Free · 2027 entry · scored out of 30
IMT Application Points Calculator
Six questions give you your real IMT score out of 30, where it sits against 8,728 applicants, and what you can still add before 19 November.
- Six questions
Source. NHS IMT recruitment: application score data, rounds 2013–2026. 2025 Round 1: 8,728 applications considered, mean 13.75, median 14. Checked 21 September 2026.
The calculator
Check your IMT application
Six steps, one for each scored domain. Pick the highest option you can evidence. Your score appears at the end.
01 · What the score is for
What this number does, and where it stops
Your self-assessment score decides one thing: whether you are invited to interview.
After that it is put down and not picked up again. Offers are ranked on interview marks alone. A 30 and a 15 walk into the interview room level.
Nobody normally checks your evidence at this stage. You claim, they shortlist, and the claims can be audited later. So claim exactly what you can prove. Not a point more. And, the part people miss, not a point less.
Sources. IMT Recruitment: application scoring and assessment methods. NHS IMT recruitment: total score distributions, rounds 2013–2026.
02 · The scoring matrix
The 2027 IMT scoring scale, every point
Thirty points across six domains. Two things moved for 2027. Publications came down from 8 to 6. Presentations went up from 6 to 8. The five bonus points for applying only to IMT are gone.
A national poster now outscores a PhD. We did not design this. We only measure against it.
Postgraduate degrees and qualifications
- 4PhD or MD by research
- 3Masters-level degree such as an MSc, MA or MRes, eight months or more full-time equivalent
- 1Another postgraduate diploma or certificate, roughly one to ten months
- 0None of these
Evidence · Certificate, or a letter from the awarding body.
Publications 2027: was 8
- 6First, joint-first or corresponding author of PubMed-cited original research, published or in press
- 5Co-author of PubMed-cited original research
- 4More than one other PubMed-cited publication: editorials, reviews, case reports
- 4One or more book chapters, not self-published
- 2One other PubMed-cited publication
- 1Abstracts, non-peer-reviewed articles, or articles not cited on PubMed
- 0None of these
Evidence · PubMed screenshot and link. If in press, the publisher's acceptance. For chapters: cover, contents page, author list and ISBN.
Presentations and posters 2027: was 6
- 8Oral presentation at a national or international meeting, as first or second author
- 6Poster at a national or international meeting
- 4Oral presentation at a regional meeting
- 2Oral presentation at a local meeting
- 2Poster at a regional or local meeting
- 0None of these
Evidence · Organiser's letter or certificate, the abstract-book listing, and the slides or poster.
Teaching experience
- 5Organised a teaching programme with local tutors and taught on it regularly for about three months or more, with formal feedback
- 3Taught regularly within a defined programme for about three months or more, with formal feedback
- 1Taught occasionally, with formal feedback from at least three sessions
- 0None of these
Evidence · Feedback summary, a letter on headed paper confirming your role, and the programme timetable.
Training in teaching
- 3PG Cert or PG Dip in teaching, university-accredited, 60 credits or more
- 1Training in teaching methods below that level, with at least six hours delivered live
- 0None of these
Evidence · Certificate, plus a course outline showing the hours and how it was delivered.
Quality improvement
- 4Every stage of two cycles of a QI project
- 3Some stages of two cycles, or every stage of one cycle
- 1Some stages of one cycle
- 0None of these
Evidence · QIPAT form, or a supervisor's document on headed paper.
Two rule changes that catch people
Abstracts and letters no longer count as PubMed-cited other publications. An abstract can still take the 1-point tier, unless it came from a presentation you are already claiming. The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act applies at shortlisting and at offers. IMT Recruitment says it cannot yet describe the effect, so neither will we.Source. IMT Recruitment: application scoring (2026 descriptors), with the conversions in “IMT 2027, summary of changes”, 16 July 2026. The full 2027 guidance is not out yet. This table will be re-checked against it the day it is.
03 · The comparison year
Where 8,728 people landed in 2025
2025 is the only recent round scored out of 30 with no bonus. That makes it the only fair comparison for 2027.
Mean 13.75. Median 14. Every score from 0 to 30 was used by somebody.
3,850 of those applicants were interviewed. That is 44 in every 100. The interview cut-off was 15.
Of the 3,850 who were interviewed, 89% were judged appointable.
