PLAB 2 at a glance (checked 21 October 2026)
PLAB 2 is the second part of the GMC's PLAB test for doctors who qualified outside the UK. Per the GMC PLAB 2 guide, it is "a clinical and professional skills assessment (CPSA)": 16 scenarios of eight minutes each, set in places like a mock consultation or an acute ward, taking around three hours with at least two rest stations. Every scenario is marked on three domains: data gathering, technical and assessment skills; clinical management skills; and interpersonal skills. It runs only at the GMC's two Clinical Assessment Centres in Manchester. You book it in GMC Online once you have your PLAB 1 results, you must pass it within two years of passing PLAB 1, you get four attempts before you must apply for a fifth and final one, and results are published within a month. The fee sits on the GMC fees pages, and we have not verified the figure this week, so this page prints none. Every other fact below was read on the GMC's own pages on 21 October 2026. The GMC site refuses automated fetchers (it returns 403 Forbidden), so we opened each chapter in a browser. The links are in each section and in our official resources list.
| Item | What the GMC guide says | GMC chapter |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A CPSA; you may know the style as an OSCE | What is the PLAB 2 exam? |
| Stations | 16 scenarios, eight minutes each | What is the PLAB 2 exam? |
| Between stations | 1 minute 30 seconds to move rooms and read the instructions | What can you expect on the day? |
| Length | Around three hours, with at least two rest stations | What is the PLAB 2 exam? |
| Level | Anything a doctor in a Foundation Year 2 (F2) post might expect to see at work | What is the PLAB 2 exam? |
| Marking | Three domains in every scenario | How will you be tested? |
| Pass standard | Overall pass mark plus a minimum number of stations; no fixed mark | Understanding your results |
| Where | Two GMC Clinical Assessment Centres, Manchester | When and where can you take PLAB 2? |
| Booking | GMC Online only, once you have your PLAB 1 results | Information on booking a PLAB 2 place |
| Time limit | Pass within two years of passing PLAB 1 (pass date = test date) | Information on booking a PLAB 2 place |
| Attempts | Four, then an application for a fifth and final attempt | Are you eligible for an additional PLAB 2 attempt? |
| Results | Within a month, in "My Tests" in GMC Online | How do you get your PLAB 2 results? |
| Fee | "Please visit our Fees page for price listings" | Information on booking a PLAB 2 place |
The format, exactly: 16 stations of eight minutes
The GMC chapter "What is the PLAB 2 exam?" sets the level: the exam "could cover anything a doctor appointed to a Foundation Programme Year 2 (F2) role might expect to see at work". It tests whether you can apply knowledge to the care of patients and "is not intended to test how well you can remember and recite facts". Answers should follow current best practice and published evidence, not your local arrangements, and drug names are those in the most recent British National Formulary (BNF).
How one station runs, per the guide: you read the instructions and patient information outside the room, enter the cubicle and complete the task, and a timer announces when to move on. You then have 1 minute and 30 seconds to reach the next room and read its instructions. The GMC asks you to begin every station by confirming your name and GMC number, because the examiner may be watching remotely rather than sitting in the room.
| Station type | What the GMC guide says happens | What it means for your spoken English (TalkDrill) |
|---|---|---|
| Consultation with a simulated patient | Most stations involve a simulated patient. Interact with the actor as you would with a real patient, including asking to perform any relevant examination. | Your opening, your questions and your explanation are all heard. Treat the actor as the patient, not as an exam prop. |
| Telephone consultation | The call is connected before you enter. Do not touch the phone or the monitor, because that disconnects the call. | No body language to help you. Signposting, short sentences and checking understanding carry the whole consultation. |
| Examination | On a simulated patient, a model, a manikin or a high-fidelity simulator; a role player may speak through a microphone. A mental state examination counts as clinical examination. | Explain and ask permission in plain words while you examine. On an anatomical model, the GMC says to tell the examiner what you are doing and why only if the instructions say so. |
| Practical skills | Examples listed include blood pressure, venepuncture, cannulation, drug dosage calculation, injections, basic adult and child CPR, suturing, interpreting an ECG or X-ray, catheterisation, a cervical smear and safe sharps disposal. | Consent and a clear explanation still matter. A silent procedure gives the examiner nothing to mark on rapport. |
| Written task | Interpersonal skills can be tested "in writing (eg, a prescription)". | Clear, legible instructions are a communication skill too. |
The interpersonal list in the GMC chapter "How will you be tested?" is the closest thing to an official list of communication stations. It names explaining diagnosis, investigation and treatment; involving the patient in decisions; communicating with relatives; communicating with health care professionals; breaking bad news; clear written instructions; seeking informed consent, including consent for a post-mortem; dealing with anxious patients or relatives; discharge instructions; and lifestyle, health promotion or risk-factor advice. The GMC says these skills are tested "by observing the interaction between you and another person, usually a simulated patient or occasionally the examiner", in person, in writing or by telephone.
