CST 2027: Everything You Need to Know
PrepSurg
Surgical education team
Key dates, the new portfolio domains, how every domain is graded, the interview format and a step-by-step plan to take you from application to offer.
Key dates, the new portfolio domains, how every domain is graded, the interview format and a step-by-step plan to take you from application to offer.
Start the CST Interview CourseWhat's new for CST 2027
The 2027 round brings the biggest rewrite of the CST portfolio in several years. If you built your plan around older points sheets, read this section first.
- New domains aligned to Good Medical Practice. The portfolio now maps to three of the four GMC Good Medical Practice domains: Knowledge, Skills and Development; Patients, Partnership and Communication; and Colleagues, Culture and Safety. The fourth, Trust and Professionalism, is assessed through your behaviour across the whole selection process.
- Quality over quantity. Assessors are told to reward the contribution, impact and legacy of your work, not simply the fact that you completed an activity. The strongest evidence shows something that keeps benefiting patients or colleagues after you have moved on.
- Communication has opened up. Publications, presentations and teaching now sit together, and patient information leaflets, podcasts and webinars can score in the top band if they are surgically themed and have demonstrable impact.
- Portfolio questions focus on two domains. At interview, the panel will only question you on Patients, Partnership and Communication and Colleagues, Culture and Safety. That tells you exactly which achievements you need to be able to talk about in depth.
- UK graduate prioritisation now starts at shortlisting. Under the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026, prioritisation applies at both shortlisting and offer stage for posts starting in 2027.
CST 2027 key dates
All times are UK time. Dates marked TBC have not yet been confirmed by NHS England, so keep checking Oriel.
- Thursday 22 October 2026, 10amRound 1 applications open on Oriel.
- Thursday 19 November 2026, 4pmRound 1 applications close. Late applications are not accepted.
- January 2027 TBCMSRA sitting. In the 2026 round the window ran from 6 to 19 January.
- After MSRA resultsRoughly the top 1,200 candidates are invited to interview and to upload portfolio evidence. If you don't upload evidence, your interview slot is cancelled.
- Friday 19 to Wednesday 24 February 2027Portfolio evidence portal open. Anything you claim must be fully completed by 19 February. Report upload problems at least 48 hours before the deadline.
- Monday 1 to Wednesday 10 March 2027Online interviews on the Qpercom video platform.
- By 5pm Tuesday 23 March 2027First iteration of offers. Preferencing reopens between offer iterations.
How competitive is CST?
CST is one of the most competitive entry points in UK postgraduate training. In 2025 there were more than 5,300 applicants for around 630 posts. The MSRA acts as the filter to interview, and once you are in the room your MSRA counts for only a small share of your final score. In 2026 the split was 10% MSRA, 45% portfolio station and 45% management and clinical station, so the interview is where rankings are really decided. Confirm the 2027 weighting when NHS England publishes it.
The interview decides 90% of your score.Practise with 47+ fully worked CST clinical and management scenarios, model answers and the follow-up questions panels actually ask.
See the CST courseThe CST 2027 interview format
The interview is two 15-minute stations held online on Qpercom, taken in either order. You will need photo ID, a working camera and microphone, and a private room you can show on camera.
Management and clinical station
- 1 management scenario
- 2 clinical scenarios
- 5 minutes to answer each, given to you on the day
Portfolio station
- 3-minute pre-prepared presentation
- 2 minutes of questions on it
- 2 portfolio questions of 5 minutes each, on domains chosen by the assessors
How you are scored
Every criterion is marked on a seven-point scale from 0 (no evidence) to 6 (outstanding), with 3 meaning satisfactory.
| Section | Marked on |
|---|---|
| Management question | Probity, professional integrity and awareness of safety and ethics; judgement under pressure and prioritisation; communication |
| Each clinical scenario | Clinical skills and knowledge; judgement under pressure and prioritisation; communication |
| Each portfolio question | Skills and knowledge |
| Presentation | Content; presentation skills; handling of questions |
The CST 2027 portfolio, domain by domain
Each domain is graded A to E. You submit one achievement per domain: your single best piece of evidence. Assessors only review the first item they see, so a second audit or a second publication adds nothing. Open each domain below for the full grading and our advice.
