For IMT 2027, an oral presentation at a national medical meeting is expected to score up to 8 points, and a national poster up to 6. That is the largest single score in the self-assessment, and it only counts if the presentation has already happened when you submit.
This page sets out what counts, what each tier scores, and the dates that decide whether a presentation makes it onto this year’s application. ST3 values differ; they are covered below.
IMT oral and poster presentation points: 2026 and 2027
IMT Recruitment has published the 2027 conversion but not yet the full 2027 scoring page, which it says will follow in autumn 2026. The 2027 column below applies the published conversion (“6 becomes 8, 4 = 6, 3 = 4, 2 is unchanged”) to the 2026 tiers.
| Achievement (first or second author) | IMT 2026 (published) | IMT 2027 (derived) |
|---|---|---|
| Oral presentation, national or international meeting | 6 | 8 |
| Poster, national or international meeting | 4 | 6 |
| Oral presentation, regional meeting | 3 | 4 |
| Oral presentation, local meeting | 2 | 2 |
| Poster, regional or local meeting | 2 | 2 |
| Presentations domain maximum | 6 | 8 |
| Training in teaching below PGCert level, at least 6 hours live (separate domain) | 1 | 1 |
Sources: IMT Recruitment, Application scoring (2026 values) and IMT 2027 — summary of changes (published 16 July 2026). Checked 18 September 2026. You score your single highest presentation, not the sum of several.
National, regional or local: the definitions
The tier depends on who could take part, not on how many people came. IMT’s wording, verbatim:
- National or international: “International/national meetings should involve a document listing the abstracts of the presentations and posters included at that meeting. National meetings must be open to anyone in the country and international meetings must be open to anyone from a range of countries. For the purposes of scoring in this section, the home UK nations will be treated as separate nations.”
- Regional: “Regional means that participation is confined to, for example, a county, medical training region, health authority, or beyond a recognised cluster of hospitals; for example, in the UK a multi-site trust or health board would count as local rather than regional.”
- Local: “Local usually means participation is confined to a single local hospital, trust, health board or university.”
A deanery teaching day or a trust audit meeting is regional or local, whatever it calls itself. For posters, IMT adds that “there must have been a defined opportunity for discussion during the conference/meeting at which it is displayed.”
When the presentation must happen
This is the rule that catches people out. From IMT’s guidance, verbatim:
“When you come to submit your application, all information within it must be accurate at the time of submission – any qualifications not yet gained, courses not yet taken, presentations not yet given, etc. should not be included at this point. An achievement gained even on the day after the closing date for applications cannot be counted.”
An accepted abstract is not a presentation. A slot in a programme is not a presentation. What counts is a talk or poster that has been delivered, before the application window closes. You can amend your application while the window is open, so a presentation given during the window can be added before it shuts.
Physician higher specialty training (ST3)
PHST uses the same tiers and the same definitions, but it has not announced any change for 2027.
| Achievement (first or second author) | PHST 2026 (published) | PHST 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Oral presentation, national or international meeting | 6 | Not yet published |
| Poster, national or international meeting | 4 | |
| Oral presentation, regional meeting | 3 | |
| Oral presentation, local meeting | 2 | |
| Poster, regional or local meeting | 2 |
Source: PHST Recruitment, Self-assessment and application scoring. Checked 18 September 2026. PHST applies the same rule on timing: an achievement gained the day after the closing date cannot be claimed. Other specialties score presentations differently; check your own specialty’s self-assessment guidance.
What the evidence has to show
IMT asks for two things: confirmation that the presentation or poster “was accepted and included at a meeting”, in the form of “a confirmatory letter or certificate from the meeting organiser or evidence of inclusion in the abstracts book”, and the content itself — your abstract and a copy of the slides or poster. National or international claims without a document listing the abstracts may be downgraded at verification.
At NMERC 2026 every presenter receives a confirmatory letter from the conference chair, and the conference publishes an abstract book listing every accepted oral presentation and poster. The oral letter reads:
“This letter confirms that Dr James Smith delivered an oral presentation entitled ‘The role of LRP5 in bone mineral density’ at the National Medical Education & Research Conference (NMERC 2026), held online on Saturday 14 November 2026. The abstract was scored against the conference’s published rubric and reviewed before a decision was issued. Oral slots are limited and selected on score. … Submission to the conference is free and open to anyone in the United Kingdom.”
It is signed by the conference chair and carries a reference number. The poster letter confirms that the abstract “met the standard required for acceptance”. See the specimen letters and certificates.
The 2026–27 timeline
- Submit your abstract by 31 October 2026. Submission is free.
- Decision within five days, rolling: accepted as an oral or a poster, or declined with feedback.
- Present on Saturday 14 November 2026, online.
- Letter, certificate and abstract book by 16 November 2026, 16:00.
- Add the presentation to your application before the window closes.
The IMT 2027 application window has not been officially published. A third-party report gives 22 October to 19 November 2026 at 16:00; in the 2026 round applications closed on 20 November at 16:00. Treat the last step as provisional and confirm the closing date when IMT publishes it.
Present at NMERC 2026
National, online, 14 November. Free to submit, oral or poster, rubric published.
The teaching point, separately
The training-in-teaching domain is separate from presentations. A course below PGCert level with at least six hours of live teaching scores 1 for IMT. Erudical’s Teach the Teacher course is built to meet that standard, and enrolment includes a place at NMERC 2026. See the teaching points for every specialty.
See the Teach the Teacher course
Frequently asked questions
How many points is a national oral presentation worth for IMT 2027?
Up to 8, in the presentations domain. In IMT 2026 an oral presentation at a national or international meeting scored 6. IMT Recruitment’s summary of changes for 2027 says “6 becomes 8”, so the same achievement should score 8 in 2027. The full 2027 scoring page is not yet published, so treat 8 as the expected value until it is. This applies to IMT; ST3 values differ.
How many points is a poster at a national conference worth for IMT?
A poster at a national or international meeting scored 4 in IMT 2026 and is expected to score 6 in IMT 2027 (“4 = 6” in the published summary of changes). You must be first or second author, and there must have been a defined opportunity for discussion at the meeting.
What counts as a national conference for IMT?
IMT’s guidance says: “National meetings must be open to anyone in the country and international meetings must be open to anyone from a range of countries.” It also says national and international meetings should involve a document listing the abstracts of the presentations and posters included. The home UK nations are treated as separate nations, so a Scotland-wide meeting counts as national.
Can I claim a presentation I have not given yet?
No. The guidance says presentations not yet given should not be included, and “An achievement gained even on the day after the closing date for applications cannot be counted.” The presentation has to have happened before you submit, or before you amend your application within the window.
Are ST3 presentation points the same as IMT?
No. For physician higher specialty training (ST3) in 2026, a national oral presentation scored 6 and a national poster scored 4. The 2027 PHST values have not been published. The IMT 2027 changes do not automatically apply to ST3.
What evidence do I need for a conference presentation?
Two things: confirmation from the organiser that your presentation or poster was accepted and included (a confirmatory letter or certificate, or inclusion in the abstract book), and the content itself — your abstract and a copy of your slides or poster. IMT says national or international claims without a document listing the abstracts may be downgraded.
Can I claim the teaching course and a presentation in the same application?
Yes. They sit in different domains. A teaching course below PGCert level with at least six hours of live teaching scores 1 in the training-in-teaching domain; a presentation scores in the presentations domain. For IMT 2027 that is 1 for the course and up to 8 for a national oral presentation.
Last checked against IMT and PHST guidance: 18 September 2026. We will update this page when the full IMT 2027 scoring guidance is published.