CORE PSYCHIATRY CT1 2027
Core Psychiatry CT1 recruitment 2027: MSRA, rank and offers
An MSRA-led selection route with a published minimum in each paper.
See the appointability rule, how rank is used and where preferences enter.
Revised recruitment claims checked 17 October 2026; unchanged baseline claims were checked 15 October 2026. PassTheMSRA is an independent commercial revision provider. Follow your specialty guidance and Oriel messages if rules change.
Recruitment at a glance
- Applications open2026 · 10am
- Applications close2026 · 4pm
- MSRA sitting2027 · allocated window
- Preferences open2027
- Preferences close2027
Allocation note: February is reserved for GP and/or Core Psychiatry applicants but is not guaranteed. The initial-offer date is not yet listed on the current Psychiatry timetable.
How selection works
- Apply and qualifyOriel plus eligibility check
- Sit both papersPD and CPS in allocated window
- Meet both minimaAt least 186 raw in each paper
- Specialty rankMSRA score, with published tie rule
- Preference and offerPriority status, rank and vacancies matter
Key dates
- Apply: 22 October 2026, 10am to 19 November 2026, 4pm UK time.
- MSRA: January/February 2027, by NHS England allocation. The GP timetable’s February dates are not a guaranteed Psychiatry booking.
- Preferences: open 24 February and close 18 March 2027.
- Initial offers: date to be confirmed. Check the official timetable and Oriel for updates.
What selects applicants?
- Eligibility: check the 2027 person specification for GMC, Foundation competence and the driving/alternative-transport condition. Eligibility is separate from score.
- Both paper minima: at least 186 raw score in Professional Dilemmas and 186 raw score in Clinical Problem Solving is required to be considered appointable. One stronger paper cannot erase a result below the other paper’s minimum. Official scoring rule.
- Specialty rank: the MSRA result gives a rank among Core Psychiatry applicants. For tied scores, the published order is PD raw score, then CPS raw score. There is no interview in this Round 1 route.
- Preferences and offers: appointability is not a post. Priority status, specialty rank, preferences and available posts determine whether an offer can be matched. National prioritisation also applies.
Score-transfer note: a previous result cannot be transferred into Round 1 for the August 2027 intake. Later-round transfer has conditional rules; if resitting, the new result replaces the old even if lower. Decide at application. Official MSRA rules.
How to prepare
Give both papers deliberate practice because each has an appointability minimum. Start with the official MSRA practice paper. Keep an error log for clinical decisions and a separate one for PD reasoning: immediate safety, who should act or be told, and whether the response is proportionate. Alongside revision, research locations and preferences so you can make informed choices when the window opens.
