For PLAB 1, start with PLABable if you want the cheapest, most PLAB-specific bank with a strong community, and PassMedicine if you want a larger, deeper multi-exam platform with extensive teaching notes that you'll keep through your career. Both offer 5,000+ PLAB questions mapped to the GMC's MLA content map, so the real difference isn't raw volume — it's focus, explanation depth and price.
Key takeaways
- Both have 5,000+ PLAB questions mapped to the MLA content map — volume isn't the deciding factor.
- PLABable is PLAB-only, cheapest, and community-driven, with concise explanations.
- PassMedicine is a broad multi-exam ecosystem with deep teaching notes, two textbooks and a gold-standard mock.
- Choose by focus and longevity: a tight PLAB sprint (PLABable) vs a platform you'll reuse for postgraduate exams (PassMedicine).
- Neither is a "reasoning tutor" — that's a gap you can fill cheaply alongside either.
Verdict in one line each
- PLABable: the focused, low-cost, PLAB-specific choice with strong peer support.
- PassMedicine: the deeper, broader ecosystem that follows you well beyond PLAB.
Side by side
| PLABable | PassMedicine | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | PLAB Part 1 only | PLAB 1 + most UK exams (finals/UKMLA, MRCP, AKT, MSRA…) |
| PLAB questions | 5,000+ | 5,000+ |
| Explanations | Concise learning points | Extensive teaching notes + two textbooks |
| Mocks | Timed mocks + £30 Big Mock | Gold-standard 180-question mock; timed tests |
| Price | £20 / 3 months (+£10 Gems) | Affordable; varies by exam/length |
| Mobile app | Yes | Web-focused |
| MLA-aligned | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | A tight PLAB-only sprint | Depth + reuse across your career |
Question approach and explanations
This is the clearest difference. PLABable delivers concise, high-yield learning points and a "Must Know" filter to surface the most important questions — efficient for fast drilling. PassMedicine pairs each question with extensive teaching notes that build into a reference library, plus a high-yield textbook and an extended textbook for depth beyond the syllabus. If you learn by reading around a topic, PassMedicine gives you more; if you prefer to drill and move on, PLABable is leaner.
Price and model
PLABable is the cheaper entry — £20 for three months — but each subscription is tied to a single attempt, with a reset fee, so plan your window. PassMedicine is also affordable and, crucially, the same account ethos spans many exams: the PLAB resource sits alongside its 11,000+ finals/UKMLA bank, MRCP, the MRCGP AKT and more, so it's the better value if you'll sit UK exams beyond PLAB.
Which should you start with?
- Short PLAB runway, budget-first: PLABable — focused, cheap, community-backed.
- You'll sit UK postgraduate exams later: PassMedicine — one ecosystem you'll reuse.
- You want maximum explanation depth: PassMedicine's teaching notes and textbooks.
- You want peer support and exam-rhythm community: PLABable's comments and WhatsApp groups.
Where iatroX fits alongside either
Neither bank is built to teach reasoning — they test it. That's the gap iatroX fills without being a third paid subscription: Ask iatroX is free, and works next to PLABable or PassMedicine to check why an answer is right against UK guidance (NICE, CKS, SIGN and the SmPC) — particularly useful for IMGs translating from another country's guidelines. If you later want adaptive practice plus a Socratic Tutor that works through the reasoning before showing the answer, the iatroX Q-bank is £29/month or £99/year, with free sample questions. The honest play isn't "swap your bank for iatroX" — it's "use your main bank for volume, and the free Ask iatroX layer to understand your weak topics."
Best for each
- Choose PLABable if you want the cheapest, most PLAB-specific bank with strong community support.
- Choose PassMedicine if you want deeper explanations and a multi-exam platform you'll keep through your career.
- Add Ask iatroX (free) to either, to check the UK reasoning behind your weak topics.
Frequently asked questions
Is PLABable or PassMedicine better for PLAB 1? Neither is universally better. PLABable is the cheaper, PLAB-specific choice with strong community; PassMedicine is the deeper, broader ecosystem that follows you into postgraduate exams. Both have 5,000+ MLA-mapped PLAB questions.
Which is cheaper, PLABable or PassMedicine? PLABable's entry price (£20 for three months) is very low, though tied to one attempt. PassMedicine is also affordable and offers better long-term value if you'll use it for other UK exams.
Do I need both PLABable and PassMedicine? Usually not. One primary bank is enough; running two mainly adds cost. If anything, add a free reasoning/UK-guideline layer rather than a second full bank.
Which has better explanations? PassMedicine, generally — its teaching notes and two textbooks give more depth, where PLABable keeps explanations concise. If you want reasoning support on top, a Socratic tutor or guideline-checking layer helps with either.
Which is better for IMGs specifically? Both work well. PLABable's PLAB focus and community suit IMGs on a tight runway; PassMedicine suits those who'll sit further UK exams. For UK-guideline gaps — the common IMG weak spot — a guideline-checking layer matters more than which bank you pick.