MSRA 2027 guide: dates, exam format and specialty selection rules

The published application window for GP, Core Psychiatry CT1, Clinical Radiology ST1 and Anaesthetics CT1/ACCS Anaesthetics opens 22 October 2026 at 10am UK time and closes 19 November 2026 at 4pm. Check the timetable for your specialty and your Oriel vacancy before submitting; eligibility comes from the 2027 person specification, not from taking the MSRA. The separate 2027 prioritisation rules apply to interview and offer stages for these specialties. Eligibility and priority status are different questions.

• Allocation rule. NHS England plans two Round 1 sittings. January is open to participating specialties. February is reserved for applicants to GP and/or Core Psychiatry, but some of those applicants may be allocated January if February capacity is exceeded. Your allocation cannot be changed.
• Published windows. The GP timetable lists 5–20 January and 10–18 February 2027. Radiology and Anaesthetics publish the January first window. GP dates do not set every specialty’s window or promise your personal booking.
• Your action. Read your own specialty timetable and Oriel invitation. No September 2027 Round 1 sitting is announced in the current notice; do not plan around an unannounced date.

The computer-based MSRA is one assessment with two independently timed papers and an optional five-minute break between them. NHS England explains the full structure.

• Professional Dilemmas (PD): 50 workplace scenarios in 95 minutes. Around half ask you to rank independent actions; the others ask you to select three appropriate actions from eight. There is no negative marking. Read the official PD format.
• Clinical Problem Solving (CPS): 86 items in 75 minutes, around half extended matching questions (EMQs) and half single best answers (SBAs). CPS tests foundation-level clinical decisions; there is no negative marking. Read the official CPS format.
• Scores: a raw score is the paper’s pre-normalisation mark; reported MSRA scores are normalised, so NHS England says there is no fixed maximum for a reported score. Specialty offices then apply their own rules. Core Psychiatry’s 186 minimum is explicitly raw in each paper; GP reports normalised scores and bands. Do not use one specialty’s figure as another’s cut-off. See MSRA outcomes, Psychiatry rules and GP scoring.

• GP ST1 — rank and matching. The standard route uses MSRA performance for selection rank, with no scored portfolio or selection-centre interview. Priority is applied at offer matching, not to the rank; preferences and vacancies still matter. No fixed 2027 offer score is published here. Read the GP guide and GPNRO FAQ.
• Core Psychiatry CT1 — two paper minima. At least 186 raw in each paper is required for appointability. This Round 1 route has no interview; specialty rank, priority, preferences and posts affect offers. A previous score cannot transfer into this Round 1. Read the Psychiatry guide and official rules.
• Clinical Radiology ST1 — progression, then later stages. The official page says applicants must score above a cut-off stated as 201 on each MSRA component; capacity may limit invitations. Interview scores determine appointability, then final rank uses 30% verified portfolio and 70% interview. Read the Radiology guide.
• Anaesthetics CT1 / ACCS — shortlisting and 15% final score. MSRA may shortlist when interview capacity is limited and contributes 15% of the total score. A new 2027 minimum in each paper applies, but its numeric value has not been published; meeting it does not guarantee an interview. Read the Anaesthetics guide and official rules.

Other specialties can use the assessment differently. Use the NHS England specialty list for your own application and do not transfer another route’s threshold or weighting.

Start with the official practice paper. For each missed item, note whether the issue was a clinical cue, decision step, time pressure or PD judgement. Revisit weak categories.

• About eight weeks available: map gaps for two weeks; alternate CPS topics and PD reasoning for four; use the final two for timed mixed practice and logistics.
• About four weeks available: use short daily blocks and two timed sessions each week.
• Final week: review errors, protect sleep and check your booking. These are planning examples, not score predictions.

For PD, compare safety, timeliness, communication and proportionality. Ranking actions are independent, not a chronological plan; Select 3 from 8 needs a complementary set. For CPS, practise the next safe clinical decision. Do not share recalled live questions; NHS England warns against sharing assessment content.

1. At application: request any reasonable adjustment and attach the required independent supporting evidence before the deadline. NHS England’s preparation page explains the evidence rules.
2. After applications close: follow the message about Pearson account registration. Registration confirmation is not an MSRA invitation.
3. When invited: use your allocated window to book a centre and time, subject to availability. Check the booking instructions, identification and the confirmation email; if it does not arrive, verify the booking in Pearson.

Your personal Oriel and Pearson instructions take precedence over a general timetable.

Read the free SJT textbook for teaching, or use the QBank overview to choose a practice route. Paid practice is optional and does not guarantee an interview or offer.