PLAB 1 Revision Guide 2025: Strategy, Resources & Question Practice
A step-by-step PLAB 1 revision guide covering the GMC Content Map, the best question banks, how to use spaced repetition, and what to expect on exam day.
PLAB 1 is the first part of the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board examination — the primary route for international medical graduates (IMGs) to obtain a licence to practise medicine in the UK. This guide provides a complete, up-to-date revision strategy for 2025.
PLAB 1 Format
PLAB 1 consists of 180 single best answer (SBA) questions delivered over 3 hours. Like the UKMLA AKT, it is based on the GMC Content Map and tests clinical reasoning across all major specialties. The pass mark varies by sitting but is typically around 120–130 out of 180.
How PLAB 1 Relates to the UKMLA
PLAB 1 and the UKMLA AKT are both based on the same GMC Content Map and use the same SBA format. This means that high-quality UKMLA revision resources — including question banks mapped to the Content Map — are equally effective for PLAB 1 preparation. The key difference is that PLAB 1 has 180 questions (versus 200 for the AKT) and a slightly different weighting across specialties.
Recommended Revision Timeline
A 12-week revision plan works well for most candidates. Spend the first 8 weeks systematically working through the Content Map specialty by specialty, completing 40–60 SBA questions per day. In weeks 9–10, focus on your weakest areas identified from your question bank analytics. In weeks 11–12, complete full 180-question timed mock exams every 2–3 days to build exam stamina and fine-tune your pacing.
Key Topics to Prioritise
Cardiovascular emergencies (ACS, heart failure, arrhythmias), respiratory conditions (pneumonia, COPD, asthma, PE), neurological emergencies (stroke, meningitis, seizures), and obstetric emergencies are consistently high-yield across PLAB 1 sittings. Pharmacology — particularly drug interactions, contraindications, and first-line treatments per NICE guidelines — is another area where focused revision yields significant marks.
Using Question Banks Effectively
The most effective use of a question bank is not simply to complete questions, but to review every explanation thoroughly — including questions you answered correctly. Understanding why an answer is correct, and why the distractors are wrong, builds the clinical reasoning skills that the exam tests. Use spaced repetition to revisit incorrect questions at increasing intervals until you can answer them reliably.