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Doctors - PLAB Test

Any doctor who wishes to practice medicine in the UK must register with the General Medical Council (GMC). Doctors who qualify overseas and wish to register must normally pass the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) to demonstrate their knowledge of English and their medical expertise.

Note: Doctors applying to take any other test or examination, such as those required to enter one of the Royal Colleges, will also be treated as Visitors and must demonstrate that they meet all the requirements of the Visitor Rules. This means that they should not be granted more than six months of leave as a Visitor and they will be subject to the normal restrictions on Visitors switching into other categories of leave.

The PLAB Process

Doctors who qualified overseas and holds a qualification which is not recognised by the UK must pass the PLAB Test in order to register with the GMC. Before coming to the UK they must pass a pre-assessment test the “International English Language Testing System” (IELTS) assessment test.

1. the IELTS is designed to ascertain whether the doctor has a reasonable command of the English Language in order to sit The PLAB Test
2. the IELTS tests are held both overseas in various countries and in the United Kingdom
3. if the doctor passes the different stages of the test he will be allowed to sit the PLAB Test in the United Kingdom
4. doctors are required to take the PLAB test to demonstrate their knowledge of medical English and their medical skills and knowledge
5. the PLAB test is divided into two separate assessments, Part 1 and Part 2
6. the GMC stipulates that doctors must pass Part 1 before they can be admitted to Part 2 of the test
7. where an candidate severely fail Part 1 the GMC will not allow him to re-sit Part 1 until a period of at least four months has elapsed from the date of the failed test.