# Practising for Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB 2) with MedMock

Canonical page: https://medmock.com/exams/professional-and-linguistic-assessments-board-plab-2

## What is the PLAB 2 OSCE, and how do you practise for it?

PLAB 2 is the General Medical Council's clinical and professional skills assessment for international medical graduates: 16 eight-minute scenarios at the level of a doctor starting Foundation Year 2, each marked on three domains. MedMock lets you rehearse its spoken stations — consultations, counselling, breaking bad news, ethics, teaching and referrals — out loud against a realistic AI patient or colleague, with the real timings and instant feedback.

An illustrative example station, written by MedMock with example feedback, is at https://medmock.com/exams/professional-and-linguistic-assessments-board-plab-2/example

## About this exam

PLAB 2 is the General Medical Council's clinical skills exam (OSCE) for international medical graduates: 16 eight-minute scenarios, each with 90 seconds to read the instructions, at the level of a Foundation Year 2 doctor in the UK.

## What happens in the real PLAB 2 (checked against the official source on 2026-09-26)

PLAB 2 is the GMC's clinical and professional skills assessment (CPSA), the second part of the PLAB test for doctors who qualified abroad. It is an OSCE of 16 scenarios, each lasting eight minutes, set in real-life settings such as a mock consultation or an acute ward. Before each scenario you have 1 minute 30 seconds to move to the next room and read the instructions, there are at least two rest stations, and the whole exam takes around three hours. An examiner marks every scenario in three domains, and to pass you must reach the overall pass mark and also pass a minimum number of stations.

- **Scenarios 1-16 (each)** (8 minutes): Before each scenario you have 1 minute 30 seconds to move to the next room and read the instructions and patient information outside it, then eight minutes to complete the task. Most stations involve a simulated patient played by an actor; some use manikins, a high-fidelity simulator or other equipment, and some are telephone consultations. An examiner observes you in person, by telephone or via a remote camera, and does not intervene except in very limited circumstances.
- **Rest stations (at least two)**: At least two rest stations in the circuit give you breaks during the exam.

Marking: In every scenario the examiner marks you in three domains: data gathering, technical and assessment skills; clinical management skills; and interpersonal skills. Each domain is scored out of the same number of marks. The examiner also makes a standard setting judgement of Unsatisfactory, Borderline, Satisfactory or Good; this does not decide whether you pass the station but is used to calculate the station's cut score. Examiners can also indicate which of 10 pre-set feedback statements apply to you, and must do so if they judged you Unsatisfactory or Borderline.

Passing: Each station's pass score is calculated after the exam by the borderline regression method, so it varies with the difficulty of the station and between exams, and the examiner does not know it. The overall pass mark is the sum of the station cut scores plus one standard error of measurement. To pass you must meet or exceed the overall pass mark and pass a minimum number of stations, which is set by a regression method; you are not told the exact number. There is no fixed pass mark.

Sources: https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/plab/plab-2-guide/what-is-the-plab-2-exam https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/plab/plab-2-guide/how-will-you-be-tested https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/plab/plab-2-guide/what-can-you-expect-on-the-day https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/plab/plab-2-guide/understanding-your-results https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/plab/plab-2-guide/information-on-booking-a-plab-2-place https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/plab/plab-2-guide/when-and-where-can-you-take-plab-2 https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/plab/plab-2-guide/are-you-eligible-for-an-additional-plab-2-attempt https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/plab/plab-2-guide/plab-and-the-medical-licensing-assessment---mla-requirements https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/plab/a-guide-to-the-plab-test https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/plab/
Full format page: https://medmock.com/exams/professional-and-linguistic-assessments-board-plab-2/format

## How to prepare for the PLAB 2 (facts checked against official sources on 2026-09-27)

PLAB 2 is the GMC's 16-station OSCE, pitched at what a doctor starting the second year of the UK Foundation Programme sees at work. Revise from the MLA content map and Good medical practice, rehearse whole eight-minute consultations, examinations and procedures out loud against the clock, and avoid the errors the GMC's own examiners list, such as stock phrases and describing an examination instead of doing it.

