UKMLA in 2024 - Eligibility, Syllabus, Criteria and Everything

Which was earlier known as PLAB exam is going to be named as UKMLA. This transition is going to take place in the year of 2024 and subsequently going to change the most primitive aspects you need to know while applying for the UKMLA exam in 2024. We have compiled all the details regarding - UKMLA eligibility, UKMLA and exam pattern in 2024. So, students get ready for the most awaited arrival of foreign medical exams, seeking to work in the UK.

The UKMLA exam is going to take place on the 15 February 2024 and 23 May 2024. The UKMLA is a new type of examination that will take place from 2024 onwards. In order to succeed in this exam, students must start their preparation as soon as possible.

What is The UKMLA ?

The "UKMLA exam" is designed to ensure that all doctors who practice in the UK have the high standards of knowledge, skills, and competence. Regardless of whether you have graduated from the UK or any other country (USA, Asia, Africa etc.), you should match the standard of the UKMLA entrance exam.

The GMC is a prime medical exam authority of the UK, that grants licenses to students for work as a health professional in the UK. It has stated that the UKMLA exam will be a fair and challenging exam that will assess a doctor's ability to practice medicine safely and effectively in the UK. The exam will be based on a wide range of medical topics, and it will include both written and practical components.

The Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA) will give patients and hospitals greater confidence in the competence and skills of graduate doctors new to working in the UK. Moreover, the introduction of UKMLA aims to avert the recruitment crisis in the United Kingdom. Despite being extremely hard to get accepted for admission into medicine. The UK is in a dilemma and hoping gaps to get filled in by healthcare professionals.

Why did the UK replace PLAB with UKMLA ?

Many foreign medical graduates think they will have to take extra, harder exams to be recognized by the GMC before working or specializing in the UK. The UKMLA was created to avoid that and to test all students who are about to practice in the UK in the same way.

This exam will measure the essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes that doctors need to practice safely in the United Kingdom.

Benefits of the UKMLA :

• The UK Medical Licensing Assessment will help the GMC (General Medical Council) to maintain a high standard of medical education in the UK.
• The UKMLA is a key part of the GMC's strategy to ensure that all doctors who practice in the UK have the same high standards of education and training, regardless of where they qualified.
• The UKMLA exam will be required for all medical students graduating in the UK from 2024-2025 onwards, regardless of where they studied.
• The GMC, which is a main authority of medical education in the UK simplifies the admission process and ensures students get the education and training they need to deliver high-quality care throughout their careers. They do this by setting standards for medical schools.

When Will UKMLA Completely Replace PLAB ?

The UKMLA will completely replace PLAB in 2024 for international students. It will serve as a common ground for the foreign students and UK’s students. who wants to practices medicine in UK,

Two part of UKMLA :

• AKT - The AKT will be a computer-based multiple-choice exam that will assess doctors' knowledge of medical science.
• CPSA - The CPSA will be a clinical assessment that will assess doctors' ability to perform common clinical procedures and ability of communication.

What is the exam pattern of UKMLA ?

The UKMLA is designed to be a more comprehensive and rigorous assessment of the knowledge, skills, and behaviors that doctors need to practice safely in the UK. It will consist of two parts: an applied knowledge test (AKT) and a clinical and professional skills assessment (CPSA).

• Applied Knowledge Test

The AKT will be a computer-based exam with 200 single-best-answer questions. The questions will be chosen from a question bank and will cover a wide range of medical topics.

• Clinical and Professional Skills Assessment

The CPSA will be a practical exam that will assess students' clinical and professional skills. It will be run by medical schools and will be aligned with the GMC's requirements.

The Format of UKMLA exam in 2024 -

First talk about the Applied knowledge test (AKT) -

• The AKT is a multiple-choice exam with 200 single-best-answer questions. It is divided into two papers of 100 questions each.

AKT Question Format :

The UKMLA AKT exam will use a single best answer multiple choice format, similar to the format used by medical schools and preferred by the Medical Schools Council Assessment Alliance (MSCAA). However, the AKT question bank will be separate from the MSCAA question bank, and questions from the AKT exam will not appear in other medical school exams.

Each AKT question will be a multiple-choice question with :

• A clinical scenario,
• A lead-in question, and
• Five answer choices, one of which is the correct answer.

What is the total cost of the UKMLA exam ?

As we all know that PLAB will be replaced by UKMLA, so will the cost of the UK's medical entrance exam. It is not official yet, how much it will cost for the UKMLA exam. But we can only assume that the cost of PLAB will be £ 1200 for both parts ( 200 Pound extra, if you are an international student). The UKMLA exam is likely to be cheaper than the PLAB exam because it is computer-based. However, the official price has not yet been announced, so it is best to use the PLAB exam as a reference for now.

(Note - The Fee of UKMLA is not official yet, The given detail is a calculated guess only)

UKMLA Eligibility For Indian students

Only the name has been changed, UKMLA still holds the same eligibility for every student. Irrespective of countries, every student from the entire world is eligible under conditions. Such as -

• Students must have a UG medical degree. MBBS degree for Indian students.
• You must have a valid English language proficiency certificate (IELTS or OET). Students who do not belong from the UK are supposed to pass the Language proficiency test.
• You must have successfully completed your medical internship and have a medical license from your home country or where you have completed your medical-UG course.

Well, most of the concern for most of the students is that - Is Indian MBBS valid in the UK? Well, on the basis of an Indian-UG medical degree which is MBBS, you can easily appear for UKMLA.

How Many Scores is required to pass the UKMLA?

The UKMLA exam is a pass/fail exam, so there is no specific score required to pass. However, the General Medical Council (GMC) has stated that candidates must achieve a "satisfactory" level of performance in all sections of the exam in order to pass.

The GMC has not yet released any specific information about what constitutes a "satisfactory" level of performance. However, they have stated that they will publish more information about the UKMLA exam and its scoring system in the near future.

Which one is harder, USMLE vs. UKMLA ?

The USMLE is generally considered to be more difficult than the UKMLA, and the standards for American doctors are higher than those for UK doctors. As a result, many UK medical students choose to study for the USMLE instead of the UKMLA. Although, one of the key differences also thrive and that is UKMLA does not guarantee citizenship in the UK and payout of doctors in the USA is much higher compared to UK.

Conclusion

The United Kingdom is a highly developed country with a strong economy and stable democracy. Also, The UK has a long history of innovation and technological advancement, and it is a global leader in many industries, such as finance, education, and healthcare. The UKMLA exam, earlier known as - PLAB. A prestigious medical exam, offers Indian medical students a straightforward path to settling in the West. Also, it is easy compared to the USMLE exam. Whereas, UKMLA does not guarantee your permanent citizenship in the UK but USA USMLE provides the option to get settled in America.