Let's not kid ourselves - for eligible candidates, the self-assessment score for IMT application in 2025/26 is the single most important part of the application process (right up until the interview).
Scoring highly means you get a chance to interview for an IMT placement. Not only this but at interview a high application score means you'll likely also do well in the "Application and Suitability" section.
The Internal Medicine Training application system has escaped the slow conquering march of the MSRA exam, so shortlisting is still based on self-assessment scores.
In this article, we'll go through the application scoring matrix for 2025/26, giving you the experience and advice from IMTs who have been thorugh the process in recent years.
Experience and Advice from High-Scoring Candidates
Justin, Priyanka, and Sashi have generously contributed to this article with their tips, advice, and experience. They all aced their applications and work with Optimise Interviews to help applicants nail their IMT Application and Interview.
Dr Justin Chiong
Justin studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh and did his foundation years in Scotland, during which he successfully completed a part-time MSc in Clinical Education.
He subsequently moved to the Northwest to continue his training as an NIHR Cardiology Academic Clinical Fellow, and IMT.
Dr Priyanka Gandhi
Priyanka studied Medicine at the University of East Anglia. She enjoys teaching and pursued an intercalated degree in Medical Education at the University of Leeds.
Now she teaches in various capacities from face-to-face to online-based platforms. More recently, she has started as an IMT 1 trainee in the North West.
Dr Sashiananthan Ganesananthan
Sashi studied Medicine at Cardiff University. Following graduation, he completed the academic foundation programme at Imperial College London.
He enjoys teaching and has completed a PgCert in Clinical Education at the University of Edinburgh, leading a 9-month international teaching programme.
If this advice is useful, you should also check out the Optimise IMT course to help you nail your IMT application.
Key Documents
- Oriel User Guide
- IMT Person Specification 2026
- IMT Recruitment 2026 Round 1: Applicants’ Guide
IMT Recruitment Timeline
August 2026 Start Date (Round 1)
| Stage | Date / Time |
|---|---|
| Vacancies published | Wednesday 22nd October 2025 by 5pm |
| Applications open | Thursday 23rd October 2025 at 10am |
| Applications close | Thursday 20th November 2025 at 4pm |
| Longlisting close | Tuesday 16th December 2025 |
| Invitation to interview | By Thursday 18th December 2025 |
| Interview booking deadline | First invites – Monday 22nd December 2025 Second invites – Monday 29th December 2025 |
| Interview window | Monday 12th January – Friday 13th February 2026 |
| Rankings released | Tuesday 24th February 2026 |
| Programme preferences | Tuesday 24th February – Monday 16th March 2026 |
| Initial offers out | Tuesday 24th March 2026 |
| Hold deadline | Thursday 2nd April 2026 at 1pm |
| Upgrade deadline | Wednesday 8th April 2026 at 4pm |
| Post start date | Wednesday 5th August 2026 |
How Self-Assessment Scoring Works
Self-assessment scoring for the IMT application is done on Oriel while completing the full application form. See our application guide for advice on other parts of the form, including eligibility and commitment to speciality.
During this section you will be asked to select options for each of the domains listed below so that an overall application score can be calculated.
5 Rules for Submitting Your Application
Don't get caught out during your application - there's a danger of having it thrown out if you break the rules.
The JRCPTB reports that it treats this very seriously if it appears to be a deliberate attempt to mislead. They leave the consequences unsaid, but could potentially include a talking to from a scary 3-letter organisation.
- Don't Mislead
Be careful when assigning points – if interviewers feel that you have been purposefully misleading on your self-assessment, they may consider rejecting your application. Make sure your portfolio has evidence to back up your claims.
- You Can Claim the Same Achievement in Multiple Domains
You are now able to use one achievement across two domains – for example, if you performed a quality improvement project, presented it, and then gained a publication from it, you can claim points in each of these categories.
(I'm not entirely sure when this changed, but thanks to this user on Reddit for correcting us on this!)
- Have the Evidence
While you won't need to upload evidence of your achievements, applications are audited at random, so if you've claimed for something you don't have evidence of you could get in hot water.
