Anaesthetics CT1 and ACCS Anaesthetics · interview guide
The Anaesthetics CT1 interview: stations, scoring and how to prepare
Anaesthetics CT1 has no self-assessment and no portfolio station. Your MSRA gets you an interview and counts for 15% of your score; the online interview decides the rest. This guide explains both stations and the marks you need.
- Official NHS England recruitment pages, quoted
- Free Anaesthetics CT1 guide
The Anaesthetics CT1 interview at a glance
- Online, on Qpercom. Two stations of 15 minutes, about 50 minutes in all.
- Clinical judgement station (with 5 minutes of reading), and a general station.
- Two assessors per station. Interview total out of 100.
- Appointable: at least 60 out of 100. The MSRA contributes 15% of your total score.
Source: NHS England Medical Hub, Anaesthetics CT1 pages, read 31 October 2026.
How Anaesthetics CT1 selection works for 2027
- Shortlisting is on the MSRA. New for 2027, a cut-off score will apply to the MSRA. Its value has not yet been published.
- Your MSRA counts for 15% of your total selection score, split equally between the two papers. The rest comes from the interview.
- There is no self-assessment or portfolio station at CT1. (Anaesthetics ST4 is different, and does use a self-assessment.)
In 2026, 5,766 applications were made for 547 posts, a ratio of 10.54 (Medical Hub competition ratios).
The two stations
Each station lasts 15 minutes and is scored independently by two assessors. Each assessor gives up to 15 marks for the station and up to 10 for a global rating, so each station is worth 50 and the interview 100.
- Clinical judgement station (after 5 minutes of reading): clinical judgement and decision making, reflective practice, and working under pressure.
- General station: communication, commitment to the specialty, and teamwork.
What makes you appointable
- At least 60 out of 100 in the interview.
- Even above that, you can be vetoed if both assessors give a global rating of 1, for serious concerns, or for scoring 25% or less.
Ties are broken on overall score first, then interview score, then global rating, then commitment to the specialty.
How to prepare
- Practise clinical scenarios that test prioritisation and escalation, such as the deteriorating patient.
- Prepare reflective examples of working under pressure and learning from them.
- Show commitment to anaesthetics with concrete experience: tasters, theatre time, ICU, audits or teaching.
- Practise teamwork answers using real examples from your foundation jobs.
When it happens
You apply in the autumn and sit the MSRA in January. Interviews run from late February to mid-March, and first offers come out in early April. Check exact dates on the Anaesthetics CT1 pages.
Plan ahead
- See how Anaesthetics CT1 scores applicants in our Anaesthetics CT1 guide, and what changes at ST4.
- See how much the MSRA counts here and in other specialties in our MSRA guide.
- Presenting your work gives you strong examples for commitment to the specialty. NMERC is an online national conference for doctors and medical students, and submitting an abstract is free.
- Other interview guides: IMT · CST · Radiology · Paediatrics · Ophthalmology.
Common questions
Is there a self-assessment for Anaesthetics CT1?
No. Selection is the MSRA plus the online interview.
How much does the MSRA count?
15% of your total selection score. A minimum MSRA score also applies from 2027.
What score do I need to be appointable?
At least 60 out of 100 in the interview, with no veto for serious concerns.
