PLAB2

PLAB 2 is an objective structured clinical exam (OSCE). It’s made up of 16 scenarios, each lasting eight minutes and aims to reflect real life settings including a mock consultation or an acute ward.

What does the exam cover?

The exam covers everything a UK trained doctor might expect to see on the first day of Foundation Year Two (F2).

It tests your ability to apply knowledge to the care of patients, not how well you can remember and recite facts.

All the questions relate to current best practice. You should answer them in relation to published evidence and not according to your local arrangements.

Names of drugs referred to in the exam are those contained in the most recent edition of the British National Formulary (BNF).

The PLAB blueprint sets out the scope and content of the test. It includes the topics, skills and procedures that a doctor who passes the test would need to know and be able to do. It also provides details of the professional qualities expected of a doctor working in the UK.

How do you answer the questions?

After reading the instructions and patient information outside each room, you will enter the exam cubicle and complete the task outlined. There will be a timer that announces when to move on.

How much time you have between stations will depend upon which centre you are completing your test. Find our more in the chapter, ‘What can you expect on the day?’. 

There will be at least two rest stations, allowing you to take breaks. The whole exam will take around three hours.