- Check it Before Submitting
You won't be able to change much of the form once it's been submitted, and it's not certain that you'll be allowed to send another. Check and double-check everything before you hit submit.
- Do It In Time
There is a hard deadline of 4pm. If you try to submit at 4.01pm, it won't be accepted under any circumstances, which we're sure includes Oriel being clogged up with thousands of last-minute submissions.
Submit your application AT LEAST the day before, ideally more like a week or two.
Changes in 2026
While the application scoring matrix hasn't changed hugely in 2026, there is one huge change that you'll need to be aware of.
By applying to only the IMT programme this year, you will receive an additional 5 points in your self-assessment.
This is a major change, and likely done to combat rising competition ratios for all programmes. With rising fears that some FYs won't get a place in any speciality training programme, more people are hedging their bets and applying to more programmes. IMT recruitment is hedging their bets that the best IMT candidates will be the ones who have only applied for IMT, so doing this will give you a major advantage.
This includes the joint IMT/ACCS-IM programme - you can apply for this, gain 5 points, and still choose between the two programmes.
ACF programmes also appear to be excluded from this rule according to IMT recruitment, so you should be able to apply to both IMT & an ACF programme.
Eligibility
Most eligibility criteria remain unchanged from previous years. The main change for this round is that full GMC registration is now required at the time of application. Applicants may apply without a licence to practise, provided they hold registration and appear on the GMC register.
Shortlisting
As above, the self-assessment process remains in place, using the same scoring matrix as 2025. To recognise applicants’ commitment to the speciality amid rising competition, candidates who apply only to the joint IMT/ACCS-IM vacancy in Round 1 will receive an additional 5 points on top of the maximum 30 points available for self-assessment, making shortlisting scores out of 35 in total.
Separate Scotland Vacancy
For this round, there will be two separate IMT/ACCS-IM vacancies: one covering England, Northern Ireland, and Wales, and another for programmes in Scotland. Applicants may apply to only one of these vacancies and should ensure they choose their preferred option carefully. Further details on this process are available in the Planning Your Application section of the IMT recruitment website.
3 Reasons You Need to Maximise Your Score
IMT isn’t as competitive as many of the higher medical specialities, but aiming for a high application score is useful for a few reasons:
- Get Shortlisted for Interview
The self-assessment section is used to determine whether you will be shortlisted for an interview. IMT has become more competitive in recent years, so even if you are eligible for IMT recruitment you may miss out on an interview if you score poorly on your application.
- Ace Your ST4 Application
Higher medical speciality (ST3/4) application follows essentially the same scoring guidelines as the IMT application, so if you can max out your score in a few domains for IMT, you can focus on other domains when preparing for the ST3/4 application.
- Get Interview Ready
While the interview score is what matters for ranking and achieving the rotation & location of choice, up to half of the points for the interview are scored on similar points as the application score. Boost your application points and you’ll be able to get more points at the interview!
Application Scoring Matrix 2026
Each section of the self-assessment score gives you points depending on which option you have selected. You won’t have to supply the evidence, but you will have to describe why you have selected each option in part 3 of the application form.
There are 5 sections to score points on during IMT application scoring, giving you a maximum of 30 points. You can also recieve an additional 5 points if you are only applying to IMT/ACCS-IM this year.
The scoring sections are:
- Postgraduate degrees
- Presentations and Posters
- Publications
- Teaching experience
- Training in teaching
- Quality improvement
The main tip for maximising your points while planning your IMT application is to sniff out opportunities. Work out which sections you can improve on most, and which points are easiest to gain. Be enthusiastic during ward rounds with your consultant and registrars. Ask around for projects that you know will improve your application or interview score.
Networking can go a long way, particularly when it comes to research and publications. If you can make a good impression with a senior colleague, ask them who the “go-to” consultant is for research, or who they think would be willing to help you get a publication. They might put a word in or give you tips on whether that consultant will reply to an email.
Justin's Advice for Getting Involved in Projects
If you go to a course or conference and are inspired by a speaker or topic, try your hardest to pluck up the courage to go up to them and introduce yourself.
This can either be after their talk or later in the evening if there is a networking session.
