ENT ST3 Self-Assessment 2027: Points & Calculator

The ENT ST3 self-assessment is 16 multiple-choice questions on your Oriel form. The 2026 framework gives a maximum for each question and no overall total; the maxima add up to 76, and 20 of those sit in one question about your time in ENT posts. The validated score is a shortlisting tool, because “Applicants will be shortlisted using their validated Self-Assessment score with the highest scoring applicants being invited to attend an interview”, and once you’re through “Your ranking will be based upon your overall interview score and your individual station scores.” The 2027 ENT framework and dates haven’t been published, so this page scores the 2026 questions. ENT used the national ST3/ST4 round in 2026, and that round’s 2027 window is expected to run from 10am on Thursday 19 November to 4pm on Thursday 10 December 2026.

ENT ST3 self-assessment (scored on the Oriel application form, then validated against evidence uploaded to Qpercom) points at a glance

2026 criteria; 2027 not yet published (2027 ENT documents not visible on 12 October 2026) Last checked 12 October 2026

Your score is the total of the domain scores, out of a maximum of 76.

The 2026 framework states no overall total; the question maxima add up to 76 (20+5+8+2+4+6+25+4+2). The self-assessment is used for shortlisting: "Applicants will be shortlisted using their validated Self-Assessment score with the highest scoring applicants being invited to attend an interview." Ranking is by interview: "Your ranking will be based upon your overall interview score and your individual station scores." The validated self-assessment score is the second tie-breaker after Communication. "A minimum Self-Assessment cutoff score will be determined"; applicants under the Disability Confident Scheme or for ACF clinical benchmarking must reach it to be interviewed (2026 handbook).

