UK PLAB (Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board) Sample Questions Set-2
Categories: U.K. PLAB (Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board)
Question. A 19 year old woman has worsening vaginal discharge and bilateral iliac fossa pain for 3 days. Her vaginal discharge is foul smelling and she has dyspareunia. She is feverish and feels unwell. Her temperature is 39.0°C.
Which combination of organisms are most likely to cause these symptoms?
A. Candida albicans and Gardnerella vaginalis
B. Chlamydia trachomatis and Candida albicans
C. Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis
D. Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Gardnerella vaginalis
E. Trichomonas vaginalis and Candida albicans
Answer. (C)
Question. An 85 year old man has a fall at home and is seen in the Emergency Department. He had incontinence of urine and had been lying on the floor all night. He had a myocardial infarction 8 years ago. He takes aspirin, atorvastatin and ramipril. His pulse rate is 94 bpm and BP 106/76 mmHg.
Investigations:
White cell count 14.3 × 10⁹/L (3.0–11.0)
Urea 30.4 mmol/L (2.5–7.8)
Creatinine 158 micromol/L (60–120)
Creatinine kinase 11025 U/L (25–200)
ECG: Q waves in lead III.
Which is the most likely cause of his raised creatinine kinase?
A. Acute kidney injury
B. Acute myocardial infarction
C. Dermatomyositis
D. Rhabdomyolysis
E. Urinary tract infection
Answer. (D)
Question. A 30 year old man has had weakness in his left arm and leg for three days. He is HIV positive with a CD4 count of 50 cells/mm3. He is not taking anti-retroviral therapy. His temperature is 37.5oC, pulse rate 95 bpm and BP 140/90 mmHg. He has power of 3/5 in his left arm and 4/5 in his left leg; there are no other focal neurological signs.
Investigations:
CD4 count 50 cells/mm3
CT scan of brain: multiple ring enhancing lesions with surrounding oedema.
What is the most appropriate antimicrobial therapy to prescribe?
A. Amphotericin and ceftazidime
B. Dexamethasone and acyclovir
C. Ganciclovir and ceftazidime
D. Isoniazid and rifampicin
E. Pyrimethamine and sulphadiazine
Answer. (E)
Question. A 13 year old boy’s mother is concerned that he has no friends and she brings him to the GP surgery. He does not play with other children. He likes model cars and has 1,000 cars in his collection. He is indifferent to either praise or criticism from his mother or teachers.
Which is the most likely diagnosis?
A. Attachment disorder
B. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
C. Autistic spectrum disorder
D. Obsessive compulsive disorder
E. Schizoid personality disorder
Answer. (C)
Question. A 19 year old woman is worried that she is overweight and is seen in the GP surgery. She has reduced her food intake and has been exercising for 2 hours each day for 18 months. She has amenorrhoea. She is in her first year of university and is struggling with her studies. Her body mass index is 15.5 kg/m2 and her blood pressure is 90/60 mmHg.
Which specialist service should she initially be referred to?
A. Acute medical services
B. Dietician
C. Eating disorder service
D. Psychodynamic services
E. University student counselling services
Answer. (C)
Question. A 28 year old woman requests contraception from the GP surgery. She has a 28 day menstrual cycle with a 6 day very heavy menstrual bleed. She had a pulmonary embolism in her previous pregnancy.
Which is the most appropriate contraception?
A. Combined oral contraceptive pill
B. Copper intrauterine contraceptive device
C. Levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (Mirena coil)
D. Progestogen implant
E. Progestogen-only pill
Answer. (C)
Question. A 65 year old man has pain in his abdomen and is seen on the surgical inpatient ward. He had a closure of his colostomy 5 days ago. His temperature is 36.5°C, pulse rate is 76 bpm, BP 124/82 mmHg and respiratory rate is 15 breaths per minute. There is a tender, localised fluctuant swelling 4 cm in diameter in the wound.
Which is the most appropriate management?
A. Abdominal support
B. Antibiotics
C. Laparotomy
D. Local exploration of wound
E. Observation
Answer. (D)
Question. 10,000 women underwent cervical cytology. 1000 had abnormal cells and had a second smear test. 100 of these women were confirmed as having pre-malignant cells and underwent laser ablation. Ten women who were not identified as needing a second cervical smear developed cervical cancer within 6-12 months.
Which term describes the group of 10 women who were not identified as needing a second smear but developed cervical cancer within 6-12 months?
A. Case control group
B. False negative group
C. Incident group
D. True negative group
E. True positive group
Answer. (B)
Question. A 38 year old man is constantly worried about his house being infected by germs for 3 months and he is seen in the GP surgery. He is worried about his personal safety and has been checking that the doors and windows are locked 20-30 times a day for 8 weeks. He has been washing his hands every time he touches the locks.
Which is the most appropriate initial management?
A. Antidepressant
B. Antipsychotic
C. Anxiolytic
D. Cognitive behaviour therapy
E. Psychodynamic psychotherapy
Answer. (D)
Question. An 8 year old girl has a frequent cough at night and mild exercise-induced wheeze for 3 months. She has asthma and takes low-dose inhaled corticosteroids twice daily and a short-acting bronchodilator as required. She takes her treatment as recommended. Her inhaler technique is good.
Which is the most appropriate next step in her treatment?
A. Add leukotriene receptor antagonist
B. Add oral modified release theophylline
C. Add short course of oral corticosteroid
D. Increase dose of inhaled corticosteroid
E. Increase frequency of short acting bronchodilator
Answer. (A)
These questions cover various aspects of medical knowledge, clinical reasoning, and professional skills. Remember to refer to the PLAB exam syllabus and guidelines for a comprehensive understanding of the exam content and format.
The PLAB test is a prerequisite for international medical graduates who want to practise medicine in the UK. Passing both parts of the exam is also a requirement. To receive a licence to practise medicine in the UK after passing the exam, you might need to complete additional exams, such as the GMC registration process and securing a job offer or training placement.
In order to practise medicine in the United Kingdom, international medical graduates must pass the PLAB (Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board) exam. The General Medical Council (GMC), which oversees medical practitioners in the UK, is in charge of administering it.
The PLAB exam is divided into two parts:
PLAB Part 1: This written, multiple-choice exam gauges your knowledge and comprehension of clinical practise and medical principles. It has 180 single-best-answer questions and covers a variety of subjects, such as surgery, psychiatry, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, and more. The PLAB Part 1 exam is available in many different nations.
PLAB Part 2: This practical test evaluates your clinical abilities, communication abilities, and ethical standards. There are 18 situations in all, all of them take place in the UK and include interacting with fictitious patients. Your capacity to gather data, generate accurate diagnoses, and create treatment plans is evaluated by the examiners.
You must fulfil specific requirements, such as holding a primary medical certification recognised by the GMC and possessing the appropriate English language proficiency, in order to be qualified to take the PLAB exam. The GMC's website should be checked for the most recent and comprehensive qualifying requirements.
A strong foundation in clinical expertise and medical knowledge is necessary for PLAB exam preparation. Many applicants prepare by combining self-study, books, online sources, and practise tests. Additionally, a number of for-profit businesses provide training programmes and resources created expressly for the PLAB exam.