1. **Check your deadline and attempts first** — To book you need a valid PLAB 1 pass, and you must pass PLAB 2 within two years of the day you sat PLAB 1. You have four attempts; a fifth and final one needs an application after at least 12 months of further clinical practice or a relevant postgraduate qualification. Book only through GMC Online, and allow for visa and travel times.
2. **Use the MLA content map as your syllabus** — The GMC says every topic and skill needed to pass is in the MLA content map, pitched at doctors starting F2 in the UK; the current version applies from September 2026. Answer as UK best practice and published evidence dictate, not your local arrangements, and learn drug names as they appear in the current BNF.
3. **Learn Good medical practice, not just medicine** — You are expected to show the values and behaviours in Good medical practice, and interpersonal skills are one of the three domains marked in every station. Work through the GMC's Professional standards in action case studies on capacity, confidentiality, safeguarding and raising concerns until you can explain the UK position in plain words.
4. **Practise every station type the GMC describes** — Stations include face-to-face and telephone consultations, examinations of actors, manikins or a high-fidelity simulator, practical procedures and prescribing. The GMC expects you to perform basic examinations such as abdomen, chest, heart and joints, and procedures such as venepuncture, cannulation and suturing, so practise doing them, not describing them. Print the GMC's sample drug and fluid charts and practise completing them.
5. **Rehearse complete stations out loud, against the clock** — Work with a colleague playing the patient and a third person timing eight minutes and marking the three domains. Practise using the 90-second reading time to name the task and plan, and start every station by confirming your name and GMC number, as the GMC asks, until it is automatic.
6. **Keep histories and examinations focused and natural** — A GMC examiner writing on the GMC's blog warns that a 'head to toe' approach suggests you are unsure and trying to cover all bases. It helps to have an NHS doctor watch you and flag questions that earned nothing and phrases that sound rehearsed.
7. **Prepare for the day in Manchester** — The GMC runs two centres in Manchester with similar addresses, so check yours; if you arrive late you cannot sit the exam. Bring an accepted identity document, dress as you would for a UK ward, and expect all equipment to be provided. Watch the GMC's PLAB 2 overview video beforehand.

Official resources:

- MLA content map (https://www.gmc-uk.org/education/medical-licensing-assessment/mla-content-map): The GMC's list of the core knowledge, skills and behaviours that PLAB 2 stations are based on; use it as a checklist for your revision.
- What resources should you use to prepare for PLAB 2? (https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/plab/plab-2-guide/what-resources-should-you-use-to-prepare): The GMC's preparation page, linking the content map, Foundation Programme curriculum, Good medical practice and examiner tips.
- Examiner top tips on how to avoid common errors in the Part 2 exam (https://www.gmc-uk.org/cdn/documents/factsheet---assess-del---plab---examiner-top-tips-on-how-to-avoid-common-errors-in-the-part-67283427.pdf): GMC examiners' list of mistakes they see often; read it before and after every practice circuit.
- A sample OSCE station (https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/plab/plab-2-guide/a-sample-osce-station): A GMC telephone station showing what the examiner looks for, plus sample drug, fluid, blood and NEWS charts to practise prescribing on.
- Good medical practice (https://www.gmc-uk.org/professional-standards/the-professional-standards/good-medical-practice): The GMC's core standards for doctors; the professional behaviour marked in every station comes from here.
- PLAB 2 guide: What can you expect on the day? (https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/plab/plab-2-guide/what-can-you-expect-on-the-day): Arrival, identity documents, dress code and the GMC's PLAB 2 overview video.