ENT ST3: every domain, what scores and the maximum
Domain	What scores (official wording)	Max
Time in ENT posts after foundation training (Q1)	0 points Less than 6 months (10 months) = 0 points 20 points 6 – 24 months (10 – 40 months) = 20 points 15 points 24 – 36 months (40 – 60 months) = 15 points 10 points 36 – 48 months (60 – 80 months) = 10 points 0 points >48 months (>80 months) =0 points Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 20 points. Single band. The score peaks at 6-24 months of ENT and falls after that. LTFT equivalents (60%) in brackets. Bands overlap at 24, 36 and 48 months as published.	20
Highest postgraduate qualification (Q2)	5 points PhD or MD by research (can include non-medical related qualifications) 3 points Masters level degree eg MSc, MA, MRes, MPhil, MCh, etc. (can include non-medical qualifications) 1 point Other relevant postgraduate diploma or postgraduate certificate. Qualifications unrelated to medicine cannot be claimed for in this option. 0 points None/other Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 5 points. Highest single qualification.	5
Publication 1 (Q3)	4 points First author of an original research publication with a PMID number and an Impact Factor ≥2.5 3 points First author of an original research publication with a PMID number and an Impact Factor between 1.0 - 2.5 2 points Co-author of an original research publication with a PMID number and an Impact Factor ≥1.0 2 points First author of a chapter in a book related to medicine in its broadest sense (this does not include self-published books) 1 point First author, joint-first author, corresponding author or co-author of a PubMed-cited other publication such as editorials, reviews, or case reports 0 points None/other Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 4 points. Scored per publication, 0-4. Two best publications, total maximum 8.	4
Publication 2 (Q4)	4 points First author of an original research publication with a PMID number and an Impact Factor ≥2.5 3 points First author of an original research publication with a PMID number and an Impact Factor between 1.0 - 2.5 2 points Co-author of an original research publication with a PMID number and an Impact Factor ≥1.0 2 points First author of a chapter in a book related to medicine in its broadest sense (this does not include self-published books) 1 point First author, joint-first author, corresponding author or co-author of a PubMed-cited other publication such as editorials, reviews, or case reports 0 points None/other Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 4 points. Scored per publication, 0-4. Two best publications, total maximum 8.	4
Published collaborative research (Q5)	2 points Steering committee 2 points 1 point Site lead / Local collaborator/data collection 1 point 0 points None 0 points Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 2 points. Single best option.	2
Audit/QI project 1 (Q6)	2 points Involvement in all aspects of two cycles of an original QI project where you can demonstrate a leadership capacity by supervising other members of the team. 1 point Involvement in all aspects of two cycles of a QI project. 1 point Participating in QI activity - this requires involvement in one aspect of a completed, multi-cycle QI project OR involvement in two or more aspects of a single cycle QI project 0 points None/other Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 2 points. Scored per project, 0-2. Two best projects, total maximum 4. Both '1' options score the same.	2
Audit/QI project 2 (Q7)	2 points Involvement in all aspects of two cycles of an original QI project where you can demonstrate a leadership capacity by supervising other members of the team. 1 point Involvement in all aspects of two cycles of a QI project. 1 point Participating in QI activity - this requires involvement in one aspect of a completed, multi-cycle QI project OR involvement in two or more aspects of a single cycle QI project 0 points None/other Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 2 points. Scored per project, 0-2. Two best projects, total maximum 4. Both '1' options score the same.	2
Presentation 1 (Q8)	3 points I presented an oral presentation in which I was a first or second author at a national or international medical meeting 2 points I presented an oral presentation in which I was a first or second author at a regional medical meeting 1 point A poster in which I was a first or second author was shown at a national or international medical meeting 1 point A poster in which I was a first or second author was shown at a regional medical meeting 0 points None/other Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 3 points. Scored per presentation, 0-3. Two best presentations, total maximum 6. A national poster scores the same as a regional poster (1).	3
Presentation 2 (Q9)	3 points I presented an oral presentation in which I was a first or second author at a national or international medical meeting 2 points I presented an oral presentation in which I was a first or second author at a regional medical meeting 1 point A poster in which I was a first or second author was shown at a national or international medical meeting 1 point A poster in which I was a first or second author was shown at a regional medical meeting 0 points None/other Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 3 points. Scored per presentation, 0-3. Two best presentations, total maximum 6. A national poster scores the same as a regional poster (1).	3
Logbook: ear procedures (Q10)	0 points 0-4 procedures = 0 points 1 point 5-9 procedures = 1 point 3 points 10-14 procedures =3 points 5 points ≥15 procedures = 5 points Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 5 points. 0, 1, 3 or 5. There is no 2- or 4-point band. At most 2 simulated cases per category.	5
Logbook: nose procedures (Q11)	0 points 0-4 procedures = 0 points 1 point 5-9 procedures = 1 point 3 points 10-14 procedures =3 points 5 points ≥15 procedures = 5 points Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 5 points. 0, 1, 3 or 5. There is no 2- or 4-point band. At most 2 simulated cases per category.	5
Logbook: tonsillectomy (Q12)	0 points 0-4 procedures = 0 points 1 point 5-9 procedures = 1 point 3 points 10-14 procedures =3 points 5 points ≥15 procedures = 5 points Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 5 points. 0, 1, 3 or 5. There is no 2- or 4-point band. At most 2 simulated cases per category.	5
Logbook: throat or neck procedures (Q13)	0 points 0-4 procedures = 0 points 1 point 5-9 procedures = 1 point 3 points 10-14 procedures =3 points 5 points ≥15 procedures = 5 points Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 5 points. 0, 1, 3 or 5. There is no 2- or 4-point band. At most 2 simulated cases per category.	5
Logbook: emergency procedures (Q14)	0 points 0-4 procedures = 0 points 1 point 5-9 procedures = 1 point 3 points 10-14 procedures =3 points 5 points ≥15 procedures = 5 points Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 5 points. 0, 1, 3 or 5. There is no 2- or 4-point band. At most 2 simulated cases per category.	5
Medical teaching / training delivery (Q15)	4 points As principal organiser of relevant course (which has already run by the submission closing date) 4 points 2 points By contributing to course as faculty member 2 point 0 points None 0 points Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 4 points. Single best option. Medical student teaching programmes are capped at 2. Online courses are not considered.	4
Qualification in medical education (Q16)	2 points Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in education (minimum 120 credits) 2 points 1 point Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) in education (minimum 60 credits) 1 point 0 points None 0 points Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 2 points. Single best option. An MSc in education can score 2 if not already used elsewhere.	2
Total	Not published as a single figure: this is the sum of the domain maxima.	76

Dates for this round

19 November 2026, 10am Applications open (expected: national ST3/ST4 round; ENT 2027 date not yet published) expected source
10 December 2026, 4pm Applications close (expected; self-assessment submitted on the form) expected source
11 January 2027 Interview window opens (national ST3/ST4 round) expected source
9 April 2027 Interview window closes (national ST3/ST4 round) expected source
13 April 2027, 5pm Initial offers released by (national ST3/ST4 round) expected source
21 April 2027, 1pm Hold deadline (national ST3/ST4 round) expected source

What you can still add before 10 December 2026

What each of these adds is the difference between the option you would reach and the one you already hold, so it can be nothing if you hold that option already. The calculator works out the gain from your own answers.

