Core Surgical Training CT1 2027: MSRA, portfolio and interview

This guide is for doctors preparing a 2027 Core Surgical Training CT1 application. CST uses the MSRA to select interviewees, then includes a substantive portfolio station in the interview. Its final weighting differs markedly from other MSRA specialties, so use the CST rules rather than a generic score table. The 2027 CST overview applies to England, Scotland and Wales and points Northern Ireland applicants to separate guidance.

The CST timetable, reviewed 9 October 2026, says first offers by 6 April 2027. The CST applying page, reviewed 6 October 2026, says 23 March 2027. Neither can be presented as definitive until the recruitment office reconciles the discrepancy. The timetable also leaves MSRA invitation, score-release and preferences dates unpublished. Check Oriel and the updated official timetable.

The 2027 CT1 person specification sets degree, full GMC registration at application, licence at start, right-to-work and recent Foundation competence requirements. It also limits surgical specialty experience to 18 months or less whole-time equivalent at the advertised start date, excluding Foundation placements under its specified rules; the person specification contains important details for Foundation-equivalent and oral and maxillofacial surgery experience. Read the full document before deciding eligibility. Applicants who need CREST must supply it with the application; the applying page accepts the 2024 or 2027 form for this round. Most eligibility checks may occur after MSRA results, so an assessment invitation is not final eligibility confirmation.

For 2027, NHS England says recruitment to Improving Surgical Training (IST) posts in England is paused, while Wales and Scotland continue to recruit to run-through IST routes. Check which posts are actually offered in the Oriel advert and your preferencing list rather than assuming one national post mix. CST applying guidance.

All longlisted applicants are required to take the 2027 MSRA; its result forms the shortlisting score. The overview expects approximately the top 1,200 applicants to proceed to interview and evidence upload. That is an approximate interview pool, not a fixed mark. A numeric 2027 MSRA cut-off is TO BE CONFIRMED. NHS England's central sitting notice says January is open to all specialties and February is reserved for GP and/or Core Psychiatry applicants. Follow the CST window and your allocated invitation; no applicant is promised a chosen sitting.

The MSRA comprises Professional Dilemmas and Clinical Problem Solving. The official practice paper is a sensible first diagnostic for both parts.

The 2027 selection retains online multi-station interviews and adds a portfolio station. There is no Oriel self-assessment at initial application. Invited applicants instead upload an index page and evidence through the specified portal, then discuss portfolio domains at interview. The portfolio guidance revises assessment around knowledge/skills, patient partnership/communication and safety/culture; trust and professionalism are assessed in interview. It emphasises personal contribution and demonstrable impact, with detailed mandatory evidence rules. Read it in full, including the index sheet, evidence format and patient confidentiality requirements. The overview says failure to upload evidence cancels an interview slot. The portfolio page says an omitted index sheet scores zero for portfolio evidence. These are distinct risks.

The CST interview guidance schedules online interviews through Qpercom and describes the management/clinical and portfolio stations. The 2027 interview page describes a 15-minute portfolio station: a prepared three-minute presentation, two minutes of questions on it, and two five-minute portfolio questions on Patient, Partnership and Communication, and Safety and Culture domains. Confirm the final presentation prompt in your invitation. Prepare to explain what you personally did, how you know it helped, and what evidence supports it. Do not rely on a historical portfolio rubric: the 2027 domain and station structure has changed. NHS England's detailed portfolio page contains some inconsistent wording about index/self-assessment and assessor review timing; the complete current applicant instructions and Oriel message should control the final upload.

The published 2027 overall selection score is MSRA 10% + portfolio station 45% + management and clinical station 45%. NHS England says MSRA is scaled onto a 0–10 contribution within an overall score out of 100. This is not the raw MSRA score, and the 10% final weighting does not make MSRA optional: it first determines the interview shortlist. Appointable applicants then receive a rank, and offers match rank, preferences and available posts. CST applying and scoring page.

The portfolio assessment moves into an interview station, Oriel initial self-assessment is removed, and the portfolio criteria have been recast around professional domains. England's IST recruitment pause is another route-specific change. Across specialty recruitment, 2027 prioritisation guidance applies priority status at interview and offer stages, but says performance rank itself is unaffected. The Round 1 application limit remains five. Applicants should check the official priority criteria and their Oriel status rather than assume that a high MSRA result overrides this separate process.

Start with the person specification and any CREST requirement. Build an MSRA study schedule that covers both CPS and PD, using the official paper to find gaps and regular timed practice to track progress. In parallel, map your best eligible, completed achievement to each portfolio domain, identify the required sign-off, and check the index and upload rules. Avoid putting patient-identifiable information in evidence. In the final weeks, rehearse explaining your contribution and impact under time pressure, plus structured responses to management and clinical scenarios. Try the free QBank demo, create a free practice account or compare optional membership plans if useful; these are not official recruitment resources and cannot guarantee an outcome. The Ultimate MSRA 2027 Guide is the accepted live destination for general assessment guidance.