PLAB1
The PLAB abbreviation stands for Professional and
Linguistic Assessment Board. I took my Plab1 test in June 2018,
which was the first test that included 180 multiple choice questions
(MCQs) instead of 200, as it used to be before. So, today, the Plab1
test consists of 180 MCQs to be completed in 3 hours. Those 2
hours are already including the time for you to fill in the marking
sheet, which means no extra time for the marking sheet. To
summarise, you have one minute per question to read it, answer it
and fill in the sheet with your answer.
The strategy I used during the PLAB1 test was to answer one
question and fill the answer in straight away on the marking sheet,
before moving on to the next question. In this type of exam, that you
have one minute only per question, you cannot be unsure. You have
to pick one answer and move on to the next question. If you don’t
know or are not sure, pick the one you think is the most likely to be
the correct answer and move on, do not waste your time.
In the exam room, there is a clock. So one way you could
manage your time is: by one hour of the exam, you should have
finished at least 60 questions. By the second hour, 120 questions, to
make sure you will be finishing the exam on time and without
rushing through the end.
I took 4 months to prepare for the exam, with an average of 4
hours of studying per day. Again, Sundays were usually off. I was a
newly graduate doctor when I took the PLAB1 test, so if you have
worked for a few years, you’ll be more experienced, so you’ll
probably need less time to prepare.
The Plab1 test is all based on clinical scenarios. Sample
questions and the PLAB blueprint can be found on the following
links:
• https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-theregister/plab/plab-1-guide/sample-questions
• https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-theregister/plab/plab-test-blueprint
The main resources I used for PLAB1 preparation was the
Passmedicine website textbook and MCQs, together with the MCQs
from the PLABABLE website. The Passmedicine is a website that
you sign up for an account and obtain online access to MCQs and a
textbook. It costs 12 pounds for 4 months of access. I found the
textbook extremely useful and up to date. The PLABABLE website
also has MCQS, and it costs 20 pounds for 3 months to gain online
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access to the question bank. The following are the links for the
websites:
• https://www.passmedicine.com/plab/index.php
• https://plabable.com/Account/register
I conducted my revision by answering the MCQs in less than
one minute, then proceeding to check the correct answer, on both
Passmedicine and PLABABLE websites. If my answer was
incorrect or correct, but I was still unsure about the topic that the
question was related to, I used to read the following topic on the
Passmedicine textbook, and also check NICE guidelines. Once
again, the secret for this exam is time management.
On the last month before my exam, I was mainly focused on
doing the PLABABLE mock tests, on answering the 180 questions
before 3 hours. My aim was to answer all 180 questions in 2h30min
or less, considering that on the exam day I would have to mark the
answers on the official marking sheet. And again, I would always
check the correct answers at the end and conduct a revision for the
answers I got wrong or got right, but was not sure about the topic
related to the question.
To have an idea if you’re ready for your PLAB1 test, I was
getting an average score of 80% and above, on the PLABABLE
mocks, one the month before the test. I believe if you’re getting
scores like this on your PLABABLE mocks, it’s very likely that
you’ll pass the PLAB1 test. My score on the test was 132/180. I’m
not sure how the pass mark is set for the PLAB1 test; in June/2018,
the pass mark was 114/180.
Again, when I sat for the PLAB1 test I felt very confident. I
knew the structure of the exam and I had a strategy for completing
all the questions in time. When I started my preparation, I had a
study plan, which was completing the MCQs from both websites,
with the following revision, like I described in this section, and I felt
good that I completed my plan in time for the exam. Consequently, I
felt that I had very good chances of clearing the exam when I sat for
it. I think it makes a huge difference when you sit for the exam
feeling confident, so I would advise you to book your exam and do
your best to finish your study plan, and also prepare a good strategy
for the exam day.