Presentation 1 (Q8). Give an original-work oral, as first or second author, in person at a national or international meeting before you submit. Online meetings do not count, so NMERC (online) can't be used for ENT. Gets you to: Oral at a national or international meeting (first or second author). "Accepted presentations / posters that have not yet been given will not be counted." "No additional evidence will be accepted following the self-assessment submission date." The 2027 ENT close date is not published; the national ST3/ST4 round closes 4pm Thursday 10 December 2026.
Presentation 2 (Q9). Give an original-work oral, as first or second author, in person at a national or international meeting before you submit. Online meetings do not count, so NMERC (online) can't be used for ENT. Gets you to: Oral at a national or international meeting (first or second author). "Accepted presentations / posters that have not yet been given will not be counted." "No additional evidence will be accepted following the self-assessment submission date." The 2027 ENT close date is not published; the national ST3/ST4 round closes 4pm Thursday 10 December 2026.
Logbook: ear procedures (Q10). Procedures you perform and log before you submit count. Highlight the cases for each category on the summary sheet. "No additional evidence will be accepted following the self-assessment submission date." The 2027 ENT close date is not published; the national ST3/ST4 round closes 4pm Thursday 10 December 2026.
Logbook: nose procedures (Q11). Procedures you perform and log before you submit count. Highlight the cases for each category on the summary sheet. "No additional evidence will be accepted following the self-assessment submission date." The 2027 ENT close date is not published; the national ST3/ST4 round closes 4pm Thursday 10 December 2026.
Logbook: tonsillectomy (Q12). Procedures you perform and log before you submit count. Highlight the cases for each category on the summary sheet. "No additional evidence will be accepted following the self-assessment submission date." The 2027 ENT close date is not published; the national ST3/ST4 round closes 4pm Thursday 10 December 2026.
Logbook: throat or neck procedures (Q13). Procedures you perform and log before you submit count. Highlight the cases for each category on the summary sheet. "No additional evidence will be accepted following the self-assessment submission date." The 2027 ENT close date is not published; the national ST3/ST4 round closes 4pm Thursday 10 December 2026.
Logbook: emergency procedures (Q14). Procedures you perform and log before you submit count. Highlight the cases for each category on the summary sheet. "No additional evidence will be accepted following the self-assessment submission date." The 2027 ENT close date is not published; the national ST3/ST4 round closes 4pm Thursday 10 December 2026.
Medical teaching / training delivery (Q15). Teach as faculty on (or organise) an in-person course of a full day or more with at least 15 delegates and pre- and post-course feedback, run before you submit. Get a signed letter from a consultant supervisor. Gets you to: Faculty member on a course. The organiser option requires a course "which has already run by the submission closing date". "No additional evidence will be accepted following the self-assessment submission date." The 2027 ENT close date is not published; the national ST3/ST4 round closes 4pm Thursday 10 December 2026.

Evidence traps

More ENT experience can lower your score. 6 to 24 months scores 20; after that it drops to 15, then 10, then 0 beyond 48 months. 6 – 24 months (10 – 40 months) = 20 points source
Online conferences don't count for ENT, however national they are. Only in-person presentations score. Online Meetings / Conferences will not be accepted. source
An audit of your own teaching or a course scores 0, whatever your role. The following audits will score 0 points, regardless of involvement: VTE, notes/handwriting, WHO checklist, pre/post teaching or course. source
There is no second chance to add evidence. What you upload is what is scored, including at appeal. No additional evidence will be accepted following the self-assessment submission date. source
A teach the teacher course scores 0 for ENT. Teaching scores only as organiser or faculty on an in-person course of a full day with at least 15 delegates, or as a 60-credit PG Certificate or higher. Online courses will not be considered. source

