Neurosurgery ST1 Self-Assessment 2027: Points & Calculator

Neurosurgery ST1 and ST2 move to candidate self-assessment for 2027: 13 multiple-choice questions on your application, worth 54 in total, which you score yourself and then back with evidence on Qpercom for the assessment team to validate. Each question takes your single best answer, since “Only one bullet point/response for each question can contribute to the score.” The validated score is combined with your MSRA to decide who is shortlisted, and the 2027 handbook says the MSRA “will account for 40% of the total shortlisting score.” Applications in the national CT1/ST1 round open at 10am on Thursday 22 October 2026 and close at 4pm on Thursday 19 November 2026, with the Qpercom evidence upload running from 10am on 16 December to 4pm on 23 December 2026.

Neurosurgery ST1/ST2 self-assessment (multiple-choice questions on the application form, validated against evidence uploaded to Qpercom; combined with the MSRA for shortlisting) points at a glance

2027 criteria, published October 2026 (self-assessment guidelines final v2) Last checked 12 October 2026

Your score is the total of the domain scores, out of a maximum of 54.

13 questions in 12 scored domains (audit has two questions, 3 each), "Total Score 54" (Summary of Scores, page 13). "Only one bullet point/response for each question can contribute to the score." Shortlisting (2027 handbook, verifier read 10 Oct): "Applicants will be shortlisted using a combined score of their validated Self-Assessment score and their MSRA score"; the MSRA "will account for 40% of the total shortlisting score."

