After you pass PLAB 1 you must pass PLAB 2 within two years of the date you sat PLAB 1. The GMC describes PLAB 2 as an OSCE with 16 scenarios of eight minutes each, lasting around three hours with at least two rest stations. It costs £1,036 from 1 April 2026. Attempt rules, the test location and the PLAB 2 pass standard are on separate GMC pages that we link rather than summarise.
What the GMC says PLAB 2 is
PLAB 2 is a clinical and professional skills assessment, which the GMC also calls an objective structured clinical exam (OSCE). On its description page, the GMC states that there are 16 scenarios, that each lasts eight minutes, and that the whole exam takes around three hours. There are at least two rest stations. Scenarios aim to reflect real settings, such as a mock consultation or an acute ward. You read instructions and patient information outside each room, enter the cubicle, complete the task, and a timer announces when to move on.
The GMC says PLAB 2 assesses clinical knowledge, skills and behaviours and the ability to apply them to patient care. It covers what a doctor in an F2 role might be expected to encounter, and it is "not intended to test how well you can remember and recite facts." As with PLAB 1, answers should reflect current best practice and published evidence rather than local arrangements, and drug names follow the British National Formulary (BNF). PLAB 2, like PLAB 1, complies with the Medical Licensing Assessment requirements.
That is the extent of what we state as fact about PLAB 2. The GMC has further chapters on how you will be tested, booking, where and when the exam is held, scoring and results, attempts, appeals, a sample OSCE station and preparation resources. We link them from this page and recommend that you read them in full, because we have not verified their detail and will not guess.
PLAB 1 and PLAB 2 side by side
| PLAB 1 | PLAB 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Applied knowledge test, written | Clinical and professional skills assessment (OSCE) |
| Structure | 180 questions, 5 options each | 16 scenarios of 8 minutes |
| Time | 3 hours | Around 3 hours, at least 2 rest stations |
| Fee from 1 April 2026 | £283 | £1,036 |
| Level | F2 doctor | F2 doctor |
| Pass standard | Angoff method plus one SEM | See the GMC results chapters |
| Attempts | Four, then a fifth by application | See the GMC attempts chapter |
The two-year clock
The rule is simple and unforgiving. You must pass PLAB 2 within two years of passing PLAB 1, and the GMC counts from the date you sat PLAB 1. If you sat in November 2026, your window runs to about November 2028, and you should confirm the exact end date in GMC Online. Results take around six weeks, so roughly six weeks of the window have passed before you know whether you passed.
- Month 0: sit PLAB 1. Note the date. It starts the clock.
- Month 1.5: results. The GMC publishes results about six weeks after the exam in GMC Online.
- Months 2 to 9: prepare and book PLAB 2. Read the GMC PLAB 2 chapters, practise stations and check booking availability. Leave a margin for a possible resit.
- Month 24: the deadline. Do not plan to use all of the window. Plan to sit PLAB 2 with enough time left for a second attempt if the attempt rules allow one.
Do not sit PLAB 1 until you can also afford the time and money for PLAB 2 inside the window. If your visa, leave, job offer or finances cannot support a PLAB 2 attempt within two years, delay PLAB 1 rather than risk losing the pass.
What changes in your preparation
PLAB 1 rewards reading, recognition and reasoning on paper. PLAB 2 rewards performance in real time with a person in front of you. The shift is from thinking to doing. We describe typical OSCE skills below as editorial guidance. The GMC sample OSCE station and its PLAB 2 preparation chapter are the official guide to the format.
- Communication. Introduce yourself, establish what the patient knows, use plain language, check understanding and close the consultation. You cannot rehearse these by reading.
- Structured history and examination. Practise a fixed order so you do not forget steps under the eight-minute timer.
- Clinical reasoning aloud. Say what you are doing and why, in the way the station instructions require.
- Professional behaviours. Consent, confidentiality, honesty and safety, as described in Good medical practice, are assessed through what you say and do.
- Time control. Eight minutes is short. Practise finishing tasks, not just starting them.
Much of the PLAB 1 knowledge carries across: UK guideline thinking, prescribing safety, escalation and the GMC position on consent and capacity. A PLAB 1 candidate who has built a habit of asking "what is the safest next step in UK practice?" has already trained half the reasoning that PLAB 2 needs.
Join the PLAB 1 waitlist
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What to do while you wait for PLAB 1 results
The six-week wait is the cheapest time to start PLAB 2 preparation, because the PLAB 1 revision is fresh and the clock is already running.
- Read the GMC PLAB 2 guide. Start with "What is the PLAB 2 exam?", "How will you be tested?", "A sample OSCE station" and "What can you expect on the day?"
