UK ST3 Surgery: 2026 dates, format and scoring
Round 1 applications for most surgical specialties open in early November and close in early December on Oriel. Interviews run in February and March depending on the specialty, with invitations about three weeks before.
Updated 27 October 2026
- When to apply
- Round 1 applications for most surgical specialties open in early November and close in early December on Oriel.
- When interviews run
- Interviews run in February and March depending on the specialty, with invitations about three weeks before.
- Offers follow in March and April.
- The format
- Specialty run stations with two or three assessors each: clinical scenarios at registrar level, a management or leadership scenario, and portfolio and commitment questions.
- Exact timings and station counts differ between specialties and are published by each recruitment office.
- Who is on the panel
- Two or three surgeons per station in the specialty applied for.
- How it is scored
- Scored against clinical judgement, management, communication, commitment and portfolio evidence, combined with the application score.
- Each specialty publishes its own weighting.
- What to prepare
- The ten emergencies your specialty's registrar must manage alone, with the decision prepared.
- The management scenarios with their next steps.
- One minute answers to the portfolio questions with the logbook numbers ready.
- Your specialty's current issues and national audits with your own view.