PLAB 2
Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board 2
PLAB 2 is an “objective structured clinical examination” (OSCE) format run by the GMC. There
are 18 stations for the exam each lasting 9 minutes and 30 seconds—1 minute 30 seconds to
see the case, 8 minutes for the encounter. There are 2 rest stations for a total of 20 stations.
Exams are twice a day from Monday to Thursday, so only 40 students will be able to take the
exam per day. The exam is only held in Manchester at the GMC office at 3 Hardman St, M3
3AW. In general the exam is testing your ability to communicate with your patients in English.
Fluent speakers will have an easier time with the exam.
Book your PLAB 2 exam as soon as you get your results for PLAB 1; slots tend to get full
very quickly. Almost no available dates 1 day after the results of PLAB 1 are released. Ideally,
the total time from start of review class to your PLAB 2 exam is 6 weeks.
Training applications are due every year in Nov (British citizens) and March (others). Ideally,
prior to this date it would be good to have 3 months working experience. So to catch the 2019
applications PLAB 2 should be done by August at the latest to give enough time for results, job
hunting, VISA processing, and moving.
I took Hamed / Common Stations for my review center. Hamed review for PLAB 2 is
approximately 15 days of basic stations + 3 rest days + 3 days additional stations for a total of
21 days / 3 weeks. Since GMC is adding new stations constantly, this may increase.
Hamed starting dates: April 8, May 1, May 24, June 16 (See link below for updates). I
recommend 3 weeks of self study. This may be more or less depending on your own level of
confidence.
PLAB 2 Sample Schedule:
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Review starts
Self study Review ends
Self study Mock 1
Self study Mock 2
Train to Exam date /
Self study
Manchester Train to London
PLAB Step 2 (42 Days) Cost Notes
UK Visa: Standard Visitor Visa ₱ 0.00
(Ideally, 6 month multiple entry
still valid)
Flight ₱ 51,000.00 Cathay Pacific
PLAB Step 2 ₱ 60,900.00 http://www.gmc-uk.org/doctors/
information_for_doctors/gmc_online.asp
C. Uy | July 2018
PLAB 2
PLAB Step 2 (42 Days) Cost Notes
Lodging (AirBNB) ₱ 115,500.00 ~33 GBP per day / 1650 GBP
Hamed Common Stations ₱ 42,000.00 http://commonstations.co.uk/common-
(Review Center; paid as HSBC stations-course/
bank transfer GBP600)
2 days allowance
Address: 18 days review
Radial House, 3rd Floor
22 days self-study / practice
3-5 Ripple Road,
= 42 days total
Barking, London
IG11 7NF
Train to Manchester ₱ 3,053.00 https://www.virgintrains.co.uk
Lodging (Manchester) ₱ 5,000.00
Food / Living expenses ₱ 59,640.00 20 GBP per day / 840 GBP
Transport ₱ 14,910.00 5 GBP per day / 210 GBP
TOTAL PHP ₱ 352,003.00 £4,957.79
TOTAL Cash ₱ 74,550.00 £1,050.00
PHP to GBP 71
Check List:
Item Note
UK VISA If applicable
Flight Ideally 1 - 2 days before review starts
AirBNB / Hotel / etc Ideally near Barking; cheaper if in groups
Hamed Review booking Review slots limited; email ahead of time
and pay via HSBC bank transfer ~600 GBP
Train tickets Virgin trains; cheaper if booked ahead
Hotel in Manchester (1 night) Ideally near 3 Hardman St.
Materials:
Item Quantity Note
Binder 1 I used 2 ring binders; Hamed
provides a small one for exam
stations
Notebook / Writing stuff 1
Physical Exam Materials
Gauze 3 For pretending to sterilize area
IV cannula 2
C. Uy | July 2018
PLAB 2
Item Quantity Note
Vacutainer 4 This mannequin is kind of
difficult so its nice to have extra
since it is consumable
Tape / Micropore 1
Tegaderm 1
Cotton 1 Small piece for after blood
extraction
Catheter 1 Open catheter without sterile
packaging available; ideally
practice with it “closed” at least
once; Ok to share with others
Neurohammer 1 Available at Hamed, but
sometimes hard to get if others
Otoscope 1 are using it
Ophthalmoscope 1
Tuning fork 1
Important Links:
Hamed Review: http://commonstations.co.uk/common-stations-course/
Virgin trains: https://www.virgintrains.co.uk
Job: https://www.jobs.nhs.uk
Residency: https://www.oriel.nhs.uk/Web/
C. Uy | July 2018
PLAB 2
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
16 - Review
starts
23
30
Self study 14 1
Self study 21 2
25 28
C. Uy | July 2018
