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United Kingdom · Licensing test

PLAB courses and other study options

The General Medical Council (GMC) doesn’t offer PLAB courses, and it doesn’t endorse or monitor anyone else’s. What it publishes for the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) test is a set of resources for both parts, built around the Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA) content map, and it says you don’t need a course to pass.

  • NoneCourses the GMC endorses
  • 3Core GMC resources for both parts
  • OptionalA study or coaching course
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Updated November 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

The GMC’s resources and two question banks

OptionPriceFree to useLinks
Official
GMC: the MLA content mapWhat PLAB questions and stations are based onSets out the knowledge, skills and behaviours expected. The GMC calls it a guide to what the exam covers, with all the topics and skills you need to pass.
Not statedNot stated by the GMC
Read about PLAB and the MLA ↗
GMC: Good medical practice and the Foundation curriculumStandards and training levelComes with explanatory guidance and two interactive tools, Professional standards in action and Welcome to UK practice. The page also points to the Foundation Programme curriculum, whose topics match those faced by doctors starting Foundation Year 2.
Not statedNot stated by the GMC
Open the PLAB 1 resources ↗
GMC: PLAB 2 tips and overview videoGuidance for the clinical examExaminers’ top tips on avoiding common errors in PLAB 2, a blog post of nine tips from an examiner, and a video showing what to expect on the day.
Not statedNot stated by the GMC
Open the PLAB 2 resources ↗
Apps and websites
PassmedicinePLAB 1 and PLAB 2 question bankOne subscription covers both parts. For PLAB 1 it lists over 5,000 single best answer questions mapped to the MLA content map, two textbooks and a separate 180-question mock exam. For PLAB 2 it has virtual patients you take a history from.
£12 for 4 months to £25 for 12 monthsA free demo
Visit Passmedicine ↗
PlabablePLAB 1 question bank, website and appSays it has written more than 5,000 questions for PLAB 1, with explanations, revision guides by topic, a comments section on each question and WhatsApp groups by exam date. Its frequently asked questions page says subscriptions don’t renew automatically.
Paid, as a one-off paymentA free trial
Visit Plabable ↗

Prices and ratings checked November 2026.

Do you need one of the PLAB courses on offer?

No, the GMC says, though many candidates choose one. If you look at PLAB courses, check how credible they are first.

The GMC warns that any course claiming to provide GMC exam content, or asking you to share content from an exam you’ve sat, is likely to put you in breach of its misconduct policy.

PLAB books and past papers

The GMC’s resource pages for PLAB 1 and PLAB 2 don’t list any books or past papers. Its own material is the content map, the curriculum and its guidance.

A study path for PLAB

One way to use the GMC’s material, in our suggested order:

  1. Read the MLA content map, and mark the areas you meet least in your work.
  2. Work through Good medical practice and its explanatory guidance, then try the GMC’s two interactive tools.
  3. Practise single best answer questions across the ten clinical areas on the overview.
  4. Before PLAB 2, watch the GMC’s overview video and read its examiners’ tips.
Try the practice questions →
Sources: GMC and 2 more. Checked November 2026.

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

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