Unlocking Your Potential: Points Matter in UK Training Posts
Updated: 5 days ago
If you’re applying for UK training posts, you already know the reality: points matter. But the applicants who consistently do best are the ones who turn “point-scoring” into clear evidence, confident interview answers, and real teaching impact.
This post gives you both:
Clarity on what you can claim (by specialty), and
The practical value you’ll gain beyond the certificate, because that’s what makes your teaching evidence stand out.
Our Course (At a Glance)
Live Online + Self-Paced | £150: Interactive 6-hour live workshop (6 CPD), 12-hour self-paced programme (12 CPD), and an optional complimentary assessed assignment (additional 6 CPD). Up to 24 CPD hours in total.
Self-Paced Only | £100: 12 hours of structured independent learning (12 CPD), with 100 days of access and a certificate upon successful completion.
The Quick Answer: Points/Categories by Specialty
IMT / ACCS-IM
What you can claim: 1 point
Category: Training in teaching (below PGCert/PGDip level)
--- The 2027 criteria require at least 6 hours of synchronous (i.e. live) teaching-methods training. Our live workshop meets this duration requirement.
Physician Higher Specialty Training (PHST)
What you can claim: 1 point
Category: Training in teaching
--- The latest published criteria require at least 6 hours of synchronous (i.e. live) teaching-methods training. Our live workshop meets this duration requirement.
Ophthalmology ST1
What you can claim: 0.5 points
Category: Education & Teaching
--- The 2027 criteria recognise completion of a Teaching the Teachers course. Both the live and self-paced learning pathways are suitable. Scoring is cumulative within this domain, but duplicate course achievements are not counted twice.
Histopathology ST1
What you can usually claim: 1-2 points
Category: Training in teaching
--- The 2027 criteria award 1 point for training lasting up to 2 days and 2 points for substantial training lasting 3 or more days. Our 6-hour live workshop and 12-hour self-paced course can each support the 1-point category. Our combined 18-hour pathway provides the equivalent of three six-hour training days, meeting the published duration requirement for the 2-point category.
Clinical Radiology ST1
What you can usually claim: Category C (2 portfolio points)
Category: Teaching & Training
--- The 2027 criteria recognise at least 2 days of training in teaching methods. Our 12-hour self-paced course and combined pathway provide at least two days' equivalent of structured teaching-methods training, meeting the published duration requirement.
Clinical Oncology ST3
What you can usually claim: 1-2 points
Category: Training in teaching
--- The 2027 criteria award 1 point for brief teaching-methods training lasting up to 2 days and 2 points for substantial training lasting more than 2 days. Our individual courses can support the 1-point category. Our combined pathway provides 18 hours of complementary live and self-paced teaching-methods training, meeting the duration requirement for the 2-point category.
Occupational Medicine ST3
What you can usually claim: 3 points
Category: Teaching
--- The 2027 criteria award 3 points for attending a Teaching the Teachers course. Both our live and self-paced pathways meet this requirement.
Obstetrics & Gynaecology ST3
What you can usually claim: 2 points
Category: Teaching
--- Published criteria recognise attendance at a Train the Trainers course or equivalent. Both learning pathways meet this requirement.
Higher Psychiatry ST4
What you can usually claim: 2 points
Category: Teaching
--- The February 2027 criteria award 2 points for attending a Teaching the Teachers course or equivalent. Both pathways meet this requirement.
Other Specialties
Other specialties recognise educational development within their application frameworks. The applicable scoring criteria vary between specialties and recruitment years. Applicants should check the latest official recruitment guidance, complete the relevant learning before the applicable deadline, and retain their certificates and course outlines. Final scoring decisions rest with the recruiting body.
Recruitment guidance last reviewed: October 2026.
What Matters Beyond the Points (And Why It Helps Your Application)
Yes, a Teach the Teacher course can unlock points/categories in multiple specialties. But the real advantage is what happens after you get the certificate: how you teach, and how you evidence it.
Here’s what you gain that strengthens applications even when the scoring is modest:
1) A Teaching Structure You Can Reuse Anywhere
You’ll learn how to plan sessions quickly, teach clearly, and keep learners engaged. Whether it’s bedside teaching, small groups, departmental teaching, or online delivery, you’ll turn teaching from “something I occasionally do” into a skill I can demonstrate.
2) Feedback and Evaluation Done Properly (And Efficiently)
A common portfolio weakness is vague claims (“I enjoy teaching”, “good feedback”) without usable evidence. We show you how to collect formal feedback in a simple, sustainable way and present it cleanly, without drowning in admin.
3) Stronger Reflection and Better Interview Answers
In several pathways, teaching evidence isn’t just uploaded; it’s discussed. Applicants score better when they can explain:
What they changed in their teaching approach
What they learned
What impact it had
What they did next
That’s why the course focuses on practical teaching behaviours and simple “before/after” improvement narratives (gold for interviews).
4) The Optional Assignment is a Portfolio Accelerator
For live workshop participants, the optional complimentary assignment helps convert learning into applied evidence:
Plan a session
Deliver it
Collect feedback
Reflect and improve
That bundle is often stronger -and more convincing- than a certificate alone.
Evidence You Should Keep (So Your Points Are Easy to Claim)
Regardless of specialty, keep a tidy evidence pack:
Relevant course completion certificate(s)
Course outline (topics covered, duration and delivery format)
If you do the optional assignment: session plan + feedback summary + short reflection
This makes verification smoother and keeps your teaching narrative credible.
FAQs
Are the points guaranteed?
The course is designed to meet the relevant teaching-course requirements used in UK specialty training applications, with clear certification of the educational activity you complete. Our programmes are carefully structured around the published criteria and provide robust evidence of the learning completed.
Do CPD points equal application points?
CPD proves learning, but different specialties award points based on their own descriptors (e.g., duration, live teaching time, level of qualification). The best approach is to use CPD as supporting evidence and map your course to the specialty’s exact wording.
I already teach, will this course still help?
Yes. Most people don’t need “more teaching”; they need better structure, better feedback, and better evidence. This course helps you refine your delivery and present your teaching in a way that reads strongly in applications and interviews.
Is the assignment compulsory?
No. The additional assessed assignment is optional and complimentary for live workshop participants, providing 6 further CPD hours. The self-paced course has its own mandatory learning activities and reflective questions required for certification.
Summary: What You Can Claim After This Course
IMT / ACCS-IM: 1 point (Live Online)
Physician Higher Specialty Training (PHST): 1 point (Live Online)
Ophthalmology ST1: 0.5 points (both pathways)
Histopathology ST1: 1 point (Self-Paced Only) or 2 points (combined pathway)
Clinical Radiology ST1: Category C - 2 portfolio points (Self-Paced Only or combined pathway)
Clinical Oncology ST3: 1 point (Self-Paced Only) or 2 points (combined pathway)
Occupational Medicine ST3: 3 points (both pathways)
Obstetrics & Gynaecology ST3: 2 points (both pathways)
Higher Psychiatry ST4: 2 points (both pathways)
Always check the current year’s official guidance for your specialty before submitting your self-assessment.
Conclusion: More Than a Certificate
Specialty application criteria matter, and our course is designed to meet these requirements. Our aim is to provide high-quality, practical education, giving clinicians approaches they can use in everyday practice, together with clear evidence of the learning they have completed to help their professional growth.
With us, you get a course designed to meet the published requirements, and an educational experience whose quality we are proud to stand behind. So, are you ready to take the next step in your professional journey? Join us and transform your teaching experience today!
