What Is Trac and How Is It Used in NHS Job Applications?

CareerPro UK Team

Oct 24

7 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

Looking for the Trac login? Sign in or create your account on the official Trac Jobs login page. To search NHS vacancies in England and Wales, use the NHS Jobs website. Before you submit, use our free 40-point Trac application checklist for doctors.

Many international medical graduates (IMGs) click "apply" on an NHS Jobs advert and land on a different website called Trac. That can be confusing, especially if you have never heard of it. This guide explains what Trac is, how it fits with NHS Jobs, and how to complete a Trac application that scores well at shortlisting.

Quick answer

Trac is an online recruitment system run by Civica UK Ltd, used by many NHS trusts and health boards to manage job applications from advert to pre-employment checks. You create a free account at trac.jobs, complete the employer's application form, submit it before the closing date and track its progress online. Shortlisting is usually scored against the person specification, so the supporting information section matters most.

What is Trac and who runs it?

Trac (trac.jobs) is a recruitment management system. Its own website says it powers recruitment for a large proportion of the UK's public sector workforce, and the site is provided by Civica UK Ltd, a public sector software company.

There are two sides to Trac:

Employers use it to publish vacancies, shortlist, invite candidates to interview, and manage offers and employment checks.
Applicants use it to complete application forms, save their details for future applications, and follow the progress of each application.

Civica also runs job boards that list Trac vacancies, including Health Jobs UK (healthjobsuk.com), which advertises posts from NHS trusts and health boards. Civica also operates NHSJobs.com, which states that it is independent of the NHS. Do not confuse NHSJobs.com with the official NHS Jobs service at jobs.nhs.uk.

How does Trac relate to NHS Jobs?

NHS Jobs (jobs.nhs.uk) is the official online recruitment service for the NHS in England and Wales, run by the NHS Business Services Authority. Trac is a separate system that some employers use alongside it or instead of it.

In practice you may meet Trac in three ways:

Redirected from NHS Jobs. You find a post on NHS Jobs and are sent to Trac to complete the form. University Hospitals Plymouth, for example, tells applicants they "will be directed to a site called Trac".
Transferred after closing. Some trusts take applications on NHS Jobs and move them into Trac afterwards. Chelsea and Westminster Hospital says applications are transferred to Trac once a vacancy closes.
Applying directly. You find the post on Health Jobs UK or a trust's own careers site and apply straight into Trac. Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital uses Trac to handle applications made either directly or through NHS Jobs.

Because of this, you may need accounts on both NHS Jobs and Trac. If an application is handled in both systems, check the trust's guidance on how to withdraw it. Shrewsbury and Telford, for example, asks applicants to withdraw on both accounts. For a side-by-side comparison, see our guide to Trac vs NHS Jobs for IMG doctors.

How to create a Trac account and apply

Go to trac.jobs and choose to create an account using your email address. Use an address you check daily, because shortlisting and interview invitations usually arrive by email and through your Trac account.
Set a password and sign in. If you forget it, use the "Forgotten your password?" link. Trac's support page notes that reset emails sometimes land in spam, so mark them as "not spam".
Open the vacancy from the advert link, read the job description and person specification, and start the form.
Save as you go. You can save a draft and return later. Mersey Care advises saving about every ten minutes in case your connection drops.
Review and submit before the closing date. Many posts close at midnight, but some close early when they receive a lot of applications, so apply early.
Watch for the confirmation email. Once submitted, your application status changes from "Draft" to "Submitted".

Trac keeps your details on file, so much of the form carries over to your next application. Still, check and update every section each time.

Sections of the Trac application form for doctors

Each employer sets up its own form, so sections vary. Trust guidance, such as Derbyshire Community Health Services' application guidelines, shows a typical structure:

Pre-application (screening) questions: checks against essential criteria. Answering "no" to an essential criterion usually means you will not be shortlisted.
Personal details: contact details, and right to work information.
Qualifications and training: your primary medical qualification, postgraduate exams (for example PLAB, MRCP or MRCPsych parts) and relevant courses, most recent first, with dates and grades.
Professional registration: medical posts normally ask for your GMC number and registration status. Proof of registration is checked before you start.
Employment history: each post with month and year, most recent first, with relevant duties and achievements. Explain every gap.
Supporting information: your evidence against the person specification.
References: referees covering the required period.
Additional information, monitoring and declarations: equality monitoring (not shared with the shortlisting panel), criminal convictions declarations, and a final declaration that works as your signature.

