Applying

Before you apply for Specialty Training you should check that you're eligible.

All applications must be submitted via Oriel, we are unable to accept any applications outside of this system. Please ensure you are only logged into Oriel in one browser window, on one device, as having multiple windows open may impact updates you make.

Please check your application thoroughly before submitting as no one is able to change information after submission, including the administrative team. Please ensure you submit your application before the 4pm deadline on Thursday 21 November.

Before you apply for Specialty Training you should check that you're eligible against the person specification.

You must read all of these pages and the guidance on the Medical Specialty Recruitment pages before beginning your application.

Summary of changes for 2024/2025 recruitment

Changes to person specification

18 month experience - if you are not in a UKFPO Foundation Programme or have not completed Foundation training in the UK, only the first four months of radiology experience post-graduation from medical school will be excluded as foundation level competencies. Any experience after this will contribute to the 18 months.

Eligibility checks

You will only need to submit your CREST once and it will be applied to all specialties that you are applying to.

Certificate of Readiness to Enter Specialty Training (CREST) decision will apply across all specialties.

• CREST - the 2024 version from last year will be accepted, as well as the CREST currently on the website. You do not need to complete the checklist for applicants if you are using your CREST 2024 from last year. However, we do recommend you review the checklist before submitting to ensure it is completed properly
• Any application that required a CREST 2024 but did not submit a CREST 2024 at the point of application will be longlisted out

Self-assessment

• Up to four pieces of evidence will now be accepted for each domain
• Evidence for each domain should be uploaded as one continuous pdf
• Index sheet. You will list the evidence you are submitting for verification. Only the first four pieces of evidence will be reviewed
• Addition of questions to be completed at point of application relating to the unverified score you have selected

Self-assessment portal

• You will be required to upload the index page to the portal
• You will be required to upload the supporting information page from your application

Interviews

The MSRA will not be used as part of the final interview score, which will comprise verification 40% and interview 60%.

Proposed changes for 2026

The below changes have not been approved but are proposed for the 2025/2026 recruitment:

• Reducing the domains from 7 to 5
• Merging teaching and training and formal teaching qualifications
• Removing Prizes and awards
• Introduction of a portfolio station at interview
• Removal of the verification process

Details of these changes are provided throughout this guidance.

Recruitment process

Reasonable adjustments and Disability Confident Scheme (DCS)

We will ensure, where possible, that reasonable adjustments are made at interview to meet the needs of applicants with disabilities.

You must ensure that you include this on the application form.

Failure to provide the requested information and documentation by the stated deadline will result in adjustments and/or Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) status not being met. Any applicants applying under DCS will be required to score above the minimum cut-off score in the MSRA exam – this is 201 on each of the 2 components. For more information regarding reasonable adjustments and the Disability Confident Scheme, visit the support page via the portal.

Longlisting

Longlisting is the process of checking that applicants meet the minimum requirements to be eligible for a Clinical Radiology post. You can find the eligibility criteria on the person specification here. More information about longlisting can be found on the Medical Specialty Recruitment pages.

Due to the volume of applications, we are adopting the same revised approach to longlisting applications as we did last year.

Most eligibility checks will not be taking place until after the Multi-Specialty Recruitment Assessment (MSRA) results have been confirmed which we expect to be in February 2025.

Approximately the top 850 scoring candidates will have their applications longlisted and invited to upload their evidence for verification.

The process of longlisting can be carried out until just before the offer date.

 

  

It is very important that you ensure you meet the eligibility requirements and any competency document you need to attach is present and correct when you submit your application.

As part of the application form, we are asking candidates to confirm the number of years’ experience they have in radiology posts after completing foundation. Applicants who did not complete their Foundation training in a UKFPO approved post will only be able to exclude 4 months of their post-graduation training as Foundation. We understand calculating this can sometimes be complex, so anyone who responds that they are near to or over the 18 months experience threshold, will have their experience reviewed prior to being invited to attend the MRSA.

Prior to the MSRA, we will carry out checks for all reasonable adjustment applications, and we will be reviewing particular applications that are missing appropriate evidence of foundation competences.

Should at this stage or any stage your application be found to not meet essential criteria, as outlined in the person specification, you will be found ineligible, and your application will not be progressed further.

