The MSRA
Core Surgical Training uses the Multi-Specialty Recruitment Assessment. It does two separate jobs, and the second matters more than its weighting suggests.
Format and weightings below are the 2026 position. Nothing CST-specific has been published for 2027 — the national timelines page still says only that details of future rounds will be added once available.
Two jobs, not one
- It contributes 10% of your final selection score, alongside the two interview stations at 45% each
- It shortlists: only the top-scoring 1200 applicants at MSRA are invited to interview
A candidate who would have interviewed well but sits outside the top 1200 never reaches the interview. That is why the MSRA is worth more preparation than a 10% weighting implies.
The MSRA is sat at Pearson VUE test centres. The 2027 test window had not been published as of August 2026.
Top Tips
- Treat the MSRA as a gate, not a tenth of a score.
- Practise under timed conditions — the professional dilemmas paper punishes slow readers.
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