How MSRA scores and bands work
MSRA scores are normalised, which is why there is no maximum score. For GP applicants, each paper is normalised around a mean of 250 with a standard deviation of 40 and is also placed in a band from 1 to 4. This page gives the official mechanics. The official pages give no cut-offs for this round.
From marks to a score
Each paper is marked first. In Clinical Problem Solving, one mark is awarded for each correct response. In Professional Dilemmas, your response is compared with a pre-determined key, and the closer it is, the more marks are awarded. Neither paper is negatively marked.
Those marks are then normalised. The official outcomes page explains what that means for you: for a given cohort of applicants, normalisation depends on the average performance of the cohort. As we read it, your score describes where you sit among the people who took the assessment, not how many questions you got right.
Why there is no maximum score
Because all MSRA scores are normalised, the official page says there is no maximum achievable score, and that it is not considered meaningful to interpret a score against a maximum value. As we read that, a score cannot be treated as a percentage.
The scale for GP applicants
The GP MSRA page gives the scale used for GP applicants:
- The score in each paper is normalised around a mean of 250 with a standard deviation of 40.
- The score for each paper is also banded from 1 to 4.
- Band 1 indicates that the minimum acceptable standard has not been achieved.
- An applicant who achieves band 1 in either paper is deemed unsuccessful and does not progress further with their application.
| Band | Meaning given on the official page |
|---|---|
| 1 | Very poor level of performance |
| 2 | Below average performance |
| 3 | Good level of performance |
| 4 | Very good level of performance |
The same official page publishes tables showing how scores in each paper compared with other GP candidates in 2026 Round 1. Those tables describe a past round and a past cohort. Read them at the source.
Other specialties
The scale above is stated for GP applicants. Check each specialty's own guidance for how it uses the result: the official MSRA overview advises you to check the relevant specialty guidance, as some information may differ. The official pages give no cut-offs for this round. The GP page publishes the previous round's band ranges; read them at the source. We do not publish cut-off scores or "what you need" figures for any specialty, and numbers passed around from earlier rounds describe a different cohort. The specialties are listed in Which specialties use the MSRA?
Getting your result
- Applicants are notified of their results a short time after the testing window ends. The date is given in the recruitment timeline for each round.
- For this round the GP timeline gives results as expected from 17 March 2027.
- Results are published in your Oriel account against your application.
- All applicants receive feedback when they are notified of their outcome.
Appeals, complaints and resits
The outcome is final. The official page states that it cannot be reviewed, re-marked or disputed, and that there is no appeals process. If you believe your application was not managed correctly and you have evidence of a failure in the process, there is a nationally agreed complaints procedure.
On resits, the GP MSRA page says applicants who have sat the MSRA before may have the option to resit, depending on the number of applications received in the round. When you reapply you must declare whether you wish to be considered for a resit, by opting in or out of transferring an earlier successful score, and that decision cannot be amended after you submit.
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: Outcomes, scores and appeals (NHS England).