PLAB 2

PLAB 2 Exam - My Experiences

Congratulations on Passing PLAB 1. You’ve already kept one foot on the dream of working and growing your career in the UK now. Kudos to your brilliant efforts so far. Now let’s jump into the second big hurdle called PLAB 2.

By now, I believe that you have already done your EPIC verification. If you’re still not sure what that is, I recommend you to go through this blog before. Here is the link:

ECFMG – EPIC Verification:

https://sidukjourney.blogspot.com/p/ecfmg-epic.html

PLAB 2 is the exam that comes with big things at stake. You are so close to your final destination, yet so far, as the final exam in this journey comes with some really hard work, dedication, perseverance and sometimes also a bit of luck. I have seen people passing this exam with just like a 15-day academy course and a week-long self-practice, and at the same time, I have seen people traumatized by failing this exam 3 to 4 times in a row and finally giving up on the journey to The UK or running out of PLAB 1 expiry date (2 years). It is definitely uncertain, but as they say, there is always a silver lining on the dark clouds, it is an extreme and exhilarating joy to see that definitive “PASS” word on your result day.

Following is my synopsis of the experience that I’ve gained in the process. I always say, please listen to all other views and take your own decision wisely, as you know yourself better than anyone else.

1. Booking PLAB 2 Exam

First thing to sort out is the PLAB 2 dates. You can see the list of PLAB 2 dates from your GMC login account on the test section. Once you get your PLAB 1 result, immediately book your PLAB 2 exam as the date you are planning might vanish quickly after the result. There are a few things to keep in mind before booking a date. My recommendation to book a date is to go from the following approach:

- Keep at least 1 month time in hand for obtaining a PLAB 2 visa (15 days for collecting documents and another 15 to get a decision on your application)

- Then, search for the PLAB 2 academy schedule that’s nearest from that tentative date of receiving the visa. For that, you need to go to the website of those academies and look for the class schedule.

- Once you find an appropriate schedule of the batch that you are looking forward to joining, look for the course end date for that batch (course is 15 days long in most of these academies). From that date, add around 7 to 10 weeks for your self-preparation.

The date that comes in your hand, as a result, is the appropriate one for your PLAB 2 exam.

For example, if your PLAB 1 exam result is on the 17^th of October, then add 1 month for Visa processing. You are thus tentatively receiving visa around 20^th of November. If you want to join common stations academy, go to their website and search for the batch that runs beyond the 20^th of November. Suppose you found a batch that runs from 27^th of November to 11^th of December, then roughly add 7 weeks for your preparation, which will come around at the end of January. Hence, you need to choose the PLAB 2 date around the first week of February. Every week there are about 3 to 4 exam days, each with the total capacity to accommodate 72 candidates. The exam takes place in the clinical assessment center, Manchester.

The another way to shorten your UK trip and save the expenses is to join an academy that has the facility of an online course. Take that course from your home country (which of course is difficult to cope with and not an ideal way), and go to the UK afterward for one-on-one practice, mocks and hands-on experience over mannequins and Simman. If you are able to go with this approach, the added advantage is, your 1 month visa processing time, which was going in vain will be utilized and you will be able to take PLAB 2 at least 1 month sooner. Whichever the route you choose, just make sure that you are not cutting down that 7-10 weeks preparation time post academy.

2. Booking the academy course

Generally, the academy requires you to pay before-hand via Bank transfer for the course. So, email/call them and let them know your intention of joining the batch you had previously preferred. They will then provide you with bank details to pay the fee.

I joined common station academy. They have a unique way of processing such a request. Once, you email them about the batch that you are preferring, they will arrange a phone call by Dr. Hamed himself. He will explain to you about the details of his academy. Shortly after, you will receive an email regarding the payment details.

3. Choosing the right academy

There is nothing as such called right or wrong academy for PLAB 2. The main role of all the academy is to orient you to the exam format, let you know the approach to various kinds of stations, give you the hands-on experience over mannequins and provide mock exams. There are pros and cons to each one of these academies.

However, there is also some recommendation to choose an appropriate academy for you. In my view, choose that academy which is nearer to your accommodation of preference in the UK. For example, if your preferred accommodation is in East Ham, Barking or Ilford, then choose common stations. If your preferred accommodation is not in London, but in Manchester, choose the academy which is nearer to that place. Thus, in a nutshell, your first priority in choosing your academy is the one that is near to the accommodation that best suits you. Having a happy and comfortable place to live will make your preparation much easier. The second factor is to choose that academy which your other group of friends, who are traveling on the same dates, are preferring. Being with the near and dear ones in a group will boost your confidence and you will never feel alone.

