United Kingdom
Multi-Specialty Recruitment Assessment
The MSRA is the first selection hurdle for multiple specialty training programmes in the UK. Used for GP, psychiatry, paediatrics and more.
- Exam body
- NHS England / NHSE
- Frequency
- Annually (Dec-Jan)
- Eligibility
- Doctors applying for GP, psychiatry, O&G, ophthalmology and other specialty training
- Format
- 2 papers: Professional Dilemmas (SJT) + Clinical Problem Solving
MSRA - Multi-Specialty Recruitment Assessment: overview
Multi-Specialty Recruitment Assessment is administered by NHS England / NHSE. The MSRA is the first selection hurdle for multiple specialty training programmes in the UK. Used for GP, psychiatry, paediatrics and more.
In practical terms the assessment is delivered as 2 papers: Professional Dilemmas (SJT) + Clinical Problem Solving, and candidates are measured against a programme-dependent competitive score. It is scheduled annually (dec-jan), so building a realistic timeline back from the sitting you intend to take is the first planning step.
Exam pattern at a glance
- Exam format
- 2 papers: Professional Dilemmas (SJT) + Clinical Problem Solving
- Pass / selection standard
- Programme-dependent competitive score
- Frequency
- Annually (Dec-Jan)
- Eligibility
- Doctors applying for GP, psychiatry, O&G, ophthalmology and other specialty training
Subjects covered
Syllabus
- Clinical Problem Solving: all clinical medicine
- Professional Dilemmas: ethics, teamwork, SJT
Subject focus and weightage
Candidates who score well tend to protect time for the highest-yield areas rather than reading everything evenly. For MSRA - Multi-Specialty Recruitment Assessment, the topics that repeatedly carry weight include clinical problem solving, professional dilemmas, nice guidelines relevance. Working these to mastery first, then broadening outward, is a more reliable use of limited revision time than a single linear pass through the syllabus.
The syllabus spans core subjects including Clinical Problem Solving: all clinical medicine, Professional Dilemmas: ethics, teamwork, SJT. A blueprint-led plan - allocating study hours in proportion to how heavily each subject is examined - usually beats spending equal time on every subject.
High-yield areas
Study priorities
- Clinical problem solving: diagnosis and management questions
- Professional dilemmas: patient safety, escalation, teamwork
- NICE guidelines relevance
How to prepare
A dependable preparation cycle for MSRA - Multi-Specialty Recruitment Assessment moves through three repeating phases. Learn: build the core concept for each topic once, from structured notes, so the framework is solid before you test it. Recall: convert that understanding into durable memory with active recall and spaced repetition rather than re-reading. Practise: apply it under exam conditions with question banks, reviewing every wrong answer until you understand why the correct option wins - which for this exam is where clinical-reasoning gaps surface.
Timed, full-length practice in the exam's own format is what converts knowledge into a score: it trains pacing, and the stamina a long paper demands. Analyse each mock not just for the total but for which subjects and question-types are dragging the score, then feed that back into the next study block.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MSRA - Multi-Specialty Recruitment Assessment exam and who conducts it?
Multi-Specialty Recruitment Assessment is conducted by NHS England / NHSE. The MSRA is the first selection hurdle for multiple specialty training programmes in the UK. Used for GP, psychiatry, paediatrics and more.
What is the MSRA - Multi-Specialty Recruitment Assessment exam pattern?
The stated format is 2 papers: Professional Dilemmas (SJT) + Clinical Problem Solving. The pass or selection standard is Programme-dependent competitive score. Because pattern and marking can be revised between cycles, confirm the current structure on the official notification before you sit.
Who is eligible for the MSRA - Multi-Specialty Recruitment Assessment?
Broadly, eligibility is: Doctors applying for GP, psychiatry, O&G, ophthalmology and other specialty training. This is a summary only - the definitive eligibility criteria, documentation and any registration or attempt limits are published by NHS England / NHSE for each sitting.
Sources and currency
Sources: official examination-body notifications and information bulletins (NBEMS, NMC, GMC, the relevant UK Royal College, USMLE/NBME, AMC, MCC and the Gulf health authorities as applicable). Exam patterns and eligibility change between cycles - always confirm the current sitting's rules, dates and fees on the official body's own notification before you apply. Last verified July 2026.
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