Sources

Otolaryngology (ENT) National Recruitment 2026: Self-assessment guidelines for Candidates (PDF, 10 pages), Internet Archive capture, 2026 framework; PDF created 3 Oct 2025; capture 12 Dec 2025 (live Yorkshire and Humber site returns a bot challenge to this machine)
Otolaryngology (ENT) ST3 National Recruitment 2026 Applicant Handbook (PDF, 19 pages), Internet Archive capture, 2026 round; PDF created 30 Oct 2025; capture 16 Dec 2025
National Otolaryngology (ENT) ST3 Recruitment page (NHS England North East and Yorkshire), Internet Archive capture, 2026 round; capture 9 Dec 2025
National Otolaryngology (ENT) ST3 Recruitment page (live), Not readable on 12 Oct 2026: one request redirected to /challenge (BunkerWeb bot detection). No archive capture newer than Jan 2026 exists.
Recruitment timeline, Specialty Recruitment applicant guide (NHS England Medical Hub), Page last reviewed 24 February 2026; includes 2027 Round 2 (ST3/ST4) dates
Person specification and entry criteria for Otolaryngology ST3 2027 recruitment, 2027
2025 competition ratios (NHS England Medical Hub), Round 2 table: Otolaryngology ST3, 243 applications, 41 posts

What you can still bank before the expected 10 December close

There’s no topping up later: “No additional evidence will be accepted following the self-assessment submission date.” The five logbook questions (Q10 to Q14) are where a CT trainee in an ENT post can gain fastest, because each scores 0 for up to 4 performed procedures, 1 for 5 to 9, 3 for 10 to 14 and 5 for 15 or more. Count only cases coded P, S-TU or S-TS, with no more than 2 simulated cases per category, and look for groups close to a threshold: a doctor on 8 tonsillectomies who performs two more moves Q12 from 1 to 3. Presentations can move too, if you give an original-work oral as first or second author, in person, at a national or international meeting before you submit; it scores 3, and since a national poster scores the same 1 as a regional one, swapping a poster for that talk gains 2. Online meetings don’t count for ENT, so an online conference can’t add anything here. In Q15, teaching as faculty on an in-person course that runs a full day or more, with at least 15 delegates and pre- and post-course feedback, earns 2 for someone with no Q15 score, provided the course has already run when you submit and you hold a signed letter from a consultant supervisor setting out your involvement. Q1 is counted to a fixed date (5 August 2026 in the 2026 round), publications need formal acceptance, a second audit cycle and stamped form take longer than the weeks left, and partly completed degrees score nothing.

Rules that catch ENT applicants out

The sheet sets out each trap with its wording; a few are unusual enough to plan around. Q1 rewards a short stint: 6 to 24 months in ENT since foundation scores 20, 24 to 36 months 15, 36 to 48 months 10 and more than 48 months 0, so a long ENT career can cost you points. Impact factors must come from the JCR list on Oriel, because “Impact Factors from other sources will not be considered”, and “Published abstracts and letters will be excluded.” An audit on VTE, notes or handwriting, the WHO checklist or your own teaching or course scores 0 whatever you did, and the 2-point audit needs your leadership written into the audit form: “To score 2 points, your leadership role must be clearly outlined in the audit form.” Teaching talks aren’t presentations (“Presentations must be original work (e.g. teaching presentations will not be accepted)”), and “Where a similar presentation is given at 2 meetings, only one will be allowed”. Uploads that carry material beyond what the questions ask for “may be marked down”, and an appeal, lodged within 72 hours, “can only be made using the evidence originally submitted”.

Worked example: a CT2 with 12 months of ENT

This hypothetical CT2 doctor has spent 12 months in ENT since foundation and has no higher degree. They co-authored one original paper in a journal with an impact factor of 1.0 or more, wrote a case report as first author and collected data for a published INTEGRATE study. They took part in every stage of two cycles of one QI project and one aspect of a second multi-cycle project, gave a regional oral and showed a national poster, both in person, and taught as faculty on an in-person full-day course with 20 delegates and feedback. Their logbook shows 6 grommet procedures, 2 nose procedures, 11 tonsillectomies, 7 throat or neck procedures and 5 emergency procedures, all performed. On the 2026 questions:

Q1 Time in ENT: 12 months, in the 6 to 24 month band, 20.
Q2 Highest postgraduate qualification: none, 0.
Q3 Publication 1: co-author, original research, impact factor 1.0 or more, 2.
Q4 Publication 2: case report, a PubMed-cited other publication, 1.
Q5 Collaborative research: data collection, 1.
Q6 Audit 1: all aspects of two cycles, 1.
Q7 Audit 2: one aspect of a multi-cycle project, 1.
Q8 Presentation 1: regional oral, 2.
Q9 Presentation 2: national poster, 1.
Q10 Ear procedures: 6, 1.
Q11 Nose procedures: 2, 0.
Q12 Tonsillectomy: 11, 3.
Q13 Throat or neck procedures: 7, 1.
Q14 Emergency procedures: 5, 1.
Q15 Teaching delivery: faculty on an in-person course, 2.
Q16 Medical education qualification: none, 0.