Neurosurgery ST1/ST2: every domain, what scores and the maximum
Domain	What scores (official wording)	Max
Undergraduate prizes, awards, distinctions, research and QI (Q1)	5 points Awarded NATIONAL or INTERNATIONAL prize in full competition at undergraduate level. 2 points Two or more local prizes OR Distinction in more than one area OR Led a research project OR Led an audit/quality improvement project 1 point One local prize OR Distinction awarded in one single area. OR Involved in a research project (that is not listed anywhere else on this form (e.g. a publication or presentation) OR Involvement in a quality improvement project (e.g. to collect data) 0 points No prizes, awards or distinctions No research No audit/quality improvement Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 5 points. Single best option, 0-5. "Only one bullet point/response for each question can contribute to the score." National means that participation is routinely extended to, and accepted by, anyone in the country; as implied, international means participation extends beyond this. For national neurosurgery selection, all of the UK nations are considered to be nations for scoring purposes.	5
Undergraduate neurosurgical experience and electives (Q2)	5 points Two or more separate electives or clinical attachments in the clinical neurosciences or allied fields in non-home institution of at least 4 week duration each 3 points Two or more separate electives or clinical attachments in the clinical neurosciences or allied fields in own institution of more than 2 weeks each 2 points One elective or clinical attachment in the clinical neurosciences or allied fields in non-home institution of at least 4-week duration 1 point One elective or clinical attachment in the clinical neurosciences or allied fields in non-home institution of at least 2 weeks duration 1 point One elective or clinical attachment in the clinical neurosciences or allied fields in own institution of more than 2 weeks 0 points Electives or clinical attachments in the clinical neurosciences or allied fields in own institution of 2 weeks or less OR No electives or clinical attachments Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 5 points. Single best option, 0-5. Clinical neurosciences: neurosurgery, neurology, psychiatry, neurophysiology; allied: trauma, paediatrics.	5
Postgraduate neurosurgical experience (Q3)	2 points 4 month FY2/FY1 post in neurosurgery (you can count any posts that you are due to undertake before the end of Foundation Training) 2 points A ‘taster’ week/observership in neurosurgery 0 points No postgraduate experience of a neurosurgical post Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 2 points. Single best option, 0-2. A taster week scores the same 2 as a 4-month foundation post.	2
Postgraduate qualifications (Q4)	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 qualification only, 0-5. Education degrees go in Q12.	5
Postgraduate research experience (Q5)	5 points Recipient of a research grant as principal grant holder with a total of £25,000 or more. 3 points Recipient of a research grant as principal grant holder with a total of £10,000 - £25,000 OR NIHR Associate PI for a clinical study. 2 points Recipient of a research grant as principal grant holder with a total of £2,000 - £10,000 OR Evidence of local PI for a multicentre study from NANSIG or BNTRC. 1 point Substantive role in a completed research project or recruitment to a major portfolio study (Not recognised elsewhere in application i.e. not yet presented or published) OR Recipient of a research grant as a co-applicant. OR Recipient of a research grant as principal grant holder with a total of less than £2,000. 0 points None or limited involvement in research e.g. data collection only Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 5 points. Single best option, 0-5. Postgraduate research only.	5
Postgraduate prizes or awards (Q6)	5 points Major national or international award reflecting outstanding achievement 3 points Two awards or prizes awarded on a local or regional basis. Prizes should be for different pieces of work and in different areas. 2 points Second or third place in a major national or international award reflecting outstanding achievement. 2 points Two awards or prizes awarded on a local or regional basis. Prizes should be for different pieces of work and in different areas. 1 point One awards or prizes awarded on a local or regional basis 0 points No awards and prizes Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 5 points. Single best option, 0-5. National means that participation is routinely extended to, and accepted by, anyone in the country; as implied, international means participation extends beyond this. For national neurosurgery selection, all of the UK nations are considered to be nations for scoring purposes.	5
Publications (Q7)	5 points First-named author in 3 or more papers relevant to the clinical neurosciences and neurosurgery (excluding case reports). 3 points First-named author in 2 papers relevant to the clinical neurosciences and neurosurgery (excluding case reports). 2 points First-named author in a peer- reviewed paper (not a case report). This paper doesn’t have to be relevant to the clinical neurosciences and neurosurgery OR Named author in three or more peer reviewed journal articles (only including 1 case report paper in this total) 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 Named co-author in 1 or 2 peer-reviewed papers OR Named first author of a case report paper OR Co- author of a book chapter relevant to neurosurgery 0 points No publications OR Letter to editor OR Published Abstracts OR E-comments OR Pay to publish journal articles OR Pre-publication archives. OR Publications where the author is listed as a contributor, but not named in the author list. Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 5 points. Single best option, 0-5. PubMed-cited journals only, with a PMID.	5
Presentations (Q8)	5 points I presented THREE OR MORE oral presentations in which I was a first author at a national or international medical meeting on 2 or more different subjects/ areas of research within the last 4 years. 3 points I presented TWO oral presentations in which I was a first author at a national/ international medical meeting within the last 4 years 2 points I presented ONE oral presentation in which I was a first author at a national/ international medical meeting within the last 4 years 1 point Oral presentations to regional meetings or societies. 1 point Poster presentations at national/ international meetings within the last 4 years 0 points None or Departmental presentations only Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 5 points. Single best option, 0-5. National means that participation is routinely extended to, and accepted by, anyone in the country; as implied, international means participation extends beyond this. For national neurosurgery selection, all of the UK nations are considered to be nations for scoring purposes. Examples of International / National meetings SBNS, BNRG, any of the subspeciality group meetings.	5
Audit or QI project 1 (Q9)	3 points Involvement in all aspects of a cycle of an original QI project where you can demonstrate a leadership capacity by supervising other members of the team. 2 points Involvement in all aspects of a cycle 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 3 points. Scored per audit, 0-3. Two audits, total 0-6.	3
Audit or QI project 2 (Q10)	3 points Involvement in all aspects of a cycle of an original QI project where you can demonstrate a leadership capacity by supervising other members of the team. 2 points Involvement in all aspects of a cycle 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 3 points. Scored per audit, 0-3. Must be a different project from Audit 1.	3
Postgraduate teaching experience (Q11)	4 points Formal teaching role for 6 months or more 3 points Developed and led a course with evidence of a published programme AND formal participant feedback 2 points Faculty of a course with evidence of a published programme AND formal participant feedback 1 point Development of teaching/educational materials e.g. apps, leaflets, course adjuncts 1 point Talks given to members of the public. Evidence of regular teaching commitment to clinical professionals e.g. medical students, nurses etc. 0 points None or ad hoc teaching commitment Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 4 points. Single best option, 0-4. Medical student teaching programmes score at most 2. Online courses are not considered.	4
Postgraduate education qualification (Q12)	3 points Masters in education 2 points Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in education 1 point Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) in education 1 point Associate Fellowship of Advance HE (Higher Education) 0 points None Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 3 points. Highest qualification only, 0-3.	3
Leadership (Q13)	4 points Chair of a major national or international body. 3 points Vice Chair, Secretary, or Treasurer of a major national or international body 2 points Chair of a local or regional body 1 point Vice Chair, Secretary, or Treasurer of a local or regional body 1 point Evidence of leadership in LOCAL committee work. 0 points No evidence of leadership skills Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 4 points. Single best option, 0-4. National means that participation is routinely extended to, and accepted by, anyone in the country; as implied, international means participation extends beyond this. For national neurosurgery selection, all of the UK nations are considered to be nations for scoring purposes.	4
Total		54

