UK specialty training competition ratios have just been released, and it's crazy

What changed in 2026

In 2026, for the first time, you could only make 5 applications in Round 1, after Round 1 applications went up by 60% in 2025. And you had to be fully registered with the GMC when you applied.

How much the ratios dropped

Cardiothoracic surgery dropped the most, from 73.70 applications per post to 14.43, and 4 more fell by over a third. The highest ratio of the year was emergency medicine in Northern Ireland, at 76.80.

Why they've dropped

There's 2 things behind it. Round 1 had 13% more posts, 10,682 against 9,479. And applications fell by 2%, because with the limit, applicants made about 2 each instead of 2.37. The biggest drops came where applications fell the most: cardiothoracic surgery had 73% fewer. GP and core psychiatry got more applications, but more posts too, so theirs barely moved.

And it isn't because IMGs stopped applying. These ratios count every applicant, in the priority group or not, and non-priority doctors, who trained outside the UK, still made 51% of applications. Priority changed who got the posts instead: in 2026 it applied at the offer stage, and non-priority doctors took 1.8% of accepted places. So if you're in the priority group, chances are you were up against fewer people than these ratios suggest.

What's different for 2027

If you're applying for August 2027, Round 1 closes on Thursday 19 November 2026. The limit of 5 applications stays, and Round 2, for ST3 and ST4, now has one too.

About 650 of the extra training places agreed in the June pay deal are going into Round 1 as well, for posts in England. And priority now comes in earlier. It applies when interviews are offered as well as posts, in every specialty except ST1 public health.