PLAB 1 Question Bank
UK-aligned SBA practice for international medical graduates.
PLAB 1 is the written single best answer exam that most international medical graduates sit on the route to GMC registration. It tests the application of clinical knowledge to scenarios a foundation doctor would meet in the UK, with a strong focus on safe, guideline-concordant management. Med Qbank covers the major PLAB topics with explanations written to UK practice, helping IMGs bridge the gap to UK-specific care.
What PLAB 1 covers
PLAB 1 consists of 180 single best answer questions sat in three hours, spanning medicine, surgery, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, psychiatry and the practical aspects of UK practice. Many questions test management decisions and prescribing in the UK context rather than pure recall. Familiarity with NICE guidance and NHS pathways is essential.
The UK-context challenge for IMGs
The most common difficulty for international graduates is not clinical knowledge but the UK-specific framing: which guideline applies, which drug is first line in the BNF, and how NHS pathways route a patient. Practising UK-aligned SBAs with explanations that spell out the guideline reasoning is the fastest way to close that gap.
How Med Qbank helps
Questions use generic drug names, UK reference ranges and current national guidelines, and every explanation makes the guideline-based reasoning explicit. The analytics dashboard shows which systems need more work, and Type Mode builds active recall. Free topics let you sample the bank before committing.
Relevant Question Banks
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Med Qbank suitable for PLAB 1?
Yes. The bank covers the major PLAB 1 topics with single best answer questions written to UK clinical guidelines, which is exactly the style and standard PLAB 1 assesses. It is particularly useful for international graduates adapting to UK-specific management.
What is the format of PLAB 1?
PLAB 1 is a written exam of 180 single best answer questions sat over three hours. Each question is a short clinical scenario with five options, of which you select the single best answer. It is held at test centres in the UK and in several countries overseas.
Are the questions UK-specific?
Yes. Questions use generic drug names, UK units and reference ranges, and current UK guidance such as NICE and the BNF, so they reflect how patients are actually managed in the NHS.
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