That’s 37 of a derived 76. A teach the teacher course adds 0, and an online conference talk adds nothing either, because “Online Meetings / Conferences will not be accepted.” Two additions would move this doctor. An original-work oral given in person at a national meeting before they submit replaces the national poster (1) with a national oral (3), taking the total to 39, a gain of 2. Performing four more grommet or myringotomy procedures takes Q10 from 6 to 10 cases, from 1 point to 3, another gain of 2, so both together make 41.

Answer the 16 questions from your logbook, publications and certificates, and the calculator totals your score on the 2026 framework and shows what an in-person talk or a few more performed cases would gain. We’ll show your result and email you a copy.

Go to the ENT ST3 calculator at the top of this page

We can email you the 16 ENT questions on one printable sheet, with an alert when the 2027 framework appears.

Email me the printable version

Does a teach the teacher course count for ENT ST3?

No. Under the 2026 ENT framework the course is worth 0 to every applicant, because neither teaching question rewards attending one. Q15 scores teaching you deliver, “By contributing to course as faculty member 2 point” or 4 as principal organiser of a course “which has already run by the submission closing date”, and the course has to run “for one full day or multiple consecutive days”, have “at least 15 delegates in attendance” and collect pre- and post-course feedback. The same question says “Online courses will not be considered.”, which rules out teaching on Erudical’s online course as well, and medical student teaching programmes are capped at 2. Q16 starts at “Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) in education (minimum 60 credits) 1 point” and the 120-credit PG Diploma scores 2; its note adds that “MSc in education may score 2 points here if not already used in question 3”, although the qualification question is Q2. The 2027 person specification does list “Experience of teaching” among the essential criteria for all ST3 programmes, though no self-assessment question scores it. This page will change if the 2027 framework treats teaching differently. Our page on how teaching scores in each specialty shows where a course does earn points.

ENT ST3 scoring questions answered

Do online conferences count for ENT ST3 presentations?

No. The ENT guidance says “Online Meetings / Conferences will not be accepted.” Presentations must also be original work and already given before you submit, since “Accepted presentations / posters that have not yet been given will not be counted.” Your two best presentations score up to 3 each: 3 for a national or international oral, 2 for a regional oral and 1 for any poster, with first or second authorship required.

How is the ENT ST3 self-assessment scored?

You answer 16 multiple-choice questions on your Oriel application, then upload evidence for validation; in 2026 that meant Qpercom uploads from 1pm on 6 January to 1pm on 13 January 2026. The question maxima add up to 76, and 20 come from time in ENT posts. The validated score decides who is shortlisted, and ranking after interview rests on the interview, with the validated self-assessment as the second tie-breaker after the Communication station. “A minimum Self-Assessment cutoff score will be determined”, which applicants under the Disability Confident Scheme or for ACF clinical benchmarking must reach to be interviewed. In 2026 the interview was online, with three 10-minute stations.

When do ENT ST3 applications open for 2027?

The ENT-specific 2027 dates aren’t published yet. In 2026 ENT followed the national ST3/ST4 round, and that round’s 2027 window is 10am Thursday 19 November to 4pm Thursday 10 December 2026, with interviews between 11 January and 9 April 2027 and initial offers by 5pm on Tuesday 13 April 2027. Check the national ENT recruitment page before you rely on it, and note that in 2027 you can make at most five applications in a round.

How competitive is ENT ST3?

In 2025 there were 243 applications for 41 Otolaryngology ST3 posts, a competition ratio of 5.93. Recruitment covers England and Scotland through NHS England North East and Yorkshire, and you need all parts of MRCS, or MRCS (ENT), by the offers date.

Otolaryngology (ENT) ST3 self-assessment 2027: points calculator and scoring guide

ENT ST3 points calculator