For the November 2026 PLAB 1 examination, choose a current question bank that helps you apply medicine in the UK context, then add only the support your existing preparation lacks. Official GMC materials, Plabable, PassMedicine, MedRevisions, Quesmed, Pastest and iatroX serve overlapping but different purposes. No single product is the right purchase for every candidate.
This comparison is published by iatroX and includes iatroX among the options. It updates the existing PLAB resource guide rather than creating a separate annual ranking. The GMC results timetable lists the sitting on 5 November 2026; dates and product information here were checked on 3 October 2026, and a sitting date does not mean booking remains open.
Start with the examination, not recalled questions
The GMC PLAB 1 guide describes applied knowledge assessed through 180 questions over three hours. Use the current MLA content map and official preparation material to understand the scope. A bank's completion percentage describes your activity within that bank, not complete coverage of every relevant learning need.
PLAB preparation may form part of a longer professional pathway, but later examinations depend on your chosen route. PLAB 2, registration requirements, specialty recruitment and membership examinations are not an identical compulsory sequence for every international doctor. Future usefulness can influence a purchase, but unrelated examination access should not distract from the immediate goal.
The useful selection criteria are question relevance, explanation quality, coverage, review organisation, accessibility and actual cost for the period needed. An older recall document may omit context, contain errors or reflect outdated guidance. It should not replace official material or become an excuse to reproduce protected examination content.
Plabable: a focused bank with community discussion
Plabable's public description, checked on 3 October 2026, advertises more than 5,000 questions, explanations, revision guides, per-question comments, a Must Know filter and mobile access. Its current figure supersedes the older June 2026 article's description of approximately 2,500-plus questions. Neither figure establishes that it is the largest current competitor.
The community discussion may appeal to candidates who learn by examining how others interpret a difficult stem. A comment remains a contribution to review, not an authoritative clinical source. Check an attractive explanation against the relevant evidence rather than treating agreement in a thread as verification.
Plabable's question bank, notes and Big Mocks should be assessed as the actual package being purchased. Confirm inclusions and the current checkout total, especially because the vendor states that App Store purchases include additional platform fees. A PLAB-focused product is a reasonable choice when that is the problem you need to solve.
PassMedicine: a low-cost option that deserves inclusion
PassMedicine's PLAB page, checked on 3 October 2026, describes more than 5,000 SBAs, syllabus-focused and extended textbooks, a separate 180-question mock, revision and test modes, and content-map tracking. Its advertised combined PLAB 1 and 2 access costs £12 for four months, £15 for six months, £20 for nine months or £25 for twelve months.
Those published prices are plainly below iatroX's paid subscription. Candidates whose main need is affordable conventional question practice should consider that difference rather than assume iatroX is the cheapest paid option. PassMedicine also advertises AI virtual patients for PLAB 2; AI-supported practice is not unique to our platform.
A low price does not remove the need to inspect explanations or maintain a useful review routine. Likewise, a higher price does not establish better learning. Try an unfamiliar topic and ask whether the resource helps you explain why the tempting alternative was inappropriate.
MedRevisions: questions, notes and structured review
On 3 October 2026, MedRevisions described more than 5,400 PLAB-style questions, study notes, mind maps, flashcards, AI tutoring, customisable mocks and a Readiness Score. Its website states that it has served this preparation area since 2019 and describes more than 30 mocks with repeat access. These are vendor-reported features, not independent evidence of a guaranteed result.
The published pricing page displayed both a rounded starting figure of $10.80 per month and a $10.83-per-month example. These are advertised US-dollar figures, not GBP equivalents; check the selected term and total payment before comparing them with a monthly subscription elsewhere. The earlier June 2026 article's $10.80 reference should not be read as a universal month-to-month offer.
A package that includes notes and review functions may suit someone who otherwise maintains several separate systems. Its readiness display should direct reflection rather than be treated as an official booking recommendation or a validated conversion to the GMC pass standard.
Quesmed: examine the PLAB product, not the whole catalogue
Quesmed's PLAB offering, checked on 3 October 2026, provides a dedicated route into its PLAB preparation. Its wider platform describes question explanations, linked learning material and mobile study. The company also has separate products for other examinations, but their existence does not mean one purchase includes everything.
