Core Surgical Training (CT1) practice

What happens in the Core Surgical Training (CT1) interview

The Core Surgical Training CT1 interview (2026 recruitment round) is held online on the Qpercom video platform and has two 15-minute stations, taken in either order: a Management and Clinical station and a Portfolio station. Each question, and the presentation, is scored from 0 (No Evidence) to 6 (Outstanding) against named criteria. The final selection score out of 100 combines the MSRA (10%), the portfolio station (45%) and the management and clinical station (45%).

Checked against the official sources on 24 September 2026.

The parts, in order

Management and Clinical station15 minutes

One management scenario question and two clinical scenario questions, all given to you during the interview, with 5 minutes to answer each. The panel has 2 members.

Portfolio station15 minutes

A pre-prepared 3-minute presentation, 2 minutes of questions on it, then two 5-minute questions on two of your portfolio domains chosen by the assessor. The panel has 3 or 4 members.

How it is marked

Each section is scored on a 0 to 6 scale: 0 No Evidence, 1 Very Poor, 2 Weak, 3 Satisfactory, 4 Good, 5 Excellent, 6 Outstanding. The management question is judged on probity and professional integrity and awareness of safety and ethics, judgement under pressure and prioritisation, and communication; each clinical question on clinical skills and knowledge, judgement under pressure and prioritisation, and communication; each portfolio question on skills and knowledge; and the presentation on content, presentation skills and questioning. The overall selection score out of 100 is MSRA 10%, portfolio station 45% and management and clinical station 45%.

Passing

NHS England does not publish a pass mark or appointability threshold for the interview. After interview each candidate receives a total score and a unique ranking and is told whether they have been successful.

Worth knowing

  • This is the 2026 recruitment format: interviews were held online between Monday 2 March and Wednesday 11 March 2026.
  • Your uploaded portfolio is assessed by the interviewers before the portfolio station, and you are then asked about two of your portfolio domains.
  • A lay representative may sit on the panel to check for fairness and consistency.

Sources

Formats change. MedMock is not affiliated with any examining body; always check the current regulations on the official site before you apply.

Core Surgical Training (CT1) recruitment dates

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