Dear friends,

The PLAB examination is the test set by the General Medical Council in the Uk to allow International Medical Graduates (IMG) to work in the NHS (National Health Service).

The first part is designed to judge your theorotical knowledge, and the second to judge your clinical skills and communication with British patients.

I have spent much time in preparing for the first part. It tppk me about four months of focused reading which was really excessive for this test.

I had no job back at then and spent all my day in reading.

I have read the Oxford Handbooks (of medicine and medical specialities) from cover to cover, also I had the chance to look upmany topics in Davidson.

The test format is divided into two main types of questions:

Extended Matching Qusetions (EMQs): basically five questions and 7 to 15 choice, you have to match each question with the best choice.

Select Most Appropriate (SBAs): New format when you have one questions and five answers, and you have to select the most appropriate answer.

In the plab exam, there are many web sites that list the previous qustions of the test.

Why they do this? Because there is a Qustion Bank of 5000 qustions in the GMC, each test they give 200 questions, so there is a goood chance if you attempted the previous tests, you might see some of them in your exam.

I have attempted nearly all the previous questions that I could get (about 7 books with a total of 7000 repeated EMQs).

I have read many books about how to answer the EMQs. In short, I reached to a level that I could solve the question from the first few words.

In the real exam which was held in Cairo in march 2006, I scored 163/200, a very high score that few can get.

I have came across about 100 questions in the exam that I had previously attempted!!

But unfortuantly, the score does not give you any credit, you either pass or fail the test.

When I met other doctors who passed the Plab in the UK, many told me that they had prepared for the test for one month, or even two weeks, and they managed to ill pass.

At the end, this is not to recommend taking the test, it is just my experience.

thanx doctor 4 all these info & 100000 mabrook 4 passing ..
yom e3l elna ...

NOor

I just want to mention this: my uncle has passed the PLAB from the 1st attempt while he had to repeat the IELTS 6 times before he got 6 out of 9 ...

So this may indicate how easy it is to pass the PLAB

Thanks for your shining topics Dr keep up sharing your experience, it is really useful...

Dear friends,

Thank you for re-posting.

I agree with Muhammed that Plab is the easiest International Medical test. Wait until you hear my experience in passing the second part.

Hi Dr.
Alef Mabrook inshalla u'll pass al three but don't forget to tell us all about it & inshallah the 2nd 2 stages will b easier..

DEAR SAFA ,
HE DID PASS THEM ,HE IS TELLING HIS HISTROY WITH IT NOW.

ALI

Thnx Ali,
i noticed that later..
but i don't know from the sectioning i thought it was day by day..
yalla inshallah yom el elkom ameeen

Dear Friend:
I am really happy 4u..that you can pass the exam so easily. But I really wonder about why u choose to examine Plab specially if you r aware that UK is no more accepting visitors from overseas to appoint them, and evenly it's hard to get visae to complete the 3rd stage...
this authenticated info i got from my cousin as he is now in UK and completed the 3rd stage since about 18 mo. He's yet can get any work in UK even in the country side, He said that UK is now involved in the European Union, it's committed to appoint their student,

I just wanted to find out you are opinion...
And I really wish you all the happiness and success in your glorious future which u really deserve.



yours
true

Dear Trueman,

Thank you for posting back. I was fully aware of the difficult situation of the overseas doctors there, but the problem is that I didnt have a choice. I did pass the exam on March and was preparing to travel to the UK when the visa rules were introduced and no one could imagine that the situation could be that bad.
Besides, I had an uncle there who works as a doctor and he encouraged me to do that test. If I didnt have him there I would not go at any chance.
But as I said previously, it was a great experience and it did affect me profoundly in a positive way, on both the personal and career level.
I wish you all the best.

I heard that passin the exam is not the hard part; it is getting a job or a visa is the hard part. What do you know about that doctor?

Dear Soledad,

Thank you for your pasting back. Sure, the Plab as I said previously is the easiest test you do to work abroad.
But the problem is that you have 1% chance to get work after you pass it.
Is anyone willing to take that chance?
As a matter of fact, I did. And I dont regret it whatsoever, even if I failed to find a job.
Best regards.

Dear friend ...
as you had passed the Plab exam successfully and easily ,I wonder have you ever heard about the Canada or Australian medical exam !! is it available in Jordan too !! a had heard that they are much easier specially for Iraqi students, and the visa is much easier to be gained and your previous plab examination is to be taken in consideration, in addition it's much easier to get a job in canda rather that U.K. as far as my knowledge is ...I just wanted to share those Info. With U..And certainly will appraise and thank your replay

best wishes and regards

Yours
True Man

Dear Trueman,

Thank you for your question.
I think I made it clear in my posts that I did the PLAB exam because I had the necessary support inside the UK.
None of the people I know did any of the other exams you mentioend, besides they are much difficult and more costy.
It was a difficult decision to choose between an exam many of my friends did and pass, and other exams which no one ever attempted from my friends.
And as I always say, it was a great experience and indeed the validity of my test is until 2009, so I still have a hope to go there again.
Best regards.