How to Plan for PLAB 2 and Course/Academy

Maybe your PLAB 1 results will come out in a few days and you are sweating OR you have that sweet, sweet email of passing the PLAB 1 (within a month or so after you exam), you are floating on a cloud. For both cases come back to reality. The next big step is to think about a PLAB 2 course or academy.

When do I take PLAB 2?
What are the available dates for PLAB 2?
When do I attend PLAB 2 course?
Do I need “IELTS for UKVI” for PLAB 2 or PLAB 2 Visa?

Now, the first and foremost thing- BOOK PLAB 2.

Do I need to attend PLAB 2 courses or academy?

When we first planned for PLAB 2. everyone said – It is mandatory to join a PLAB 2 course or academy. After passing PLAB 2 and working in the UK for a couple of years, we think it is not mandatory at all. A course or academy can’t teach you anything that you can’t learn by yourself at this point in your career.

Knowing the responsibilities of a junior doctor in the NHS, understanding different organisational structures, keeping in line with GMC good medical practice and national guidelines and at the same time preparing following the GMC PLAB Blueprint is all you need.

Dates available for PLAB 2

Unlike PLAB 1, this exam CANNOT be taken outside the UK, and it happens round the year. That means that PLAB 2 exam dates are available almost every months (less around the August and late December). The available dates for PLAB 2 can only be seen from your GMC Online account after you have passed PLAB 1.

PLAB 2 takes place only in Manchester. So you need the following things to be done immediately after you hear the good news of passing PLAB 1:

• Find the available dates for booking PLAB 2 from “My Tests” section of your GMC Online account (You can only do that after passing PLAB 1). Decide on a date first that works best for you (don’t just pay and book at once). All your next steps follow this date.
• Now, booking a PLAB 2 preparatory course. Yes, there are cases where people passed without attending a course – but if you don’t feel confident enough, I will suggest that you attend a course.

Which PLAB 2 course/academy should I choose?

People have a lot of different reasons for choosing a particular course/academy. Maybe their friends are going there, maybe they have found better accommodation nearby. So, many things come into play while choosing a course. But, in my opinion, the most important things to always consider while planning the course are:

• Course start and end dates that align with your PLAB 2 exam date. The dates of the course should be chosen in a way so that you have at least 3-4 weeks of practice time, AFTER the course and BEFORE the exam date. More explanations are given below.
• Try and find at least one reliable source to give you a review about the latest situation in the academy. Facebook reviews from the people who attended the course years ago, are of little help.
• If you don’t personally know someone who attended the course recently, you may have to rely on what you find online. But, keep in mind anyone can be typing anything on the internet.
• For good measure, always ensure your course teachers hold or have previously held GMC registration. This is important because that means they’ve gone down this road before, they understand where you’re starting at and what you’re working towards, and they’ve also had to endure this type of an exam in the past. It wouldn’t make much sense to have tutors for an exam they themselves have not cleared, wouldn’t you agree?
• You can search for any doctor on the GMC official website to see what their status currently is on the registry. Whether they have relinquished, got their GMC registration erased, or no longer hold a license to practice. There may be other variations that is not mentioned here, but if a doctor has EVER held a GMC registration, their name will be in the register. Here is where you can SEARCH THE GMC REGISTER.

PLAB 2 courses generally are 12-18 days including review classes and mock tests, so if you choose a course that is in the second week of March, it gives you almost 4 weeks or more AFTER the course and BEFORE the exam on 25th April. I can’t emphasize enough how vital is this to plan beforehand. The course will end and you will need that time on your own to review the materials and prepare yourself through practice.

• Preparations and application for your UK VISA for PLAB 2. This is huge. I have discussed the whole process in three separate posts containing how to approach the online application, gathering necessary supporting documents and final preparation for applying for visa.

Check out the posts regarding UK Visa application for PLAB 2 here in this category,  UK Visa Guidance for PLAB 2.

An example of how to plan for PLAB 2 & course/academy

Summary of the plan for PLAB 2

• December 2019 – Passed PLAB 1 taken in November 2019
  • [Choose a date in late April 2020 for PLAB 2]
  • [Contact an academy for available courses in early to mid March 2019]
• December 2019 – Book for PLAB 2 and PLAB 2 course.
• January 2020 – Apply for a Standard Business Visitor Visa.
• February 2020 – Shopping and preparations, both mentally and financially.
• March 2020 – Go to the UK.
• April 2020 – Sit for the PLAB 2 exam.

Frequently Asked Questions

To know more about IELTS and IELTS for UKVI and UK NARIC, check this English Language Proficiency for PLAB, GMC Registration & Tier 2 Visa.

Now that you have a tentative outline on how to go about planning for the PLAB 2, there should be no reason for you to worry. Good luck!