Medical Licensing Assessment (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. The MLA content map sets out the core knowledge, skills and behaviours needed for UK practice. Our current PLAB 2 stations 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 stations currently used, or the standard of the PLAB 2 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 webpage 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.