UK Core Surgical Training: 2026 dates, format and scoring
Round 1 applications open in early November and close in early December on Oriel. Interviews run in February and early March, online, with invitations in late January.
Updated 27 October 2026
- When to apply
- Round 1 applications open in early November and close in early December on Oriel.
- The MSRA is sat in January and contributes to the ranking.
- When interviews run
- Interviews run in February and early March, online, with invitations in late January.
- Offers follow in March.
- The format
- One 30 minute online interview in two 15 minute stations with the same panel.
- Management and clinical: two five minute clinical scenarios and a management question. Portfolio: a prepared three minute presentation, two minutes of questions, then two five minute portfolio questions.
- Who is on the panel
- Two or three surgeons, the same panel for both stations.
- How it is scored
- The management and clinical station carries the largest share, the portfolio and presentation most of the rest, and the MSRA a small share.
- Each scenario and each portfolio domain is scored against a rubric.
- What to prepare
- The three minute presentation rehearsed to two minutes fifty.
- The nine surgical scenarios at SHO level with escalation.
- The six management scenarios with their next steps.
- One minute answers for each portfolio domain with the logbook numbers ready.