Portfolio — Updated for 2026
CST Portfolio (2026): How to Maximise Your Score
For 2026, your portfolio contributes 45% of the overall score and is assessed during the interview. Assessors will spend ~10 minutes reviewing your uploaded evidence, then discuss two of your achievements with you for ~15 minutes. Scoring is by letter grades (A–E).
Commitment to Surgery
What changed: MRCS Part A is no longer included in this domain. Focus your efforts on Operative Experience and Surgical Experience.
Operative Experience — Grade descriptors
| Option | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Involvement in 40+ surgical cases | A | Provide verified eLogbook; summary sheet signed by a consultant |
| Involvement in 30–39 cases | B | |
| Involvement in 20–29 cases | C | |
| Involvement in 11–19 cases | D | |
| ≤10 cases or no evidence | E | No points awarded |
Start/maintain your eLogbook early; seek regular consultant sign-off and keep screenshots/PDF exports ready.
Surgical Experience — Grade descriptors
| Option | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Surgical taster week (≥5 days; may be non-consecutive) | A | Proof of completion required |
| Surgical elective (≥4 weeks) or surgical placement during foundation (≥12 weeks) | A | Proof of completion required |
| No taster/elective completed | B | Arrange a taster to upgrade |
Use tasters/electives to grow your logbook, meet supervisors, and line up audits or research.
Quality Improvement (Clinical Audit)
Design a surgically themed project early so you can close the loop and demonstrate measurable change.
| Option | Grade | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Lead all aspects of a surgically themed audit/QI with demonstrated change (closed loop) | A | Lead planning, data collection, analysis, implementing change, and reassessment (≥2 cycles) |
| Lead all aspects of an audit/QI with demonstrated change | B | As above, not necessarily surgical |
| Contributor in an audit/QI with demonstrated change | C | Active across cycles, not leading |
| Involved in audit/QI (e.g., data collection) | D | No leadership |
| None/other | E | — |
Additional presentation points (audit/QI)
| Option | Grade | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Presented both cycles / intervention & change | A | First author on slides + acceptance letter |
| Presented one cycle | B | First author on slides + acceptance letter |
| No presentation | C | — |
Presentations & Publications
Prioritise PubMed-cited work and accredited national/international meetings. Avoid pay-to-present conferences.
| Option | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Prize-winning oral presentation (national/international) | A | Personal delivery required; excludes oral posters |
| First-author PubMed-cited publication (not a case report/editorial) | A | Provide PubMed ID |
| Invited/selected oral presentation (national/international) | B | Personal delivery required; excludes oral posters |
| First-author prize-winning poster / oral poster | B | Personal delivery required |
| First-author PubMed-cited case report/editorial or published book chapter | B | PubMed ID / ISBN |
| Named co-author on one PubMed-cited publication | C | — |
| First-author regional oral presentation | D | Personal delivery required |
| First-author poster at regional level or poster accepted nationally/internationally | D | Attendance may not be required |
| Cited collaborative author | D | Named authorship not required |
| None/other | E | — |
No double-claiming: Don’t use the same audit/QI project for points here if you’ve claimed it under QI/Audit.
Teaching Experience
For the top grade, design, organise, and deliver ≥4 sessions (solo or with others), and retain evidence of programme design and feedback.
| Option | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Designed & delivered face-to-face programme (≥4 sessions) | A | Evidence from consultants/education lead + formal feedback |
| Designed & delivered online programme (≥4 sessions) | B | As above, virtual |
| Designed & delivered local teaching programme (≥4 sessions) | C | As above |
| Delivered regular teaching (≥4/year) or teaching-skills activity | D | Bedside/near-peer/virtual acceptable |
| None | E | — |
Quick start: setting up a teaching programme
- Draft a mini-curriculum (session titles, audience, format, speakers).
- Agree the plan with your education supervisor and medical education dept.
- Collect sign-offs and arrange verified feedback for each session.
- Consider virtual delivery to widen access and boost attendance.
Evidence Checklist (prepare before interviews)
- Operative logbook (export + consultant-signed summary).
- Taster/elective/placement letters confirming dates and setting.
- Audit/QI pack: protocol, data sheets, run charts, implementation notes, re-audit, and presentation acceptance + slides showing you as first author (if applicable).
- Publications & presentations: PubMed IDs, DOIs/ISBNs, certificates or letters for prizes and conference acceptance.
- Teaching: programme outline, timetable, sign-off letter(s), collated feedback forms (or summary), attendance logs.
- File hygiene: concise filenames, a 1-page portfolio index, and bookmarks in a single PDF where possible.
During interview, assessors choose which two achievements to explore—be ready to defend methodology, impact, and your personal contribution.
Benchmark your portfolio with Prepsurg
Practise portfolio viva questions and compare your evidence against A-grade descriptors.