MedEntry HPAT Preparation

The HPAT-Ireland (Health Professions Admission Test-Ireland) is an admissions test used by Irish Medical Schools for undergraduate entry into medicine.

The HPAT-Ireland test measures a candidate’s logical reasoning and problem solving skills as well as non-verbal reasoning and the ability to understand the thoughts, behaviour and/or intentions of people.  The test results will complement the Leaving Certificate Examination assessment for selecting applicants for admission to an undergraduate Medical School programme.

For some free sample questions, please click here.

The UMAT (Undergraduate Medical and health sciences Admissions Test) is a test used in Australia for over 25 years for entry into medicine. It is exactly the same as the HPAT in all aspects – purpose, form and content. It is administered by the same organisation (Australian Council for Educational Research).

For 2013 entry, undergraduate entry to medicine for school leavers will be based on:

• achieving a minimum of 480 points and meeting the minimum entry requirements for the programme in the same sitting of the Irish Leaving Certificate Examination and;
• completing the required admissions test (HPAT-Ireland) within the 2 year period immediately preceding admission to the medicine programme.

Total points = Leaving Certificate (adjusted) + HPAT score
Up to 550: no adjustment
>550: 5 points = 1 adjusted point
Maximum LC score of 625 = 565 adjusted points

An example: If your unadjusted LC points is 565, and HPAT score is 190:

Your adjusted LC points is 553
553+190=743 Total points
In 2012 you need about 730 points to get into medicine.

Another example:

LC Points=560, student has done HL maths, HPAT score of 185:

HL Maths gives 25 bonus points.

Total=585 points. Adjusted points= 550+35/5= 557

Total points: 557+185=742

You will need to sit the HPAT-Ireland if you are interested in any of the following university courses:

• National University of Ireland, Galway (NUI GALWAY)
• Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI)
• Trinity College Dublin (TCD)
• University College Cork (UCC)
• University College Dublin (UCD)

Yes! Even high achieving students stumble in the HPAT. Some students with perfect LCE scores have missed out on a place in medicine and related courses due to their low HPAT scores.

Research shows training can significantly improve HPAT score by familiarizing you with the types of questions that will be asked and developing strategies to tackle them. Even ACER now admits that training for HPAT helps.

An all-too-common fallacy about preparing for HPAT is that all you need to do is 'familiarise' yourself with the test by doing some practice questions. That's like saying the way to become a great basketball player is to familiarise yourself with a basketball court and practice taking a few shots.

Once upon a time, people were wrong. They thought that the automobile was an electric death-trap that would never replace the horse and carriage, computers were only for academic nerds, and people who used tuition were simply cheaters. Then, cars stopped exploding every time you started the engine, people realised that you could use computers for more than just calculating the digits of pi, and the 'cheaters' with the tuition... well, they started getting it. They got better grades, got into better universities and just plain old got better. Times change, rules change.

"Kids take prep courses to ace tests that are supposed to measure inborn aptitude," (page 100, Time Magazine, December 20, 2004).

Start preparing now!

Please also read this article. (Does the MedEntry program really work?)

The HPAT-Ireland test is a 2½ hour paper-based test consisting of three modules or sections:

Section 1 tests your logical reasoning and problem solving skills. Some questions test your logical and critical thinking skills. Other questions test your ability to solve problems and interpret data. Overall, this section is designed to test how fast you can interpret information and your ability to think in various ways.

Section 2 tests your ability to understand people. You will be given various passages or scenarios describing people and interactions between people. You will need to empathise (put yourself in another person’s shoes), and understand what they might be thinking or feeling. You may also be asked to explain why a person behaves the way they do.

Section 3 tests your non-verbal reasoning. This involves finding patterns and trends in a sequence or block of pictures. It tests your ability to think non-verbally.

The HPAT scaled score for the three sections of the test are added to obtain an overall score. The individual section scores given are not raw scores (the percentage of questions you got right). The maximum a candidate can receive is 300. An overall percentile rank is also given.  This indicates how well a student has performed against other HPAT-Ireland candidates.

If you have not been successful the first time you sit the HPAT, you can re-sit it without being penalised. If you have more than one valid score (i.e. you take HPAT-Ireland two years in a row) you may use whichever score you prefer.

HPAT-Ireland results can be used for application to a medical school for 2 years, therefore if a candidate takes the test in 2012 the result can be used for admission in 2012 and 2013.

You can register for the HPAT-Irelandonline at ACER’s website: 
www.HPAT-ireland.acer.edu.au

Please note that enrolling with MedEntry HPAT Preparation course does not represent
or include an application to sit the HPAT.

In addition to your application to ACER, you must first apply to the Central Applications Office (CAO) www.cao.ie to complete the HPAT-Ireland test.

In 2012, the HPAT will be held on Saturday 25th of February.

ACER is the Australian Council for Educational Research; an organization that administers the HPAT. Its head office is based in Melbourne, where MedEntry's office is also located. You will need to contact ACER to register for the HPAT. Please visit www.HPAT-ireland.acer.edu.au for more information.

Registration for HPAT-Ireland is available online only.  The registration fee for the HPAT–Ireland test in 2012 is €95.00 (all taxes and charges included) per candidate. This fee will cover online registration for the test, materials required for the paper test, provision of test results to the candidate and the transfer of results to the CAO.  All payments must be made in EURO.  The preferred method of payment is by credit card.

Please visitwww.HPAT-ireland.acer.edu.au for more details.

Registrations for HPAT-Ireland 2012 will open in early November 2011.  Standard registrations will close at 5.15pm GMT on 20 January 2012.  Late registrations will be accepted until 5.15pm GMT on 1 February 2012 on payment of a late fee of €65 in addition to the registration fee.

Exceptional late registrations will be accepted until 5.15pm GMT on 3 February 2012 on payment of the exceptional late fee of €100 in addition to the registration fee.  An exceptional late registration will only be accepted from candidates who have submitted their application to the CAO by 5.15pm GMT on 1 February 2012.  It will NOT be possible to register for HPAT - Ireland after registrations close at 5.15pm GMT on 3 February 2012.

It is not advisable to complete a provisional registration and pay by bank draft during the late registration period. If payment is not received by Friday 3 February 2012 your registration will be cancelled.

Late registrations will be accepted until 5.15pm GMT on 1 February 2012 on payment of a late fee of €65 in addition to the registration fee.

Exceptional late registrations will be accepted until 5.15pm GMT on 3 February 2012 on payment of the exceptional late fee of €100 in addition to the registration fee.  An exceptional late registration will only be accepted from candidates who have submitted their application to the CAO by 5.15pm GMT on 1 February 2012.  It will NOT be possible to register for HPAT - Ireland after registrations close at 5.15pm GMT on 3 February 2012.

It is not advisable to complete a provisional registration and pay by bank draft during the late registration period. If payment is not received by Friday 3 February 2012 your registration will be cancelled.

For more information on the HPAT, you can visit the ACER website at www.HPAT-ireland.acer.edu.au