PLAB 2 for international medical graduates
PLAB 2 is an OSCE-style clinical exam held only at the GMC's Clinical Assessment Centre in Manchester. It has 16 stations of eight minutes each. You must pass PLAB 2 within two years of passing PLAB 1, and apply for GMC registration within two years of passing PLAB 2. Most international candidates need a Standard Visitor visa to sit it.
What this covers
Book PLAB 2
Slots release on a rolling basis in GMC Online. Book as early as possible after your PLAB 1 pass to protect the two-year window.
Travel to Manchester
PLAB 2 is only held at the GMC's Clinical Assessment Centre. Plan travel and accommodation with buffer time.
Secure a visitor visa
Standard Visitor visa is the usual route. The GMC's booking confirmation is a key evidence document.
Sit the exam
16 stations × 8 minutes each. Results are typically released within 3–4 weeks.
Read the guides in this cluster
- Booking PLAB 2How PLAB 2 booking works, when slots are released, and how to prioritise a sitting inside your two-year window from PLAB 1.
- The Manchester PLAB 2 sittingWhy PLAB 2 is held only in Manchester, what to expect at the clinical assessment centre, and how to plan travel and accommodation.
- Visitor visa evidence for PLAB 2What UK Visas and Immigration expects for a Standard Visitor visa to sit PLAB 2, common refusals, and evidence that helps.
- The two-year window between PLAB 1 and GMC registrationHow the two-year window after passing PLAB 1 interacts with PLAB 2 booking and GMC registration, and what happens if you miss it.
Official sources
Every fact above should be confirmed against the controlling source before you act on it.