Pass Your UKMLA With Arora

Exam Overview

The UKMLA exam will replace the former PLAB test (Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board) for IMG doctors. Those graduating from a UK medical school or as an international medical graduate (IMG) in or after the academic year 2024-25 will be required to take the UKMLA exam, to gain their license to practice with the GMC. 

The UKMLA has been designed by the GMC to test candidates on the same knowledge areas as the PLAB assessment, in a fairer way. According to the GMC, the UKMLA will set a “common threshold for safe practice”.

 

Medical Licensing Assessment Sections

The UKMLA test is a two-part assessment. These are the Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) and the Clinical and Professional Skills Assessment (CPSA).

For UK medical students, the AKT exam (formerly known as PLAB 1)  is a test of applied knowledge rather than factual recall, so where relevant this will include basic science, for example, the pathophysiology behind a symptom. There are two 2-hour AKT papers, each with 100 SBA (scenario-based single best answer) questions.

For IMGs there will be no changes to the current format of PLAB 1 except that the topics covered in the exam will be taken from the MLA content map and not the PLAB blueprint.

Note: It is worth noting that the UKMLA AKT is not to be confused with the existing applied knowledge assessment, which forms one of the three main components of UK MRCGP.

The CPSA exam (formerly known as PLAB 2) is a performance-based assessment of clinical and professional skills, knowledge and behaviours. This will be an objective structured clinical exam (OSCE). It will involve scenarios that reflect real life settings, including a mock consultation or an acute ward.

The CPSA for international medical graduates will be run at the GMC’s clinical assessment centre in Manchester. Here at Arora Medical Education we run a 10 day CPSA/UKMLA PLAB 2 academy in Birmingham, and are easy to reach by a direct train from London, Manchester, or the surrounding areas.

Find out more in our What is the UKMLA exam? guide here.

Exam Format

FAQs

How to prepare for UKMLA PLAB 1?

When preparing for UKMLA PLAB 1,  there are two main chosen approaches – question-bank based and ‘formal revision’ based.

Relying on one alone leave can leave you a little short. No question bank can cover every aspect of the UKMLA PLAB 1, whilst purely reading books and guidelines means you won’t gain any experience of dealing with questions you may face in the exam.

If planned well, both should be used hand-in-hand as both have advantages in terms of improving retention and performance.

A few key references to familiarise with and keep referring to throughout preparation: PLAB GMC Blueprint (all of our teaching is based on this), NICE guidelines, BNF and BNF for children, Oxford Handbook of clinical medicine, GMC Good Medical Practice booklet.

The GMC PLAB Blueprint should be used as a guide to your preparation. This outlines which areas will be tested in the UKMLA PLAB 1 – not going through this will lead to surprises on the day. It covers quite a lot but if you plan things well it will ensure you cover everything.

Make a timeline. Planning is vital given the huge amount of material to cover for UKMLA PLAB 1. Work out how long you have between now and your exam, and break down your revision accordingly. Which topics to have covered by when, how many questions to complete per week? etc. Lack of this may lead to haphazard preparation and an overwhelmed feeling. Our UKMLA PLAB 1 revision planners are designed to help you plan out your revision and can be found here: https://wp.aroramedicaleducation.co.uk/free-downloads/

The most comprehensive package for UKMLA PLAB 1 is our UKMLA PLAB 1 Ultimate Package. This is a package which focuses on the two core components needed for UKMLA PLAB 1 success – knowledge and technique. The package has 6 months access to all material and contains a 2-day crammer live course, online course, audiobook course, question bank, multiple mock exams, and clinical flashcards. To find out more about the package and for doctor reviews click here.

How to book UKMLA PLAB 1 exam?

You can book UKMLA PLAB 1 exams through the GMC site. To do this, you must create an account. Once this has been verified through your email, you must fill out your details. This includes putting in your IELTS/OET (English language test) results and/or your nationality status, to ensure your English level meets the minimum requirement to sit the exam.

You can then choose a date slot and make a payment through the GMC portal. You will be sent a confirmation email once this has been processed, which will allow you entrance into your examination.

You will receive your results through the portal once you have sat your exam and it’s been marked.

How long does the UKMLA PLAB 1 result take?

Generally, UKMLA PLAB 1 exam results are available four weeks after you have taken the test.

What is the pass mark for UKMLA PLAB 1?

The UKMLA PLAB 1 pass mark varies every year. It is determined using the Anghoff Method, with one standard error of measurement. This ensures that the pass mark stays consistent and it is a fair exam. To pass UKMLA PLAB 1 exams, candidates must sit within or above the average rate and, though this varies slightly every year, this is generally between 60 and 60% – which equates to 120 to 126 marks.