Dates for this round

22 October 2026, 10am Applications open (national CT1/ST1 round) source
19 November 2026, 4pm Applications close: self-assessment submitted (national CT1/ST1 round) source
16 December 2026, 10am Evidence upload to Qpercom opens source
23 December 2026, 4pm Evidence upload to Qpercom closes source

What you can still add before 19 November 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.

Postgraduate neurosurgical experience (Q3). Complete a neurosurgery taster week or observership before you submit your application. It gains 2 if you have no postgraduate neurosurgery experience. Gets you to: Taster week or observership in neurosurgery. Start by 19 November 2026. "No additional evidence will be accepted following the self-assessment submission date." The self-assessment is submitted on the application form, and applications close at 4pm on Thursday 19 November 2026 (national CT1/ST1 round).
Presentations (Q8). Give a first-author oral of original work in person at a national or international meeting before you submit. One oral gains 1 over a national poster. Online meetings do not count. Gets you to: One first-author national/international oral. Start by 19 November 2026. "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 self-assessment is submitted on the application form, and applications close at 4pm on Thursday 19 November 2026 (national CT1/ST1 round).
Postgraduate teaching experience (Q11). Teach as faculty on an in-person course that runs a full day or more, has at least 15 delegates and collects pre- and post-course feedback, before you submit. It gains 1 over regular teaching, or 2 from none. Gets you to: Faculty on a course (programme + feedback). Start by 19 November 2026. "No additional evidence will be accepted following the self-assessment submission date." The self-assessment is submitted on the application form, and applications close at 4pm on Thursday 19 November 2026 (national CT1/ST1 round).

Evidence traps

Online conferences don't count for Neurosurgery, however national they are. Only presentations given at in-person meetings score. Online Meetings / Conferences will not be accepted. source
A presentation counts only once you've given it, and nothing can be added after you submit. Accepted presentations / posters that have not yet been given will not be counted. source
Audits of VTE, notes or handwriting, the WHO checklist, or a teaching session or course score 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
Publications need a PMID. Pay-to-publish articles, preprints, published abstracts and letters score 0. Publications will only be accepted if a full citation (including PMID number) is provided. source
Teaching on an online course, or attending a teach the teacher course, scores nothing in the teaching question. Online courses will not be considered. source

