PLAB 2 OSCE stations: the complete guide

The PLAB 2 examination is an OSCE — an Objective Structured Clinical Examination — run by the General Medical Council to confirm that international medical graduates are ready to practise safely at the level of a doctor starting their second foundation year. If you have only ever sat written exams, the format can feel unfamiliar at first. This guide walks through exactly what to expect and how to prepare with confidence.

What is the PLAB 2 OSCE format?

PLAB 2 is a circuit of 16 clinical stations. Each station lasts ten minutes, with a short time to read the candidate instructions before you go in. You move from station to station, meeting simulated patients, relatives or colleagues, while an examiner observes and scores you against a structured mark scheme. There is no viva in the traditional sense — you are assessed on how you actually consult.

Because the circuit samples a broad range of skills, no single weak station will sink you. The exam is designed to build a rounded picture of whether you can gather information, reason clinically, and communicate like a safe foundation doctor.

The station types you will face

Stations are drawn from a predictable set of clinical and communication tasks. Practising across all of them — rather than only the ones you find comfortable — is the single biggest driver of a confident pass.

• History taking — establishing the presenting complaint and a safe differential.
• Clinical explanation — explaining a diagnosis, investigation or management plan clearly.
• Communication with relatives — addressing concerns and sharing information appropriately.
• Communication with colleagues — handover, escalation and teamwork (including telephone scenarios).
• Teaching — teaching a student or junior a practical skill or concept.
• Breaking bad news — delivering difficult information with empathy and structure.
• Consent — explaining a procedure and obtaining informed consent.
• Handling complaints — responding to a dissatisfied patient or relative professionally.
• Ethical dilemmas — navigating capacity, confidentiality and competing duties.

How PLAB 2 stations are marked

Each station is scored across three domains: Data Gathering, Technical and Assessment Skills; Clinical Management Skills; and Interpersonal Skills. Examiners award a score in each domain and an overall judgement. You do not need to be flawless — you need to demonstrate safe, structured, patient-centred practice consistently across the circuit.

Understanding the three domains changes how you practise. A candidate who gathers a beautiful history but never checks the patient’s ideas, concerns and expectations is leaving easy interpersonal marks on the table. Deliberately rehearsing all three domains in every practice consultation is what separates a borderline performance from a comfortable pass.

How to practise PLAB 2 stations effectively

Reading about stations is not the same as doing them. The skill being tested is live consultation under time pressure, so your practice has to be live too. Effective preparation has three ingredients: realistic simulated patients, a strict ten-minute clock, and structured feedback against the PLAB 2 domains after every attempt.

• Practise out loud, against the clock — not silently in your head.
• Rehearse a consistent structure you can fall back on under pressure.
• Always check ideas, concerns and expectations, and safety-net clearly.
• Review feedback after each station and target your weakest domain next.
• Vary the station types and patient behaviours so nothing feels novel on the day.

This is exactly what ZWIP is built for: realistic AI simulated patients, a true-to-exam ten-minute station, and structured PLAB 2 feedback after every consultation — so you can practise as many stations as you need, whenever you have ten minutes free. Register free to explore the station library, then start practising when you are ready.