The older June 2026 guide quoted approximately £14.99 monthly for Quesmed's broader proposition. That historical figure is not used here as a current PLAB checkout price. Confirm the exact PLAB plan, duration, included notes, practical resources and app access before paying.
For a candidate already comfortable with Quesmed, continuity can be useful. The question is whether it serves the present examination and the learner's gaps, not whether its catalogue contains the greatest number of possible future qualifications.
Pastest: inspect the explanation experience
Pastest's PLAB resources, checked on 3 October 2026, include exam-preparation products and a route into structured learning. Its established question-and-explanation approach makes it a relevant option to evaluate when a candidate needs more support understanding difficult material.
Explanation depth is a selection criterion, not a result from a head-to-head trial. Do not assume Pastest is always superior on this dimension, or transfer features from its MRCP or AKT products without checking the PLAB specification. Confirm the current product and payment term directly rather than carry forward an undated estimate.
A useful trial is to choose a concept you have genuinely misunderstood. Read the explanation, close it, then account for the decision in your own words. A large amount of text is less useful than a clear resolution of the particular confusion.
iatroX: connect the attempted question to the next learning step
According to iatroX's October 2026 product information, its PLAB preparation includes adaptive sequencing, spaced repetition, a Socratic Tutor linked to attempted questions and an exam-date-aware study planner. A practical sequence is to attempt independently, examine the misconception, then return to a related question after an interval.
Ask-iatroX and free question access remain genuinely free, without trial expiry or a verification gate. Full question banks, ongoing Socratic Tutor, study planner, iatroX Simulations and CPD tools are included together for £99 paid upfront annually or £29 monthly. The annual equivalent is £8.25 per month billed annually. At these October 2026 prices, three monthly payments total £87 and four total £116, making annual cheaper from the fourth month.
The earlier guide's statements about entire MRCP, MRCEM and PSA banks being free are not the current general pricing description. The free PARA bank is a distinct offering; it should not be used to imply that all examinations have unlimited free access. For PLAB candidates, the value argument is relevant question practice, explanation, planning and later appropriate simulation in one bundle.
The earlier guide also mentioned Medibuddy as an additional adaptive option. That remains a product to investigate separately, not a substitute for checking whether the specific PLAB resource is currently offered with the features you require. No current Medibuddy feature or price is assumed in this comparison.
Build a small resource combination
A fictional candidate, Elena, already owns a question bank and has covered most topic areas. Her repeated mistakes involve selecting an investigation when the question asks for immediate action. She does not need to rebuild her entire preparation. She needs to identify the requested decision before comparing options and then test that correction in unfamiliar mixed questions.
Another candidate has barely practised professional scenarios and needs a coverage check against official material. A third understands explanations but runs out of time. These candidates can use the same bank yet need different next activities. An additional resource is justified only when it supplies something the existing arrangement does not.
Use iatroX's dedicated four-week PLAB plan and content-map article for those narrower tasks. A single maintained comparison should help readers choose, while the supporting articles show how to use the choice effectively.
Verdict by candidate scenario
For the lowest published upfront costs among the priced options here, PassMedicine is particularly relevant. For PLAB-focused question discussion and revision guides, Plabable is worth examining. For a bundled note, mock and AI-review workflow, consider MedRevisions while checking the total US-dollar payment and treating readiness scores cautiously.
Quesmed or Pastest may suit a candidate who prefers their specific explanation and study environment. iatroX is a useful option where the missing element is a connected question-to-Tutor-to-retest process, with planning and simulation relevant to the same professional goal. Candidates already learning effectively should feel no obligation to add another paid platform.
Frequently asked questions
Which PLAB 1 resource is cheapest in this comparison?
PassMedicine advertised four months of PLAB 1 and 2 access for £12 on 3 October 2026, below the paid iatroX plans. Compare the actual package and duration, and retain the currency shown for US-dollar offers.
Should I use old PLAB recall PDFs?
They should not replace current official preparation material or verified clinical sources, and their provenance and permissions may be unclear. Practise transferable decisions rather than relying on remembered examination content.
Should I buy a platform because it covers exams after PLAB?
Only when those later resources are genuinely relevant to your intended pathway and included in the selected plan. Your immediate preparation needs, accessibility and budget matter more than unrelated catalogue breadth.