PLAB 2 is the practical assessment for doctors with an overseas primary medical qualification who want to register with the GMC and work in the UK. This page gives you the key facts from the GMC, free practice questions by topic, three worked explanations, a study plan and answers to common questions about booking, fees and retakes.
The PLAB 2 has 16 questions, takes about 3 hours and costs £1,036[1][2] (General Medical Council, verified Oct 29, 2026).
Numbers in brackets link to the official sources listed under Sources & last verified. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.
| Item | Detail | Source · Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Number of questions | 16 scenarios[1] | General Medical Council · Oct 29, 2026 |
| Time limit | Around 3 hours (8 minutes per scenario)[1] | General Medical Council · Oct 29, 2026 |
| Passing score | Meet or exceed overall pass mark and pass minimum number of stations[3] | General Medical Council · Oct 29, 2026 |
| Exam fee | £1,036[2] | General Medical Council · Oct 29, 2026 |
| Retake fee | £1,036 per attempt[2] | General Medical Council · Oct 29, 2026 |
| Retake policy | Maximum 4 attempts (5th attempt by exceptional application)[4] | General Medical Council · Oct 29, 2026 |
| Validity | 2 years to have UK registration approved[5] | General Medical Council · Oct 29, 2026 |
| Delivery | In-person test center (Manchester, UK)[6] | General Medical Council · Oct 29, 2026 |
| Eligibility | Acceptable overseas PMQ and valid PLAB 1 pass within 2 years[4] | General Medical Council · Oct 29, 2026 |
| Score release | Within a month of exam date[7] | General Medical Council · Oct 29, 2026 |
| Testing window | Throughout the year[6] | General Medical Council · Oct 29, 2026 |
Interactive PLAB 2 resources on PracticeTestGeeks, free to start:
According to General Medical Council, “The exam is made up of 16 scenarios, each lasting eight minutes and aims to reflect real life settings including a mock consultation or an acute ward.”[1] Practice with the free PLAB 2 practice test on PracticeTestGeeks (7 questions with answer explanations).
PLAB 2 is run by the General Medical Council. It follows PLAB 1 and is taken in person at the GMC assessment centre sites in Manchester, UK. To book, you need an acceptable overseas primary medical qualification and a valid PLAB 1 pass within 2 years.
The exam is made up of 16 scenarios, each lasting 8 minutes. They are meant to reflect real-life settings, such as a mock consultation or an acute ward. The whole exam takes around 3 hours, including rest stations.
To pass, you must meet or exceed the overall pass mark and also pass a minimum number of stations. Meeting only one of those conditions is not enough. The GMC explains how this works on its page about understanding your results, so check it for the current detail.
The fee is £1,036 per attempt, and the same fee applies to a retake. You are limited to 4 attempts. After a fourth failed attempt you must apply for an additional attempt. Results are published within a month of your exam date.
Test dates run throughout the year. You can see them in the GMC's booking service via GMC Online, but only once you have your PLAB 1 results. After you pass, your application for registration with a licence to practise should be approved within 2 years. Fees and rules can change, so confirm everything on the GMC website before you book.
Prepare for the PLAB 2 - Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board Part 2 exam with our free practice test modules. Each quiz covers key topics to help you pass on your first try.
These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.
Question: During a history station, the patient mentions they drink alcohol. According to UK screening guidelines, which validated tool should you use to assess alcohol use?
Answer: B. Use the AUDIT-C (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) or full AUDIT questionnaire
Explanation:
The correct answer is the AUDIT-C or the full AUDIT questionnaire. Both are validated screening tools, so they give a structured and comparable picture of consumption, dependence and harm. Asking only for weekly units captures quantity but misses dependence and consequences. Asking whether the patient thinks they drink too much is subjective and easy to deflect, and it is not a validated tool. The PHQ-9 screens for depression, not alcohol use, so it answers a different question. The rule to remember: when a station mentions a risk behaviour, reach for the recognised screening tool for that problem rather than an informal question or a tool built for another condition.
Question: You are suturing a laceration on a patient's forearm. Which suture technique is most appropriate for a simple, clean, linear wound in the emergency department?
Answer: B. Simple interrupted sutures — they are versatile, allow drainage, and individual sutures can be removed if infection develops without compromising the entire closure
Explanation:
Simple interrupted sutures are the best fit for a clean, linear forearm wound in the emergency department. Each stitch is independent, so you can remove a single suture if infection develops without opening the whole closure. A continuous subcuticular suture for every laceration is too rigid a rule, and it cannot be partly removed. Mattress sutures are for particular situations, such as wound edge eversion or tension, not for all superficial wounds. Staples are not the default for every forearm laceration. The rule to remember: choose the technique that suits the wound, and clean and irrigate before closing.
Question: During a PLAB 2 history station, a 55-year-old man presents with a change in bowel habit. Which features would prompt an urgent 2-week wait cancer referral?
Answer: B. Unexplained change in bowel habit lasting >4 weeks in a patient over 40, especially with rectal bleeding, weight loss, or iron deficiency anaemia
Explanation:
The correct answer describes an unexplained change in bowel habit lasting more than 4 weeks in a patient over 40, especially with rectal bleeding, weight loss or iron deficiency anaemia. These are red flags for colorectal cancer and justify an urgent 2-week wait referral. Occasional constipation that responds to diet is common and benign. Loose stools after a curry are a short, explained episode. Alternating constipation and diarrhoea for years with normal investigations points to a long-standing, investigated pattern. The rule to remember: persistence, age and alarm features together, with no benign explanation, should move you from reassurance to urgent referral.
Start with the GMC's PLAB 2 guide so you know the format, the marking approach and the booking rules. Then take the free PLAB 2 practice test to find where you lose marks.
Work through the topic sets next, one at a time. For history and communication, use History Taking Stations and Communication Skills. For skills, use Clinical Examination and Procedural Skills. For safety and professionalism, use Acute Management, Ethics and Consent and Professional Ethics and Safeguarding.
After each set, read every explanation, including those for questions you got right, and write down the rule behind each miss. Our questions are written by us and are not real exam questions, so use them to check your reasoning, not to memorise answers.
Because PLAB 2 is a live, timed assessment, practise out loud with a partner. Run through scenarios using the 8-minute limit, and ask your partner to give feedback on your structure, your questions and how clearly you explain things. Return to the official material in the final days to check nothing has changed.
You need an acceptable overseas primary medical qualification and a valid PLAB 1 pass within 2 years. Dates are visible in the GMC booking service via GMC Online, but only once you have your PLAB 1 results. Check the GMC booking page for the current requirements.
The fee is £1,036 for the GMC's Part 2 of the PLAB test. A retake costs £1,036 per attempt. Fees can change, so check the GMC's fees for doctors page before you book.
It is an in-person exam in Manchester, UK, made up of 16 scenarios, each lasting 8 minutes. The scenarios aim to reflect real-life settings, such as a mock consultation or an acute ward. The whole exam takes around 3 hours.
You must meet or exceed the overall pass mark and also pass a minimum number of stations. Both conditions apply. The GMC's page on understanding your results explains how this works, so read it before test day.
You are limited to 4 attempts. If you want to try again after a fourth failed attempt, you must apply for an additional attempt. Each attempt costs £1,036, so it is worth preparing well before booking.
Results are published within a month of your exam date. If there is a delay, the GMC says it will contact you directly. After you pass, your registration application should be approved within 2 years.
How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.