Sources

2027 National Neurosurgery self-assessment guidelines for candidates (final v2; NHS England Yorkshire and Humber), final v2, 13 pages, PDF created 9 October 2026; full copy supplied by Erudical and read in full (text and rendered tables) on 2026-10-12
Neurosurgery National Recruitment 2027 - Self-assessment guidelines for Candidates (PDF, 13 pages, final_v2), 2027; read 2026-10-10 by the WS1 verifier in Chrome (screen/verify-omfs-radiology-neurosurgery.json); NOT re-read 2026-10-12: Yorkshire and Humber bot wall, no Internet Archive capture of any 2027 file
2027 National Neurosurgery Applicant Handbook (PDF, 20 pages, final_0), 2027; read 2026-10-10 by the WS1 verifier in Chrome (screen/verify-omfs-radiology-neurosurgery.json); NOT re-read 2026-10-12: Yorkshire and Humber bot wall, no Internet Archive capture of any 2027 file
National Neurosurgery ST1 & ST2 Recruitment page (NHS England North East and Yorkshire), 2027 round; read 2026-10-10 by the WS1 verifier in Chrome (screen/verify-omfs-radiology-neurosurgery.json); NOT re-read 2026-10-12: Yorkshire and Humber bot wall, no Internet Archive capture of any 2027 file. 12 Oct: one request redirected to /challenge (BunkerWeb); Wayback Save Page Now also got the challenge.
2026 Neurosurgery ST1 & ST2 Applicant Handbook (Internet Archive capture, for what changed), 2026 round; capture 23 Jan 2026
NNS Board 2026 National Neurosurgical Selection Shortlisting Scores and Descriptors (Internet Archive capture, superseded), 2026 matrix, 15 domains, 0-36; capture 23 Jan 2026
Recruitment timeline, Specialty Recruitment applicant guide (NHS England Medical Hub), Page last reviewed 24 February 2026; includes 2027 Round 1 (CT1/ST1)
Person specification and entry criteria for Neurosurgery ST1 2027 recruitment, 2027
Person specification and entry criteria for Neurosurgery ST2 2027 recruitment, 2027
2025 competition ratios (NHS England Medical Hub), Round 1 table: Neurosurgery ST1, 561 applications, 21 posts

What you can still add before 19 November

Treat 4pm on 19 November as the cut-off for anything you claim, because the self-assessment goes in with your application and “No additional evidence will be accepted following the self-assessment submission date.” The quickest gain for many foundation doctors is Q3: a neurosurgery taster week or observership scores 2, the full value of that question, so it gains 2 if you have no postgraduate neurosurgery experience. You can already count an FY2 neurosurgery post you are due to start before the end of Foundation Training. In Q8, a single first-author oral of original work, delivered face to face at a national or international meeting, scores 2, a gain of 1 over a national poster or 2 over nothing; the guidance names SBNS, BNRG and the subspecialty group meetings as examples. In Q11, a faculty place on a face-to-face course scores 2 if the course runs a full day or more, has at least 15 delegates, centres on a defined topic and collects pre- and post-course feedback, and you hold the published programme, participant feedback and a signed letter from a consultant supervisor. Online meetings and online courses don’t count for Neurosurgery, so an online conference talk or online teaching adds nothing. Q1 and Q2 are fixed at graduation, and a paper only helps if it is published or formally accepted in time.

Rules that catch Neurosurgery applicants out

The sheet lists each trap with its wording; these are the ones most worth planning around. Any part of the MRCS can be claimed for 1 point in Q4, while intercalated degrees don’t count and an education masters, PGDip or PGCert belongs in Q12. In Q5, data collection alone scores 0, while local PI for a NANSIG or BNTRC multicentre study scores 2 and NIHR Associate PI scores 3. Publications need a full citation with the PMID, and you must say where you sit on the author list or you will be treated as a co-author; pay-to-publish articles, preprints, letters and published abstracts all score 0. An audit of VTE, notes or handwriting, the WHO checklist, or a teaching session or course scores 0 “regardless of involvement”, and the 3-point audit needs your supervision of others written into the audit form. Q6 prints the line for two local or regional prizes twice, once at 3 points and once at 2, so choose the 3-point line if it fits and expect the assessors to decide. Evidence that isn’t in the specified format and can’t be verified in the time allowed scores zero for that element, and uploads “containing unnecessary information may be marked down”.

Worked example: an FY2 with a neurosurgery rotation

This hypothetical FY2 doctor won one local prize at medical school and did a 4-week neurosurgery elective at another hospital. Since graduating they have done a 4-month foundation post in neurosurgery, played a substantive part in a finished research project not yet presented or published anywhere, won one local prize and been named co-author on one peer-reviewed PubMed paper. They showed one poster at a national meeting they attended, took part in every stage of one QI cycle and collected and analysed data in a second single-cycle project, have taught medical students monthly for 6 months and are junior doctor representative on a local committee. On the 2027 questions:

