physical symptoms 
• Mood (affective) problems
• Confusion
• Personality and behavioral disorders
• Psychosis
• Legal frameworks

Muscul skeletal

• Back and neck problems
• Connective tissue disorders
• Foot and ankle problems
• Hand and wrist problems
• Hip problems
• Knee problems
• Rheumatological problems
• Shoulder/upper limb problems
• Skeletal problems, including fractures

Neurological

• Blackouts and faints (funny turns) 
• Cranial nerve problems
• Falls
• Headache
• Movement disorders, including tremor and gait problems
• Peripheral nerve problems and abnormalities of sensation
• Seizures
• Speech and language disorder
• Weakness and fatigue

Older adults

• Confusion
• Symptoms of terminal illness

Pharmacological

• Clinical pharmacology (Antimicrobial stewardship, Prescribing safety)

Renal

• Abnormalities of the urine
• Renal problems
• Urinary excretion

Reproductive

• Contraception
• Fertility problems
• Normal pregnancy and care
• Problems in pregnancy, including bleeding
• Irregular vaginal bleeding
• Cervical smear/ colposcopy
• Pelvic mass
• Pelvic pain
• Vulval and vaginal lumps/lesions
• Prolapse
• Urinary incontinence

Respiratory

• Breathlessness
• Chest pain
• Cough and hemoptysis
• Wheeze/ Stridor

Seriously ill patients

• Collapse
• Fever/ Infection
• Multiple trauma
• Shock

Skin

• Bites and stings
• Bullous 
• Dermatological manifestations of systemic disease
• Extremes of temperature
• Hair and nail problems
• Itchy and scaly rashes
• Infections
• Lumps
• Moles and pigmented lesions
• Ulcers

Urological

• Groin/scrotal pain and swelling
• Urinary tract obstruction
• Abnormalities of the urine
• Urinary symptoms (UTI & Prostatic cancer)

PLAB 2

As previously stated, PLAB 2 is an OSCE test. As a result, there is no prescribed curriculum to follow or illnesses to investigate. The PLAB 2 exam will consist of 18 case scenarios to be completed. Your diagnostic, investigative, management, and treatment abilities will be tested.