# PLAB 1 exam dates for 2026 and 2027, with every GMC result date

> PLAB 1 exam dates 2026 and 2027, each with its GMC result date, the GBP 283 fee beside the 2025 fee of GBP 273, and all 30 exam cities in 17 countries.

Markdown copy of https://meduniexam.com/blog/plab-1-exam-dates-2026-2027-fees-and-results (the HTML page), published by MedUni Exam. Published September 22, 2026. Site guide for agents: https://meduniexam.com/llms.txt.

Written by [Nicholas](https://meduniexam.com/about.md). Checked on September 22, 2026.

Two PLAB 1 exam dates are still ahead as of September 22, 2026: November 5, 2026, with results on December 17, 2026 by 4pm, and February 11, 2027, with results on March 25, 2027 by 4pm. Both come from the GMC results page. The November test is 44 days after September 22, 2026, and the fee is GBP 283 from April 1, 2026. Below are ten exam dates with their result dates, the April 2025 and April 2026 fee columns side by side, and every city where the exam runs.

## PLAB 1 exam dates 2026 and 2027, and the result date for each

The GMC has published ten PLAB 1 exam dates between November 2024 and February 2027, and two are still ahead: November 5, 2026 and February 11, 2027. Counted from September 22, 2026, that is 44 days to the November test and 142 days to the February test. The exam runs four times a year, in February, May, August and November, and from 2027 the February test runs in UK and EU locations only.

| PLAB 1 exam date | Day of the week (computed) | Result date | Days from exam to result (computed) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| PLAB 1, November 7, 2024 | Thursday | December 18, 2024 by 4pm | 41 days |
| PLAB 1, February 20, 2025 | Thursday | April 3, 2025 by 4pm | 42 days |
| PLAB 1, May 22, 2025 | Thursday | July 3, 2025 by 4pm | 42 days |
| PLAB 1, August 7, 2025 | Thursday | September 18, 2025 by 4pm | 42 days |
| PLAB 1, November 6, 2025 | Thursday | December 18, 2025 by 4pm | 42 days |
| PLAB 1, February 12, 2026 | Thursday | March 26, 2026 by 4pm | 42 days |
| PLAB 1, May 21, 2026 | Thursday | July 2, 2026 by 4pm | 42 days |
| PLAB 1, August 6, 2026 | Thursday | September 17, 2026 by 4pm | 42 days |
| PLAB 1, November 5, 2026 | Thursday | December 17, 2026 by 4pm | 42 days |
| PLAB 1, February 11, 2027 | Thursday | March 25, 2027 by 4pm | 42 days |

Source: [GMC, Your results (PLAB 1 guide)](https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/plab/plab-1-guide/your-results), checked on September 22, 2026. The live page shows three dates at a time, so the rows before August 2026 come from Wayback Machine captures of the same GMC page. Weekdays and day counts are this article's arithmetic.

All ten dates are a Thursday, and nine of the ten results landed exactly 42 days after the test, which is the six week rule written as a number. The exception is November 7, 2024, whose result came 41 days later, on a Wednesday.

The GMC publishes no PLAB 1 date after February 11, 2027, though prep sites print a May 2027 date.

## PLAB 1 results date in 2026 and 2027, and what time results come out

PLAB 1 results are published six weeks after the test, by 4pm on the result date, in the My Tests section of GMC Online, and the GMC emails you to say how to reach them. The GMC prints all of that on its results page, checked on September 22, 2026.

Results for the August 6, 2026 test came out on September 17, 2026. The PLAB 1 results release date for the November 5, 2026 test is December 17, 2026, and for the February 11, 2027 test it is March 25, 2027, both by 4pm.

The GMC sets PLAB 1 at 180 multiple choice questions answered within three hours, checked on September 22, 2026. The result sheet carries your total score, the score required to pass that test, and the average score for all candidates, with one point per correct answer. The pass mark is set for each test by the Angoff method plus one standard error of measurement, so there is no figure to look up beforehand; its history is in the article on [the PLAB 1 pass mark and pass rate](https://meduniexam.com/blog/plab-1-pass-mark-and-pass-rate.md).