- Find a practice partner. OSCE skills improve when someone watches you, times you and gives feedback. A colleague, a study group or a course can serve.
- Build an observation habit. If you are in clinical practice, watch how UK-trained colleagues open and close consultations, explain results and handle consent.
- Check availability and fees. The fee is £1,036 from 1 April 2026. Fees change each April, so recheck on the GMC fees page before you book.
- Plan the logistics. Check where PLAB 2 is held, how long you need to stay and whether your visa or leave allows it. The GMC chapter "When and where can you take PLAB 2?" is the source.
A routine for an eight-minute station
The GMC says candidates read instructions and patient information outside the room, enter, complete the task and move on when a timer announces it. A time split helps you rehearse. These are editorial suggestions, and the actual station instructions decide what is needed.
| Phase | Aim |
|---|---|
| Before entering | Read the task twice. Note who the person is, where you are and exactly what you are asked to do |
| First minute | Introduce yourself, check identity, state your purpose, gain consent to proceed |
| Core of the station | Do the task: history, examination, explanation, prescribing or procedure, as instructed |
| Last minute | Summarise, check understanding, safety-net, ask if there are questions and close politely |
Rehearse until the structure is automatic, so that your attention is free for the patient. Record yourself if you can, and watch for filler phrases, jargon and rushed closings.
A weekly schedule while you wait for results
- Twice a week: a 60-minute practice session with a partner, covering four stations of eight minutes with feedback.
- Once a week: a review of one Good medical practice topic and how it would sound in a consultation, such as consent, confidentiality or being open after an error.
- Once a week: a light PLAB 1 review so that knowledge stays fresh, using your error log.
- Daily: five minutes of explaining a condition aloud in plain language, as if to a patient.
Cost and money planning
PLAB 1 plus PLAB 2 comes to £1,319 in exam fees at 2026 prices. If you need a PLAB 1 resit, the total rises by the PLAB 1 fee each time, and the PLAB 2 fee is the larger part of the bill. The GMC states that refugee doctors living in the UK pay nothing for the first two PLAB 1 attempts. We do not state whether a similar rule applies to PLAB 2, because the pages we read do not say; ask the GMC at plab@gmc-uk.org. Our booking and fees guide has a budget worksheet you can adapt.
After PLAB 2
PLAB 2 is not the end of the process. Registration with a licence to practise is a separate application with its own requirements and fees, and the GMC sets them out on its registration pages. We do not summarise those requirements here. Our guide to GMC registration, English evidence and EPIC explains which parts are verified, which are not, and what to ask the GMC.
Common mistakes between the two exams
- Treating PLAB 2 as an afterthought. The fee is more than three times the PLAB 1 fee, and a resit is costly.
- Waiting for results before starting. The clock runs from the sitting date.
- Practising only alone. OSCE performance needs another person.
- Forgetting UK practice. The GMC says answers should follow current best practice, not local arrangements, in both exams.
- Using recalled station content. The GMC warns against courses that claim to supply live exam content in its PLAB 1 guidance, and PLAB 2 has its own misconduct procedure chapter. Practise skills, not recalled scripts.
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Frequently asked questions
What is PLAB 2?
PLAB 2 is the GMC's clinical and professional skills assessment, also called an objective structured clinical exam (OSCE). The GMC describes 16 scenarios of eight minutes each, with the whole exam taking around three hours and at least two rest stations.
How long do I have to pass PLAB 2 after PLAB 1?
You must pass PLAB 2 within two years of passing PLAB 1. The two years run from the date you sat PLAB 1, not from the date results were released, so every week spent waiting for results counts against the window.
How much does PLAB 2 cost?
PLAB 2 costs £1,036 from 1 April 2026, up from £998 from 1 April 2025. Together with PLAB 1 at £283, the exam fees are £1,319.
Is PLAB 2 harder than PLAB 1?
They test different things. PLAB 1 tests applied knowledge in writing. PLAB 2 tests how you apply knowledge, skills and behaviours with patients in timed scenarios. The GMC does not compare their difficulty, and we do not either.
Where is PLAB 2 held and how many attempts do I get?
The GMC pages we read for this guide do not state the PLAB 2 location or attempt rules. The GMC has chapters titled 'When and where can you take PLAB 2?' and 'Are you eligible for an additional PLAB 2 attempt?', which you should read directly.
Can I start preparing for PLAB 2 before my PLAB 1 result?
Yes, and you should. Read the GMC PLAB 2 guide and sample OSCE station, and start practising consultation and communication skills with a partner while you wait for results.