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180 single best answers · 3 hours · the UK route

PLAB 1 mock test and question bank online — UKMLA AKT content map

PLAB 1 — on the board in full, the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board test, part 1, now meeting the requirements for the Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA) Applied Knowledge Test — does not ask what you memorised. It asks what you would do next for this patient, in this system, right now — 180 single-best-answer questions in three hours, built on the GMC's MLA content map. Myndaq walks that content map with you like a round: bay by bay, decision by decision.

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20 chapters · 42 modules — every area of the content map, mapped, and every bay on the round open today
The round

Four bays: what PLAB 1 is, and what it is for

Bay 01

The exam itself

PLAB 1 is a written multiple-choice examination of 180 single-best-answer questions, answered within three hours. Each question opens with a short clinical scenario and asks for one best next step — the choice a safe Foundation-level doctor would make.

180 questions 3 hours single best answer
Bay 02

Applied knowledge, not recited knowledge

The GMC is explicit about what the paper tests: your ability to apply your knowledge to the care of patients, rather than how well you can remember and recite facts. That is why a stem gives you a person and a situation, and why the correct option is a decision rather than a definition.

clinical scenarios best next step UK practice
Bay 03

The MLA content map is the syllabus

PLAB 1 questions are based on the MLA content map, and the paper meets the requirements for the Medical Licensing Assessment's Applied Knowledge Test. Myndaq's course is laid out against that same map — 20 chapters and 42 modules — so no area of it is the one you never got to.

20 chapters 42 modules MLA-aligned
Bay 04

Where PLAB 1 sits on the route

PLAB is the GMC's route for international medical graduates. Evidence of your knowledge of English — most commonly IELTS or OET — comes first; PLAB 1 is the written paper; PLAB 2 is the objective structured clinical examination; GMC registration follows. Check the current requirements with the GMC before you book anything.

IELTS or OET first PLAB 2 is an OSCE GMC registration
Pathway board
route to GMC registration

Four things to tick, in order

Evidence of your knowledge of English

Most doctors show this with IELTS or the medicine version of OET before the GMC allows them to sit PLAB. Myndaq has full courses for both.

PLAB 1 — the applied knowledge test

180 single-best-answer questions in three hours, based on the MLA content map. This is the paper this course is built for.

PLAB 2 — the clinical examination

An objective structured clinical examination taken in the UK, where the same decisions are made face to face.

GMC registration with a licence to practise

The end of the route — and the start of the job. Timing rules and evidence windows are set by the GMC, so confirm them there.

Bedside · practice

Questions that behave like the paper

A short scenario, five options, one best next step — and an explanation that names the decision rule, not just the letter. You commit, you find out, and you learn the boundary between the option you chose and the one the GMC would expect.

Scenario stems written for UK practice
An explanation on every item, including why the near-miss fails
Sessions short enough for a break between shifts
Bedside · the tutor

A senior on the round with you

The Myndaq AI Tutor sees the exact scenario on your screen. Ask why one investigation comes before another, what the UK pathway expects here, or how the safest option differs from the most thorough one. It asks you the next question rather than handing over the answer — which is how the reasoning sticks past the exam.

The obs chart

Your own numbers, tracked like obs

Accuracy right now
how consistently you pick the safest next step across recent sessions
Days to your exam
the map planned backwards from your PLAB 1 date
Weakest areas, ranked
which parts of the content map are costing you most
Your next move
one concrete recommendation, recalculated as you practise

Why Myndaq for PLAB 1

🧠
A tutor on every scenario

Ask about the exact stem you are on — the pathway, the priority, the option you nearly picked.

🎯
The real task format

Single-best-answer scenarios written for UK practice — the shape of the paper, not a fact quiz.

📈
Weakness-first analytics

The map areas you avoid become the practice you get — quietly, without you building a plan.

📱
Study anywhere

Browser-based on any device, in whatever time zone you are preparing from.

Three steps, every round

01
Start free in 30 seconds

Sign in with Google — no card, no setup, the whole content map in front of you.

02
Do a bay a day

Short scenario sets in the real format, with the tutor whenever a decision does not sit right.

03
Clear the weak bays

Let the analytics choose tomorrow's round, and keep going until no area of the map is cold.

Handover notes

The six questions every PLAB 1 candidate asks first.

Note 01 · the paper

How many questions is PLAB 1?

180 multiple-choice questions, all single best answer, to be answered within three hours. That is about a minute a question, which is why pace is part of the preparation.

Note 02 · the MLA

Is PLAB 1 the same as the UKMLA Applied Knowledge Test?

PLAB 1 meets the requirements for the Medical Licensing Assessment's Applied Knowledge Test, and its questions are based on the MLA content map. In practice, preparing for the AKT and preparing for PLAB 1 is the same work.

