STP longlisting and competition: what SJT score do you actually need?
Last updated 11 October 2026
The STP situational judgement test has no pass mark. After the test, the National School of Healthcare Science (NSHCS) applies a cut score within each specialty to produce the longlist. That one design choice decides how high you need to score, and it depends entirely on which specialty you applied to.
How longlisting works
Every applicant sits the SJT in the same window and is scored against the same key. Longlisting then happens specialty by specialty. NSHCS is explicit that there is no fixed percentage: a small specialty in which all applicants score well could see all of them longlisted, while a large specialty cuts wherever it needs to in order to reach a manageable shortlisting pool.
Two things follow. First, you are competing against the other applicants to your specialty, not against the whole field. Second, your target is not a number NSHCS publishes. It is wherever the distribution of your specialty's applicants falls, and the more applicants per post, the further up that distribution you need to be.
The numbers
| Stage (2025, direct entry) | Applicants | Share of previous stage |
|---|---|---|
| Sat the SJT | 7,861 | – |
| Longlisted | 3,525 | 45% |
| Later stages | Each roughly halved the field again | |
2026 was larger. Summing the NSHCS competition-ratio table gives around 11,100 applications for 389 direct-entry posts, close to 29 applicants per post overall. The spread across the 32 specialties is wide: from around two applicants per post in urodynamic science and about six in radiation safety, up to more than 200 per post at the top of the table, where clinical microbiology and the genomics specialties sit.
For a microbiology applicant facing over 200 competitors per post, the SJT cut will sit in the top few per cent of the score distribution, and the same applies to their application score and interview later on. For a radiation safety applicant the cut sits far lower. Same test, same key, very different bar.
What this means for preparation
- Know your specialty's ratio. NSHCS publishes competition ratios per post for each specialty every year. Look up yours before deciding how much time to give the SJT.
- In a competitive specialty, consistency is everything. With 25 scenarios and several responses each, the test is well over a hundred independent judgements. A systematic bias, such as rating escalation to a senior as less appropriate than the key does, repeats across the paper and is the kind of error that separates the top few per cent from the rest. Find it in practice and correct it.
- In a less competitive specialty, avoid the floor. You still need to clear the cut. Rate every response (there is no negative marking) and make sure you are not systematically harsh or lenient.
- The SJT keeps mattering. At shortlisting, two volunteer scientists score your education and supporting information, and the SJT score breaks ties. A strong score helps twice.
How our practice tests fit
Our mocks follow the published format: healthcare science scenarios, every response rated 1 to 5 on its own, near-miss scoring, and the four NSHCS attributes. The score report shows your points lost by attribute and whether you tend to rate harsher or more leniently than the key. Our percentages are a guide to your judgement against our keys, not a prediction of where a specialty cut will fall. No unofficial resource can tell you that, and NSHCS says so.
Find your bias before the real test
The free diagnostic gives you ten scenarios and the full near-miss report. Full access adds two timed 25-scenario mocks until the SJT closes.
Start the free diagnosticFrequently asked questions
Is there a pass mark for the STP SJT?
No fixed one. NSHCS applies a cut score within each specialty to produce the longlist. A small specialty where every applicant scores well can see all of them go through, while a popular specialty cuts much higher.
How many people apply to the STP?
In 2025, 7,861 direct-entry applicants sat the SJT and 3,525 were longlisted. In 2026 the competition-ratio table sums to around 11,100 applications for 389 direct-entry posts.
Which specialties are most competitive?
Competition ratios in 2026 ranged from a couple of applicants per post in some physiological sciences to more than 200 per post at the top. Clinical microbiology and the genomics specialties sit among the most competitive; urodynamic science and radiation safety among the least.
Does the SJT matter after longlisting?
Yes. At shortlisting, specialty panels score your education and supporting information, and the SJT score is the tie-breaker between applications with the same panel score.