← All learning routesFOR INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL GRADUATES

Preparing for PLAB?
Build knowledge you can retrieve.

Turn scattered clinical facts into visual connections. Use Stella to recall the concept, reveal what you missed and try again.

Explore our existing UKMLA visual library as knowledge support alongside your PLAB preparation or broader UK-practice learning.

No account. No email. No card. This opens a UKMLA-library sample.

Not every IMG needs PLAB. Check your route first ↓

A REAL LIBRARY SAMPLEUKMLA visual · IMG learning route
Acute Breathlessness visual from the existing UKMLA library
Acute BreathlessnessOpen the full visual, use zoom and test your recall.
See the connectionsRecallRevisit
ONE LIBRARY. A CLEAR ROLE.

Know what you’re getting.

Use the visual system where it helps. Keep practical skills preparation and registration decisions separate.

INCLUDED IN THE EXISTING LIBRARY

Visual knowledge & recall

198 released UKMLA visuals, Stella recall, Smart Review and account-linked progress with the relevant membership. The public demo contains selected samples.

No second content library is created or required by this IMG entry route.

USE ALONGSIDE PLAB 1 PREPARATION

Understand before applying.

Study a relevant concept visually, retrieve it without looking and identify the connection that needs work. Then practise applying it in exam-style questions.

This is supplementary knowledge support, not a dedicated PLAB question bank or mock-exam package.

PLAB 2: KNOWLEDGE SUPPORT ONLY

Performance needs practice.

The current library is not a complete PLAB 2 station course. It does not include observed consultation practice, simulated-patient circuits or examiner-rated performance.

Use appropriate practical preparation for communication, clinical assessment and procedures. GMC: what PLAB 2 assesses ↗

The membership remains labelled UKMLA in checkout and the learner OS. No separate PLAB entitlement, certificate or examination booking is included.

GMC GUIDANCE · CHECKED 29 SEPTEMBER 2026

One content map. Different routes.

UK medical students

The MLA is part of the UK medical degree. Its components are the applied knowledge test (AKT) and clinical and professional skills assessment (CPSA).

IMGs taking PLAB

PLAB retains its name. PLAB 1 meets the MLA AKT requirements; PLAB 2 meets the MLA CPSA requirements. Sharing these standards does not make the delivery routes identical.

GMC: PLAB and the MLA ↗ · Read the current MLA content map ↗

Use the content map applicable from September 2026 onwards. Check the GMC’s live page for subsequent revisions; the check date here is not automatic synchronisation.

Do I actually need PLAB?

Not necessarily. The GMC states that holders of a relevant European qualification do not currently need PLAB. Other registration routes also exist, including acceptable postgraduate qualifications and sponsorship.

Your route depends on your qualification and circumstances—not simply your nationality or where you live. The university’s name alone is not a registration decision. Check directly with the GMC before booking an exam or buying preparation.

Check the GMC’s registration-route guidance ↗ · Check European qualifications ↗

Where do I check exam dates and bookings?

Use the official GMC PLAB guides and your GMC Online account for available places and booking information. Do not use an MRCP or UK medical-school MLA sitting as your PLAB date.

The current MWS date selector lists MRCP sittings and UK medical-school MLA planning; it is not a PLAB booking feed.

Open the official PLAB guides ↗
TRY THE METHOD, NOT ANOTHER PROMISE

One visual. One recall attempt.

See whether the learning approach helps you explain a concept more clearly.

Explore the free sample →

Med with Spence is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the GMC. No pass-rate, registration or employment guarantee.