## PLAB 1 cost in 2026, and what it cost in 2025

PLAB 1 costs GBP 283 from April 1, 2026, up from GBP 273 from April 1, 2025, a rise of GBP 10 or 3.7 percent. PLAB 2 costs GBP 1,036, up from GBP 998. Both are on the GMC fees page, checked on September 22, 2026.

| GMC charge | Effective April 1, 2025 | Effective April 1, 2026 | Change (computed) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| PLAB 1 test fee | GBP 273 | GBP 283 | up GBP 10 |
| PLAB 2 test fee | GBP 998 | GBP 1,036 | up GBP 38 |
| PLAB 1 cancellation, more than 42 days before the test (10 percent) | GBP 27.30 | GBP 28.30 | up GBP 1.00 |
| PLAB 1 cancellation, 42 days or less before the test (100 percent) | GBP 273 | GBP 283 | up GBP 10 |
| PLAB 2 cancellation, more than 42 days before the test (10 percent) | GBP 99.80 | GBP 103.60 | up GBP 3.80 |
| PLAB 2 cancellation, 42 to 29 days before the test (50 percent) | GBP 499 | GBP 518 | up GBP 19 |
| PLAB 2 cancellation, 28 days or less before the test (100 percent) | GBP 998 | GBP 1,036 | up GBP 38 |
| Application for full registration with a license to practice | GBP 463 | GBP 481 | up GBP 18 |
| GMC income threshold for the 50 percent discount on registration fees | GBP 37,000 | GBP 38,500 | up GBP 1,500 |
| PLAB 1 plus PLAB 2 plus full registration (computed) | GBP 1,734 | GBP 1,800 | up GBP 66 |

Source: [GMC, Fees for doctors](https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/managing-your-registration/fees-and-funding/fees-for-doctors), checked on September 22, 2026. The GMC page prints a pound sign; this table writes GBP. The last row is this article's arithmetic: 283 plus 1,036 plus 481 is 1,800.

The number to plan around is GBP 1,800, the whole GMC bill at 2026 rates for one pass at each part plus full registration. English language testing, travel and a question bank sit outside it.

Refugee doctors living in the UK pay nothing for their first two PLAB 1 attempts. The 50 percent discount for doctors earning under GBP 38,500 worldwide applies to registration and annual fees, not to the PLAB test fee.

## PLAB 1 cost in India, Pakistan, Nigeria and Egypt

PLAB 1 costs GBP 283 in India, Pakistan, Nigeria and Egypt, the same GBP 283 the exam costs in the UK, because the GMC fee table prints one PLAB 1 price in pounds and no location or currency variation of it. The fee is on the GMC fees page, checked on September 22, 2026.

The GMC publishes no price in rupees, naira, Egyptian pounds or US dollars. Any local figure you find is a prep site's conversion, and your card issuer will use a different rate plus its own charge.

## PLAB 1 exam centers in the UK, India, Pakistan and Dubai

PLAB 1 runs in 30 cities in 17 countries: six in the UK, Dublin and Madrid in the EU, and 22 outside the UK and the EU. The UK cities are Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, London and Manchester. The GMC location contact list holds all 24 of those non-UK cities across 16 countries. Both lists are on the GMC page about where to take the exam, checked on September 22, 2026.

| Country | PLAB 1 exam cities, September 2026 | PLAB 1 cities in 2027 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| United Kingdom | Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, London, Manchester | All six, every sitting including February |
| Republic of Ireland | Dublin | Dublin, every sitting including February |
| Spain | Madrid | Madrid, every sitting including February |
| India | Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi | Five cities, no February sitting; Chennai stops running PLAB 1 |
| Pakistan | Islamabad, Karachi | Both, no February sitting |
| Nigeria | Abuja, Lagos | Both, no February sitting |
| Egypt | Alexandria, Cairo | Cairo only, no February sitting; Alexandria stops running PLAB 1 |
| Bangladesh | Dhaka | No city; Dhaka stops running PLAB 1 |
| Ghana | Accra | No city; Accra stops running PLAB 1 |
| UAE | Dubai | Dubai, no February sitting |
| Saudi Arabia | Riyadh | Riyadh, no February sitting |
| Sri Lanka | Colombo | Colombo, no February sitting |
| Kenya | Nairobi | Nairobi, no February sitting |
| South Africa | Johannesburg | Johannesburg, no February sitting |
| Turkey | Istanbul | Istanbul, no February sitting |
| Australia | Sydney | Sydney, no February sitting |
| Canada | Toronto | Toronto, no February sitting |