From their perspective, they will almost always have projects and ideas for trainees to get working on (even if you have no initial knowledge of the topic). Even if you don’t want to take on any project work, you never know how many contacts you make at these sorts of events can help in your future career.
For example, I attended an Optimise interview course in preparation for my IMT/ACF applications, which was organised by Dr Balrik Kailey and I had several questions which were specific to my portfolio (which I didn’t want to publicly ask during the interview course).
I was nervous about approaching but decided to contact him directly, which in hindsight made a huge difference to my application. He was able to not only answer my questions but also helped me get involved in other projects which were great for my CV.
Postgraduate Degrees and Qualifications
If you started planning early, you can obtain a few extra points in the category of postgraduate degrees. Degrees earned following undergraduate medicine can either come from a break in training or by studying for a part-time master's while working.
Intercalated degrees do not count any section. You can only include a degree here if it was completed before or after your time at medical school, not during.
There are 4 points available in this section:
- 4 points – PhD or MD (by research, using the UK definition of MD), including non-medical related qualifications
- 3 points – Masters level degree, including non-medical qualifications (not including intercalation!)
- 1 point – Other postgraduate diploma (PGDip) or certificate (PGCert) related to medicine, for which only graduate entrants can apply. You cannot claim for membership exams such as MRCP.
A Master's in education qualification will now count here, though any PGDip/PGCerts etc that are specific to teaching should be in the training in teaching section.
Additional Achievements
Removed in 2025!
Presentations and Posters
This is a fantastic area to pick up some points during your foundation training or FY3 year, though you’ll have to make sure you have already met the criteria by the time you apply to IMT. Most projects, however small, can be easily presented to a local medical meeting to pick up a couple of points.
Research and Quality Improvement Projects can easily be turned into a poster, and there are many medical conferences that accept posters from junior doctors. Some medical conferences have interactive screens rather than physical posters, meaning they can fit in as many posters (and sell as many tickets) as they want. You’d be surprised at how easy it is to have a poster presentation at a conference.
Oral presentations are more difficult, and you’ll need to ensure your abstract grabs the attention of your chosen conference when you apply. Some well-known consultants will be invited to speak at conferences on their projects. Find someone with a reputation, do enough work to get yourself first or second on the author list, and ask to present it at a conference they’re speaking at, and you’ve bagged max points.
There are 6 points available in this section. For each section you must be listed as 1st or 2nd author:
- 6 points – Oral presentation at a national or international medical meeting
- 4 points – Poster shown at a national or international medical meeting
- 3 points – Oral presentation at a regional medical meeting
- 2 points – Poster at a regional or local medical meeting
- 2 points – Oral presentation at a local medical meeting
Conferences limited to one or more UK home nations (aka a Scotland-wide conference) will be counted as national.
Publications
Publications are another area you can bag lots of extra points if you plan ahead. Networking with research consultants or eager registrars can help you get case reports, research, and publications. Even if you don’t have the opportunity to perform your own research project, collaborating enough for you to be named as a co-author in a research publication can get you 6 points in this category.
You must plan carefully for this section – publications can take over a year from application to publication in a PubMed-cited format. You can still claim points if the publication is “in press” (accepted without any requested alterations, but not yet published).
There are 8 points available in this section:
- 8 points – First or joint-first author of one or more PubMed-cited original research publication
- 6 points – Co-author of one or more PubMed-cited original research publication
- 5 points – First or co-author of more than one PubMed-cited publication such as editorials, reviews, case reports, and letters
- 5 points – Author of one or more chapters of a book related to medicine (not including self-published books)
- 3 points – First or co-author of one PubMed-cited publication such as editorials, reviews, case reports, and letters
- 1 point – Published one or more abstracts or articles that are not PubMed-cited
Justin's Tip for Research
A big tip that I learnt (too late!) on the Optimise Interviews application form course is that you can score maximum marks for a publication, even if you are a co-first author.
If I had known this in my foundation years, I would have pushed harder for the doctors I was working with on a research project in cardiology to put me as a co-first author. It takes nothing away from them and makes a big difference in terms of the points scored on the application form.
Teaching Experience
If you enjoy medical education, then this is an easy win for your application. It’s also a section in which you can earn points right up to the last few months before your application.
