Booking PLAB 1 in GMC Online: Fees, Sittings and Centres

The fees, with dates

The GMC changes its PLAB fees each April. The table shows the two most recent figures it publishes, so you can see what an older website is quoting and what applies now.

If a site still lists £273 for PLAB 1, it is out of date. The next change is expected in April 2027, but we do not know the new figures. Treat the GMC fees page as the only authority and check it on the day you pay. The GMC regulates PLAB, and this site is independent of the GMC.

What a resit costs

You can sit PLAB 1 up to four times. Each attempt is charged at the fee current when you book. At the 2026 figures, the cost of PLAB 1 attempts and PLAB 2 once looks like this.

These totals assume the fee stays at £283, which it may not, because it can change each April. The PLAB 2 column shows one attempt only. We do not state PLAB 2 attempt rules on this page, because the GMC pages we read for this guide do not set them out; see the PLAB 2 guide for the chapters to read. The table also shows why a rushed first attempt is expensive: one resit adds the fee and about three months of waiting.

Sittings, results and deadlines

PLAB 1 is held four times a year, in February, May, August and November. The GMC publishes the exact dates in GMC Online, and we do not list them here because they change and our summary would go stale. The results dates the GMC listed when we checked were 17 September 2026, 17 December 2026 and 25 March 2027, each by 4pm. Results arrive about six weeks after the sitting.

Registration may close two to six weeks before the test date, and places can be limited. In practice, you should treat the booking window as opening the moment your English evidence is verified and closing earlier than you expect. If you want a particular sitting, aim to book as soon as the window opens, not in the last fortnight.

A planning calendar

1. Four to six months before: start document and English evidence verification with the GMC, because you cannot book until it is complete.
2. Booking opens: choose your centre and sitting in GMC Online and pay the fee.
3. Six to two weeks before: the booking window can close. Do not plan to book at the last minute.
4. Six weeks after the exam: results are released. The two-year PLAB 2 window runs from the date you sat PLAB 1, not from the results date.

We give the four to six months figure as editorial planning advice, not a GMC timescale. The GMC does not guarantee a verification time on the pages we read.

Where you can sit PLAB 1

The overseas list is not exhaustive. Check "When and where can I take PLAB 1?" on the GMC site for the current list and for which centres each sitting uses. Sitting overseas saves travel and visa costs, but places in popular cities can fill. Sitting in the UK may suit you if you are already there, but does not change the exam or the standard.

How to book, step by step

1. Read the PLAB 1 guide. The GMC asks you to read it before you book, and it covers format, rules and results.
2. Create or log in to your GMC Online account. You need it to book PLAB 1.
3. Complete verification. The GMC must verify an acceptable primary medical qualification and evidence of English language knowledge. See our registration and English evidence guide for what to confirm.
4. Open My Tests and select PLAB 1. Choose a sitting and a centre, and pay.
5. Save your booking confirmation. You need it, with the GMC reference number, on exam day, together with accepted photo ID.

Priority booking

Two groups can ask the GMC for priority: doctors with an NHS job offer that requires GMC registration, and doctors with UK refugee status. In both cases, email plab@gmc-uk.org. The GMC also waives the fee for refugee doctors living in the UK for their first two PLAB 1 attempts. If this applies to you, contact the GMC before you try to book normally.

Cancelling, amending and exam disruption

If you cancel, the GMC deducts a cancellation fee, which is a share of the test fee depending on how much notice you give. A full refund is only considered for exceptional circumstances, such as visa refusal, ill health or bereavement, and you must send evidence to plab@gmc-uk.org. If the GMC cancels or disrupts the exam, it refunds fees automatically. The GMC also has a separate page on its approach to other exam disruptions, which you should read before you travel.

The practical rule is simple: do not book a sitting you are not likely to sit. The cancellation fee plus the lost time makes a premature booking one of the most expensive mistakes a candidate can make. If your preparation is behind, use the timed-practice signals in the study plan to decide whether to move to a later sitting before the deadline.

If the dates clash with work or visas

If a sitting clashes with leave, shifts or a visa deadline, choose a different sitting before you pay, not after. Moving or cancelling later brings a cancellation fee. Ask your employer early for exam leave, and keep your booking confirmation and GMC reference number safe in case you need to show them.

Checklist before you pay

• Your GMC Online account shows verified qualification and English evidence.
• You have read the current fee on the GMC fees page, dated within the last week.
• Your chosen centre and date work with your visa, leave and travel.
• You have a plan for at least eight weeks of timed practice before the date.
• You know the PLAB 2 deadline: two years from the date you sit PLAB 1.

Common booking mistakes

• Starting verification too late. Candidates often choose a sitting first and discover that they cannot book until the GMC has verified their qualification and English evidence. Start verification before you pick a date.
• Using an old fee. Several third-party sites still show £273. Pay what GMC Online shows at the point of booking.
• Booking a centre you cannot reach. Check visa rules, transport and local holidays. The GMC advises planning at least four hours at the centre, and you cannot leave in the first or last half hour.
• Forgetting the PLAB 2 clock. The two-year window runs from the date you sit PLAB 1. A late PLAB 1 pass leaves less time to book PLAB 2 around leave and visas.
• Treating a cancellation as free. A share of the fee is deducted. Decide before the deadline, not after.

A simple budget worksheet

Write down these lines before you pay anything. Fill the GMC lines from the GMC pages and the rest from your own quotes.

Adding a one-resit contingency does not mean planning to fail. It means that a failed attempt delays your plan by a few months instead of ending it. Candidates who budget for one resit can sit at a fair pace rather than rushing a first attempt.