How PLAB 2 is marked, and why there is no fixed pass mark
Per the GMC, the examiner marks every scenario against three domains:
- Data gathering, technical and assessment skills: history taking, physical examination, practical procedures, investigations leading to a diagnosis.
- Clinical management skills: formulating a diagnosis, explaining something to the patient, formulating a management plan.
- Interpersonal skills: whether you establish rapport, how you use open and closed questions, involving the patient, and showing professionalism and an understanding of ethical principles.
The chapter "Understanding your results" explains the rest. The examiner also gives a separate standard-setting judgement of Unsatisfactory, Borderline, Satisfactory or Good. That judgement does not decide whether you pass the station and is not in your results; the GMC uses it to calculate each station's cut score by the borderline regression method. To pass overall you must do two things: meet or exceed the overall pass mark, and pass a minimum number of stations. The overall pass mark is the sum of the station cut scores plus one standard error of measurement. The minimum number of stations is set by a regression method, and you are not told the number in your results; the GMC says you can ask about it at plab@gmc-uk.org.
- There is no fixed pass mark for each station; it varies with the difficulty of the station and the exam.
- The examiner does not know the station pass mark while marking you; it is calculated after the exam.
- The two centres run independently with different stations, so the pass mark can differ between candidates who sat on the same day.
- The GMC may exclude a station from your results for quality assurance, and then recalculates the pass mark and minimum stations so you are not disadvantaged.
What this means for communication (TalkDrill reading)
The GMC says each domain in a station "is scored out of the same amount of total marks". So interpersonal skills are one third of the marks in every one of your 16 stations, including the ones that look purely clinical. A correct diagnosis delivered in jargon, with no check of understanding, still loses that third.
The PLAB 2 fee: where it is, and why we do not print it
The GMC booking chapter answers "How much does it cost?" with one sentence: "Please visit our Fees page for price listings." The GMC fees page is a landing page that sends you on to "Fees for doctors", which covers PLAB test candidates. We have not verified the PLAB 2 figure there this week (we list the link as unverified), so this page does not state one. Figures on agency and coaching sites are often unsourced. Read the fee on the GMC page on the day you book; it is the only figure that counts.
What the guide itself says about money, all read on 21 October 2026:
- Refugee doctors living in the UK: the fee for part 2 is reduced by 50 per cent for your first two attempts. The GMC asks you to call 0161 923 6602 to process the booking.
- Cancelling: the GMC deducts a PLAB cancellation fee when you cancel. Swapping dates means cancelling first, so the fee applies to a swap too.
- Refunds: a full refund of the cancellation fee is considered in exceptional circumstances such as visa refusal, travel restrictions, ill health or bereavement, with official evidence.
- If the GMC cancels: booking fees are refunded automatically, but the GMC does not reimburse visa, travel or accommodation costs.
Your real budget is the fee plus any UK visa you need, travel to Manchester and accommodation. The GMC tells candidates to consider visa processing times and travel and accommodation before booking.
Eligibility and booking through GMC Online
To book PLAB 2 you need an acceptable overseas primary medical qualification and a valid PLAB 1 pass, per the GMC booking chapter. The booking steps, in order:
- Read before you book. The GMC asks overseas graduates to read its guidance on working as a doctor in the UK first, and says the number of PLAB places is not linked to the number of job vacancies.
- Ask for adjustments first, if you need them. If a health need may affect your performance, contact the GMC before booking, with a report from an appropriate professional that names PLAB 2 and recommends the adjustment.
- Wait for your PLAB 1 results. You can view PLAB 2 dates in the PLAB booking service only once you have them.
- Book in your own GMC Online account. The GMC says places can be booked only through GMC Online and only by the account holder. Sharing your login with an agent or any third party is misconduct and may affect your registration.
- Check the centre on your confirmation. The two Manchester addresses look very similar.
- Count your two years. You must pass PLAB 2 within two years of passing PLAB 1, counted from the date you sat PLAB 1.
Worked example (written by TalkDrill, dates for illustration only)
A doctor sits PLAB 1 on 10 March 2026 and gets the results weeks later. Her two years run from 10 March 2026, the day she sat it, not from the results email. If PLAB 2 dates in Manchester are booked months ahead, a first attempt in the second half of 2026 leaves time for a resit inside the window. A first attempt booked late in 2027 leaves little room. Plan the visa around the date, not the other way round.