Many medical forms also ask about clinical experience, audit or quality improvement, teaching and research. Fill these in fully, because shortlisters score what they can see.

How to write the supporting information section

This is usually the most important part of a Trac form. Shortlisting is generally scored against the essential and desirable criteria in the person specification. Shrewsbury and Telford, for example, says each application is scored this way and the top-scoring candidates are invited to interview.

Check the word limit. Mersey Care's Trac form, for example, allows up to 1,500 words.
Follow the person specification. Use its headings, such as Qualifications, Clinical skills, Audit, Teaching and Communication, and give evidence under each one.
Give examples, not claims. "I led a re-audit of VTE prophylaxis that improved compliance" scores better than "I have audit experience".
Use a structure. STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result), or STARR with a reflection, keeps examples short and clear.
Tailor every application. A reused statement is easy to spot and often misses criteria.

Our guides on writing an NHS supporting statement as an IMG and the NHS person specification go into more detail. CareerPro UK also offers a free 24-page supporting statement guide.

References and tracking your application

References. NHS Employers' standard says employers should seek references covering three consecutive years of employment or training before the application. Where an employer reference cannot be obtained, character references may be used to cover the period. Referees are usually contacted only after an offer.

For IMGs, the standard says to request overseas references early and allow extra time, as they can take longer and may need translation. Give your referees' work email addresses and tell them in advance that a request may come.

Tracking. Sign in and open Applications to see the status of each one. Trac's support page asks applicants not to contact Trac about progress. Instead, use the Get in touch button on the application summary to reach the employer's recruitment contact. If you hear nothing, some trusts state a timeframe after which you should assume you were not shortlisted. Chelsea and Westminster, for example, says three weeks after the closing date.

Common mistakes and tips for IMGs

Common mistakes on Trac applications include:

Unexplained gaps in employment history. Every gap (exam preparation, relocation, visa wait, family reasons) should have a brief, honest explanation. See how to explain a career gap.
Writing "N/A" everywhere. Trac's own support guidance says to leave irrelevant fields blank rather than writing "N/A". If a trust's guidance says otherwise, follow the trust.
All-capitals or all-lowercase text, which is harder to read.
Trying to edit after submitting. Trac does not allow this. To make a change, you must submit a new application before the deadline, which withdraws the earlier one.
Leaving drafts too late. Posts can close early, and Mersey Care notes that unsubmitted drafts are deleted after a set period.
False or incomplete declarations, which can lead to disqualification or later action.

Tips for IMGs:

Use UK terms (Foundation Year, SHO, registrar, MDT) and briefly explain overseas grades and hospital types.
Show NHS-relevant evidence, such as audit or QIP, teaching, safeguarding training and any UK clinical attachment. Our clinical attachment guide explains how to get one.
If you lack certificates in areas like safeguarding or teaching, CareerPro UK's free CPD courses provide certificates, and the free Audit & QIP Ideas tool can help you plan a project.
Read why NHS job applications get rejected before you submit.

Can I get help rewriting my Trac application for NHS jobs?

Yes. Many IMGs find it useful to have someone check their Trac application against the person specification before submitting. CareerPro UK offers an NHS job application review and rewrite for £35, for both Trac and NHS Jobs applications, with the supporting information written against the person specification for the post. Trusts' own recruitment teams can answer questions about a specific post, and Trac's support team can help with account problems.

Frequently asked questions

Is Trac the same as NHS Jobs?

No. NHS Jobs (jobs.nhs.uk) is the official NHS recruitment service for England and Wales, run by the NHS Business Services Authority. Trac is a separate recruitment system run by Civica UK Ltd, which some trusts use alongside or instead of NHS Jobs.

Is Trac free for applicants?

Yes. You can create a Trac account and apply for jobs without paying anything.

Do I need a CV for a Trac application?

Usually not. Most NHS posts on Trac ask you to complete the application form instead of uploading a CV, and some trusts say they do not accept CVs. Check the advert.

Can I edit my Trac application after submitting it?

No. To make a change, submit a new application before the closing date. This automatically withdraws the previous one.

Who do I contact about my Trac application status?

Contact the employer, not Trac. Use the "Get in touch" button on your application summary to find the recruitment contact for that post.

If you'd like your Trac or NHS Jobs application reviewed and rewritten (£35), email cvreviewexperts@gmail.com or contact CareerPro UK.

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