PLAB 1 · Mapped to the GMC MLA

The PLAB Pass

1,500 PLAB 1–style questions, mapped to the Medical Licensing Assessment content map, written by practising UK doctors — so you know what to expect on the day.

Just £29.99 · one–off, 6 months’ access*
Everything in the Pass
  • 1,500 PLAB 1–style single best answer questions
  • Written to the GMC MLA content map, in the ten areas of your PLAB 1 score report
  • Full timed mock exams in real exam conditions
  • Detailed, guideline–linked explanations
  • Six months’ access, no auto–renewal*
Built to teach, not just test

See a sample PLAB question

Have a go, then read the explanation — this is the teaching style across the whole bank.

Musculoskeletal · Q 12 / 30Hard

Scenario:A 72–year–old woman describes a 3–week history of a new, severe right–sided temporal headache with scalp tenderness when she brushes her hair, and an aching jaw when she chews. Her vision is currently normal. ESR is 78 mm/hr.

Q:What is the most appropriate immediate management?

Tap an answer to reveal the full explanation ↓

Correct
Not quite — here’s why
The correct answer is to start high–dose oral prednisolone immediately. A new temporal headache with scalp tenderness and jaw claudication and a raised ESR in someone over 50 is giant cell arteritis until proven otherwise — treat at once to prevent irreversible sight loss, and don’t wait for the biopsy.

Core Lens: High–Yield Takeaways

  • Red–flag triad: new temporal headache + scalp tenderness + jaw claudication in a patient over 50.
  • Treat on suspicion: a raised ESR/CRP supports it, but start steroids before any confirmatory test — sight is the priority.
  • Guideline dose: BSR guidance gives 40–60 mg oral prednisolone daily as the initial dose; with any visual symptoms, the expected answer is IV methylprednisolone and same-day ophthalmology review.
  • Biopsy still helps: a temporal artery biopsy stays positive for up to ~1–2 weeks after steroids, so it never has to delay treatment.
  • The feared complication: anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy — sudden, painless, irreversible visual loss.
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Why treat before the biopsy?

Giant cell arteritis (temporal arteritis) is a medical emergency because it can cause sudden, permanent blindness. Steroids don’t meaningfully change biopsy findings for a week or two, so the safe, exam–correct move is always to start treatment on clinical suspicion and arrange the biopsy afterwards.

Recognising GCA

Look for a new headache in an older patient with scalp tenderness, jaw claudication (aching on chewing) and visual symptoms. It’s closely linked to polymyalgia rheumatica — ask about shoulder and hip–girdle stiffness. The temporal artery may feel thickened, tender or pulseless.

Why the other options are wrong

Biopsy–first delays sight–saving treatment. Calling it “migraine” and giving sumatriptan misses a red–flag new headache in an older adult. A routine rheumatology referral is far too slow for an emergency, and a CT head neither diagnoses GCA nor should it hold up steroids.

Founder’s Tip

New headache over 50 + jaw claudication = steroids first, biopsy later.

Any visual symptom? IV methylprednisolone and same–day eyes.

Core Summary

Giant cell arteritis presents with a new temporal headache, scalp tenderness and jaw claudication, usually with a raised ESR, in a patient over 50. Start high–dose glucocorticoids immediately to protect vision; confirm with a temporal artery biopsy afterwards, and escalate to IV steroids with same–day ophthalmology if there are any visual symptoms.

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What’s inside

A complete PLAB 1 preparation, built around the way the exam is actually blueprinted.

Q

1,500 questions

Single best answer questions across every specialty, at the level PLAB 1 actually tests.

M

MLA–mapped

Written to the GMC Medical Licensing Assessment content map and organised by the ten clinical areas on your PLAB 1 score report.

T

Timed mock exams

Sit full–length mocks under exam conditions and see your readiness build.

E

Teaching explanations

Every answer explained with the guideline point, safety cue and common exam trap.

P

Progress tracking

See your strongest and weakest areas and target your revision where it counts.

6

Six months’ access*

One payment, no subscriptions — and if your exam doesn’t go your way we’ll extend it free.

More than a question bank

The PLAB Pass sits inside the wider Core Revision toolkit — the same platform UK trainees use for the AKT and MSRA.

L

Core Lens

Every answer annotated with the safety cue, guideline point and exam trap.

C

Core Compass

See your readiness at a glance and pick the areas to work on next.

H

My Revision Hub

Your questions, guides and progress, all in one calm place.

Simple, transparent pricing

One low, one–off price for PLAB — or go all–in for your whole UK route.

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PLAB Pass
£29.99
One–off · 6 months’ access*
  • The full 1,500 question bank
  • MLA–mapped, timed mock exams
  • Guideline–linked explanations
  • No subscription, no renewals
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£79.99
12 months · one-off payment
  • Everything in the PLAB Pass
  • Plus the full MSRA question bank
  • Plus the IMG tools
  • Your whole UK route, one price
Get All–Access

UKMLA + PLAB Bundle: £54.99 for 12 months. Both question banks (over 1,000 UKMLA and over 1,500 PLAB 1 questions, none repeated across the two) and both toolkits. One-off payment, no auto-renewal. Choose the bundle →

*If you sit PLAB 1 while your access is active and don’t pass, email admin@corerevision.com within 30 days of your result, with your results email, and we’ll extend your access free until your next sitting (terms, section 4.4).

Prices are one–off payments — no automatic renewals. Want to try it first? Take the free PLAB 1 taster: twenty original questions across the ten clinical areas, with a marked report, before you pay a penny. The first five are open to all and a free account unlocks the rest.

Core Revision is an independent revision platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the General Medical Council (GMC). PLAB and the MLA content map are GMC publications.

Frequently asked questions

Is the PLAB Pass mapped to the new MLA?
Yes. Every question is tagged to the GMC Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA) content map, so your revision matches what PLAB 1 now blueprints against.
How long do I get access for?
Six months from purchase, with no subscription and no auto–renewal. And if you sit PLAB 1 while your access is active and don’t pass, email us at admin@corerevision.com within 30 days of your result and we’ll extend it free until your next sitting — just send us your results email, and there’s nothing more to pay.
How many questions are there?
There are 1,500 single best answer questions, spanning every area PLAB 1 tests, plus full timed mock exams.
Who writes the questions?
They’re written by practising UK doctors and re-audited against current guidance, with corrections logged.
What’s the difference between the PLAB Pass and IMG All–Access?
The PLAB Pass is everything you need for PLAB 1. IMG All–Access adds the full MSRA question bank plus our IMG tools — ideal if you’re planning your whole route into UK training.

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