Changes to international PLAB 1 exam locations following declining demand

In response to declining demand, the General Medical Council (GMC) is reducing the number of sites where it is offering the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) 1 from February 2027.

Following a sustained reduction in bookings in recent years – down 40% from 2023 to 2025 – the regulator has reviewed its overseas delivery of the exam and will stop offering PLAB 1 in Dhaka, Alexandria, Accra and Chennai. The bookings data indicates there is no longer sufficient demand to continue delivering exams in these locations, and we’ll adjust the exam schedule from four to three sittings a year, outside the UK or EEA.

PLAB comprises two parts. PLAB 1 is a written knowledge test, delivered in the UK and internationally, which assesses whether internationally qualified doctors have the medical knowledge needed to practise safely in the UK. PLAB 2 is a clinical skills assessment delivered in Manchester.

Una Lane, the GMC’s Director of Registration and Revalidation, said:

‘We regularly review how and where we deliver PLAB 1, and due to reducing demand in recent years, we’ve responded by adjusting the number of places and locations available.

‘We recognise that some candidates may be disappointed if a location they expected to use is no longer available. Taking this decision allows us to maintain a viable number of locations and a good geographical spread to support access for candidates.’

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