Three months is the most comfortable timeframe for PLAB 1 for most candidates: at two to three hours a day, twelve weeks gives you a thorough foundation phase, a solid volume phase, and real time for mocks without burning out. PLAB 1 is 180 single-best-answer questions in three hours, mapped to the 2026 MLA content map and pitched at UK Foundation Year 2 level. This plan front-loads a longer foundation phase, which suits anyone returning to study or revising alongside other commitments.
Key takeaways
- Designed for ~2–3 hours/day over 12 weeks — sustainable, not punishing.
- Weeks 1–7 build broad coverage; weeks 8–10 drill mixed sets; weeks 11–12 are mocks.
- The longer foundation phase suits candidates rebuilding knowledge or balancing other commitments.
- Target ~30–40 questions/day, rising in the volume phase, with thorough review.
- Use the extra time for depth and spaced review — not for procrastination.
Who is this plan for?
Three months works well if you can give revision a steady couple of hours most days and want time to understand topics properly rather than cram. If you can study full-time, you may not need the full twelve weeks — see the 6-week plan. If you're juggling a full-time job, look at the study-around-work plan, which assumes more fragmented time.
The 12-week plan, week by week
| Weeks | Phase | Focus | Questions/day | Mocks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Foundation | Cardiology, respiratory | 30 | — |
| 3–4 | Foundation | Endocrine, GI, renal | 30–40 | — |
| 5–6 | Foundation | Neurology, infectious disease, haematology | 30–40 | 1 |
| 7 | Foundation | O&G, paediatrics, psychiatry, ethics & law | 40 | 1 |
| 8–9 | Volume | Mixed sets across all systems; review weak topics | 40–50 | 2 |
| 10 | Volume | Targeted weak-area drilling | 50 | 2 |
| 11–12 | Mocks | Timed full-length mocks; consolidation only | — | 4–5 |
A sustainable daily routine
Two to three hours, most days, beats long weekends followed by gaps. A workable pattern: a main block of fresh-topic questions, a shorter block reviewing the day's mistakes and reading around them, and — crucially in a twelve-week plan — periodic spaced review of earlier topics so weeks 1–4 don't fade by week 10. Keep one lighter day a week.
The final fortnight
Stop new material around two weeks out and switch to consolidation. Do a timed full-length mock every two to three days, re-attempt your previously wrong questions, and focus on your weakest systems. Sort the logistics — centre, identification, timing — early so the run-in is calm. With no negative marking, practise committing to an answer under time pressure rather than second-guessing.
How to use a question bank across three months
The advantage of twelve weeks is time for depth and spaced review, so the risk is letting early topics fade. Three habits counter that: review every wrong answer until the reasoning is clear, periodically resurface older topics, and let an adaptive system bring back your weak areas automatically rather than relying on memory of what you struggled with weeks ago.
iatroX fits a three-month plan well: its adaptive engine resurfaces weak topics across the whole period so nothing fades, the Socratic Tutor works through the reasoning when you're stuck, and Ask iatroX lets you confirm management against UK guidance (NICE, CKS, SIGN and the SmPC). It covers PLAB 1 and UKMLA on one subscription (£29/month or £99/year), with free sample questions.
Frequently asked questions
Is 3 months enough to study for PLAB 1? Yes — for most candidates it's the most comfortable timeframe, allowing a thorough foundation phase, a volume phase and time for mocks at a sustainable two to three hours a day.
How many hours a day for a 3-month PLAB 1 plan? Around two to three hours most days. Consistency over twelve weeks matters more than occasional long sessions, and a longer timeframe lets you learn topics properly rather than cram.
How many questions a day over 3 months? Roughly 30–40 a day in the foundation phase, rising to 40–50 in the volume phase, plus full-length mocks in the final fortnight. Reviewing mistakes is what moves your score.
How do I stop early topics fading over a longer plan? Build in spaced review of earlier systems, and use an adaptive bank that automatically resurfaces topics you were weak on — relying on memory of what you struggled with eight weeks ago is the common failure.