Source: [GMC, When and where can I take the PLAB 1 exam?](https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/plab/plab-1-guide/when-and-where-can-i-take-plab-1) and [GMC, Changes to PLAB 1 in 2027](https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/plab/changes-to-plab-1-in-2027), both checked on September 22, 2026.

The six PLAB 1 exam centers in India are in Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi, the largest number in any country outside the UK, which also has six. Pakistan has two PLAB 1 exam centers, in Islamabad and Karachi, and so do Nigeria and Egypt. Dubai is the single UAE location and Riyadh the single Saudi one.

Candidates booked in the UK or the EU get the venue address within seven days of the exam from VICTVS, and everyone else gets it from the British Council. Booking happens only in the PLAB booking service inside GMC Online, and the GMC says exam places are limited where demand is high.

## What changes at PLAB 1 exam centers in 2027

From 2027 the GMC stops running PLAB 1 in four cities, Dhaka, Alexandria, Accra and Chennai, and the February exam runs in UK and EU locations only. UK and EU cities keep places in all four sittings. Those changes are on the GMC page about the 2027 changes, checked on September 22, 2026.

The 22 cities outside the UK and the EU become 18. India keeps five of six, Egypt keeps Cairo, and Bangladesh and Ghana are left with no location, so a candidate in Dhaka or Accra chooses between another country and a UK or EU city.

Anyone who planned an overseas seat in February 2027 has two routes: a UK or EU location for that sitting, or a preferred international location at another sitting inside their English language validity period. If that evidence expires between February 1 and May 31, 2027, a request for an extension has to reach the GMC by March 19, 2027 to take the May 2027 test.

The GMC announcement of May 20, 2026 reports PLAB 1 bookings down 40 percent from 2023 to 2025. It says the schedule outside the UK or EEA moves from four sittings a year to three, while the guide and the 2027 changes page describe UK and EU locations keeping all four. The candidate counts move the same way: 21,916 took PLAB 1 in 2023 and 13,691 in 2025, a fall of 37.5 percent by this article's arithmetic on the [GMC pass rate table](https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/plab/recent-pass-rates-for-plab-1-and-plab-2), checked on September 22, 2026. The announcement itself is the GMC news item on [changes to international exam locations](https://www.gmc-uk.org/news/news-archive/changes-to-international-exam-locations).

## PLAB 1 booking dates, the closing window and the cancellation charges

PLAB 1 registrations may close between two and six weeks before the test date, and the window varies by location, which puts the closing date for the November 5, 2026 test between September 24 and October 22, 2026. The GMC publishes no opening date, only that closing window, which is on the GMC booking page, checked on September 22, 2026.

| Step in the PLAB 1 calendar | November 5, 2026 test | February 11, 2027 test |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PLAB 1 booking closes | Between September 24 and October 22, 2026 | Between December 31, 2026 and January 28, 2027 |
| Last day to cancel PLAB 1 for the 10 percent charge | September 23, 2026 | December 30, 2026 |
| Venue address arrives, within seven days of the exam | From October 29, 2026 | From February 4, 2027 |
| PLAB 1 results published by 4pm | December 17, 2026 | March 25, 2027 |
| PLAB 1 appeal deadline, ten business days after publication | Counted from December 17, 2026 | Counted from March 25, 2027 |
| PLAB 2 application opens | December 17, 2026 | March 25, 2027 |
| PLAB 2 deadline, two years from the test date | November 5, 2028 | February 11, 2029 |

Source: [GMC, Information on booking a PLAB 1 place](https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/plab/plab-1-guide/information-on-booking-a-plab-1-place) for the closing window, with the GMC fees, results, where to take the exam and what to do after your results pages, all checked on September 22, 2026, and the appeal deadline from a Wayback Machine capture of the GMC appeal page taken September 17, 2025. The booking, cancellation, venue and PLAB 2 deadline dates in the last two columns are this article's arithmetic; the result dates are the GMC's.

