January or February: which MSRA sitting will you get?
You do not pick your sitting: it is allocated. January is open to applicants for all specialties. February is reserved for applicants who apply to Core Psychiatry and/or General Practice only, and it has limited capacity. On the official GP recruitment timeline the windows are 5 to 20 January 2027 and 10 to 18 February 2027.
The rule, as the official page states it
The official MSRA overview and the GP MSRA page carry the same notice for 2027 recruitment. Because a rise in applications to Round 1 is anticipated, the MSRA is delivered across two windows, one in January and one in February.
| Sitting | Window | Who it is for | Invitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| First sitting | 5 to 20 January 2027 | Open to applicants for all specialties | Expected by 14 December 2026 |
| Second sitting | 10 to 18 February 2027 | Reserved for applicants who apply to Core Psychiatry and/or General Practice only | Expected by 21 December 2026 |
Three things the notice also says
- February is not certain. If the number of applicants to Core Psychiatry and/or General Practice exceeds the capacity of the February sitting, some of those applicants will be required to sit in January.
- You will be told after applications close. Allocated sittings are confirmed as soon as possible after the application closing deadline.
- It cannot be changed. Allocated testing windows cannot be changed, even if applicants withdraw applications to try to make themselves eligible for the later window.
What that means for you
The official wording for February is "reserved for applicants who apply to Core Psychiatry and/or General Practice only". As we read it, an application to any other specialty that uses the MSRA places you in January. If you apply only to General Practice, only to Core Psychiatry, or only to those two, February is possible but not promised. If your position is unusual, ask the recruitment office rather than rely on our reading.
The two windows open 36 days apart.
What you can choose
Inside your window, the day is yours to pick. The official booking page says that when you are invited you book an assessment at a centre, date and time of your choosing, subject to availability, through your Pearson account. Capacity at each centre is finite, so the earlier you book after your invitation, the more choice you are likely to have. That last point is our inference, not an official statement.
If you live or work in the UK during the window you are expected to attend a UK centre. If you are outside the UK during the window you can sit at a centre nearest to you, subject to seat availability.
Dates and rules can change, and this page is not legal or careers advice. Confirm them on the official page before you rely on them: Multi-Specialty Recruitment Assessment (MSRA) overview (NHS England).