Note 03 · English

Do I need IELTS or OET before PLAB?

Evidence of your knowledge of English is part of the route, and most doctors provide it with IELTS or the medicine version of OET before sitting PLAB. The GMC sets the accepted evidence and the scores — confirm the current rules there. Myndaq has full IELTS and OET courses if you need them.

Note 04 · the route

What comes after PLAB 1?

PLAB 2, an objective structured clinical examination taken in the UK, and then GMC registration with a licence to practise. PLAB 1 is the written half of a two-part test.

Note 05 · the style

What kind of knowledge does it test?

Applied knowledge: your ability to apply what you know to the care of patients, rather than how well you can remember and recite facts. Expect a scenario and a decision, not a definition.

Note 06 · the course

What does the Myndaq PLAB 1 course cover?

20 chapters and 42 modules laid out against the MLA content map, each module a focused practice surface with the AI tutor attached and your weakest areas feeding the next session. The whole round is walkable today — no bay is still being made up.

Start free. Upgrade when it clicks.

Start free — no card needed. Explore the course and chat with the AI tutor, then see plans on the welcome page.

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180 decisions. Start making them today.

The content map, the real question shape, and a tutor on the round with you.

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Myndaq is an AI-powered preparation platform for PLAB 1, the General Medical Council's applied knowledge test on the UK registration route for international medical graduates. PLAB 1 is a written paper of 180 single-best-answer questions answered within three hours, with questions based on the MLA content map, and it meets the requirements for the Medical Licensing Assessment's Applied Knowledge Test. Myndaq trains the decision the paper actually asks for: clinical scenarios in the real single-best-answer shape, an explanation on every item, weakness-first analytics across the whole content map, and a Myndaq AI Tutor that reasons through the next step with you — on any device, right in your browser. Myndaq is an independent study platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the General Medical Council.

Sample questions

Try 5 real PLAB 1 / UKMLA AKT questions

Taken from the 1,890-item PLAB 1 / UKMLA AKT bank on Myndaq. Work them here; sign in (Google or email link, no card) to check each answer and have the AI tutor explain why the other options are wrong.

  1. Question 1 · easy · Eating Disorders

    A 19-year-old woman with anorexia nervosa is admitted with a BMI of 11 kg/m2. On day two of nasogastric refeeding she becomes confused and weak. Blood tests show phosphate 0.26 mmol/L (0.8-1.5), potassium 2.8 mmol/L (3.5-5.0) and magnesium 0.46 mmol/L (0.7-1.0). Which is the single most likely diagnosis?

    • Diabetic ketoacidosis
    • Hepatic encephalopathy
    • Wernicke's encephalopathy
    • Serotonin syndrome
    • Refeeding syndrome
    Check your answer with the AI tutor
  2. Question 2 · hard · Type 2 Diabetes Management

    A 58-year-old man with type 2 diabetes on metformin has an HbA1c of 62 mmol/mol. He has established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and a normal eGFR. He is keen to avoid weight gain and hypoglycaemia. Which additional agent is most appropriate to add according to NICE guidance?

    • An SGLT2 inhibitor
    • Basal insulin
    • Pioglitazone
    • Gliclazide
    • A DPP-4 inhibitor
    Check your answer with the AI tutor
  3. Question 3 · easy · Bipolar Affective Disorder And Mania

    A 30-year-old woman with bipolar affective disorder maintained on lithium presents with 2 days of nausea, coarse tremor, unsteady gait and drowsiness. She started a new medication from her GP one week ago for hypertension. Her serum lithium level is 2.1 mmol/L. Which recently added medication is the most likely cause of her raised lithium level?

    • Hydralazine
    • Spironolactone
    • Amlodipine
    • Bendroflumethiazide
    • Doxazosin
    Check your answer with the AI tutor
  4. Question 4 · medium · Dermatology · Skin Cancer · Referral Pathways

    A 72-year-old man attends with a slowly growing, non-healing ulcerated lesion on the lower lip that has been present for 3 months. It has a raised rolled edge and is not pigmented. He has significant sun exposure history. Which suspected cancer pathway referral is most appropriate?

    • Routine dermatology referral for a benign keratosis
    • Suspected cancer pathway referral for melanoma using the weighted 7-point checklist
    • Suspected cancer pathway referral for squamous cell carcinoma
    • Prescribe topical antibiotics and review in 4 weeks
    • Suspected cancer pathway referral for basal cell carcinoma
    Check your answer with the AI tutor
  5. Question 5 · medium · Hypothyroidism

    A 54-year-old woman presents with fatigue, cold intolerance, weight gain and constipation over 6 months. Her pulse is 56/min and she has dry skin and delayed relaxation of the ankle reflexes. Thyroid function tests show TSH 42 mU/L and free T4 5 pmol/L (low). She has no cardiac history. Which of the following is the most appropriate first-line management?