2026, for context only
Scored out of 35 because of the bonus, so it cannot share an axis with anything here. 8,251 applications considered, mean 19.77, median 21, 3,754 interviewed.Sources. NHS IMT recruitment: application score data, rounds 2013–2026; total score distributions, rounds 2013–2026.
04 · The trend
Fourteen rounds, one flat line
In 2019, 2,105 applications were considered. In 2025, 8,728. Posts went from 1,597 to 1,677.
In 2019, 1,823 of those 2,105 applicants were interviewed. In 2025 it was 3,850 of 8,728. The interview rooms did not get bigger.
| Round | Bar | Applications | Posts | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 2,639 | n/a | ||
| 2014 | 2,730 | 1,545 | ||
| 2015 | 2,495 | 1,609 | ||
| 2016 | 2,381 | 1,706 | ||
| 2017 | 2,217 | 1,716 | 89% of posts filled | |
| 2018 | 2,337 | 1,729 | 96% filled | |
| 2019 | 2,105 | 1,597 | Round 1 filled 75%; a Round 2 was needed | |
| 2020 | 2,714 | 1,635 | Last year with a Round 2 | |
| 2021 | 3,512 | 1,569 | ||
| 2022 | 3,939 | 1,640 | 99% filled | |
| 2023 | 4,292 | 1,686 | 100% filled · 3,642 interviewed | |
| 2024 | 6,174 | 1,698 | 100% filled · 3,682 interviewed | |
| 2025 | 8,728 | 1,677 | 100% filled · 3,850 interviewed | |
| 2026 | 8,251 | n/a | Scotland recruited separately · 3,754 interviewed |
Applications consideredPosts, same scalen/a: not in the source document for that year
You will not find scores from different years on one chart here. The scale has been out of 64, 68, 58, 40, 35 and 30. Comparing them is how bad advice gets made.
Sources. NHS IMT recruitment: application score data, rounds 2013–2026. NHS IMT fill rates by region, 2014–2025 (posts, ACCS and IMT combined). NHS England competition ratios, 2025: 8,841 applications, 1,678 posts, ratio 5.27. No ratio has been published for 2026.
Where the 1,677 IMT posts were in 2025
London had 288. Peninsula had 42. Every region filled every post. Applications are not published by region, so nobody can honestly tell you which region is easier. Including us. Hover over a region, or tap it, for its posts.
up to 6061–9091–135136–200over 200
- London288
- Yorkshire and the Humber154
- East of England134
- Kent, Surrey and Sussex131
- Scotland117
- North West109
- West Midlands93
- East Midlands87
- Wales75
- North East75
- Mersey73
- Northern Ireland73
- Wessex66
- Thames Valley60
- Severn51
- Peninsula42
- ACCS posts, all regions49
- Total, every post filled1,677
Source. NHS IMT fill rates by region, 2014–2025. This document totals 1,677 posts. NHS England's ratio document says 1,678. We print each beside the figures it came with. Region shapes are simplified.
05 · What you can still do
Closing a gap before 19 November
Some points can still be earned this month. Most cannot. Here is every route we know of, with the cost and the catch.