Q1 Undergraduate prizes, research and QI: one local prize, 1.
Q2 Undergraduate neurosurgical experience: one 4-week elective at another institution, 2.
Q3 Postgraduate neurosurgical experience: 4-month foundation post, 2.
Q4 Postgraduate qualifications: none, 0.
Q5 Postgraduate research: substantive role in a completed project, 1.
Q6 Postgraduate prizes: one local prize, 1.
Q7 Publications: named co-author on one peer-reviewed paper, 1.
Q8 Presentations: national poster, 1.
Q9 Audit 1: all aspects of a cycle, 2.
Q10 Audit 2: two aspects of a single cycle, 1.
Q11 Teaching: regular monthly teaching for 6 months, 1.
Q12 Education qualification: none, 0.
Q13 Leadership: junior doctor representative on a local committee, 1.

That’s 14 of 54. A teach the teacher course adds 0, and a talk at an online conference adds nothing, because “Online Meetings / Conferences will not be accepted.” A taster week wouldn’t help this doctor either, since their foundation post already takes Q3 to its maximum of 2. Two in-person steps would move them before 19 November. A first-author oral of original work at a national meeting replaces the poster (1) with one oral (2), taking the total to 15, a gain of 1. Teaching as faculty on an in-person full-day course with 15 or more delegates, a published programme and participant feedback moves Q11 from 1 to 2, another gain of 1, so both together make 16.

Pick the option that matches you in each of the 13 questions to get your score out of 54, along with the gain from an in-person talk, a taster week or a faculty role completed before 19 November. We’ll show your result and email you a copy.

Go to the Neurosurgery ST1/ST2 calculator at the top of this page

Want the 13 Neurosurgery questions, their points and the evidence rules as a PDF? Leave your email and we’ll send it.

Email me the printable version

Does a teach the teacher course count for Neurosurgery ST1?

No. The course is worth 0 to every Neurosurgery applicant, because neither teaching question has an option for attending one. Q11 scores teaching you deliver: 2 as “Faculty of a course with evidence of a published programme AND formal participant feedback”, 3 for a course you developed and led, and 4 for a formal teaching role at 50% WTE or more for at least 6 months. Because Q11 also states “Online courses will not be considered.”, being faculty on Erudical’s online course wouldn’t score either, and involvement in medical student teaching programmes tops out at 2. Q12 starts at a “Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) in education” or “Associate Fellowship of Advance HE (Higher Education)”, 1 point each, and an audit of a teaching session or course scores 0. Our page on which specialties give points for teaching shows where a course does count.

Common questions about Neurosurgery ST1 scoring

Do online conferences count for Neurosurgery ST1 presentations?

No. The 2027 guidance says “Online Meetings / Conferences will not be accepted.” Teaching talks are excluded because the work has to be original, and a talk only scores once it has happened: “Accepted presentations / posters that have not yet been given will not be counted.” Each project counts once even if you presented it at several meetings. The top score of 5 needs three or more first-author orals at national or international meetings, on two or more subjects, within the last 4 years.

How is the Neurosurgery ST1 self-assessment scored?

You answer 13 questions across 12 domains on your application: undergraduate prizes, undergraduate and postgraduate neurosurgical experience, postgraduate qualifications, research, prizes, publications, presentations, two audits, teaching, education qualifications and leadership. They add up to 54. Assessors then check your Qpercom evidence, tell you about any change to your score with an explanation, and an Appeals Panel has the final say if you contest it. This replaces the 2026 assessor-scored matrix, which ran from 0 to 36. Competition is steep: in 2025 there were 561 applications for 21 Neurosurgery ST1 posts, a ratio of 26.71.

Does a neurosurgery taster week count for ST1?

Yes. In Q3, “A ‘taster’ week/observership in neurosurgery” scores 2, the same as a 4-month FY1 or FY2 post in neurosurgery, and 2 is the most that question gives. If you already have or are due to start a foundation neurosurgery post before the end of Foundation Training, a taster week adds nothing more. The evidence listed for Q3 is a continuous employment history from the end of medical school, with the specialty of each post, plus evidence of completing training posts.

Neurosurgery ST1/ST2 self-assessment 2027: points calculator and scoring guide

Neurosurgery ST1/ST2 points calculator