PLAB 1 Questions: What to Expect and How to Practise
A complete guide to PLAB 1 questions — the SBA format, what clinical skills they test, how to approach each question type, and how many questions to practise before exam day.
Understanding the format and style of PLAB 1 questions is the first step to performing well in the exam. This guide explains exactly what PLAB 1 questions look like, how they are structured, what clinical reasoning skills they test, and how to practise effectively to maximise your score.
What Format Are PLAB 1 Questions?
All PLAB 1 questions are Single Best Answer (SBA) questions. Each question presents a clinical vignette — a brief patient scenario including relevant history, examination findings, and investigation results — followed by a question stem and five answer options. The candidate must select the single best answer.
The PLAB 1 exam contains 180 SBA questions delivered over 3 hours. There are no true/false questions, extended matching questions, or short answer questions. Every question has exactly one correct answer and four plausible distractors.
What Do PLAB 1 Questions Test?
PLAB 1 questions test clinical reasoning at the level of a newly qualified doctor working in the UK NHS. They test the ability to recognise common presentations, select appropriate investigations, and choose correct first-line management in line with current NICE guidelines.
The most commonly tested question types are: diagnosis questions (what is the most likely diagnosis?), investigation questions (what is the most appropriate next investigation?), and management questions (what is the most appropriate management?). Management questions are the most common type and require solid knowledge of NICE guidelines.
How to Approach PLAB 1 Questions
A systematic approach to answering PLAB 1 questions significantly improves accuracy. Before reading the answer options, read the question stem carefully and form a differential diagnosis in your mind. Then read the question being asked — note whether it asks for the most likely diagnosis, the most appropriate investigation, or the most appropriate management. Only then read the five answer options.
Avoid the common mistake of selecting the first plausible answer you see. Read all five options before selecting your answer. In PLAB 1 questions, multiple options may be partially correct, but only one is the single best answer given the specific clinical context.
Pay close attention to the clinical context in the vignette. PLAB 1 questions are carefully written so that specific details — the patient's age, comorbidities, current medications, allergy history, or specific investigation values — are relevant to selecting the correct answer.
How Many PLAB 1 Questions Should You Practise?
Most candidates who pass PLAB 1 on their first attempt complete 1,000–1,500 practice questions during their revision. This volume ensures exposure to a wide range of clinical scenarios and reinforces the pattern recognition skills needed to answer questions quickly and accurately under exam conditions.
Quality matters as much as quantity. Practising PLAB 1 questions without reviewing the explanations is far less effective than practising fewer questions with thorough review. Every question you answer — correctly or incorrectly — is an opportunity to reinforce or correct your clinical reasoning.
Practise PLAB 1 Questions on Our Platform
Our PLAB 1 question bank contains over 1,178 SBA questions mapped to all 430 conditions and 217 patient presentations in the GMC Content Map. Every question includes a full explanation with NICE guideline references, and our spaced repetition algorithm ensures you revisit difficult questions at optimal intervals. Free questions are available immediately — no credit card required.