If your local department runs a regular educational meeting, you can approach the person in charge of this and ask whether you can organise this for more than three months, teaching regularly. If you are at a teaching hospital, you could also ask the undergraduate department or your department's education lead if you can organise weekly or fortnightly teaching for medical students.
There are 6 points available in this section:
- 5 points – Work with local tutors to organise a teaching programme for healthcare professionals or medical students for three months or longer. You must regularly teach as part of this.
- 3 points – Provide regular teaching for healthcare professionals or medical students for three months or longer.
- 1 point – Occasional teaching for healthcare professionals or medical students.
To score points, you must get formal feedback, including independent verification of this from a tutor or organiser.
To gain 3 or 5 points, you need evidence of the programme content (such as a timetable) and a letter or form signed by a local tutor or organisation.
Priyanka's Experience of Teaching
I got involved in teaching very early on during my foundation programme, helping the foundation programme coordinators with patient safety teaching, this allowed me to fulfil some aspects of the IMT application but also worthwhile reflecting on patient incidents.
Teaching is something anyone can get involved in and to organise a program for others whether it is at your ward or generally it all adds up.
Training in Teaching
Some trainees will have pursued a PGDip/PGCert in medical education or teaching. For those who haven’t, there’s only one point to gain here – but it’s an easy one to get, and if you have a study budget you can do it for free!
Booking a medical education course such as a “Teach the Teacher “ course can give you that easy extra point, so long as it's "live". Search our event calendar for applicable courses.
There are 3 points available in this section, which can only be earned if they are in addition to any training received as part of your primary medical qualification:
- 3 points – Higher teaching qualification such as PGDip or PGCert
- 1 point – Training in teaching which doesn’t qualify for 3 points
On-demand courses do not qualify for 1 point - it must be a "live" course, either in-person or virtual.
Sashi's Experience of Teaching Qualifications
I completed a Postgraduate certificate in medical education at the University of Edinburgh. It allowed me to not only understand my own learning methods on the wards but allowed me to conduct effective bedside teaching for medical students.
At the time, I was also organising teaching programmes and reflections for the PgCERT and the course also permitted fellowship to the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and membership to the Academy of Medical Educators. It was not just for the points!
Other courses which may be less resource-heavy include the Teach the Teacher course or locally organised teaching courses offered to medical education fellows.
Quality Improvement Projects
Quality Improvement Projects (QIPs) were an area of change for 2023 application scoring, with a focus on completing two full cycles of a QIP. This makes sense when you consider many will complete a QIP cycle as part of their foundation programme.
If you already have a QIP from your foundation years and can repeat another cycle, you’ve already scored maximum points. If you haven’t, it’s best to pick a relatively focused project in which you can perform rapid data collection cycles.
The important thing is that you pick a project where you can gather data quickly, make improvements, and then take another data cycle. If you only have a year until IMT application and your project requires 6 months of prospective data for data collection, you’re going to miss out – find something you can complete in a shorter timeframe.
Audits can count as Quality Improvement Projects, so long as you use QI methodology such as Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycles. Mind the Bleep has a good article on audit and quality improvement projects if you need some inspiration.
There are 4 points available in this section:
- 4 points – Involvement in all aspects of a QIP, for two or more cycles
- 3 points – Involvement in some stages of two cycles of a QIP
- 3 points – Involvement in all stages of a single cycle QIP
- 1 point – Involvement in some stages of a single cycle QIP
Sashi's Experience of Quality Improvement Projects
Be wary of those long and tedious audits/quality improvement projects offered to you as trainees. There is of course a time and place for this but be wary some of these end up going nowhere.
It’s always best to focus on ones that have very clear, simple, achievable outcome measures (SMART outcome or something like that) and you are able to do 3 cycles (maximum points!). On these local, smaller audits you can lead on them and potentially discuss them more passionately.
I did a simple VTE audit for COVID-19 patients and made some difference to VTE prescribing on a ward. Because I looked so passionate doing my VTE audit, the medical education team also awarded me a foundation leadership merit award!
All from a three-week VTE audit!
Leadership and Management
Removed in 2025!
