Updated for 2026
How to Maximise Points in the 2026 Core Surgical Training (CST) Interview Portfolio
Interviews will be held in March 2026 with a short turnaround from MSRA to interview invites—so the earlier you prepare, the stronger you’ll be. Below we break down the 2026 portfolio scoring, timelines, and practical steps to secure the highest grades across domains.
2026 Core Surgical Training — Key Dates
- MSRA window: Tuesday 6 January – Monday 19 January 2026
- Interview invites sent: Friday 13 February 2026
- Interview window: Monday 2 March – Wednesday 11 March 2026
- Platform: Online, via Qpercom (instructions provided beforehand)
Tip: book practice slots and finalise your portfolio evidence well before invites go out to avoid the last-minute rush.
Interview Delivery & Stations
Single 30-minute interview conducted online. You’ll face:
- Clinical station
- Management station
- Portfolio assessment during the interview:
- ~10 minutes assessor review of your uploaded evidence
- ~15 minutes discussion focused on two of your achievements (assessor-selected)
Be prepared to discuss any submitted evidence in depth; the panel chooses what to explore.
Score Weighting (2026)
| Component | Weight | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Portfolio | 45% | Assessed during interview (evidence review + discussion) |
| Clinical & Management stations | 45% | Performance on scenarios/questions |
| MSRA | 10% | Used for shortlisting and overall score |
Get exam-ready with Prepsurg
Practise station themes from recent rounds and benchmark your portfolio with our self-assessment tools.
CST Portfolio (2026): Domains & How to Maximise Points
Scoring now uses letter grades (A–E). Aim to match the wording of the highest grade and collect the exact evidence required.
Commitment to Surgery
MRCS Part A is no longer included in this domain. Focus on Operative Experience and Surgical Experience.
Operative Experience — Grade descriptors
| Option | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Involvement in 40+ 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 from medical school onwards; keep contemporaneous consultant sign-off.
Surgical Experience — Grade descriptors
| Option | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Surgical taster week (≥5 days; can 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 | B | Consider arranging a taster to upgrade |
Use tasters/electives to build logbook numbers, network, and line up audits/research.
Quality Improvement (Clinical Audit)
Plan a surgically themed project early (ideally FY1) to close the loop and demonstrate 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
Plan early. PubMed-cited publications and accredited national/international meetings score best.
| 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 | — |
You cannot double-claim the same audit/QI work here if you’ve already used it for QI/Audit points—pick the option that yields the highest overall grade.
Teaching Experience
To aim for the top grade, design, organise, and deliver ≥4 sessions (alone or collaboratively). Collect letters confirming your role and formal feedback.
| Option | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Designed & delivered face-to-face programme (≥4 sessions) | A | Evidence from consultants/education lead + 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 | — |
How to set up a teaching programme (quick start)
- Start early (e.g., induction week); sketch the curriculum (titles, audience, format, teachers).
- Discuss with your education supervisor; loop in the medical education department.
- Agree logistics, collect sign-offs, and arrange verified feedback for each session.
- Consider virtual delivery to widen access and boost attendance/impact.
Evidence & Submission Deadline
- Check evidence requirements for each domain (letters, eLogbook sign-offs, acceptance emails, feedback forms).
- Portfolio submission deadline: Thursday 26 February 2026 (latest) — aim to finish well before this date.
- During interview, assessors will have ~10 minutes to review your uploads before selecting two achievements for discussion (~15 minutes).
Successful Candidate Perspective
“I’m a core surgical trainee who previously completed a strong rotation in the Midlands, which included orthopaedics — my preferred specialty. I wasn’t top-ranked at medical school, sitting in the 7th decile on my foundation application, and I initially found the CST points system intimidating. Don’t be discouraged — academic ranking makes up only a small part of the score, with most points coming from audits, teaching, presentations, publications, and clinical work. Review the portfolio criteria early, set clear goals, and collaborate with peers and mentors to share the workload of projects and teaching. It takes effort and some expense, but working together makes it manageable.”