PLAB 1 Exam Guide 2026 Format Topics and Pass Rate

PLAB 1 exam guide 2026: computer-based MCQ exam with 180 questions over 3 hours, testing the GMC's Good Medical Practice framework across clinical scenarios (GMC PLAB, 2026). Fee is £247 per attempt. Candidates have 4 attempts. PLAB 1 results are valid for 2 years — you must pass PLAB 2 within 2 years of clearing PLAB 1. The exam runs 4 times a year at Pearson VUE centres globally.

Data last verified September 2026 from the GMC's PLAB portal (GMC, 2026).

PLAB 1 exam format

Source: GMC PLAB, 2026.

PLAB 1 topics — GMC blueprint

PLAB 1 covers the GMC blueprint — clinical scenarios across:

• Medicine (cardiology, respiratory, GI, neurology, endocrinology, renal)
• Surgery (general, vascular, GI, trauma)
• Obstetrics & Gynaecology
• Paediatrics
• Psychiatry
• ENT
• Ophthalmology
• Orthopaedics
• Emergency medicine
• Ethics / Good Medical Practice

The focus is on the application of UK medical practice guidelines (NICE, GMC) rather than rote knowledge.

PLAB 1 pass mark

The PLAB 1 pass mark is set by the GMC through a standard-setting process. Historically the pass mark is around 60-65% of available marks. The actual score is a scaled number, not a percentage. No negative marking.

PLAB 1 attempt limits

PLAB 1 candidates have 4 attempts to pass. After 4 failed attempts:

• The candidate must apply for a 5th attempt with supporting evidence.
• GMC reviews each case individually.
• PLAB 1 results are valid for 2 years — you must pass PLAB 2 within 2 years of clearing PLAB 1.

PLAB 1 fee and timing

Source: GMC PLAB, 2026.

PLAB 1 eligibility

PLAB 1 is for international medical graduates (IMGs) seeking UK medical registration. Candidates must:

• Hold a primary medical qualification from a GMC-recognised medical school listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools.
• Meet English-language requirements (IELTS Academic 7.0 in all sections, or OET equivalent).
• Pass PLAB 1 within 4 attempts; PLAB 1 results are valid for 2 years.
• Pass PLAB 2 within 2 years of clearing PLAB 1.

PLAB 1 preparation

PLAB 1 prep typically takes 3-6 months of focused study. Reference materials:

• GMC's Good Medical Practice — the ethics framework (free PDF on the GMC portal).
• NICE guidelines — UK clinical reference for diagnosis / management.
• Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine — standard clinical reference.
• PLABABLE question bank — the most popular prep resource.
• Pastest question bank — alternative.
• GMC's free sample questions — baseline.

Mock exams on PLABABLE / Pastest are the highest-ROI prep method — the question style is the differentiator.

PLAB 1 → PLAB 2 → Foundation Training → GMC registration

PLAB is a two-step route to full GMC registration:

1. PLAB 1 (MCQ) — 180 Qs, 3 hrs, computer-based.
2. PLAB 2 (OSCE) — 16 stations, ~3 hrs, in-person at GMC's Manchester clinical assessment centre.
3. Apply for Foundation Training (UK 2-year postgraduate training programme).
4. Receive full GMC registration with a licence to practise.

Resources & next steps

For the official PLAB 1 specification, attempt registration, and result, go to gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-the-register/plab. The GMC's Good Medical Practice PDF is the free ethics reference. PLABABLE and Pastest are the leading prep question banks.

Verify current PLAB 1 fees, dates, and pass mark on the official source: gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-the-register/plab (GMC, 2026).

Reference + further reading

For the official sources cited in this guide:

• Press releases: Official company / regulator newsrooms (Apple Newsroom, OpenAI blog, Anthropic news, Xpeng IRON press kit, EU Commission briefings, NBE / GMC / SRA portals, Settlement Administrator sites).
• Standards bodies: NICE (clinical guidelines), TrendForce (memory market reports), BenchCAD project (AI CAD benchmark), Alignment Forum (AGI debate research).
• Regulators: EU AI Office, US FTC, UK ICO, Norwegian Datatilsynet, NHS / GMC, AICPA / NASBA, SRA / NMC.

For breaking-news AI coverage, follow OpenAI / Anthropic / Google DeepMind blogs directly; for memory and component pricing, TrendForce weekly reports are the canonical source; for data breach settlements, the Settlement Administrator site (per each settlement) is the only authoritative source for current dates and eligibility.

Cross-reference any data point in this guide with at least one primary source before relying on it for a decision — news moves fast and details change week-to-week. Bookmark the source sites, set up Google Alerts for the topic keywords, and check the GSC Queries report weekly for new zero-click queries that indicate rising interest.

For Indian exam updates (NTA, SSC, UPSC, IBPS, RRB, GATE, IIM, Consortium of NLUs, RRB NTPC, NBE, CAT, IIT JAM), the official portal is the single source of truth — every notification, fee revision, and result publish goes through the portal. Recheck the portal before applying or appearing; date slips are common.

This guide was authored on September 8, 2026. Dates and figures are accurate as of that date per the cited sources; recheck the official source for any subsequent revision.

Photo: Orji Favour Chisom, CC BY, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/NIGERIAN_TABLOID_VENDOR.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=original)