| Route | Domain | Points | Cost | Time needed | By 19 November |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free, and still possible | |||||
| Claim a complete QI cycle correctly | Quality improvement | 3, often claimed as 1 | Free | None. You have done the work. | Yes |
| Collect feedback forms from three sessions you have already taught | Teaching experience | 1 | Free | Days | Yes |
| Present at a local meeting, such as a departmental meeting or grand round | Presentations | 2 | Free | Depends on your department's calendar | Yes, if a slot exists |
| Present at a regional meeting | Presentations | 4 | Usually free to submit | Depends on the meeting calendar | Tight |
| Submit an abstract to NMERC, Saturday 14 November, online | Presentations | Oral 8, poster 6, only if accepted | Free to submit. Attendance £149, free if you hold the Erudical course. | Abstract by 31 October. Decision within five days. | Yes. Acceptance is not certain. |
| Run the second cycle of a QI project you have already started | Quality improvement | 3 becomes 4 | Free | Needs a re-audit | Tight |
| Have your trust's study budget reimburse a teaching course | Training in teaching | 1 | Nil after reimbursement | As for the course | Yes |
| NHS-funded or deanery teaching course | Training in teaching | 1 | Free | Check the six live hours and the certificate | Only if dates exist |
| Teaching courses | |||||
| Any Teach the Teacher course with at least six live hours. Compare every provider and price | Training in teaching | 1, whichever you choose | £145 to £610 | One or two days | Yes |
| Too late for this round | |||||
| Organise a teaching programme and teach on it | Teaching experience | 5 | Free | About three months. It needed a mid-August start. | No |
| A PubMed-cited publication | Publications | Up to 6 | Free | Months | No |
| PG Cert in teaching | Training in teaching | 3 | University fees | About a year | No |
| A Masters, MD or PhD | Degrees | 3 or 4 | University fees | Years | No |
On teaching courses
Every Teach the Teacher course is worth the same 1 point, whether it costs £145 or £610. The rule that matters is six hours of live, synchronous teaching, so check that before you buy anything on-demand. Ours is £199 and is also worth 1 point. Not more. Every provider, compared.On NMERC
The National Medical Education and Research Conference is peer-reviewed, online, on Saturday 14 November, with a lecture hall for oral presentations and a poster hall where you stand by your board and people walk up and ask about it. Submitting an abstract is free and closes on 31 October. Each abstract is scored against a published rubric, and some are turned down. Accepted as an oral, it is worth 8. As a poster, 6. Turned down, you get the reviewers' scores and no points. That is how it should work.Sources. Course prices from each provider's public listing, checked 21 September 2026. Applications are expected to close on Thursday 19 November 2026. Confirm the date on imtrecruitment.org.uk.
06 · Quick answers
IMT application points: common questions
How many points do you need for an IMT interview?
In 2025 the interview cut-off was 15 out of 30. 8,728 applications were considered and 3,850 candidates were interviewed, which is 44 in every 100. The 2027 cut-off will be set by the 2027 applicants, so treat 15 as the target.
What is the maximum IMT application score for 2027?
30 points across six domains: postgraduate degrees (4), publications (6), presentations and posters (8), teaching experience (5), training in teaching (3) and quality improvement (4).
What changed in IMT application scoring for 2027?
Publications fell from 8 points to 6. Presentations rose from 6 to 8. The five bonus points for applying only to IMT were removed. Abstracts and letters no longer count as PubMed-cited other publications.
Does the IMT application score count after the interview?
No. The self-assessment score only decides who is invited to interview. Offers are ranked on interview marks alone.
How competitive is IMT?
In 2025 there were 8,841 applications for 1,678 posts, a competition ratio of 5.27. Applications considered for shortlisting rose from 2,105 in 2019 to 8,728 in 2025 while posts stayed almost flat.
Is a Teach the Teacher course worth points for IMT?
Yes, 1 point under training in teaching, provided the course includes at least six hours of live teaching. Every qualifying course earns the same single point. A PG Cert in teaching earns 3.
07 · Sources
Sources and method
It is independent. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NHS, NHS England or any deanery. The data is theirs, and credited. The arithmetic is ours.
Method. Your score is the sum of the highest tier you can evidence in each of the six domains. IMT Recruitment does not publish the interview cut-off, so we calculate it from their figures: 3,850 interviewed out of 8,728 applications considered, read against the published median of 14, puts the 2025 cut-off at 15. Last checked 21 September 2026.
Published by Erudical Limited, company no. 12733660, registered in England and Wales.
The source documents
- NHS IMT recruitment: application score data, rounds 2013–2026Applications considered, means, medians and the 2025 distribution chart.Download the PDF ↗
- NHS IMT recruitment: total score distributions, rounds 2013–2026Candidates fully assessed at interview and the appointable split.Download the PDF ↗
- NHS IMT fill rates by region, 2014–2025Posts by region and by year, and fill rates.Download the PDF ↗
- NHS England competition ratios, 20258,841 applications, 1,678 posts, ratio 5.27.Open the ratios page ↗
- IMT Recruitment: application scoring, and the IMT 2027 summary of changes (16 July 2026)Domain descriptors, evidence rules and the 2027 point conversions.Open the scoring guidance ↗
- IMT Recruitment: IMT 2027 summary of changesPublications 8 to 6, presentations 6 to 8, bonus removed.Open the summary ↗
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