Domain 1Knowledge, Skills and Development
Operative experience
- AInvolvement in 40 or more cases
- B30–39 cases
- C20–29 cases
- D11–19 cases
- E10 cases or fewer, or no evidence
Surgical experience
- AA surgical taster of at least 5 days (they don't need to be consecutive), or a surgical elective of at least 4 weeks as a medical student
- BNo surgical taster, elective or placement
Our advice
- Use one eLogbook consolidation report across all specialties. Filter out cases you only observed, plus procedures every UK foundation doctor is expected to have signed off. A consultant must sign, name, date and add their GMC number to every page.
- Check the count matches your claim. If the summary says 42 but the list shows 38, you'll be marked on the lower number.
- Book your taster now. It must be finished before 19 February 2027. A taster that is only booked scores nothing.
- Get the right letter. It must be on letterhead, signed by your supervisor with their GMC number, and describe what you actually did: theatre lists, clinics and learning. An acceptance letter sent before you started won't count.
None of the evidence in this domain can be reused to claim points anywhere else.
Domain 2Patients, Partnership and Communication
- AAny one of: top prize for an oral presentation at a national or international meeting; first-author PubMed or Web of Science paper (not a case report or letter); designing a face-to-face teaching programme with local educators and delivering at least 4 sessions; a surgically themed podcast or webinar with demonstrable impact; leading a surgically themed patient information leaflet with demonstrable impact
- BAny one of: oral presentation at a national or international meeting; first author of a prize-winning poster at that level; first-author case report or editorial letter, or a published (not self-published) book chapter; an online teaching programme you designed and delivered 4+ sessions of; a podcast, webinar or leaflet with impact that isn't surgically themed
- CRegular teaching over the last year (at least 4 sessions)
- DFirst-author poster at a national or international meeting (attendance required); oral presentation at a regional meeting; cited collaborative author
- ENone or other
Our advice
- Look at the new A-band routes. A first-author original paper takes months. A surgically themed patient leaflet or webinar series that you lead, launch and measure can reach the same grade within a single rotation if you start now.
- Plan "demonstrable impact" from day one. For a leaflet, run a short patient acceptability survey. For a podcast or webinar, track reach and collect structured feedback. Your supervisor's letter must describe this.
- Building a teaching programme. Identify a gap (for example, no structured teaching for surgical FY1s), agree objectives with your educational supervisor and the medical education department, plan at least 4 sessions, deliver them yourself, and collect formal feedback every time. Face-to-face scores a grade higher than online.
- Beware pay-to-present. If you paid a fee to present, it does not count as peer reviewed and can only be graded as none/other.
- Be ready to talk about it. This is one of only two domains you will be questioned on. Know your personal role, what changed because of it, and what you would do differently.
Can you talk about your portfolio for 5 minutes?Rehearse your 3-minute presentation and portfolio questions with another CST candidate in a live mock, scored on a five-area examiner sheet.
Book live mocksDomain 3Colleagues, Culture and Safety
Quality improvement project or audit
- ALead in all aspects of a surgically themed audit or QI project that demonstrated change (at least 2 cycles)
- BLead in all aspects of an audit or QI project that demonstrated change, not surgically themed
- CActive contributor across multiple cycles, without a leading role
- DInvolved in an audit or QI project, for example data collection for one cycle
- ENone or other
Presentation of that project (scored separately if you were A–C above)
- AYou presented both cycles, or the intervention and change
- BYou presented one cycle
- CYou didn't present any part of it
Our advice
- Lead it, keep it surgical, close the loop. Grade A needs you to own planning, data collection, analysis, implementing change and the re-audit.
- Present where the change happens. Presenting to the department you are trying to change is part of the QI process, and the slides are needed for full presentation points.
- Don't double count. A project used here cannot also be claimed as a presentation in Domain 2.
- Think about legacy. A new proforma, pathway or teaching resource that is still in use after you rotate is exactly the kind of impact assessors are now told to reward.
- This domain will be questioned. Be fluent on your methodology, your data, the barriers you hit and how the change was sustained.
Domain 4Trust and Professionalism
There is no evidence to upload for this domain. It is assessed through how you behave throughout selection, from the accuracy of your self-assessment to how you conduct yourself on the day.
- Never over-claim. Exaggerated achievements can be marked down, removed from the process or referred to the GMC as a probity concern. Panels may test your claims with their questions.
- Treat every interaction as assessed, including emails to the recruitment office and the ID check on the day.