Common stations academy

Popular academies for PLAB 2 course in the UK are: Common Station, Samson’s Academy, Aspire Academy and Swamy’s Academy. Each one of them has its own pros and cons. Take your decision wisely. As I chose common stations, my recommendation will be the same as well.

4. Collecting documents and applying for a visa

Once you are done with PLAB 2 booking, you will receive PLAB 2 booking confirmation email. Using that (along with other documents) apply for PLAB 2 visa. I have a separate blog dedicated fully to my experience of PLAB 2 visa. Here is the link to it:

https://sidukjourney.blogspot.com/p/plab-2-v.html

5. Travelling Arrangement

Next step is to sort out plane tickets. Check various websites and your local agencies for the cheapest and the most convenient route and fare. If you are traveling to the UK from Nepal, there are options of Qatar Airways, Etihad Air, Oman Air and Combo of Fly Dubai + Emirates. Qatar Airways is by far the best among these options. You will have transit on Hamad International Airport on Doha. Your destination airport should be London Heathrow Airport (LHR) if you are joining the common station academy. Make sure you are booking return tickets as well, otherwise you will get into trouble at UK immigration. A piece of recommendation here from my side is, do not book the arrival or departure date which falls on weekends (Saturday & Sunday), as most of the tube lines are suspended or functioning less frequently in these two days.

Another thing to sort out is travel insurance. On your trip to the UK for PLAB 2 exam, god-forbid, but if you fall ill, you need to have a backup plan for that as well. NHS is free for British People and Tier 2 work visa holders (after paying IHS fee), however, it's not free for visitors. Charges for simple tests or GP consultation can go up to hundreds of pounds, which may hit you hard. So to cover this expense, get a travel health insurance from an insurance company in your home country. There are various schemes, choose one of them that covers all the health-related illnesses. The insurance premium is also quite nominal. I paid NRs. 8000 (~ GBP 55) that covered my entire duration of stay in the UK.   

6. Utilizing the time between your visa application and travel date

This is your most crucial time. If you are not taking online academies, this time is normally spent doing nothing. I recommend you start practicing during this time. Once you pay the academy fees, they will send a few materials. Start going through them. If you are having difficulty starting your preparation, take help from the seniors who have passed this exam recently. Try understanding the marking scheme and exam format. I am always available if you want my mentorship as well (for more information on my Mentorship Program click here https://sidukjourney.blogspot.com/p/plab-2-course.html). I have uploaded some introductory videos on PLAB 2 exam on youtube. You can also go through them during this time period. Here is the link:

1. Introduction to PLAB 2 exam marking scheme:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OFOiPbrDyI&t=394s

2. Orientation to the exam centre:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV_oL3ZrSCs&t=294s

3. Understanding the type and format of the stations and candidate's task:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kmFaekgwTU

4. Approach to the history-based OSCE station in PLAB 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-M5_enWUBk

5. Approach to the simman based OSCE station and Simman - Acute Asthma station:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8aVMELUCiw

7. Arranging Accommodation

I recommend staying in a group. Book accommodation near to the academy or stay in your relative’s place if you have that privilege. If you are booking on your own, you can use

Advertisement for accommodations around Barking Station

websites like Airbnb, Spare rooms, Gumtree, Roomgo, Travelodge, etc. If you are choosing common stations make your first priority to stay in a place called Barking. If it’s not possible or available, you can also choose other places which are at either a walking distance or one station far. These are places like Ilford, Upney, Dagenham Dock, East Ham, Upton Park, Woodgrange Park, etc. Another way is to get help from your seniors, who have already been there previously for this exam. I can provide you with some contact numbers of landlords around common stations academy if you want. Near the barking stations, you can also see many shops which provide space for the advertisement for accommodation around. You can also ask for academy accommodation. However, these are quite pricy for the space they provide.

My Room near Barking

8. Traveling to London and getting to Common Station

After all this, you are finally traveling. This in itself is a kind of an experience. Enjoy the flight. Once you reach London Heathrow Airport, make your way towards the immigration area (UK border agency). For that you have to follow the yellow signboard “Arrival and Baggage Reclaim”. There are different lanes inside the airport to reach there. Please walk in the correct lane. I struggled a lot myself here. UK passport holders along with passport holders of Europe, Australia, Canada, Japan, Iceland, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway,  Singapore, South Korea, and the USA have one separate lane and the rest of the passport holders has another lane to reach the area of UK border agency.

