PLAB 2 courses and academies compared
The PLAB 2 course market in 2026 is a handful of specialist academies, clustered around Manchester and London, selling multi-day face-to-face courses at roughly £300 to £900, plus standalone mock days at £300 to £500, and one free online option. This page is a factual directory of who offers what, what the formats mean, and a checklist for choosing, so you can compare on facts rather than WhatsApp folklore.
What a PLAB 2 course actually buys you
Almost every paid option is a bundle of four things, in different proportions: taught structure (how to approach each station family), materials (station banks and notes), mock exams (timed circuits with role-players and verbal feedback), and peers (a batch of candidates to practise with between sessions). When you compare prices, compare what proportion of the fee is buying each of those, and which of them you could get without paying. Structure and materials are largely public knowledge now; timed practice and honest marking are the scarce parts.
The PLAB 2 academy directory
| Provider | Base | Advertised format | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABM Academy | Manchester | Face-to-face PLAB 2 course | See provider site |
| Arora Medical Education | Online | Online PLAB 2 / UKMLA courses, cases and mocks | See provider site |
| Aspire2PLAB | Blackpool, with online option | 12-day course, two full 16-station mocks, materials and mannequin practice | £649 advertised at last check |
| Common Stations PLAB Academy | Romford, London | 14-day online course plus two full 16-station in-person mock circuits | See provider site |
| Doctors Academy | Manchester (check current schedule) | Structured PLAB 2 OSCE preparation course | See provider site |
| NextStep UKMLA | Manchester | Pay-per-use practice facilities (mannequins, prescriptions, academy access) | Itemised, from a few pounds per session |
| Samson Clinical Courses | Ilford, London, with a Manchester centre | Multi-day face-to-face course with a series of full mock exams | See provider site; promotional codes common |
| TrewLink Academy | Birmingham / Manchester | Short intensive face-to-face course plus months of online course access | See provider site |
| Plabity (this site) | Online, anywhere | Unlimited timed 8-minute spoken stations, marked across the three PLAB domains with feedback after every attempt | Free |
Other academies exist and new ones appear each year; absence from this table is not a judgement. If you run an academy and want a detail corrected, contact us and we will fix it.
What to check before paying an academy
- Is the material updated for the MLA content map? The syllabus broadened when PLAB aligned to the UKMLA. A station bank that was excellent in 2023 now has gaps. Ask specifically what was added since the alignment.
- How are the mocks marked? A mock is worth what its marking is worth. Ask whether feedback is per-domain against the real marking structure or general verbal impressions.
- Batch size and speaking time. In a batch of 30, how many timed stations will you personally speak in per day? Observing others is worth far less than performing.
- Total cost, not course cost. Add accommodation for the course duration, travel, and the add-on mocks most academies sell separately. A £400 course can be a £900 fortnight.
- Refund and transfer policy. Exam dates move. Check what happens to your fee if the GMC reschedules you or you fail PLAB 1 revalidation timing.
- Recent, first-hand reviews. Academy quality changes with staff. Weight what candidates from the last few months say in IMG communities over years-old blog posts.
Where Plabity fits, and our obvious bias
Plabity is the free option in the table and the only one we endorse, for the transparent reason that it is ours. What it does: every station in the syllabus, spoken out loud against a simulated patient for the real eight minutes, marked across the three PLAB domains with criterion-level feedback and the evidence quoted from your own consultation. What it does not do: physical examination practice on real bodies, or a room full of peers.
That makes the honest pairing simple. If you want an academy for structure and the in-person mock experience, use one, and use free unlimited practice around it so the expensive days are not your first timed attempts. If your budget is the exam fee and nothing else, daily free stations plus self-organised full-length mock sits cover the spoken consultations that decide most of the marks.
Start practising free Browse the free stations
Frequently asked questions
Do you need an academy course to pass PLAB 2?
No. The GMC publishes the syllabus, format and marking model openly, and what the exam rewards is repeated timed spoken practice with feedback. An academy is one way to get structure and peers; it is not a requirement, and many candidates pass with self-organised practice. What no candidate can safely skip is the practice itself.
How much does a PLAB 2 course cost?
In 2026, multi-day face-to-face PLAB 2 courses are typically advertised between about £300 and £900 depending on length and inclusions. Standalone one-day mock circuits usually run £300 to £500, and add-on mock exams £50 to £150 each. Prices change often and promotional codes are common, so always confirm on the provider's own site. Online spoken practice on Plabity is free.
Which PLAB 2 academy is best?
There is no objective answer, and this page deliberately does not rank the academies. The honest method: decide what you need (structure, mocks, materials, peers), confirm the provider's material is updated for the MLA content map, ask recent candidates in IMG communities about their current experience, and compare refund policies and total cost including accommodation before paying.
Can you prepare for PLAB 2 without paying for a course?
Yes. Every Plabity station is free: timed eight-minute spoken consultations marked across the three PLAB domains with feedback after each attempt. Many candidates combine free daily practice with an academy or a single mock day; others prepare entirely for free. The exam fee is the only unavoidable cost.
Compare the paid options. Then practise free either way.
Unlimited timed stations, marked to the PLAB rubric, whatever else you book.
Start practising free