Common mistakes examiners report:

- Using stock phrases learnt on courses. GMC examiners say they recognise set phrases, which can sound insincere, and you can lose marks for interaction if you use them instead of responding to the patient in front of you. (source: https://www.gmc-uk.org/cdn/documents/factsheet---assess-del---plab---examiner-top-tips-on-how-to-avoid-common-errors-in-the-part-67283427.pdf)
- Misreading the task. Examiners have noted candidates who had not fully grasped what the station was about, and the GMC uses several variations on each topic, so do not assume you know the station. (source: https://www.gmc-uk.org/cdn/documents/factsheet---assess-del---plab---examiner-top-tips-on-how-to-avoid-common-errors-in-the-part-67283427.pdf)
- Telling the examiner how you would examine instead of examining. If the station asks for a physical examination, describing it gains no marks. (source: https://www.gmc-uk.org/cdn/documents/factsheet---assess-del---plab---examiner-top-tips-on-how-to-avoid-common-errors-in-the-part-67283427.pdf)
- Telling the simulated patient everything you know about a symptom or illness. It gains no marks: your knowledge was tested in PLAB 1, and the GMC wants to see how you interact. (source: https://www.gmc-uk.org/cdn/documents/factsheet---assess-del---plab---examiner-top-tips-on-how-to-avoid-common-errors-in-the-part-67283427.pdf)
- Reciting every possible cause in a learnt order when asked for a differential diagnosis. You lose marks even if the correct second diagnosis is somewhere in the list. (source: https://www.gmc-uk.org/cdn/documents/factsheet---assess-del---plab---examiner-top-tips-on-how-to-avoid-common-errors-in-the-part-67283427.pdf)

Sources: https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/plab/plab-2-guide/information-on-booking-a-plab-2-place https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/plab/plab-2-guide/are-you-eligible-for-an-additional-plab-2-attempt https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/plab/plab-2-guide/what-resources-should-you-use-to-prepare https://www.gmc-uk.org/education/medical-licensing-assessment/mla-content-map https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/plab/plab-2-guide/what-is-the-plab-2-exam https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/plab/plab-2-guide/how-will-you-be-tested https://www.gmc-uk.org/professional-standards/learning-materials/professional-standards-in-action https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/plab/plab-2-guide/a-sample-osce-station https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/plab/plab-2-guide/what-can-you-expect-on-the-day https://www.gmc-uk.org/cdn/documents/factsheet---assess-del---plab---examiner-top-tips-on-how-to-avoid-common-errors-in-the-part-67283427.pdf https://gmcuk.wordpress.com/2022/08/02/passing-plab-9-top-tips-from-an-examiner/ https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/plab/plab-2-guide/understanding-your-results https://www.gmc-uk.org/professional-standards/the-professional-standards/good-medical-practice
Full guide: https://medmock.com/exams/professional-and-linguistic-assessments-board-plab-2/prepare

Dates: PLAB 2 runs year-round in Manchester. Once you pass PLAB 1 you book an available date via GMC Online — there is no fixed national diet. (source: GMC).
All PLAB 2 dates: https://medmock.com/exams/professional-and-linguistic-assessments-board-plab-2#dates

## Stations you can practise

- **Face-to-face Clinic Consultation** — Face-to-face clinic consultation: candidate gathers focused history, proposes differentials and agrees a management plan.
- **Telephone Consultation** — Telephone consultation: remote history taking, identify red flags, provide safety-net advice and treatment plan.
- **Counselling & Medication Explanation** — Counselling session: explain diagnosis or medication/lifestyle change, address concerns, reach shared decision.
- **Breaking Bad News** — Breaking-bad-news encounter: deliver difficult information empathetically, manage emotions, outline next steps and support.
- **Ethics — Colleague Dilemma** — Ethical dilemma with colleague: recognise error, apply duty-of-candour, escalate appropriately, maintain professionalism.
- **Teaching a Junior Doctor** — Micro-teaching junior doctor: structured explanation or skill demonstration, check understanding, give feedback.
- **Mental-Health Risk Assessment** — Mental-health risk assessment: explore mood, suicide/self-harm, create safety plan and arrange referral.
- **Paediatric Consultation (via Parent)** — Paediatric consultation via parent: triadic communication, focused history, management advice, safety-net.
- **Ward Referral (SBAR)** — SBAR ward referral call: concise hand-off of acutely unwell patient to senior, request review or advice.
- **Discharge Planning** — Discharge planning discussion: explain diagnosis, follow-up, written instructions, lifestyle guidance and warning signs.