Once you reach there, they will check your documents and ask you various questions regarding your travel. Keep your passport, boarding pass, PLAB 2 booking confirmation, and accommodation confirmation documents in hand. If everything is okay and genuine, you will get your passport stamped. Stay sharp, confident, and truthful here.

From there you will reach the bagging area. Claim your bags, then go towards the customs area. There are two entry points. Go to the green gate if you have arrived from outside EU and have nothing to declare at custom. Then make your way through it to the exit.

Once out of that, go towards the lift that takes you to the floor leading to the train station. To travel via train, you will require an Oyster Card. Get it from the station there and top up with at least 10 pounds. Use that card to get access to the train platform.

London Tubes Route Map (Click on the image to see in full resolution)

Keep an eye on the display board to see the timing of the train that’s arriving. Piccadilly line train, whose final destination is Cockfosters, is the one that’s coming to this station. Get on to it. You will then travel through these stations:

Heathrow Terminal 1,2,3 – Hatton Cross – Hounslow West – Hounslow Central – Hounslow East – Osterley – Boston Manor – Northfields – South Ealing – Acton Town – Turnham Green – Hammersmith.

Get off the train at this point. From here, you have two options “District line to Upminster” or “Hammersmith & City line to Barking”.  

Its easier to take District Line, as you just have to interchange the platform. You will then travel through these stations:

West Kensington – Earl’s Court – South Kensington – Sloane Square – Victoria – Westminster – Embankment – Temple – Blackfriars – Mansion House – Cannon Street – Monument – Tower Hill – Aldgate East – Whitechapel – Stepney Green – Mile End – Bow Road – Bromley-By-Bow – West Ham – Plaistow – Upton Park – East Ham – Barking. Get off at this point.

If you took Hammersmith & City Line, you have to walk a little bit and change the station.

Oyster Card for Bus and Train

With luggage, it will be a bit difficult for you this way. However, also keep the information about it, just in case the District line is suspended for scheduled maintenance. You will then travel through these stations:

Goldhawk Road – Shepherd’s Bush Market – Wood Lane – Latimer Road – Ladbroke Grove – Westbourne Park – Royal Oak – Paddington – Edgware Road – Baker Street – Great Portland Street – Euston Square – Farringdon – Barbican – Moorgate – Liverpool Street – Aldgate East – Whitechapel – Stepney Green – Mile End – Bow Road – Bromley-By-Bow – West Ham – Plaistow – Upton Park – East Ham – Barking. Get off at this point.

Once out from Barking Station, get yourself a sim card. There are many options like Lycamobile, EE, GiffGaff, Three, Vodafone, etc. If you are on a budget, I recommend getting the Lycamobile Sim card. There is a place just beside the exit gate of the Barking Station, where they sell this sim card. Give your mobile phone to them, they will insert a sim card and configures all the settings on your phone as per your plan. The plan that I took was of 10 gbp/month. This includes UK to UK call/SMS free, 100 mins international call free (on selected countries like Europe/US/Canada/Aus/NZ/India, etc), and 3GB mobile data pack.

9. Classes at Common Stations

Classes at common stations and most other academies are very tiresome. Classes run continuously for 15 days from 8 am to 9pm in common stations. You will usually have a break at 3pm to 4:30pm. Make sure, you pack a lot of foods in your bag to eat during the class. You can also grab a coffee from a machine that’s outside the classroom. The price is 70P for a cup. You can always take a loo break, without taking any permission during the class.

Dr. Hamed teaching during the class

Dr. Hamed is a dedicated teacher. He teaches the entire course himself for 13 days. For the remaining 2 days, ex-plabbers will take classes for examination and mannequin based station. He provides teaching materials and scripts for more than 350 stations during these 15 days. Try to concentrate as much as possible during class. You will also have 2 mocks of 18 stations each after the 15 days course gets over. Likewise, you will also get hands-on training on Simman separately for 1 hour. The Simman at common station academy is exactly the same as the one you see on your exam day.

10. Living in London

Ripple Road, Barking

This is also one of the most important parts of your journey to the PLAB 2 exam. Staying near the academy or at a walking distance always comes in more than handy. As the barking train station is at 2-3 mins walking distance from the academy, you can always also live around the places which are 1-2 stations far from Barking. Academy lies at a place called Ripple Road in Barking.

