What happens after you pass PLAB 1?

After PLAB 1 comes PLAB 2, a practical exam in Manchester that you must pass within two years of the day you sat PLAB 1. Then you apply for registration with a licence to practise, which must be approved within two years of passing PLAB 2. Here is each step.

PLAB 2: the practical exam

PLAB 2 is an OSCE of 16 scenarios, each lasting eight minutes. The scenarios reflect real settings, such as a consultation or an acute ward. It runs throughout the year at the GMC's clinical assessment centre in Manchester. The fee is £1,036 from 1 April 2026.

You book it in GMC Online once your PLAB 1 result has been issued. To change a date, you cancel and rebook, and the GMC deducts a cancellation fee, so choose your date with care.

Results are published within a month of the exam, in the My Tests section of GMC Online. As with PLAB 1, you can sit until you have failed four times, then apply for one final attempt with evidence of 12 months of extra learning.

Registration with a licence to practise

Once you pass PLAB 2, you apply in GMC Online for full registration with a licence to practise. The GMC's guide for international medical graduates says you need:

• Passes in both parts of PLAB within the past two years.
• A completed internship.
• Evidence of your English that meets its rules.

The application costs £481 from 1 April 2026, and it must be approved within two years of your PLAB 2 pass. After that, the GMC asks for more evidence of your knowledge and skills.

Two things to start early

1. Degree verification. Before the GMC registers you, ECFMG checks your primary medical qualification with your medical school through its EPIC service. It depends on how quickly your school replies, so start it while you prepare for PLAB 2.
2. Your English evidence. A recent PLAB 2 pass can count as your English evidence at registration if you passed less than three months before applying and your IELTS or OET minimum scores are less than three years old. The GMC checks this automatically. If your test will be older than that, plan for it now.

Then, your first job

With registration in place, you can apply for posts in the UK. The Health and Care Worker visa covers qualified doctors. It needs a confirmed job offer from a UK employer approved by the Home Office and a certificate of sponsorship from that employer. You can apply up to three months before your start date, so the job comes first and the visa follows.

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