## Sample PLAB 2 questions

- *Counselling & Medication Explanation:* A patient has just been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Explain the diagnosis and discuss starting metformin.
- *Breaking Bad News:* Deliver the results to Ms. Chen, a 46-year-old woman, that her latest scan shows progression of her breast cancer. The disease has now spread to her lungs.

## Example scenarios

- *Breaking Bad News:* Deliver the difficult news to the 72-year-old female patient that her lung mass is a malignant tumour and is inoperable.
- *Ethics — Colleague Dilemma:* A junior doctor tells you they accidentally gave a patient a penicillin antibiotic despite a documented allergy. Manage the situation.
- *Telephone Consultation:* A patient calls by telephone complaining of sudden onset, severe headache, described as 'the worst headache of my life'.

## How a practice session works

1. **Choose a station** — Pick from the PLAB 2 stations — all 10 that MedMock runs, or let MedMock surprise you the way exam day will.
2. **Have the conversation** — Speak naturally, out loud. The AI patient responds in real time — with emotions, cues and unexpected turns, just like a real encounter.
3. **Get instant feedback** — The moment you finish, you get specific, examiner-style feedback and a score — what you did well, what cost you marks, and precisely what to fix before the next attempt.

## Price

Start with a one-off £5 taster: 30 credits (30 minutes of speaking practice), not a subscription. After that, or instead, £45 per month for 300 credits. One credit is one minute of spoken practice, or two typed exchanges, and where the examiner or patient speaks first, that opening line is free. Examiner scorecards, mark schemes and model answers for finished sessions are included at no extra credit cost. Cancel at any time. Full details: https://medmock.com/pricing

## Frequently asked questions

### How does the feedback work?

When you finish a station you can have it marked, and the scorecard comes back in seconds — what you did well, what cost you marks, and exactly what to work on next. Scorecards, mark schemes and model answers are included at no extra credit cost.

### Can I practise specific PLAB 2 stations?

Yes. You can pick any of the 10 stations to drill a weak area, or run a Full Mock that takes you through the stations MedMock practises, back to back.

### How much does it cost?

You can start with a one-off £5 taster: 30 credits, which is 30 minutes of speaking practice, with no subscription. After that, or at any time, you can choose a monthly plan, which includes a monthly credit allowance. Current prices are on the pricing page.

## About MedMock

MedMock is a web app for practising the spoken parts of UK medical and dental exams and interviews out loud. The candidate talks; an AI patient, examiner or interview panel answers in real time by voice; and when the station ends MedMock marks the performance against that exam's assessment domains and shows the model answer.

It covers 104 spoken exams and interviews — OSCEs, vivas, structured oral exams, simulated consultations, and specialty-training and consultant interviews. It does not cover written or multiple-choice papers, and it is not a question bank.

It was founded by Mr Sam Nahas, MBBS BSc MEd FRCS (Tr & Orth), a practising consultant orthopaedic surgeon in the UK, with co-founder and CTO Arjan Jandu. It is operated by VirtualPatients Ltd (company no. 16303492).

Pricing: a one-off £5 taster of 30 credits to try it (not a subscription, one per account), and a monthly subscription from £20 to £129 depending on the exam (student exams cost least, fellowship exit exams and consultant interviews most), or £199 to £275 for the Intensive plans, which carry more credits. One credit is one minute of spoken practice, or two typed exchanges, and where the examiner or patient speaks first, that opening line is free. Examiner scorecards, mark schemes and model answers for finished sessions are included at no extra credit cost. Subscriptions can be cancelled at any time.

It runs in a web browser on a laptop or phone; spoken practice needs a microphone. There is no public demo: practice needs an account with credits, usually from the taster or a monthly plan.

MedMock is for adults aged 18 or over. Sign-up asks every new account to confirm it.

MedMock is a revision tool. The patients, examiners and cases are fictional and AI-generated; it is not clinical guidance and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any Royal College, the GMC, the GDC or any examining body.

Start with the £5 taster: https://medmock.com/auth/signup