Cooking your own food will save you a huge amount of money. Buy the groceries from supermarkets like ASDA or TESCO. Both are at 2 mins walking distance from the academy. KFC, Griller, Wood Oven, Deshy Grill, Mc Donald’s are all at walking distance from the academy. You can take fast food from there during your class lunch break.

After your course gets over you can take 1-2 days off for sightseeing around London.

ASDA Super Market

You can visit Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, British Museum, Big Ben, London Eye, Madame Tussauds Museum, Lord’s Cricket Ground, etc.

Get yourself a MONZO bank account to securely spend your money. You just need to download a Monzo App and create an account & upload your Passport. 2-3 days later they will drop a debit Mastercard at your place. Activate the card using the same app and top up the cash money. You can use any pay points to top up the cash, one of them is in the ASDA supermarket. They need your card and your cash. Within 10 mins, the money will be available on your bank account. They will deduce 1 pound from whatever amount you top up in your account. You can then use this card to pay in buses, tubes, restaurants, shopping malls, and also for online payment anywhere in the world. People from outside the UK can also send you money in this account using TRANSFERWISE.

KFC, Near Barking Station

Griller, Near Barking Station

Wood Oven, Near Barking Station

Deshy Grill, Near Common Station

McDonald's, Near Common Station

Monzo Card

11. Preparation post academy

This is the most crucial part. Once the academy course gets over you need to start preparing yourself. You must have 7-10 weeks for this. I have seen people passing this exam even with 2 weeks of post academy preparation and some not passing even on 3^rd attempt. I had 6 weeks, which I felt was slightly inadequate for me.

First of all, start going through the scripts. Try completing the first read nicely in 3 weeks. Then start practicing one-on-one with friends and also online. You may practice at the academy, at Barking Library (2 mins walking distance from the academy) or also at your own accommodation with friends. Try practicing with friends from different countries. Always communicate with your friends in English to improve your spoken English, even if your friend is from the same country. Practice and perfect your examination skills at the academy. You need to be sharp on the examination part, as they are coming in quite a big number these days.

Barking Library, Study Area

My study table during preparation days

Barking Library

There are three secrets to pass this exam. 1. Practice, 2. Practice and 3. Practice.

Apart from academy notes, the other two resources that I recommend are: Aman Arora PLAB 2 Audio Course for communication skills and iMedics Video Course for some examples of one-on-one clinical consultation.

12. Traveling to & Staying in Manchester

Enjoying the scenic view from the train while traveling to Manchester from London

One day before the exam, you need to travel to Manchester and spend a night there. You will get Avanti West Coast Train from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly. Price ranges from 50 – 70 pounds for an entire journey both the way. Booking it early makes the price cheaper.

London Euston Station

Manchester Piccadilly Station

Also, book accommodation in Manchester near the GMC building or in its walking distance. There are a lot of places around to stay. Travelodge Manchester Central, Hotel Campanile, Britannia Hotel Manchester, The Black Lion Hotel, etc are to name the few at affordable prices. Also make sure that you are getting healthy foods around, as you don’t want yourself to have an upset stomach a night before the exam. I found Hotel Campanile the best among them, as it was 10 mins walking distance from the exam center, and had good restaurants, KFC, McDonald’s, Sainsbury Supermarket, etc all within 2 mins walking distance. Price is around 40 to 60 pounds per night for a double bedroom with complimentary breakfast.

Hotel Campanile, Manchester Salford

Once you get off at Manchester Piccadilly station, you will get free bus service running at various routes. I have kept the map here, you can catch one of them which reaches nearest to your place of accommodation. Make sure you are visiting the exam center once before so that you won’t confuse your way on the exam day.

13. Returning back to your country

Finally it’s that beautiful moment to return back to your home. Now you understand why many football teams and cricket teams find it easy to win matches in home venues but difficult in away matches. You have probably taken many exams in your life without any struggle like this because you were playing matches in home venues. This is your away venue match, and the victory on such is always sweeter and worthwhile remembering forever.

A piece of information here. If you want to buy gadgets, clothes, or any tools, this is the right time. Always make sure you are asking for a VAT bill for VAT return at the airport. You can receive a cashback of up to 20% in submitting your VAT bill.

This is all about my journey of PLAB 2. I have tried compiling all my experience and providing you with my personal recommendations. I hope you found it useful. If you have any question, you can always use the comment section below or contact me from one of these ways.

Thank you.