Evidence rules and common pitfalls
Strong candidates lose points every year on admin, not achievement. Run through this list before you upload.
- Complete the index page. It is mandatory. Without it your portfolio scores 0 and your evidence isn't reviewed.
- One PDF per domain, containing only that domain's evidence. Never upload your whole portfolio to every domain.
- Put your best item first. Assessors only review the first piece of evidence they see.
- Include GMC numbers wherever asked. A missing supervisor GMC number scores 0.
- Check signatures are secure. An editable e-signature in a text box won't be accepted.
- Remove all patient-identifiable data, including hospital numbers and names in thank-you cards. PID scores 0 and can lead to a GMC referral.
- Redact meeting minutes and any other document carrying information unrelated to your claim.
- Keep links live through March 2027 for podcasts and webinars, so assessors can access them.
- Translate anything not in English with a certified, authenticated translation.
- Only claim work done since starting university, and only work fully completed by 19 February 2027.
Preparing for the management and clinical station
This station is worth as much as the portfolio and is where well-prepared candidates pull ahead. You get three unseen questions and five minutes for each, with two assessors marking your knowledge, prioritisation and communication.
Clinical scenarios
Expect acute presentations across general surgery, urology, orthopaedics, ENT, vascular, paediatric surgery and trauma, such as the septic post-operative patient, the acutely painful scrotum, epistaxis or a suspected anastomotic leak. Panels want a safe, structured approach: immediate assessment and resuscitation, early escalation, focused investigations and definitive management, with current guidance quoted accurately.
Management scenarios
These test probity and judgement: a colleague who may be unfit to work, a wrong-site marking, a cancelled list, a confidentiality breach, being asked to work beyond your competence. Strong answers put patient safety first, then deal with the colleague, the team and the governance follow-up, and show you know when to escalate.
47+ worked CST scenarios with model answers.Every scenario includes key points, a model answer, an in-depth knowledge summary and the follow-up questions panels ask, plus a tutor to ask when you're stuck.
Try the question bankYour CST 2027 preparation plan
Apply and audit your portfolio
Submit on Oriel. Self-assess honestly against every domain and spot the gaps you can still close by February.
MSRA and evidence
Revise for the MSRA. In parallel, book your taster, close your audit loop and request supervisor letters early.
Learn the scenarios
Work through the clinical and management bank. Build your 3-minute presentation and finalise your domain PDFs.
Upload
Index page, one PDF per domain, best item first, GMC numbers, no PID. Upload early, not on the last day.
Practise out loud
Run timed live mocks, swap candidate and interviewer roles, and drill the follow-up questions until your answers are automatic.
CST 2027 FAQs
When are the CST 2027 interviews?
Online on Qpercom between Monday 1 and Wednesday 10 March 2027. You book your slot through Oriel on a first come, first served basis.
When does the portfolio upload portal open?
From Friday 19 February to Wednesday 24 February 2027. Anything you claim must be fully completed by 19 February 2027.
Which portfolio domains will I be questioned on?
Only Patients, Partnership and Communication, and Colleagues, Culture and Safety. Your Knowledge, Skills and Development evidence is scored from the documents alone.
Can I upload more than one achievement per domain?
No. Choose the single achievement that gives you the highest grade. Assessors only review the first item they see, and multiple documents about one achievement still count as one.
Do I still get points for MRCS Part A?
MRCS Part A is not one of the scored indicators in the 2027 portfolio guidance. Prizes, teaching qualifications and other academic achievements can be uploaded as evidence in Knowledge, Skills and Development.
How do I practise for the CST interview?
Learn a bank of realistic scenarios with model answers, then rehearse them out loud under 5-minute timing with someone marking you. The PrepSurg CST course combines both: worked scenarios, live mocks with other candidates, national study groups and a tutor you can ask about any scenario.
Secure your CST 2027 post
Everything you need for the management and clinical station and the portfolio station, written by high-scoring surgical trainees.
- 47+ worked scenarios
- Model answers and follow-ups
- Live mock interviews
- National study groups
- Ask the tutor
Sources: NHS England Core Surgical Training Portfolio Guidance for Candidates, Overview of Core Surgery Training and Interviews; Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026. Always confirm dates and criteria on Oriel and the NHS England Core Surgery pages for your recruitment round.