Test dates and the two Manchester centres
The GMC runs PLAB 2 "throughout the year" and does not publish a public calendar of sittings. You see open dates in the PLAB booking service in GMC Online after your PLAB 1 results, which is why the dates box on this page shows a pattern, not a date. The GMC warns that where demand is high "you may experience a wait for a test date". If you hold a UK NHS job offer that needs GMC registration, or hold UK refugee status, the GMC asks you to email plab@gmc-uk.org and says it will try to offer a place as soon as it can.
| Centre | Address (GMC "When and where" chapter) |
|---|---|
| GMC Clinical Assessment Centre | 3 Hardman Square, Manchester, M3 3EB |
| GMC Clinical Assessment Centre | 3 Hardman Street, Manchester, M3 3AW |
The two venues operate independently, so candidates on the same day at different venues do not take the same exam. There is no PLAB 2 centre outside the UK. Source: GMC, when and where can you take PLAB 2 (read in a browser on 21 October 2026).
Cancelling, swapping and exceptional circumstances
You cancel in GMC Online, and the cancellation fee is deducted at that moment. To move to a different date, the GMC says you must first cancel your current booking and then book any other place you are eligible for, so read the booking service guidance before you cancel. If war, severe and ongoing health issues, pregnancy or maternity, travel restrictions or mandatory military service stop you sitting within your eligibility period, the GMC asks you to contact it as soon as possible; it may offer an earlier date or extend the eligibility period.
On illness: do not attend if you or your household have a contagious illness. If you start the exam, you are confirming you are fit to be assessed; if that changes, tell a GMC staff member immediately. If something goes wrong during the exam, such as a procedural irregularity, tell staff as soon as possible, ideally before you leave the centre. The GMC is clear that you should not wait for your results to report it.
On the day: arrival, ID, dress and timing
- Arrival: an email before the exam gives your allocated arrival time. Arrive at that time. The GMC says early arrivals may be asked to leave the building, and if you are late you will not be able to take the exam.
- Identity: a passport, a full UK driving licence or an identity card with a machine-readable zone. Provisional licences are not accepted. If your name differs from the booking, bring a marriage certificate or a declaration from your awarding body.
- Belongings: no books, electronic devices (including smart or AI wearables) or watches. Everything goes in a small locker that you cannot reopen until the exam ends.
- Dress: as you would for a UK hospital ward, following the NHS uniform guidance. The GMC says it is good practice to be bare to the elbow with no watches, bracelets or rings, and it can provide sleeve covers.
- During the exam: an examiner observes each station in person, by telephone or by remote camera, and will not intervene except in very limited circumstances. The exam may be recorded. You cannot talk to other candidates or copy any exam details.
Results: within a month, with domain marks and ten feedback statements
Per the GMC, results "will be published within a month of your exam date". You get an email telling you to log in to the "My Tests" section of GMC Online; the GMC does not give results by telephone or at reception. The feedback has two parts. The quantitative part gives, for each station, your marks in each of the three domains, your station total, the score needed to pass the station and whether you passed it, then the same totals for the whole exam. The qualitative part shows which of ten pre-set statements the examiner ticked for you in each station. Examiners must tick them when they judged you Unsatisfactory or Borderline, and may tick them otherwise.
| Statement | What it means (GMC description, shortened) | Mostly about |
|---|---|---|
| Consultation | Disorganised or unstructured consultation; illogical order of questioning or tasks | Structure |
| Issues | Did not recognise the patient's key problem or the priority, such as lifestyle advice to an acutely ill patient | Clinical reasoning |
| Time | Poor time management; too long on some parts at the expense of more important ones | Structure |
| Findings | Did not identify abnormal findings or results, or their implications | Clinical |
| Examination | Physical examination not competent, or instruments not used proficiently | Clinical |
| Diagnosis | Wrong working diagnosis or too narrow a range of differentials | Clinical |
| Management | Plan does not reflect current best practice, including follow-up and safety netting | Clinical |
| Rapport | No rapport or sensitivity to feelings and concerns, "including use of stock phrases"; no agreement sought for the plan | Communication |
| Listening | Poor active listening; asked questions but did not act on the answers | Communication |
| Language | Language or explanations not understandable to the patient, including medical jargon, speaking too quickly or not checking understanding | Communication |
Read that table closely. Three of the ten statements (Rapport, Listening, Language) are about communication, and two more (Consultation, Time) are about structure and pace. Note the phrase "stock phrases": an empathy line recited the same way in every station is named by the GMC as a fault. The GMC no longer offers a manual re-check of results; it says its marking is robust and a manual check will not change the result.
