PLAB 1 Gastrointestinal Practice Questions
One of the ten areas in your GMC result · 70 practice questions with answers
180 questions across all ten areas in 3 hours, with a score for gastrointestinal so you know where you stand.
Free gastrointestinal drillA 52-year-old man with chronic alcohol-related pancreatitis has pale, bulky, offensive stools that float and are difficult to flush, and he has lost 6 kg. His faecal elastase is very low. What is the most appropriate treatment for these symptoms?
Gastrointestinal on PLAB 1
Gastrointestinal questions follow patients from the GP surgery to the surgical take: dyspepsia, change in bowel habit and jaundice in primary care, then GI bleeding, pancreatitis and the acute abdomen in hospital. Many questions test the urgent referral rules for suspected cancer.
- In your GMC result
- Your percentage correct in gastrointestinal, next to the average for all candidates
- On our mock exam
- 20 of 180 questions, with your percentage for this area in the result
- Our drill
- 10 questions from 70 gastrointestinal questions, untimed, an explanation after every answer; one free attempt, unlimited with a pass
What gastrointestinal questions test
- Upper GI: dyspepsia and Helicobacter pylori, gastroesophageal reflux, upper GI bleeding and the Glasgow-Blatchford score
- Lower GI: inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, coeliac disease, diverticular disease and lower GI bleeding
- Liver: abnormal liver tests, alcohol-related liver disease, hepatitis, cirrhosis complications and paracetamol hepatotoxicity
- Biliary and pancreas: gallstones, cholecystitis, cholangitis and acute pancreatitis
- The acute abdomen: appendicitis, bowel obstruction, perforation, mesenteric ischaemia and hernias
- Suspected GI cancer: the NICE referral criteria for oesophageal, gastric, colorectal, pancreatic and liver cancer
Sit the full 180 questions under the real clock
180 questions across all ten areas in 3 hours, with a score for gastrointestinal so you know where you stand.
Free gastrointestinal drillHow to revise it
- Learn the NICE suspected-cancer referral criteria by age and symptom. Questions often hinge on whether a patient meets the two-week pathway.
- For the acute abdomen, know the first-line imaging for each presentation.
- Pair each liver test pattern (hepatitic or cholestatic) with its likely causes.
Common questions
Is surgery tested on PLAB 1?
Yes, at the level of a Foundation doctor: recognising surgical emergencies, choosing the first investigation, resuscitation, and knowing when to call the surgical team. You are not asked to perform operations.
How do I revise suspected cancer referral?
Use the NICE guideline on suspected cancer (NG12). Learn the age and symptom thresholds for each GI cancer, then test yourself with scenario questions where the patient only just meets, or only just misses, the criteria.
180 questions across all ten areas in 3 hours, with a score for gastrointestinal so you know where you stand.
Free gastrointestinal 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.