8th May 2026
How to Prepare for the HPAT in 5th Year
So you're in 5th year and you're thinking about pursuing a career in medicine. You've been getting great grades and you have the people skills to become a doctor, so there should be no problem getting in. Then you find out about the HPAT. You hear that it can be a major obstacle to your journey, and only a select few are able to succeed in the HPAT. You hear about all the people wh ...
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6th May 2026
Distributed Practice and the HPAT: What You Need to Know Part 2
In part 1 of this blog, we looked at why it is important to study with distributed practice for the HPAT. In part 2, we will look at how to implement distributed practice into your HPAT plan. How to implement distributed practice for HPAT Here are some tips and strategies on how to best use distributed practice in your HPAT preparation (you can also use them in your secondary schoo ...
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6th May 2026
Distributed Practice and the HPAT: What You Need to Know Part 1
Over the last few years various catch-phrases have circulated in the education sector: “study smarter not harder”, "do less work for more reward” and others. They can seem too good to be true. Nevertheless, there is one system that eclipses all others in the research conducted, the widespread implementation and the unanimous praise it has received from sci ...
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4th May 2026
Everything You Need to Know About the HPAT
Do you want to study medicine in 2027? If so, you will need to sit HPAT 2027. This blog describes everything you need to know about the 2027 HPAT. What is the HPAT? HPAT stands for Health Professions Admission Test. It is a test developed by ACER (Australian Council for Educational Research). HPAT is used to help select students into medicine in Ireland. The HPAT takes a ...
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24th April 2026
So You Want to Be a Doctor? How to Get Into Medicine
Congratulations on your decision to pursue medicine as a career! Medicine is one of the most respected and rewarding professions you can choose. The process of getting into medicine can be confusing, so here's a straightforward introduction to help you get started. Criteria for getting into medicine The minimum points required to get into medicine varied from year to year and b ...
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16th April 2026
Prerequisites for Studying Medicine in Ireland
The six universities that offer medicine all have a minimum requirement of 480 points from the same sitting of the Leaving Certificate or equivalent. They also have minimum subject requirements, so it is essential to consider this when deciding which Leaving Certificate subjects to choose. Some medicine courses are five years long and some are six. The 6-year courses have a pre-med ...
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16th April 2026
What is HPAT 2027?
HPAT stands for Health Professionals Admission Test. It is one of two main criteria used by most universities in Ireland to select students into high demand health related careers such as medicine (the other being the Leaving Certificate). Unlike traditional school and university exams which assess knowledge, HPAT assesses generic skills, including logical reasoning and problem solvi ...
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17th March 2026
Is Medicine for Me? 5 Tips on How To Make the Big Decision
Trying to decide whether medicine is for you? Personally, it took me months, along with lots of research and thought, to finally make that decision. Compared to most Bachelor’s degrees, which are usually three years in duration, courses in medicine take much longer – about five years to complete. Then there is postgraduate study and specialist training. You could be looking at ma ...
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2nd March 2026
I'm Sitting HPAT 2027 – What Do the Changes Mean for Me?
If you're planning to apply for undergraduate medicine in Ireland, you've probably heard that the medical entry system is changing. You might be wondering what it all means in practice – do you still need to prepare for HPAT? Will HPAT still matter? And what should you do to ensure your place in medicine? What are the Changes for HPAT 2027? From 2027, the way HPAT and ...
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22nd February 2026
HPAT is Over! What Now?
For the few weeks leading up to the HPAT in February, it can seem like the entire world revolves around it. Working on full exam HPAT mocks, HPAT guides and the Question Bank becomes your priority! Often you put off worrying about day-to-day issues until after the day of the HPAT. So, when the test date does roll around, and you walk away from your computer with your head held high, having ...
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