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PLAB results, pass marks and pass rates

Results for PLAB 1 are published six weeks after the exam, and PLAB 2 results come within a month. The General Medical Council (GMC) emails you when your Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) results are ready to view in GMC Online.

  • 6 weeksFrom PLAB 1 to its results
  • 1 monthWait for PLAB 2 results, at most
  • 4 attemptsAt each part, before you must apply
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Updated November 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

What do PLAB 1 results show?

Each correct answer is worth one mark, and your score is the total you got right. Your results give your total score, the score you needed to pass and the average score of all candidates, plus how you did in each of the ten clinical areas on the overview.

See the ten clinical areas →

How is the PLAB 1 pass mark set?

The GMC sets it for each test using the Angoff method, and adds one standard error of measurement (SEM) so the standard stays consistent over time. It reflects what’s expected of a doctor entering the second year of Foundation Programme training.

After each test, experts review the paper in light of how candidates performed. There’s no expected pass rate or average score, and the GMC says its standard setting procedures may change without notice.

How PLAB 2 results work

Examiners mark each station against the three domains on the PLAB 2 page. They also make a standard setting judgement of unsatisfactory, borderline, satisfactory or good. It doesn’t decide whether you pass the station and isn’t in your results, but the borderline regression method uses it to work out each station’s cut score.

To pass PLAB 2, you must:

  • Meet or beat the overall pass mark, which is the sum of the station cut scores plus one SEM
  • Pass a minimum number of stations, worked out with a regression method

You aren’t told the exact number of stations you needed, though you can ask the GMC. The two Manchester centres run independently, with different stations, so their pass marks can differ on the same day. PLAB 2 results also come with feedback statements.

PLAB pass rates, 2021 to 2025

The GMC publishes the share of candidates who passed each part every year.

YearPLAB 1PLAB 2
202174.1%69.9%
202270.9%64.8%
202372.0%62.9%
202470.5%65.8%
202562.2%59.8%

In 2025, 13,691 candidates sat PLAB 1 and 8,513 passed, while 14,689 sat PLAB 2 and 8,787 passed.

If you fail: attempts and a fifth try

You can keep sitting each part until you’ve failed it four times. After a fourth fail, you have to apply for a fifth and final attempt, and if you fail that, you’re not eligible to take the exam again.

You can’t apply straight after your fourth fail. First you need at least 12 months of extra learning and development, with evidence of either 12 months of clinical practice or a relevant postgraduate clinical qualification. Clinical attachments, shadowing, observerships and clerkships don’t count.

See the time limits →
Sources: GMC and 4 more. Checked November 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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