Canceling more than 42 days before the test costs 10 percent, GBP 28.30 at 2026 rates, and canceling 42 days or less before it costs the whole GBP 283, taken before any remainder is refunded. That makes September 23, 2026 the last day a change of plan for November 5, 2026 costs GBP 28.30, and December 30, 2026 the last day for February 11, 2027.

GMC Online is offline from Wednesday September 30 to Tuesday October 6, 2026, with no PLAB booking, amendment, cancellation or result viewing, and that window sits inside the November booking period. The dates come from a GMC Online notice carried on every GMC page, checked on September 22, 2026, and counted inclusively they are seven days. The start dates counted back from both exams are in the article on [how long to study for PLAB 1](https://meduniexam.com/blog/how-long-to-study-for-plab-1.md).

## What happens after PLAB 1 results, and when PLAB 2 is due

A PLAB 1 pass lets you apply for PLAB 2 the day the result is issued, and you have two years from the test date, not the result date, to pass PLAB 2. The GMC sets both rules on its page about [what to do after your results](https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/plab/plab-1-guide/what-do-you-do-after-you-get-your-results), checked on September 22, 2026.

For the November 5, 2026 test the deadline is November 5, 2028, and the result arrives on December 17, 2026, so 42 of those days are gone before you can apply and pay the PLAB 2 fee of GBP 1,036.

You can keep taking PLAB 1 until you have failed it four times, and the GMC then asks for 12 months of further learning before it considers a fifth and final attempt. The attempt limit for PLAB 1 beside the limits for Step 1, the NCLEX and the MCAT is in the article on [how many times you can take each exam](https://meduniexam.com/blog/how-many-times-can-you-take-step-1-nclex-mcat-and-plab-1.md).

An appeal is due within ten business days of publication, and a later one needs an explanation of why it could not be sent sooner before the GMC will consider it. Only two grounds count: an irregularity in the conduct of the exam, including administrative errors, and unexpected or exceptional circumstances that arose during the exam. An upheld appeal can annul the result, give a free attempt, give an additional attempt, or combine those. Those rules come from a Wayback Machine capture of the [GMC appeal page](https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/plab/plab-1-guide/how-do-you-appeal-your-plab-1-result) taken on September 17, 2025, read on September 22, 2026. The GMC no longer checks a result on request.

## PLAB 1 practice questions from the guidance you are studying

Dates and fees decide when you take PLAB 1, and the three hours decide the rest. PLAB 1 wants the UK answer: current best practice in the UK and the conditions a Foundation Year 2 doctor meets, blueprinted against the MLA content map behind the [UKMLA applied knowledge test](https://meduniexam.com/exam/ukmla.md).

This site turns your own material into questions in that format. Upload the notes you are studying, ask for PLAB 1 style questions, and each one prints the sentence it came from and the page that sentence sits on. What it covers is on the [PLAB 1 page](https://meduniexam.com/exam/plab-1.md), and the study plan built around these dates is in the article on [how long to study for PLAB 1](https://meduniexam.com/blog/how-long-to-study-for-plab-1.md).

The free lane is 60 verified questions as a guest and 300 a month with an account. A 90 day Exam Pass is USD 19.99 and a 500 question pack is USD 5.99, and neither renews. Ten questions with no account and no upload are on the [sample page](https://meduniexam.com/sample.md).

## Questions people ask

### How long does PLAB 1 results take?

Six weeks. The GMC publishes PLAB 1 results six weeks after the test, by 4pm on the published result date. Counted in days, nine of the ten result dates the GMC has published since November 2024 fell exactly 42 days after the exam, and the tenth fell 41 days after it. The GMC says it will contact candidates directly if publication is delayed.

