Our plans for releasing PLAB 1 places

  1. Summary
  2. What is PLAB 1?
  3. When and where can you take PLAB 1?
  4. Get ready to book a PLAB 1 place
  5. Our plans for releasing PLAB 1 places
  6. Cancel a PLAB 1 place
  7. What resources should you use to prepare?
  8. Sample questions
  9. What reasonable adjustments can we make?
  1. What can you expect on the day?
  2. Your results
  3. What do you do after the exam?
  4. Are you eligible for an additional attempt?
  5. How do you appeal your result?
  6. Misconduct procedures
  7. Case study of a candidate misconduct at the PLAB exam
  8. Anti-bribery policy
  9. Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA)

On Saturday 18 March 2023 at 10 am (GMT) we’ll open PLAB 1 places to book for the following dates across all locations:

  • 15 February 2024
  • 23 May 2024

We will also open places to book for 2 November 2023 in locations where we have the capacity to do so.

You’ll need to access GMC Online by 10 am (GMT) using this link (rather than the usual link on the GMC Online web page): https://www.gmc-uk.org/gmc-online-dashboard.

You should expect some waiting time on the day, due to the high demand for places. We’ll provide more information about the booking process by email before 18 March.

We appreciate demand for PLAB 1 remains high. We will be running further releases later in 2023 for those not eligible to book during the current release. These releases may also include places in February 2024 and May 2024.

Providing English language evidence for the release

You’ll need to provide us with valid English language evidence by midnight (GMT) on 9 March 2023. We will then review this by the end of the day on 15 March 2023 and email you with the outcome. Please do not contact us about your evidence between these dates as we will be unable to provide any further information until we have reviewed this.

Your English language evidence must be less than two years old on the day you sit PLAB 1. If your evidence falls outside of this validity period, you need to re-sit your English language test before you can book your PLAB test. You can read more on our English language evidence pages.

You should make sure:

  • Your name, date of birth and scores on your English language test match the information you have provided to the GMC
  • If you are providing OET scores, you must give the GMC permission to view your results in your OET portal otherwise we will be unable to verify your evidence

After 15 March 2023, we will not review any new evidence that is submitted until after the release day. We will aim to reach our normal verification service levels by 24 March 2023, but you may still experience a longer waiting time while we work through the evidence we received during the release period.

Paying for a place

To make sure you can pay for a place, you’ll need a valid debit or credit card that allows international payments. We accept Visa and Mastercard.

You’ll need the following information about the card before you can pay for a place:

  • Full name of cardholder
  • The address the card is registered to, including postcode/zip code. If you are asked to enter an address, make sure you use the address that the card is registered to.
  • Telephone number and email address linked to the cardholder’s bank account. You may be sent a passcode for security purposes, so make sure that you can access any emails or texts from the bank if you need to. 
  • Full 16-digit card number
  • Card expiry date – month and year
  • The 3-digit CVV security number 

If you have entered all details correctly and your card is declined, you’ll need to contact your card issuer.

Booking confirmation emails  

We'll send you an email confirmation of your booking once it's complete.

If you see an error message or don't get the email confirmation, your booking may not have been successful. If this happens, call us on +44 (0) 161 923 6602 or email the PLAB team quoting code 'PLAB error 1' for more details.

Bookings in 2024 and the MLA

During 2024, international medical graduates who would have sat our Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) test will start to take the Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA).

In early 2024, as part of our preparation to transition from PLAB to the MLA, we plan to replace the PLAB blueprint with the MLA content map. If you book a PLAB 1 place in 2024, this may mean your test is based on the MLA content map. If this applies to your test, we will contact you at least three months before your test date to let you know.

The MLA content map sets out the core knowledge, skills and behaviours needed for UK practice. Our current PLAB 1 questions are already designed to test these areas, and we want to reassure candidates that when we introduce the MLA content map, we will not change the questions currently used, or the standard of the PLAB 1 test. The experience for candidates on the test day will also remain the same, and the introduction of the content map shouldn’t impact any preparation you have already done for the test.

We will provide further information on the introduction of the MLA when we are able to do so.

Our MLA webpages provide more information about what the MLA will involve. When the MLA is introduced we will continue to accept passes in PLAB 1 and PLAB 2, and the transition to the MLA will not interrupt the registration process.

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Related content

PLAB blueprint The blueprint sets out the knowledge, skills and behaviours expected of candidates.
Acceptable overseas qualifications Check your primary medical qualification is acceptable to sit the PLAB test.
Evidence of your knowledge of English Do you have the necessary knowledge of English to sit PLAB?
PLAB pass rates See recent pass rates for PLAB 1.
PLAB reports See published reports about the PLAB test.