Many medical students struggle with finding an appropriate PLAB 1 study timetable during preparation for their exam dates. You will find plenty of pre-built preparation suggesting timetables and blah blah plans. Ask yourself a simple question- “Can you study according to a study schedule someone else created?”
The answer is obviously “No”. Why? Because your dates are different, your study material is different, your timeline is unique and most of all, they don’t know whether you are working or not. In such a scenario, you need to make your own timetable to study for PLAB 1.
If you are done with your IELTS for GMC and successfully booked your PLAB 1 seat, then you can make your own study schedule by simply following the 6 steps given below.
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- Step 1: Passing IELTS/OET and providing your English Proficiency Exam to GMC
- Step 2: Knowing the Exam Dates
- Step 3: Booking PLAB 1 Slot Effectively
- Step 4: Picking the Right Study Material
- Step 5: Creating A Study Schedule (You are here)
- Step 6: EPIC Verification
- Step 7: Applying for UK Visa (all documents, cover letter, invitation letter and experiences)
- Step 8: Booking PLAB 2 Academy
- Step 9: Booking an Accommodation
- Step 10: Passing the PLAB 2 Exam
- Step 11: Getting GMC Registration
- Step 12: Creating a Perfect CV
- Step 13: Searching for Jobs
Other guides you can check out:
Creating your Plab 1 Study Timetable
PLAB 1 Study Schedule: Creating Your Own Preparation
Total Time: 12 minutes
Install OneNote
Firstly, we will require the OneNote app in Windows to create our custom PLAB 1 Timetable. You can download it here for your laptop.
Creating new page
Open the OneNote app and create a new notebook and section and add a page to it.
Creating new table
To begin creating our custom PLAB 1 study timetable, simply add a new table. Create a table of 6×7 table.
Creating a template
Add weeks to the top row. Then simply toggle your calendar to start adding dates targeting the month you need to create your PLAB 1 Study Timetable for.
Tip: Use the Tab key to quickly switch to the next column. 
Enhancing the table with colours
Change the colour of your table’s first row, that is, week. Right-click the entire week row and change the background colour as shown below.
Adding PLAB 1 Study Timetable
Start adding your targets below each date in your PLAB 1 study timetable. It’s easy!
What’s wonderful is that you can also install the OneNote app on your mobile device and quickly access the calendar. I highly recommend taking a screenshot of your study schedule for PLAB 1 and setting it as wallpaper on your desktop.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the ideal time for Plab 1 Preparation?
The recommended time is 3-4 months, but if you are tight on your timelines, you can try creating a super strict schedule by adding 3-4 minor subjects or 2 major subjects each day.
Above that and you might start having headaches or start having recall issues.
What study material should I use for PLAB 1?
There are a number of study materials for PLAB 1 including free PDF files. However, I followed a simple strategy in the sequence below:
1. Plabkeys
2. Plabable question bank
3. Plabable Gems
4. Plabable NORMAL mocks (3-4 only)
5. Plabable Big Mocks (minimum 3-5)
6. Plabkeys Big Mock (released 10 days before the exam date)
You can check out my complete guide on study material for PLAB 1 here.
Which is better- Plabable or Medrevisions?
I have serious reasons to believe that Plabable is far better than Medrevisions which are as:
1. Medrevisions has plagiarism issues. Many of their questions are copied from Plabable (Dr Sze, owner of Plabable, has been showing the proof in every Revision course for a long)
2. Their question bank is poorly written.
3. The company is not even established in the UK (the payment mode is not even GBP).
4. We don’t know who works in Medrevisions, as for Plabable, we know the teachers are working in NHS already.
Is Plabkeys mandatory?
No, not really. Plabable entirely suffices, but honestly, it is very difficult to understand where to start studying in Plabable. Gems? Revision guides? Question banks?
This is why I started with Plabkeys as they give you an idea of where you need to start. (although their notes are also very repetitive and not organized properly, still sufficient)
Why only 3-5 Normal Plabable Mocks are recommended?
Trust me, after 3-5 normal mocks, you will start answering questions by reading a few words only within seconds. Why? Because of the recall bias.
You already know the question, you already know the answer. There is no useful information you are adding to your brain. Create a perfect PLAB 1 study timetable for these mocks too.
How many revisions are good?
I did 11 revisions, maybe because I failed PLAB 1 in August (my own blunders). But till the end, I felt I needed more. But still, at least 1-2 revisions are strictly recommended for your GMC registration.
Are 3 months enough for PLAB 1?
The answer purely depends on your existing knowledge base and routine. Yes, it is doable. I have seen people doing PLAB 1 in 1 month too, but trust me, it required a lot of dedication and hard work.
Do not go to Medrevisions if you are planning to go quickly. Go through gems and question bank from Plabable instead.
Is Plabable enough for PLAB 1?
Plabable has, so far, the best success rate compared to any other platform out there. Gems and Question banks are the biggest study material for PLAB 1.
Yes, Plabable is sufficient alone if done properly and thoroughly. Add each topic for revision in your PLAB 1 study timetable accordingly.
How long does it take to prepare for PLAB 1?
If you are not working and completely dedicated to your studies, it will take 2-3 months. However, factors such as house jobs and time spent studying significantly affect the preparation time.