    • Radioactive iodine
    • Levothyroxine
    • Propranolol
    • Carbimazole
    • Liothyronine
    Check your answer with the AI tutor
Exam essentials

PLAB 1 / UKMLA AKT at a glance

PLAB is the GMC route to UK registration for graduates of medical schools outside the UK, EEA or Switzerland. PLAB 1 is the written applied-knowledge test, compliant with the Medical Licensing Assessment requirements; UK students sit the MLA inside their degree instead.

Facts below were read on General Medical Council (GMC), UK's own pages on . Dates and fees change between cycles — the official page linked on each row is authoritative.

Conducting body
General Medical Council (GMC), UK
Source: GMC — A guide to the PLAB test
Format
180 single-best-answer questions, each a short clinical scenario with five options
An applied knowledge test written to the MLA content map
Source: GMC — What is the PLAB 1 exam
Scoring
One mark per correct answer; no negative marking. Pass mark set per sitting by the Angoff method plus one standard error of measurement
Your results state your score, the pass score and the cohort average
Source: GMC — Your PLAB 1 results
Results
Published six weeks after the exam in GMC Online
Source: GMC — Your PLAB 1 results
Sittings
Four a year: February, May, August and November
Source: GMC — When and where can I take PLAB 1
Centres in India
Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi
Chennai, Dhaka, Alexandria and Accra close from February 2027 (GMC notice, 20 May 2026)
Source: GMC — Changes to international exam locations (20 May 2026)
Fee
PLAB 1 £283 from 1 April 2026 (£273 before) · PLAB 2 £1,036
Cancelling more than 42 days out costs 10%; 42 days or fewer forfeits the fee
Source: GMC — Fees for doctors
Attempts
Four attempts, then a fifth and final attempt by application with 12 months of additional learning
Source: GMC — Additional PLAB 1 attempts
After PLAB 2
Registration application must be approved within two years of passing PLAB 2
Source: GMC — A guide to the PLAB test
FAQ

PLAB 1 / UKMLA AKT — common questions

Has the UKMLA replaced PLAB?

No. The GMC states that international doctors will continue to take PLAB, which is compliant with its MLA requirements. UK medical students sit the MLA within their degree; international graduates sit PLAB 1 and PLAB 2, both built on the same MLA content map. There is no separate UKMLA booking for IMGs.

What is the PLAB 1 format?

180 single-best-answer questions in three hours. Each item is a short clinical scenario with five options, and the GMC describes the paper as an applied knowledge test rather than a recall test. Topics follow the MLA content map, including professional behaviours, ethics and patient safety as well as clinical presentations.

What is the PLAB 1 pass mark?

There is no fixed number. For each sitting the GMC sets the pass mark using the Angoff method plus one standard error of measurement, and your results letter states your score, that sitting's pass score and the cohort average. Each correct answer earns one mark and wrong answers are not deducted, so attempt every question.

When is PLAB 1 held and where can I sit it in India?

Four times a year, in February, May, August and November. Indian centres listed by the GMC are Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi. The GMC announced on 20 May 2026 that Chennai, along with Dhaka, Alexandria and Accra, will stop hosting PLAB 1 from February 2027, so check the centre list at booking.

How much does PLAB 1 cost in 2026?

£283 for a PLAB 1 place from 1 April 2026, up from £273. PLAB 2 costs £1,036. Cancelling more than 42 days before the exam costs 10 per cent of the fee, and cancelling with 42 days or fewer forfeits the full fee, so book a date you can keep.

How many attempts do I get at PLAB 1?

Four. After four failed attempts you must apply for a fifth and final attempt and show 12 months of additional learning since your last attempt, such as clinical practice or a postgraduate qualification. No attempts are granted beyond the fifth, and the same rule applies to PLAB 2.

Is there a free PLAB 1 mock test?

Yes. Myndaq's free PLAB 1 mock is 180 single-best-answer questions in one three-hour timed section on a server-controlled clock, one attempt per account and no card required. You get raw marks with a per-topic breakdown, and the AI tutor explains why each option is right or wrong. See free mock tests

What does the Myndaq PLAB 1 / UKMLA AKT course include?

Practice across Acute & Emergency, Medicine & Long-term conditions, Surgery, Child Health, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Mental Health, Professional Knowledge with an AI tutor that explains every answer, plus progress analytics.

Is there a free PLAB 1 / UKMLA AKT mock test?

Myndaq runs a free mock test programme. Availability varies by exam and publication status — check the free mock tests page. One attempt per account, for one eligible exam; sign in with Google or an email link, no payment card required. See free mock tests