### What time are PLAB 1 results released?

By 4pm on the result date, which is the only time the GMC commits to. Results appear in the My Tests section of GMC Online, and the GMC emails you to say how to reach them. The GMC publishes no earlier hour and gives no results by telephone or at its reception, so a morning check is a guess rather than a schedule.

### When were the PLAB 1 results for May 2026 published?

July 2, 2026 by 4pm, for the exam taken on May 21, 2026. That is 42 days after the test, the same gap the GMC has applied to every sitting since February 2025. The figure comes from the GMC results page as it stood in December 2025, read from a Wayback Machine capture on September 22, 2026. Results for the next sitting, August 6, 2026, came out on September 17, 2026.

### What were the PLAB 1 results dates in 2025?

Four, all published by 4pm and all 42 days after the test. Results for the February 20, 2025 exam came out on April 3, 2025. The May 22, 2025 sitting had its results on July 3, 2025, the August 7, 2025 sitting on September 18, 2025, and the November 6, 2025 sitting on December 18, 2025. Those four dates come from Wayback Machine captures of the GMC results page, read on September 22, 2026.

### What is the PLAB 1 cost in 2026?

GBP 283, effective April 1, 2026, up from GBP 273 the year before. PLAB 2 costs GBP 1,036 and the application for full registration with a license to practice costs GBP 481, so one pass at each stage is GBP 1,800 of GMC charges by this article's arithmetic. Refugee doctors living in the UK pay nothing for their first two PLAB 1 attempts.

### What is the PLAB 1 cost in India?

GBP 283, the same price as everywhere else: the GMC fee table prints one PLAB 1 price in pounds and no location or currency variation of it, checked on September 22, 2026. No official price in rupees exists, so the rupee figure you pay depends on your card issuer's rate on the day you book. The same answer applies to Pakistan, Nigeria and Egypt.

### Where is the PLAB 1 exam center in London?

London is one of six UK cities that run PLAB 1, with Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Manchester. The GMC does not publish the London venue address in advance. VICTVS, the supplier that delivers UK and EU exams for the GMC, sends the address within seven days of the exam to everyone booked at a UK or EU location.

### Is there a PLAB 1 exam center in Dubai or Bangalore?

Yes to both in 2026. Dubai is the UAE location and Bangalore is one of six Indian cities, along with Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi. Both keep the exam in 2027, though Chennai does not, and no international location runs the February 2027 sitting. Candidates outside the UK and the EU get the venue address from the British Council.

## Related pages

- [PLAB 1 questions from your own notes](https://meduniexam.com/exam/plab-1.md): PLAB 1 format practice generated from UK guidance the candidate uploads, with the source of the answer treated as the whole problem.
- [PLAB 1 Pass Mark and Pass Rate: 2016 to 2025](https://meduniexam.com/blog/plab-1-pass-mark-and-pass-rate.md): The GMC pass mark for PLAB 1, set per test by the Angoff method, with the four 2019 Angoff totals, the pass mark per diet in 2016 and 2017, and the pass rate for every year from 2021 to 2025.
- [How Long to Study for PLAB 1: 2026 Dates](https://meduniexam.com/blog/how-long-to-study-for-plab-1.md): An 8, 12 or 16 week PLAB 1 plan with real start dates counted back from the November 5, 2026 and February 11, 2027 exams, plus the GMC booking and refund deadlines, the attempt limit and how long a pass stays valid.
- [UKMLA AKT Pass Mark 115 of 200, Pass Rates](https://meduniexam.com/blog/ukmla-akt-pass-mark-dates-and-results.md): Every published UKMLA applied knowledge test number in one place: the 115 to 117 out of 200 pass mark, the 98.3 percent pass rate across 10,437 students, the attempts rule, and how the AKT compares with PLAB 1.
- [Articles](https://meduniexam.com/blog.md): The article index: every post, newest first.