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Not affiliated with NHS England, HEE, or the RCR.
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Overview
1
MSRA Score
2
Portfolio Score
3
Your Result
⇄
Year Comparison
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Improve Chances
ST1 Clinical Radiology · 2027 Recruitment
ST1 Radiology Odds Estimator
Enter your MSRA and portfolio scores to find out what interview mark you'd need to be competitive. Powered by real recruitment data from 2019–2025.
How this works
Wondering how to improve your odds of getting an ST1 job but don't know where to start? This app uses AI to estimate the scores needed to get a job, based on crowdsourced applicant data from r/JuniorDoctorsUK spreadsheets.
01
📊 Collect
Anonymised entries from Reddit applicant spreadsheets — MSRA scores, portfolio breakdowns, interview marks, and final allocation results.
02
🧮 Model
Build year-on-year distributions for each cohort. Identify the cutoff thresholds for shortlisting, interview, and offer at varying competition ratios.
03
🎯 Estimate
Compare your inputs to those benchmarks. Show where you sit on each dimension and what the historical odds look like for someone with your profile.
ℹ️This tool is directional, not predictive. Estimates are based on self-reported crowdsourced data and should not be treated as guarantees. Sample sizes vary by year, data skews toward more engaged applicants, and individual results will differ. Use this as a rough guide only.
The recruitment pipeline
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Apply via Oriel
Submit your application through the NHS Oriel platform. Must hold a primary medical degree and be eligible to work in the UK.
~4,000 applicants
1
Sit the MSRA
4-hour computer-based exam. Two papers: Clinical Problem Solving and Professional Dilemmas. Top scorers (~850) are shortlisted.
Cutoff: ~551 (2026)
2
Portfolio Review
Shortlisted candidates submit evidence across 5 domains — commitment to specialty, leadership, teaching, audit, and academic achievements.
Max 24 points
3
Interview
2 × 15-minute structured stations, scored out of 100. Worth 60% of your final rank score. The biggest lever you can pull.
60% of final rank
4
National Ranking
All candidates ranked nationally by combined score (Interview 60% + Portfolio 40%). You then choose deaneries in rank order.
~350 posts
5
Accept Post
Offers made through Oriel. Accept your preferred deanery and begin ST1 radiology training in August.
Start August
Typical recruitment timeline
Oct 2026
Applications open
Oriel portal opens. Complete eligibility checks and self-assessment.
Nov 2026
Applications close
Final submission deadline via Oriel. MSRA booking opens.
Dec 2026
Prepare for MSRA.
Jan 2027
MSRA exam sat
Sit at a Pearson VUE test centre. Results are not released until February — typically 2–3 weeks later.
Feb 2027
MSRA results released & interviews
MSRA results published. Shortlisted candidates upload portfolio evidence. Structured panel interviews held (typically late Feb, online via Qpercom).
Mar 2027
Initial offers released
National rank list published. Initial offers sent via Oriel (late March). 48 hours to accept, hold, or decline.
Apr 2027
Cascade & clearing rounds
Subsequent iterations as held/declined posts redistribute. Upgrade offers possible.
Begin radiology training at your allocated deanery. Welcome to ST1!
Eligibility at a glance
✅ You must have
A primary medical qualification (UK or recognised overseas)
Full GMC registration with a licence to practise
At least 2 years of postgraduate medical experience by the start date
Evidence of achievement of Foundation competencies
Right to work in the UK
UK graduates are prioritised in allocation — international medical graduates (IMGs) may face additional competition even with equivalent scores
What's your MSRA score?
Enter your actual or predicted MSRA total. The top ~850 candidates by MSRA score are invited to upload portfolio evidence. Minimum 201 required in each of the two MSRA domains.
Enter your score
/ 600
Historical MSRA shortlisting thresholds
2022: ≤515 (upper bound, community data) · 2024: ~549 (inferred, community data) · 2025: 549 confirmed (Mind The Bleep) · 2026: ~551 inferred · 2021/2023: no data
Confirmed
Inferred / upper bound
Your score
⚠
How these thresholds were estimated
These figures come from self-reported community spreadsheets, not official NHS data. Official shortlisting cutoffs are not publicly released.
2025 – 549 (confirmed): Published by Mind The Bleep and corroborated by community data.
2026 – ~551 (inferred): Lowest confirmed score in the 2026 community ranking spreadsheet (rank 198, self-reported as "scraped in").
2024 – ~549 (inferred): Lowest confirmed score in the 2024 community ranking spreadsheet; 5 entries cluster at exactly 549 with none below, consistent with a hard cutoff.
2022 – ≤515 (upper bound only): Lowest MSRA reported in the 2022 community applications spreadsheet (102 entries). Treat with caution — the data includes candidates who applied via the Disability Confident scheme, who receive automatic interview invitations regardless of MSRA score. These candidates cannot be identified in the spreadsheet, so some low-scoring entries may reflect this rather than evidence of a lower threshold. The true cutoff for other candidates is likely higher than 515.
2021 & 2023: No community data available.
Calculate your portfolio score
From 2025, the portfolio is marked out of 24 across 5 domains (Domain 1 is double-weighted, worth up to 8 pts; domains 2–5 worth 4 pts each). Expand each section and score yourself against the 2026 HEE criteria.
Portfolio Total
0/ 24
Select your achievements below
Already know your total? Enter it directly to skip the domains below. Selecting any domain will switch back to the calculated total./ 24
ℹScoring uses the 2026 HEE Clinical Radiology ST1 Portfolio Review Guidance. Category A=4pts, B=3, C=2, D=1, E=0. Domain 1 is double-weighted (max 8 pts); domains 2–5 max 4 pts each. Total maximum = 24 pts. You should only claim fully completed achievements.
Your estimate
Select the year you want to compare against. Results adjust based on that year's scoring formula, competition, and offer thresholds.
Less competitive
Moderate
Highly competitive
Important. This is an estimate based on publicly available historical data (Radiology Cafe, RadCast, community spreadsheets, NHS recruitment figures). Scoring weightings changed in 2024 (MSRA no longer contributes to final rank). Thresholds vary by deanery and year. This tool is not affiliated with NHS England, HEE, or the RCR. Always check official guidance at medical.hee.nhs.uk.
How competitive has it been?
Application volumes and training posts, 2019–2026. Source: Radiology Cafe / RCR.
Applications (left axis)
Posts available (right axis)
Year
Applications
Posts
Competition ratio
Ranking formula
Data sources. Application statistics from Radiology Cafe (radiologycafe.com), sourced from Oriel and the RCR Statistical Summary of Previous Rounds. 2026 application total not yet published.
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These are collected as part of a quality improvement project measuring how clearly the ST1 radiology application process is understood before and after using this tool.
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