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PLAB vs AMC Exams: A Comprehensive Comparison

For medical practitioners considering relocation choosing the right county is so important. However, this choice involves careful consideration of several factors. Among these factors is the qualification exam and process that allows you to practice medicine in your chosen destination legally.

That’s why in this article, we will comprehensively compare the PLAB and AMC exams, two prominent assessments that facilitate medical practice in different countries— Canada and Australia.

We will explore both exams under the following headings

  • Eligibility Criteria
  • Format and Content
  • Fees
  • Assessment Process
  • Passing Rates
  • Recognition and Licensure
  • Challenges and Considerations

But before we proceed, let’s explain what the PLAB & AMC are.

What is PLAB?

PLAB is an acronym for the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board test, and it is conducted by the General Medical Council (GMC). The United Kingdom uses it to assess if immigrant doctors seeking to practice have the proper knowledge and skills to provide safe and effective medical care to their citizens.

What is AMC?

AMC stands for the Australian Medical Council, a body that assesses and accredits medical practitioners in Australia. The AMC conducts a series of examinations designed to evaluate the knowledge, clinical skills, and professionalism of candidates seeking registration to practice medicine.

Eligibility Criteria

First on our list are the pre-requirements needed to be eligible to take the exams in these countries.

The AMC requires,

  1. Proof of identity includes a valid passport and a government I.D. This is to verify that you are who you say you are and that you are a registered citizen of that country
  2. You must present your degree and the official transcript from your university.
  3. Immigrating doctors are usually required to have some years of experience working in a hospital or clinic. A letter of recommendation and experience letter would be required.
  4. Medical Registration Certificate. This will prove that you are eligible to practice medicine in your home country.

 

However, to qualify for the PLAB, requires,

  1. You must have completed and obtained your medical degree from an institution listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools.
  2. You must have taken an English proficiency test (IELTS or OET) and passed with the necessary scores.
  3. You must be eligible to practice medicine in your home country.
  4. It is required that you have completed 12 months of internship at a teaching or approved hospital to obtain complete registration,

Format and Content

The next thing to discuss is the format of both exams. Both exams are divided into parts. PLAB is divided into two,

PLAB 1 is a written test comprising 180 multiple-choice questions that must be answered within 3 hours. Each question starts with a scenario followed by a question and assesses your understanding of basic medical sciences, clinical medicine, and ethics.

PLAB 2 is a practical review that evaluates your clinical skills, including communication, history-taking, physical examination, and clinical management. The idea here is to reflect real life and comprises 18 clinical scenarios that last 8 minutes each.

On the other hand, the AMC exams are divided into two

  • CAT mcq questions
  • Clinical examination.

The Computer Adaptive test is an MCQ numbering 150, and it tests your knowledge in general practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, surgery, and obstetrics and gynecology.

The clinical examination is a practical assessment that evaluates your clinical skills in patient care and communication, review, and diagnosis. It has 20 stations and takes about 3 hours and 20 minutes. The clinical exam has a choice called the workplace-based assessment pathway (WBA); it has a cactusmeraviglietina.it limited spot and is open to doctors employed at one of ten sites accredited by the AMC for this purpose in Australia.

Remember, you can always rely on CanadaQBank to help you pass your PLAB or AMC.

Fees

Of the two examinations, PLAB is the less expensive option. PLAB 1 costs about AUD 492 (£ 255), while the AMC MCQ costs AUD2,920(£ 1,515). PLAB 2 costs AUD 1,799 (£ 934), and the AMC Clinical examination is about AUD 3,730(£ 1,934).

Assessment Process

PLAB 1 exams are run four times a year in the UK and abroad. You can take the test 4 times but must undergo an extra 12 months of clinical training to be allowed a 5th and final try. PLAB 2 is held only in the U.K., and the venues available will be shown when you register online. Also, PLAB 2 must be done within two years of passing PLAB1.

AMC CAT exam is held on multiple dates every month worldwide, and you have an unlimited amount of trials. However, the clinical exam can only be taken after completing the CAT exam. Note that it can also be taken online. This format was been developed to account for health restrictions especially following the pandemic.

Passing Rates

The pass rate for both exams paints an interesting picture, but you must remember that the AMC is geared towards new medical practitioners while PLAB is aimed at the more experienced.

Over the last five years, PLAB has maintained a 65% pass average for PLAB1, and PLAB 2’s pass average is 69%. The AMC, on the other hand, has an average pass rate of 63% for the MCQ, but it drops for the clinical exam to an average of 28%. However, the workplace based assessment (WBA) of the has a pass rate of 99%.

Recognition and Licensure

Passing your PLAB exam allows you to apply for complete registration and grants you a license to practice, and this should be done within two years of passing PLAB 2. With this, you can begin working as a doctor once the GMC gives you approval.

Australia is a bit different in that you must first get an employment offer before being granted a provisional license that will allow you to complete a 12-month internship where you prove your competence. This can be done after passing your AMC CAT exam, helping you reduce your time. Once you have completed both parts of the exam plus your trial year, you are eligible to work in Australia.

Challenges and Considerations

Both exams come with their challenges. The AMC is quite expensive, and as its pass rate has shown, it may require multiple attempts. To avoid overspending, past successful AMC test takers recommend preparing for three months – 1 year.

PLAB allows a max of 5 attempts, so it is prudent that you pass. Experts recommend spending 1.5-4 months preparing for the exams, as seen in the previous pass rates.

