PLAB 1 Cardiorespiratory Practice Questions
One of the ten areas in your GMC result · 84 practice questions with answers
180 questions across all ten areas in 3 hours, with a score for cardiorespiratory so you know where you stand.
Free cardiorespiratory drillA 22-year-old tall man who does not smoke has had left-sided pleuritic chest pain for a day with only mild breathlessness. Pulse is 82/min, respiratory rate 16/min and oxygen saturation 98% on air. Chest X-ray shows a left pneumothorax with a 2.5 cm rim at the level of the hilum. He has no lung disease and his pain is controlled with paracetamol. What is the most appropriate management?
Cardiorespiratory on PLAB 1
Cardiorespiratory is the largest body-system area on PLAB 1, because chest pain, breathlessness and collapse are among the most common reasons adults come to emergency departments. Questions put you in the place of a Foundation Year 2 doctor: recognise the emergency, choose the right first investigation and start treatment the way current UK guidance says.
- In your GMC result
- Your percentage correct in cardiorespiratory, next to the average for all candidates
- On our mock exam
- 24 of 180 questions, with your percentage for this area in the result
- Our drill
- 10 questions from 84 cardiorespiratory questions, untimed, an explanation after every answer; one free attempt, unlimited with a pass
What cardiorespiratory questions test
- Chest pain: acute coronary syndromes (STEMI, NSTEMI, unstable angina), the timing of reperfusion, aortic dissection and pericarditis
- Arrhythmias and cardiac arrest: atrial fibrillation rate and rhythm control, stroke-risk scoring and anticoagulation, tachycardia and bradycardia algorithms, shockable and non-shockable rhythms
- Long-term conditions in primary care: hypertension steps, heart failure, lipid management and cardiovascular risk
- Venous thromboembolism: Wells scores, D-dimer, CTPA, and treatment of DVT and pulmonary embolism
- Respiratory emergencies: acute asthma severity, COPD exacerbations, pneumothorax, anaphylaxis and arterial blood gas interpretation
- Respiratory infections and cancer: CURB-65, antibiotic choice, tuberculosis and the urgent referral criteria for suspected lung cancer
Sit the full 180 questions under the real clock
180 questions across all ten areas in 3 hours, with a score for cardiorespiratory so you know where you stand.
Free cardiorespiratory drillHow to revise it
- Learn the UK emergency algorithms (ALS, acute asthma, anaphylaxis) until you can recite the order of steps; many questions ask for the next step, not the diagnosis.
- Know the NICE thresholds and steps for hypertension, atrial fibrillation and heart failure. Questions turn on a single number, such as a clinic blood pressure or a CHA₂DS₂-VASc score.
- Practise ECG and blood gas descriptions in words. PLAB 1 describes findings in the stem, so learn which pattern points to which diagnosis.
- After each drill, read the explanation for every question you got wrong and write the guideline point on one line.
Common questions
Are there ECGs or X-rays on PLAB 1?
PLAB 1 is a paper exam of scenario-based questions, so findings are usually described in the scenario. You need to know what an ECG or chest X-ray finding means for diagnosis and management.
Which guidelines do cardiorespiratory questions follow?
Current UK practice: NICE guidelines and Clinical Knowledge Summaries, the BNF for drugs and doses, Resuscitation Council UK for cardiac arrest and anaphylaxis, and the British Thoracic Society for respiratory conditions. The GMC asks you to answer by published UK evidence, not local arrangements.
180 questions across all ten areas in 3 hours, with a score for cardiorespiratory so you know where you stand.
Free cardiorespiratory drillThe other PLAB 1 areas
Sources
- GMC: What is the PLAB 1 exam? (180 questions, three hours, five options)
- GMC: PLAB 1 results (scoring, ten feedback areas, Angoff pass mark, exam and result dates)
- GMC: When and where can I take PLAB 1?
- GMC: Booking a PLAB 1 place (eligibility, attempt limit)
- GMC: Fees for doctors (PLAB fees from 1 April 2026)
- GMC: Additional PLAB 1 attempt
- GMC: Recent pass rates for PLAB 1 and PLAB 2
- GMC: MLA content map (September 2026)
- GMC: Changes to PLAB 1 in 2027
Original practice questions for exam preparation, written to the GMC’s MLA content map (September 2026) and current UK guidance. Independent practice, not affiliated with or endorsed by the General Medical Council (GMC). Follow current national and local guidance in clinical practice.