PLAB 2 examination stations: how to talk through an examination

The short version

• PLAB 2: 16 scenarios, eight minutes each, at least two rest stations, about three hours in total, at the GMC's two Clinical Assessment Centre sites in Manchester.
• Every scenario is marked in three domains: data gathering, technical and assessment skills; clinical management skills; interpersonal skills.
• The GMC pages we read don't describe manikin use or examination-station rules. Watch the GMC's PLAB 2 overview video and read its sample OSCE station before your exam.
• Read the task outside the room carefully: "examine", "examine and explain", and "examine and present to the examiner" are different tasks.
• In every examination: introduce yourself, explain, get consent, offer a chaperone where appropriate, protect dignity, check for pain, and tell the patient what you found.
• Interpersonal skills are marked in examination stations too. Talk to the patient, not just the examiner.

What the GMC says, and what it doesn't

If someone tells you exactly how examination stations work, check whether the GMC says so. If it doesn't, treat it as one person's experience, not a rule.

How to do an examination well (general good practice)

These steps apply to any examination, in the exam or on the ward.

1. Introduce yourself with your name and role, and confirm the patient's name.
2. Explain what you'd like to examine and why, in plain words.
3. Get consent. "Is that OK with you?" Consent is a process, and the patient can change their mind. The GMC's Decision making and consent guidance sets out the principles.
4. Offer a chaperone where appropriate, especially for intimate examinations, and say what you'd do if they decline.
5. Clean your hands.
6. Ask about pain before you touch: "Is anywhere sore? Tell me if anything hurts and I'll stop."
7. Position and expose only what you need, for as short a time as possible. Cover the patient again when you've finished.
8. Examine in a clear order, usually: general inspection, then the hands and vital signs where relevant, then look, feel, (percuss), listen, and special tests.
9. Watch the patient's face, not just the body part. Stop if it hurts.
10. Thank the patient and help them get dressed or comfortable.
11. Explain your findings to the patient in plain words, and present to the examiner if the task asks.
12. Say what happens next: tests, treatment, referral, and safety-netting.

Talking through an examination

In some stations you may be asked to say what you're doing, or to say what further examination or tests you'd do. A clear talk-through is short and in order:

"I'd like to complete my examination by checking… and I'd want to do… because…"

Keep two audiences in mind. To the patient, use plain words ("I'm going to press gently on your tummy"). To the examiner, use clinical words ("There is tenderness in the right iliac fossa with guarding").

Worked example: abdominal pain, "examine and explain"

Example written by Confetto for practice (not a real exam station). Clinical details are kept general; follow local protocols in real practice.

Candidate instructions: You are an F2 in the emergency department. Ms. Grace Adeyemi, 24, has had pain in her lower right abdomen since this morning. Examine her abdomen and explain your findings and plan.

Doctor: Hello, I'm Dr. Patel, one of the junior doctors. Can I check your name and date of birth? … I'd like to examine your tummy to help work out what's causing the pain. That means looking, then pressing gently in different areas. Is that OK?

Patient: Yes, OK.

Doctor: Would you like a chaperone with us? … I'll clean my hands. Is it painful anywhere right now?

Patient: Down here on the right. It's worse when I move.

Doctor: I'll start away from the sore area and go gently. Please tell me if anything hurts and I'll stop. Could you lie back, and could I ask you to lower your waistband just to the top of your hips? I'll keep the rest covered.

(Candidate examines in order: general look, hands and vital signs, inspection, light then deep palpation starting away from the pain, percussion, listening for bowel sounds. Says to the examiner: "I would also like to check the observations, do a urine pregnancy test and a urine dip.")

The examiner tells you: Tenderness and guarding in the right lower abdomen. Temperature 37.9°C. Urine pregnancy test negative.

Doctor: Thank you, you can sit up now. When I pressed on the lower right side of your tummy it was very sore, and your temperature is a little high. One possible cause is appendicitis, which is an inflammation of the appendix, a small pouch attached to the bowel. I'd like the surgical team to see you today. Until they do, please don't eat anything, in case you need an operation. We'll do some blood tests and give you pain relief. Does that make sense? What questions do you have?

What it shows in each domain (our reading)

The GMC doesn't publish station-level mark sheets. This table shows where each behavior fits in the published domains, not an official breakdown.

Phrase bank (written by Confetto)

Checklist for any PLAB 2 examination station

• Read the task: examine only, explain, or present?
• Introduce, confirm identity
• Explain and get consent
• Offer a chaperone where appropriate
• Hand hygiene
• Ask about pain
• Position and expose only what's needed
• Examine in a logical order
• Watch the patient's face; stop if it hurts
• Say what else you'd examine or test
• Thank, cover, help them get comfortable
• Explain findings in plain words; present to the examiner if asked
• Plan and safety-net, if the task includes it

Common mistakes

Practice this station

Confetto isn't affiliated with the GMC.