SmartST
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Neurosurgery

Run-through · ~8 yrs to CCT

Recruited by NHS England — North East and Yorkshire (National Recruitment Office), via Oriel

How Neurosurgery selection works
Neurosurgery (ST1) ranks you twice. Everyone who applies sits the MSRA and has their self-assessment scored by two assessors. First a ranking total — your self-assessment (60%) plus your scaled MSRA (40%) — decides who is invited to the four-station interview. The final selection score is then that ranking total (30%) plus the interview (70%): the interview dominates, but your application still carries 30% of the rank.

Provisional — 2026/27 dates are based on last cycle's pattern. NHS England publishes confirmed dates around October 2026.

1
Apply561(100%)
22 Oct – 19 Nov 2026
2
Self-Assessment
You complete the 15-domain self-assessment inside the Oriel application — there is no separate submission window. Two trained assessors later score it when you are ranked, and that scaled score (0–72) is 60% of your ranking total.
3
Sit MSRA
5–18 Jan 2027
4
Ranking

Two trained assessors score your self-assessment. That scaled self-assessment (60%) and your scaled MSRA (40%) combine into a ranking total out of 120, and the highest-scoring applicants are invited to interview.

MSRA40%
Self-Assessment Verified60%
19 Jan 2027
5
Interview64(11%)top ranked applicants invited to interview
15–16 Mar 2027
6
Ranking

Final selection score: your ranking total counts 30% (MSRA 12% + self-assessment 18%) and the four-station interview 70%. Appointable candidates are ranked on this to allocate posts by preference.

MSRA12%
Self-Assessment Verified18%
Interview70%
7
Offer Released21(4%)top ranked applicants offered posts
by 23 Mar 2027
8
Post starts
Aug 2027
Sources