There is no fixed MSRA score you "need" for GP or Psychiatry, and anyone quoting you a single magic number is guessing. Both specialties rank applicants on their MSRA score alone, offers are made in rank order, and the rank depends entirely on how your cohort performs that year. So the useful question is not "what score do I need" but "where does my score put me in the cohort, and what does that mean for an offer". Here is how it actually works, with a calculator to place yourself.
Key takeaways
- GP ST1 and Core Psychiatry CT1 rank solely on the MSRA, with no interview or portfolio.
- There is no fixed cut-off; offers are made in rank order and depend on the cohort.
- You must score at least 186 raw in each paper, and a Band 1 in either paper fails.
- Scores are normalised around a mean of 250 and SD of 40 per paper, with no maximum.
- Near the mean, a few marks move you many rank places, which is where preparation pays off.
The one-sentence answer
Offers follow rank, and rank follows the cohort. Because MSRA scores are normalised against everyone who sits in a given year, your position depends on how you did relative to others, not against a fixed pass mark. A score that secured a competitive location one year may not the next, so the honest answer to "what do I need" is "a rank high enough for the programmes you want, which you cannot know precisely in advance".
How 2026 selection works
Each specialty uses the MSRA differently, and the differences matter:
- GP ST1 and Core Psychiatry CT1 rank applicants solely on their MSRA score. There is no interview and no portfolio, so your score alone determines whether and where you are offered.
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology ST1 uses the MSRA to bypass the highest scorers straight to offer, skipping the interview, while shortlisting out the lowest scorers.
- Paediatrics no longer uses the MSRA in its recruitment.
Other specialties, such as Radiology, use the MSRA to shortlist for interview and then combine it with an interview score. For GP and Psychiatry, though, the MSRA is the whole game.
The mechanics
A few published rules govern the outcome. To be appointable, you must score at least 186 raw in each of the two papers. Separately, scores in each paper are banded 1 to 4, where a Band 1 means the minimum acceptable standard has not been achieved, and a Band 1 in either paper makes you unsuccessful regardless of your other paper. Scores are then normalised around a mean of 250 with a standard deviation of 40 per paper, and because normalisation is cohort-dependent there is no maximum achievable score. GP and Psychiatry rank on the combined total of the two papers, the Clinical Problem Solving (CPS) paper and the Professional Dilemmas (PD) situational judgement paper.
Where do you sit? The percentile calculator
Because the scale is normalised, a raw number means little until you convert it to a percentile. Our MSRA percentile calculator takes your two paper scores and estimates where you sit in the distribution, using the nominal mean of 250 and SD of 40, and models the combined total across both papers. Treat it as an approximation, since the real distribution shifts each year and is not perfectly symmetrical, but it is far more meaningful than staring at a raw score. You can find it on our calculators page.
What actually moves an offer
Here is the counterintuitive part that decides rankings: near the mean, a small change in marks moves you a large number of rank places. Because scores cluster densely around 250, most candidates are packed into a narrow band, so gaining a few marks there leapfrogs you past many people, while the same gain out in the tail moves you past very few. That is why closing weak topics matters so much for a mid-pack candidate: the marginal mark is worth more rank movement near the middle of the distribution than anywhere else. Improving a weak area from shaky to solid is the highest-yield thing you can do, precisely because of where most candidates sit.
2026 logistics you need to know
The practical rules for 2026 are specific. There are two MSRA sittings: January 2026 (6 to 19 January), open to all specialties, and February 2026 (12 to 25 February), reserved for Core Psychiatry and GP applicants only, though if the February sitting is oversubscribed some GP and Psychiatry applicants will be moved to January. Both sittings feed the same national ranking, so the window does not advantage you. Round 1 applications opened on 23 October 2025. If you resit, the resit outcome supersedes your earlier one, even if it is lower, and the decision to resit is made at application. Core Psychiatry applicants can transfer a successful score within a 12-month cycle if the process is unchanged, and GP applicants opt in or out of transferring an earlier successful score at reapplication. You need full GMC registration at the point of application, there is a five-application limit across specialties, and results are released through Oriel ahead of offers. If you are also weighing the wider landscape for IMGs, see what the Prioritisation Act changes.
How to prepare given all this
The strategy follows from the mechanics: maximise your rank by lifting your weak areas, because that is where marks convert to rank movement most efficiently, and give the Professional Dilemmas paper genuine respect, since it is half the combined score and is very trainable. Practise under timed conditions across both papers back to back. You can gauge your starting point with our MSRA free sample questions and build a schedule with the AI study planner at iatroX, and read the deeper mechanics in MSRA scoring explained.
Frequently asked questions
What MSRA score do I need for GP in 2026? There is no fixed cut-off. GP ranks on MSRA alone and offers follow rank, which depends on the cohort. You must score at least 186 raw in each paper and avoid a Band 1, but beyond that your competitiveness is relative to everyone else that year.
Is there an interview for GP or Psychiatry? No. GP ST1 and Core Psychiatry CT1 rank applicants solely on their MSRA score, with no interview or portfolio, so the score alone determines your offer and location.
What does Band 1 mean? Band 1 is the lowest band and means the minimum acceptable standard was not achieved. A Band 1 in either paper makes your application unsuccessful. Bands run 1 to 4, with 4 the highest.
What is a good MSRA score? One that ranks you high enough for the programmes you want, which is cohort-dependent. Because scores are normalised around a mean of 250, it is more useful to think in percentiles than in raw numbers.
Does the sitting I take affect my chances? No. The January and February sittings both feed the same national ranking, so neither window advantages you. Some GP and Psychiatry applicants are moved to January if February is oversubscribed.