PLAB 1 now aligns with the GMC MLA content map, so the bank you choose should reflect the current exam rather than old recalls. For international medical graduates, the right choice covers exam-style volume, weak-area targeting and UK-guideline-grounded explanations. This guide compares the main PLAB 1 banks in 2026 — strengths, price and best fit — and looks at what carries you beyond PLAB into UK training. PLAB 1 is a three-hour paper of 180 single-best-answer questions, now aligned to the same MLA content map as the UKMLA, with sittings across the year in the UK and at international centres. For most IMGs it is the opening step of a longer journey: a pass leads on to PLAB 2, then GMC registration, then the MSRA for specialty recruitment and membership exams such as MRCP or MRCEM. That matters for choosing a bank, because a platform that only covers PLAB 1 leaves you starting over at each subsequent exam, whereas one that spans the whole pathway keeps your history and habits in one place. The criteria that separate the options are MLA-map alignment, question volume and exam-style stems, the quality of UK-guideline-grounded explanations, and whether the bank adapts to your weaknesses. Pricing is as of mid-2026 — confirm current rates on each provider's site.
PLABable — best PLAB-specific pool and community
PLABable is the most popular PLAB-1-specific bank among IMGs, with a large pool — in the region of 2,500-plus PLAB-targeted questions — detailed explanations, per-question community discussion and performance tracking, plus its Big Mocks. Notes and mocks can be priced on top. Best for: candidates who want a large, affordable, PLAB-specific pool with strong community support. The community discussion on each question is a genuine draw for IMGs adjusting to UK-style stems, though it is a PLAB-1-only product that does not continue into later exams.
MedRevisions — best all-in-one PLAB and UKMLA package
MedRevisions covers PLAB 1 and the UKMLA with a large bank — over 5,400 questions mapped to the MLA content map — from around $10.80 a month, with 30-plus customisable timed mocks and unlimited resets, a Smart Note Library included free, an AI tutor and a Readiness Score, all guideline-aligned to NICE, CKS and SIGN, and running since 2019. Best for: candidates who want a bundled PLAB-and-UKMLA package with notes, mocks and a readiness signal. Bundling the notes for free with the question bank is a real saving over buying study materials separately.
Quesmed — best for multi-exam coverage
Quesmed covers PLAB alongside the UKMLA, the MSRA and MRCP, with integrated notes and a polished app from around £14.99 a month. Best for: those who want one subscription spanning PLAB and the exams that follow.
Pastest — best for explanation quality
Pastest covers PLAB with its characteristic depth and explanation quality, at a premium price. Best for: candidates who prefer more explanatory scaffolding and are comfortable paying more.
iatroX — best low-cost adaptive layer that continues after PLAB
iatroX is adaptive and reasoning-focused: an engine that targets your weak areas, a Socratic tutor that rebuilds the reasoning behind a wrong answer, questions mapped to the MLA content map that PLAB shares, spaced repetition and native apps, grounded in NICE and CKS. Crucially, the same platform covers the exams after PLAB — the MSRA, MRCP, MRCEM and more — so it carries you into UK training rather than ending at PLAB 1. Its PLAB 1 bank sits on one subscription at £29 a month or £99 a year, with free samples to try first; its MRCP Part 1, MRCEM, PSA and PARA banks are free. Best for: IMGs who want adaptive, guideline-grounded practice and one platform for the whole journey into UK training. Medibuddy is another adaptive option that covers PLAB.
Which is best for you?
For the largest PLAB-specific pool and community, PLABable. For a bundled PLAB-and-UKMLA package with notes and mocks, MedRevisions. For multi-exam coverage, Quesmed. For explanation depth, Pastest. For an adaptive layer that continues into UK training, iatroX.
The recommended setup
A strong, economical approach is to pair a primary PLAB pool with an adaptive layer: PLABable or MedRevisions for volume, community and mocks, with iatroX alongside for adaptive weak-area targeting and guideline-grounded reasoning. Because iatroX also covers the MSRA and membership exams, the same platform stays useful long after PLAB, so you are not starting over with each new exam. Verify any answer you are unsure of against UK guidance, since PLAB rewards UK decision-making rather than recall, and old recall PDFs no longer reflect the current MLA-aligned exam. That last point is worth emphasising: thousands of candidates search for free PLAB recall PDFs each year, but a document from an earlier year will miss both current guidelines and the newer MLA-style clinical scenarios, so it can quietly teach the wrong answer. Live, regularly updated material is safer. A realistic budget for many IMGs is one primary pool plus a low-cost adaptive layer, with any spend concentrated on the mocks and notes that genuinely add value rather than on several overlapping banks. Because the same adaptive platform can carry you through the MSRA and membership exams, treating PLAB preparation as the opening stage of a longer setup, rather than a one-off purchase, is usually the more economical path.
A few common questions
What is the best PLAB 1 question bank? PLABable leads on PLAB-specific volume and community, MedRevisions on the bundled package; iatroX is the strongest adaptive layer and continues into UK training. Many candidates combine a primary pool with an adaptive layer.
Which is cheapest? Prices vary; PLABable and MedRevisions are competitively priced, and iatroX offers free samples with its PLAB bank on a £29/£99 subscription that also covers later exams.
Do old PLAB recalls still work? Be cautious — the exam now aligns with the MLA content map, so current, guideline-updated material is safer than old recall PDFs.
What carries on after PLAB? Most IMGs go on to the MSRA and membership exams; a platform covering those, such as iatroX, saves starting over.
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