Competition data · 2026 cycle
How competitive is your specialty, really?
13 years of application ratios across 66 NHS specialties, in one place — the figures the official sources bury in spreadsheets. Some of these will surprise you.
At a glance
GP & Public Health (Dual CCT) is about 204× harder to enter than Emergency Medicine (ACCS).
The landscape
The competition landscape
Every specialty, by how hard it is to get a post. The further left, the better your odds.
Compare in detail
Every specialty, five measures
Ratio, five-year trend, year-on-year move, posts and applicants. Sort any column; open a row for the full picture and your odds.
Every Round 1 and Round 2 pathway, side by side.
66
Specialties analysed
7
Brutal (≥20:1)
21
Very competitive
24
Competitive
14
Accessible or Open
Did you know?
Three things that surprise most doctors
Emergency Medicine higher training takes 68% of applicants
EM ST4 had 104 applicants for 71 posts in 2025 — a 1.46:1 ratio. Fewer than 3 in 10 applicants go home disappointed.
1.46:1 ratio · 104 applicants · 71 posts
Geriatric Medicine has more posts than most applicants realise
323 applied for 157 posts last year — a 2.06:1 ratio. The lowest physician specialty ratio in the system.
2.06:1 ratio · 323 applicants · 157 posts
Cardiology ST4 is less competitive than you think
4.03:1 ratio in 2025 — lower than Respiratory, Endocrinology, Rheumatology, or Acute Internal Medicine. Reputation hasn't caught up to reality.
4.03:1 ratio · 540 applicants · 134 posts
Get notified when 2026 ratios are published
NHS England releases updated competition data each spring — we'll email you the moment it's live.
Are you competitive for your specialty?
See your portfolio score, a personalised action plan, and where you stand against this cycle — free in two minutes.
Check my chancesGood to know
Questions doctors ask
What the ratios mean — and what they don't.
How is a competition ratio calculated?+
It's the number of applicants divided by the number of posts in a round. A 4:1 ratio means four doctors applied for every available post. It measures demand for a specialty — not a pass mark, and not your individual odds.
Does a high ratio mean I won't get in?+
No. The ratio counts everyone who applied — including people who withdraw, decline offers, or apply to several specialties at once. A strong, well-evidenced portfolio and a focused application matter far more than the headline number.
Which years and regions do these cover?+
These are national figures based on NHS England's published competition ratios. The free view shows the latest two cycles; Folio Pro unlocks the full history and the projected next-cycle ratio for every specialty.
Why have some specialties got more competitive?+
Most movement comes from changes in post numbers, not just applicants — Cardiology ST4 expanded its posts in 2025, which softened its ratio even as applications rose. We show the year-on-year change so you can see which way each specialty is trending.
When can I apply, and what are the key dates?+
Round 1 (CT1/ST1) and Round 2 (ST3/ST4) open in November, with offers released the following March. Open any specialty in the table for the full timetable, and always verify against the official Oriel recruitment site.
Sources & methodology — Verified · 2025 cycle▾
- Ratios are NHS England's published recruitment figures — applicants divided by posts, per cycle.
- Year-on-year change compares the latest cycle's ratio against the prior cycle.
- Any “your odds” framing is an illustrative estimate, not a guarantee of an offer.
- The full 13-year history and next-cycle projections are a Folio Pro feature.
- Always verify against the official Oriel recruitment site before you decide.
Why doctors trust it
Built with NHS clinicians, from the actual data.
Competition ratios are NHS England's published figures across 13 application cycles (2013–2025) and 66 specialties.
Every figure here is a planning estimate, not a guarantee. We show the source and method behind each one — always verify against the official source before you decide.