Certificate of Readiness to Enter Specialty Training (CREST)

If you are required to submit a CREST, you must do so at the time of submitting your application. Failure to submit this will result in your application being withdrawn.

Only the 2024 version of the form will be accepted. 

There is a 2024 version from last year, as well as this year, and we will accept either. This year's version has a checklist and is also called the CREST 2024.

For further information regarding the CREST form and evidencing of Foundation competencies, please see the Medical Specialty Recruitment pages.

Please note that the during the first longlisting phase of the 2025 recruitment process we will only be spot checking foundation competencies, and reviewing applications from candidates whose employment history indicates they have greater than or equal to 18 months radiology experience after foundation. Longlisting will be carried out after the MSRA results have been received until before the first offers. We advise you check your Oriel messages regularly from early February, in case we have request any information from you about your application.

Your application can be withdrawn at any stage should it not meet the essential criteria as outlined in the 2025 person specification. 

Multi-Specialty Recruitment Assessment (MSRA)

As part of the selection process for 2025 recruitment all eligible applicants will be required to sit the MSRA (unless they have not met the initial eligibility checks). We will not accept MSRA scores from any previous sittings.

The MSRA is a computer-based assessment, delivered in partnership with Work Psychology Group and Pearson VUE, which has been designed to assess some of the essential competences outlined in the Person Specification and is based around clinical scenarios.

The MSRA will be delivered at Pearson VUE test centres and remote testing provisions will be in place, as a reasonable adjustment, for those who require it.

Shortlisting

In the event that the volume of eligible applicants exceeds the interview capacity, applications will be shortlisted for the purpose of reducing the number of applicants invited to interview to a number which we can accommodate.

Please note that you will be required to score above the minimum cut-off score in the MSRA exam – this is 201 on each of the 2 components.

All applicants that score higher than the cut-off score but are not initially invited to interview will be put on a reserve list, this will be indicated by your Oriel status. If you have not been invited to book an interview via Oriel by 4 March 2025 - to be confirmed, unfortunately you will not receive an invite during this round.

Interview stations

In 2024/25 there will be 2 interview stations of up to 10 minutes each. 

We will be using a virtual interview system called Qpercom Recruit.

Should at this stage or any stage your application be found to not meet essential criteria, as outlined in the person specification, you will be found ineligible, and your application will not be progressed further.

Interventional Radiology

If you wish to apply to the Interventional Radiology pathway

The process for Clinical Radiology and Interventional Radiology are the same.

However, when applying for Interventional Radiology, you will need to state your preference for the Inventional Radiology sub-specialty from ST1 on your application.

As you will be consider as a Clinical Radiology applicant, you will have the opportunity to preference both Interventional Radiology and Clinical Radiology only posts.

Changing your pathway

You may be able to change your pathway later on in your training.

If you are on the Interventional Radiology pathway

In 2025 Clinical Radiology recruitment will continue to involve a process, started in 2022, which will allow applicants to state their preference for Interventional Radiology sub-specialty training from ST1.

You will continue to make a single application to Clinical Radiology and will all be considered as potential Clinical Radiology trainees.

As in previous years you will have the opportunity to preference Interventional Radiology posts alongside Clinical Radiology only posts.

If you have chosen Clinical or Interventional Radiology

Trainees on the Interventional Radiology pathway (based on their preference choice) will be able to revert to Clinical Radiology only before ST4 if they choose to do so. Trainees that select Clinical Radiology only (based on their preference choice) will still have the ability to apply for Interventional Radiology sub-specialty training from ST4 if they choose to and are successfully selected. The remainder of the process will be the same as for Clinical Radiology posts.

Where there is additional Interventional Radiology capacity and funding, deaneries will continue to undertake local (or national) recruitment from Clinical Radiology trainees at ST4. This will allow Clinical Radiology trainees to move into Interventional Radiology training if they didn’t get a place at ST1 or developed an interest in Interventional Radiology. It will also be possible for Clinical Radiology trainees with a preference in Interventional Radiology to revert to Clinical Radiology training, should they decide that Interventional Radiology is not the correct path, or their trainers decide they do not have the aptitude for it.