PLAB 1 on the Day: ID, Pencils, Rules and a 180-Minute Pacing Plan

The GMC rules in one view

The rules above were checked on 21 October 2026. The GMC can change them, so read the "What can you expect on the day?" page again in the week before your sitting. Your booking confirmation may also contain centre-specific instructions. Follow those where they add to the general rules.

One week before

• Check your ID. Choose one document from the GMC list, confirm it is valid and that the name matches your booking exactly. If it does not, contact the GMC well before the exam.
• Print or save your booking confirmation. It must show the GMC reference number.
• Visit or map the centre. Check the route, transport time, opening hours and parking. Overseas centres run by the British Council and UK centres run by VICTVS may have different arrival procedures, so read your centre's instructions.
• Buy the stationery. HB pencils (two or three), a soft eraser and a sharpener. Practise filling in an answer sheet with them.
• Consider adjustments. The GMC has a page for candidates with a health need that may require adjustments or support on exam day. If you need it, contact the GMC early.
• Stop new learning. Review your error log and the professional domain, as described in the study plan.

The night before and the morning of the exam

1. Pack the bag the night before. ID, confirmation, pencils, eraser, sharpener, a clear unlabelled water bottle. You will not be allowed to take a bag into the exam room, so carry only what you need and expect to leave other things elsewhere.
2. Sleep. Three hours of sustained concentration is easier on a full night than on a late revision session.
3. Eat and drink normally. You cannot leave in the first or last half hour, so avoid a large drink just before you enter.
4. Leave early. Aim to arrive well before the time on your booking. Being more than 30 minutes late means no entry.
5. Leave the watch at home. Wristwatches of any type are not allowed, including smart and non-smart ones.

A pacing plan for 180 questions in 180 minutes

Three hours for 180 questions is a minute per item. The GMC says time is visible in the hall, so you can check the clock, but you should not check it every question. Use checkpoints. These are editorial suggestions, not GMC advice.

Because the GMC pages we read do not state whether you may go back to earlier questions, check the instructions at the start of the paper. If going back is allowed, flag hard questions with a light mark in the booklet if permitted, and return to them at the end. If it is not allowed, answer each one before moving on.

Handling the answer sheet

The GMC guide refers to a double-sided answer sheet. Practise with a sample sheet in your mocks so that filling in answers is automatic. Check the question number against the row each time you mark an answer, and check again every ten questions. A one-row shift near the start can ruin the rest of the sheet. Use a clean eraser, since smudges can make a mark unreadable. Do not leave a question blank: the pages we read do not mention a penalty for wrong answers.

During the exam: a routine for each question

1. Read the last sentence. Is it the most likely diagnosis, the next step or the best drug?
2. Read the stem for age, setting, observations and results. Note abnormal values and units.
3. Answer before you look at the options. Then find the closest match among the five.
4. If two options remain, apply the UK test. Which one is safest, first in the guideline and at F2 level?
5. Mark and move on at about 90 seconds. Do not carry a hard question into the next one.

Common exam-day mistakes

• Wrong or expired ID. Check validity and name match a week before.
• Bringing a banned item. A smart watch or phone in a pocket can cause problems. Leave them out of your bag or at home.
• Arriving at the last minute. Delays on public transport are not an exception. Allow extra time.
• Starting too slowly. A 90-second average in the first 30 questions leaves you rushing the last hour.
• Changing answers without a reason. Change an answer only if you have found a specific reading error or a clear fact.
• Discussing questions afterwards. Do not share or write down live content. The GMC treats this as misconduct.

If something goes wrong on the day

Tell an invigilator immediately if you feel unwell, if there is a disturbance, if your answer sheet is damaged or if you notice an error in the paper. Do not wait until the exam ends. The GMC has a page on cancelling or amending your booking and its approach to other exam disruptions. It explains that if the GMC cancels the exam, fees are refunded automatically, and that a full refund is only considered for exceptional circumstances with evidence, which you send to plab@gmc-uk.org. Keep a written note of what happened, the time and who you told while it is fresh.

Managing nerves

Nerves are normal and manageable. The best protection is a rehearsal that has made the day familiar. Sit your final mock in the same conditions: pencil, answer sheet, no watch, no phone, a bottle of water and a three-hour block. During the exam, if a run of hard questions shakes you, breathe, finish the current item and reset on the next. One bad question cannot change your result, and a poor start does not predict a poor finish. Resist the urge to look back and compare yourself with other candidates, because you cannot see their answers and it costs time.

What to wear and eat

Wear layers you can adjust, since coats are not allowed in the exam room and rooms vary. Choose clothing without large pockets, so that you have no need to carry anything. Eat a meal that you know suits you, with slow-release carbohydrate and protein, and avoid anything new on the day. Carry a snack in your bag for before and after, as you will be at the centre for at least four hours and may not be able to eat inside the exam room.

Your checklist, printable

• Photo ID from the GMC list, valid, with a matching name
• Booking confirmation showing the GMC reference number
• Two or three HB pencils, an eraser and a sharpener
• Water in a clear unlabelled bottle
• No phone, calculator, smart device or wristwatch of any type
• Route to the centre checked, with extra travel time
• Plan for the first hour, the checkpoints and the last ten minutes

After the exam

Results are published about six weeks later in GMC Online, by 4pm on the published date. In the meantime, note the date you sat. The two-year window to pass PLAB 2 runs from that date. Start reading the GMC PLAB 2 guide while you wait, using our PLAB 2 guide as a map. If something went wrong on the day, such as illness, a disturbance or a technical problem, read the GMC page on cancelling or amending your booking and its approach to other exam disruptions, and contact the GMC promptly with evidence.