PLAB 2 pass rates, 2021 to 2025
Per the GMC page "Recent pass rates for PLAB 1 and PLAB 2", read in a browser on 21 October 2026:
| Year | Sat PLAB 2 | Passed | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 8,648 | 6,043 | 69.9% |
| 2022 | 13,533 | 8,775 | 64.8% |
| 2023 | 15,702 | 9,884 | 62.9% |
| 2024 | 19,594 | 12,902 | 65.8% |
| 2025 | 14,689 | 8,787 | 59.8% |
The 2025 rate of 59.8 per cent is the lowest of the five years on the GMC page. The table gives totals per year; it does not tell you why candidates failed, so treat any claim about "the station type most people fail" as opinion unless it cites GMC data.
After a pass: registration and English language evidence
Per the GMC chapter "What do you do after you get your results", a pass lets you apply for registration with a licence to practise, and you should have that application approved within two years of passing PLAB 2. After two years the GMC asks for additional evidence of your knowledge and skills. Again, the pass date is the date you sat the test.
English language evidence is the trap. The evidence you used for PLAB 1 may have expired by the time you register. The GMC currently accepts a recent PLAB 2 pass as evidence that you have kept your English, but only if you passed PLAB 2 less than three months before applying to join the register and reached the GMC minimum scores in IELTS or OET less than three years ago. If your test is older, you need new evidence; our OET guide and IELTS Speaking guide cover both tests. The GMC also invites new registrants to its free Welcome to UK practice workshops, booked in GMC Online.
After a fail: retakes, the fifth attempt and appeals
| Situation | What the GMC allows | What to do first |
|---|---|---|
| Fail on attempt 1, 2 or 3 | Book again in GMC Online, provided you still meet the requirements, including the two-year PLAB 1 window | Read the domain marks and feedback statements station by station before booking |
| Fourth fail | No immediate rebooking. Apply for a fifth and final attempt after at least 12 months of additional learning | Plan 12 months of clinical practice or a postgraduate qualification that meets the GMC criteria |
| Fifth attempt granted | You may need to sit PLAB 1 again if its validity has expired, with fresh English evidence | Check your PLAB 1 date and English test dates |
| Fifth fail | No further attempts; the GMC says you are no longer eligible to take the test | Look at other GMC registration routes |
| Something went wrong on the day | Appeal within ten working days of results publication | Report it to staff as soon as possible, ideally before leaving the centre |
The additional-attempt evidence is specific. Clinical practice must be direct, full-time (or part-time equivalent) patient care, in posts of at least two months, within the two years before you apply, with structured reports from independent senior doctors. A postgraduate qualification must be clinical, need a primary medical degree or other medically relevant degree for entry, last at least one academic year and be completed within the two years before you apply. The GMC says clinical attachments, shadowing, observerships and clerkships do not give the right level of assurance.
Appeals are narrow. The GMC accepts them only for an irregularity in the conduct of the exam (including administrative errors) or unexpected or exceptional circumstances during it. It will not accept an appeal because you think you were under-marked. If upheld, the result may be annulled or you may be given a free or an additional attempt.
Reading a fail report (TalkDrill method)
Lay out your 16 stations in a table: domain marks, pass or fail, statements ticked. If interpersonal is your lowest domain in most stations, or Rapport, Listening or Language recur, your next attempt is mainly a communication problem, not a knowledge problem. Practise speaking out loud, timed, with someone or something playing the patient. Re-reading notes will not fix it.
Where the communication marks are, and a practice route
Two official sources say the same thing in different words. The GMC sample OSCE station, a telephone consultation about head pain, lists what you must show to pass, including "Identify patient concerns, listen appropriately and display empathy" and "Conduct the consultation fluently and professionally". A GMC blog post by a PLAB 2 examiner (2 August 2022) warns candidates not to be too rehearsed, to communicate efficiently, not to over-promise and to manage their time for the task. Our route, built around that:
- Learn the station shapes with our worked PLAB 2 communication scripts (breaking bad news, the angry patient, consent, counselling), all written by TalkDrill.
- Replace jargon with the phrase lists in plain English for patients, aimed at the GMC "Language" statement.
- Run one timed scenario a day from the practice bank, out loud, with an eight-minute hard stop, using AI role-play practice as the patient when you have no partner.
- Fix your own patterns with mistakes by first language, then follow the 8-week roadmap to test day.
TalkDrill is an English communication practice tool, not a medical school. Our scenarios train how you speak to patients; check every clinical detail against current UK guidance and the BNF before you rely on it. For what the MLA content map means for your preparation, read UKMLA, CPSA and PLAB 2, and for the whole picture go back to the PLAB 2 and PACES hub.