Conclusion

The AMC and PLAB are crucial exams for anyone who wants to study in Australia or Canada, respectively. This is because you need to pass these exams to get your medical license and get a job in these countries. So, we know how important these exams are. And that’s why at CanadaQBank, we offer some of the best simulated AMC CAT MCQs you will ever get! It is gotten from the actual exams and updates regularly to go with changes in the curriculum.

For PLAB, we also have over 3400 of some of the best MCQs tailored to help you pass your PLAB 1. These simulated questions give you a feel of how the exams will be and make your medical dreams come true.

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How To Prepare For PLAB 2 Exam?

The PLAB 2 exam is the clinical component of the PLAB examination, required for international medical graduates who want to practice in the UK. It’s taken after PLAB 1 and is necessary to start your GMC application. It assesses the candidate’s clinical skills and decision-making process through a structured clinical exam with simulated patients. It also evaluates the candidate’s interpersonal skills, clinical management skills, data gathering, and technical and analytical skills. Each candidate is assessed with about 16 case scenarios involving simulated patients, each lasting about 8 minutes.

Entry Criteria For PLAB 2

To be eligible for PLAB 2, you must have passed PLAB 1 within three months of registering for PLAB 2. If it has been longer than that, you must provide additional evidence showcasing your clinical knowledge and skills. You also need a validated medical degree from a recognized medical school to take any of the exams.

Eligibility For GMC Registration

After passing the PLAB examinations, you can apply for GMC registration. However, you must still meet the eligibility criteria set by the General Medical Council to practice in the UK.

Structure of PLAB 2

Your competence is usually vetted in areas such as:

  • Communicating with relatives and other healthcare professionals
  • Seeking consent for an invasive procedure or postmortem
  • Providing lifestyle advice
  • Dealing with nervous patients or relatives
  • Breaking bad news
  • Performing venipuncture
  • Drug dosage calculations
  • Checking blood pressure
  • Suturing of wounds
  • Cardiopulmonary resuscitation on adults, children and babies
  • Interpreting a diagnostic investigation
  • Urinary catheterization
  • Performing a cervical smear.

PLAB 2 is usually conducted in the UK and its surroundings, and passing it is necessary to obtain a license to work in the UK as a doctor. The second part of any exam is often more challenging than the first, and this exam is no exception. The stakes are higher due to the hard work involved in preparing for the exam and the arrangements for travel, accommodation, and visas. If unsuccessful, the doctor’s career can be delayed or even jeopardized. Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be like that. In this article, we’ll highlight several effective ways to prepare for this exam to increase the likelihood of passing it on the first try.

1.  Focus On The Specific Aspect Of The Examination

Time is of the essence for an exam with 8-minute stations. You’ll always be asked for a specific history or examination; don’t veer off track. Performing a head-to-toe examination might indicate that you don’t know what you are looking for and are trying to cover all bases. Pay attention to the clinical findings to avoid repetition. That will save you more time and bolster your confidence. Do not show off your knowledge by listing medications irrelevant to the specialty. This can be off-putting and convey that you don’t know what to do.

2.  Don’t Forget The Task At Hand

It takes about 90 seconds to read the question. However, don’t use this time just to read the question; use it to understand the question and plan your next steps logically. The exam is not only about getting a diagnosis but also about your stepwise methodology for reaching that diagnosis and your capacity for risk assessment. You won’t receive full marks if you miss the methodology and jump straight to your diagnosis.

3.  Don’t Be Too Rehearsed

Although the exam is simulated, it’s imperative not to sound too rehearsed. Be yourself and remember that you are dealing with another human being—a little empathy can go a long way. A nod of the head, a gentle reassuring “uh-huh” can be comforting, as well as other kind words. However, be wary of using stock phrases that can sound rehearsed or unauthentic. Repetition of these phrases can also take valuable time away from asking beneficial clinical questions. It can also frustrate patients seeking urgent care. In essence, empathy and effective communication shouldn’t be overdone.

4.  Time Management Is Of The Essence

Many people prepare for PLAB 2 with questions like “Will I be able to complete a physical examination or a practical procedure in eight minutes?” Time and again, it has proven to be feasible. Eight minutes is enough to interact with the simulator as if they were a real patient. Practicing beforehand can help you effectively manage your time.

5.  Be Confident In Your Decisions

While there are stations where calling your senior colleagues for help is vital (you can even be given marks for that), doing so at every station shows that you aren’t confident in your decisions and lack the skills to function as an F2 doctor. Before you call on any senior, evaluate your decisions and check if they’ve resolved the issue.

6.  Don’t Rush

It’s easy to rush things when you are under extreme pressure, but this should be avoided wherever possible. When you rush through an examination or procedure, you cannot communicate effectively with the patient and might miss key steps. Try to maintain a steady pace so that you can perform the appropriate tasks within the allotted time while communicating properly with the patient.

7.  Adapt Adequately To The Location Of Your Simulation

Whether you are in a GP clinic or the A&E, adapting adequately to your consultation can help pace your examination, so keep this in mind.

8.  Practice More Physical Examination

You might think, “Isn’t this an ironic tip?” considering that doctors should have a great grasp of physical examination. However, the style of the PLAB examination can be very different from what you are used to, as you have to perform a physical examination and communicate with the patient simultaneously.

Conclusion

Finally, try to think of PLAB 2 as just another day at the clinic. This will help you build rapport with patients and be yourself as you communicate naturally with them. Constantly remind yourself that you are a doctor, you know what you are doing, and you are doing great.