PLAB reports
Reports relating to the PLAB test are published here.
PLAB annual report - 2025
This report was completed by Matthew Homer and is a review of the dynamic setting of the stations-to-pass requirement for the PLAB CPSA assessment between January 2024 – November 2025.
External Examiners Report – 2025
This report focuses on observations of the PLAB CPSA assessment processes undertaken during 2025 and was completed by Dr Natalie Cope and Dr Kathy Cullen.
Read the 2025 report
PLAB annual report – 2024
This report was completed by Matthew Homer and quantifies the extent of differential item functioning (DIF) in PLAB1 items (questions) by sex and by ethnicity. DIF analysis is a psychometric method that investigates whether or not sub-groups of individual candidates at the same overall level of ability
perform differently on specific items.
External Examiners Report – 2024
This report focuses on the implementation of the UKMLA AKT at PLAB and was completed by Professor Adrian Freeman and Dr Natalie Cope during 2024 in their roles as external examiners.
PLAB annual report – 2023
This report was completed by Matthew Homer and looks at the effect of examiner demographics.
External Examiners Report – 2023
This report focuses on the candidates experience of applying for, sitting and receiving results for part 1 of PLAB.
PLAB annual report – 2022
This report investigates the association between PLAB 1 and PLAB 2 pass or fail outcomes and how candidates' personal characteristics might influence those.
External Examiners Report – 2022
This analysis of PLAB part 1 and PLAB part 2 was completed by Dr Natalie Cope and Professor Adrian Freeman during 2022 in their roles as external examiners.
PLAB annual report – 2019
This report details the performance of candidates and test items, delivered in 2019.
External examiner’s review of PLAB – 2019
This analysis of part 1 and part 2 of the PLAB exam was completed by Professor Adrian Freeman in August 2019
PLAB part 1 annual report – 2016/17
This report details the performance of part 1 candidates and test items, over the four diets delivered between September 2016 and June 2017.
Report of analyses of PLAB part 2
The analyses in this report were performed during and after a visit by David B Swanson to the Manchester offices of the General Medical Council from 2 to 6 October 2017.
PLAB annual report – 2015/16
This report outlines the performance of candidates, assessments, assessment items and assessors across the PLAB part 1 and 2 examinations that were administered between September 2015 and June/July 2016.
