PLAB Vault
Week 1 is free

Four months of steady PLAB 1 preparation.

A week-by-week course for international medical graduates sitting PLAB 1. Short lessons, flashcards that come back when you need them, and single best answer questions written to current UK guidance, all on your phone or laptop.

Start Week 1 freeTake the readiness check
  • 18weeks
  • 2,000+questions
  • 180question mocks
The PLAB Vault Today screen: this week's lessons, today's cards and Today's Quiz

Built for doctors trained overseas who are preparing for PLAB 1 and want a clear plan instead of a pile of resources. Everything is written for UK practice, to NICE, NICE CKS and the BNF.

How it works

The same simple routine, every day.

One topic a week, taken a day at a time, so you always know what to do next.

  1. Read the week's lessonsFive short lessons on the week's topic, written to build understanding. The cards come from them.
  2. Work the day's 30 cardsRate each one honestly and it comes back when you are due to forget it.
  3. Take Today's QuizSingle best answer questions on what you just studied, then move on to the next day.
  4. Check inA 40-question checkpoint every fortnight, and a full 180-question mock in weeks 7, 11 and 15.
What is inside

Everything for PLAB 1 in one place.

Over85lessons
About2,600flashcards
Over2,100single best answer questions
Two180question rehearsal mocks in week 18
  • Lessons that explain the mechanism, so the drugs, timings and traps make sense instead of sitting in a list.
  • Spaced flashcards. Miss a card and it returns later today. Know it well and it waits.
  • Questions written to the GMC's content map, in the single best answer format with five options, and every answer explained.
  • Checkpoints and full mocks with the exam's length and timing: 180 questions in three hours.
  • A section in every lesson on where the UK does it differently, for the answers that catch out doctors trained elsewhere.
  • A progress view that shows your weakest areas, so your next cards go where you need them.
See it

This is the app.

It runs in your browser on a phone or a laptop. Add it to your home screen and it opens like any other app.

A lesson opened from the Today screen
LessonsShort reads that explain the why, before the cards.
A flashcard turned over to show its answer, with Missed, Shaky and Solid buttons
CardsTurn it over, then rate how well you knew it.
An exam-format question with the right answer in green and the explanation below
QuestionsFive options, and the reasoning after you answer.
The Today screen: the week's lessons, today's cards and Today's Quiz
TodayYour week, your lessons and what to do next.
The 18 weeks

Built around how the exam is weighted.

The course follows the exam's six areas, in proportion to how the exam weights them, so your time goes where the marks are.

  • Weeks 1 to 7
    Medicine35% of the exam. Cardiovascular; Respiratory; Gastrointestinal and liver; Endocrine, diabetes and metabolic; Kidneys, fluids and blood; Neurosciences; Infection and cancer care.
  • Weeks 8 to 11
    Acute and surgical care25% of the exam. Acute and emergency; Surgery, urology and perioperative care; Bones and joints; Eyes, ENT and skin.
  • Weeks 12 to 13
    Women's and sexual health12% of the exam. Pregnancy and birth; Gynaecology and sexual health.
  • Weeks 14 to 15
    Child health10% of the exam. Child health I; Child health II.
  • Week 16
    Mental health8% of the exam. Mental health.
  • Week 17
    Primary care and professional practice10% of the exam. Older adults, ethics and the NHS.
  • Week 18
    Final rehearsalTwo full rehearsal exams under real conditions.

See every week on one page, with your dates filled in from the Monday you start.

Free to try, no account needed

See where you stand today.

The readiness check20 PLAB 1 questions across the six areas, then a score for each one and every answer explained.Take the check Practice questionsOne original question for every lesson of the course, each with its explanation.Try a question Study guidesExam technique, plus quick references for doses, UK screening and immunisation, key numbers, notifying and reporting, and where UK practice differs.Read the guides The study timetableAll 18 weeks on one page, with your dates filled in from the Monday you start. Print it or save it as a PDF.Open the timetable
Questions

Things people ask.

What is free?

All of Week 1: lessons, flashcards and questions, with no card needed. Finish every day of Week 1 and Week 2 opens free too, ending with your first checkpoint.

Does it work on my phone?

Yes. It runs in your browser, and you can add it to your home screen so it opens like an app.

Where is my progress saved?

In your account, so you can pick up where you left off on any device.

Where does the content come from?

It is written to current UK guidance, such as NICE, NICE CKS and the BNF, and updated as guidance changes. Every question is original.

Is this the real exam?

No. PLAB Vault is an independent preparation resource for PLAB 1. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the General Medical Council.

What if I find a mistake?

Every card, question and lesson has a "Report an issue" link. Reports go straight to us.

How do I get in touch?

Email [email protected]. Answers about paying, pausing and refunds are on our help page.

Start with Week 1, free.

See whether the routine suits you before you commit to anything.

Start Week 1 free

From the makers of AM Vault, the six-month AMC Part 1 course.