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Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) Syllabus
GMC test for international medical graduates seeking to practise medicine in the UK.. The complete Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) outline — 7 subjects, 29 chapters and 126 topics — laid out so you can see exactly what has to be covered and tick each item off as you go.
Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) subjects
Each subject below has its own page with the full chapter → topic → sub-topic tree and a set of real exam-style flashcards.
5 chapters · 30 topics · 80 sub-topics
Surgery, Trauma and Perioperative Care5 chapters · 20 topics · 44 sub-topics
Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Sexual Health4 chapters · 16 topics · 38 sub-topics
Paediatrics and Child Health4 chapters · 16 topics · 34 sub-topics
Psychiatry and Mental Health3 chapters · 12 topics · 25 sub-topics
General Practice, Public Health and Primary Care4 chapters · 16 topics · 35 sub-topics
Professional Practice, Ethics and Communication4 chapters · 16 topics · 32 sub-topics
Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) flashcard decks
383 question-and-answer cards across 7 decks, written against this syllabus. Preview any deck free.
- Medicine and Acute Care — 65 cards
- Surgery, Trauma and Perioperative Care — 51 cards
- Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Sexual Health — 62 cards
- Paediatrics and Child Health — 50 cards
- Psychiatry and Mental Health — 51 cards
- General Practice, Public Health and Primary Care — 53 cards
- Professional Practice, Ethics and Communication — 51 cards
How to work through the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) syllabus
The outline on this page is arranged the way the syllabus itself is: subject, then chapter, then topic, then sub-topic. That last level is what most study plans skip, and it is where coverage actually goes wrong — a chapter marked "done" often has three sub-topics inside it that were never touched.
Weight your plan accordingly: Medicine and Acute Care carries 30 topics while Psychiatry and Mental Health carries 12. Giving both the same number of weeks is the most common planning mistake for Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB).
The ~150 hour estimate above is a first pass only: roughly 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic. Revision cycles, past papers and mocks sit on top of that number.
Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) syllabus FAQ
What subjects are in the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) syllabus?
Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) covers 7 subjects: Medicine and Acute Care, Surgery, Trauma and Perioperative Care, Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Sexual Health, Paediatrics and Child Health, Psychiatry and Mental Health, General Practice, Public Health and Primary Care and Professional Practice, Ethics and Communication. Together they contain 29 chapters and 126 named topics.
How much do you have to study for Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB)?
The full Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) outline breaks down into 29 chapters, 126 topics and 288 sub-topics. Medicine and Acute Care is the largest single subject with 30 topics across 5 chapters.
How long does it take to cover the whole Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) syllabus?
Roughly 150 hours for one full pass. That estimate allows about 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic, so it is first-pass coverage — revision, past papers and mock tests sit on top of it. At 3 hours a day that is about 7 weeks.
Are there Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) flashcards?
Yes — 383 question-and-answer flashcards across 7 decks, one per subject, written against this syllabus. A sample of every deck is readable on this site for free, and the complete decks are in the Examius app.
Is this Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) syllabus free to use?
Yes. Every page here is free to read, and importing the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) syllabus into the Examius app to tick off topics as you finish them is free too, in United Kingdom and everywhere else. No account is needed to start.
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