Blogs
5th February 2026
HPATPHOBIA Don’t get Scared, Stay Motivated!
Does the thought of HPAT day make you cringe and consider hiding in your room? That's how I felt in the weeks that led up to HPAT. Being a student in my final year of high school I had rarely been in a position where I was sitting an exam which was so important for determining my future career pathway. Sure I had been through many school exams and academic competitions, but I felt ...
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31st January 2026
5 Tips for the Last Fortnight Before HPAT
HPAT is well and truly close now and it’s time to streamline your study and buckle down! In the pivotal two weeks leading up to HPAT, maintaining focus is vital and taking a strategic approach towards your study routine will help ensure that you are fully equipped for success on the big day. Here are five ways to make sure you’re using the next two weeks to set you up for success ...
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28th January 2026
Dealing with Disappointing HPAT Percentiles – 3 Tips
So you’ve been preparing for HPAT by working through the HPAT guides and attempting HPAT practice questions and exams. Then one day you receive a disappointing HPAT percentile. So what should you do? Is it time to freak out? Is it time to give up on your medical entry dream? No! Read on for three key tips. 1. Understand what a HPAT percentile means and how they are calculated ...
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7th January 2026
Is It Too Late to Start Preparing for HPAT?
The short answer is no. Preparing for the HPAT is possible and no matter how late you start, you will still be able to improve, just like with any other subject. The long answer is: it depends on how much time you invest and how effectively you prepare. At this stage, it’s important to study SMART. Trying to do as many HPAT questions or HPAT papers as you can is not necessarily the be ...
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17th December 2025
How to Interpret Your HPAT Mock Exam Scores
So, you’ve completed a HPAT practice exam and have no idea how to interpret the wealth of information and statistics you’ve been presented with. This blog has some tips to help you gain a better grasp of your HPAT preparation progress. 1. Look at percentile, not percentage The HPAT is a test designed to compare students against each other, thereby giving the universitie ...
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9th December 2025
Why You Should Be Studying For the HPAT Right Now
Are you all aboard the express train to Procrastination Station? Are you experiencing a motivation crisis? Are you just about ready to give up? There may be many reasons why you’re feeling this way and they may be impacting on your will to study and prepare for HPAT. You may be feeling tired, overwhelmed, stressed. You may have many other social, academic and extra-curricular com ...
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28th November 2025
Persisting Through Underwhelming Marks
Many of you may have started your preparation on MedEntry and found that you may not be achieving the scores you hoped for, and let me tell you, you’re not the only one! Many people lose confidence during their HPAT preparation and can’t see themselves achieving the scores they hope to attain. I know this for a fact because I was one of those people not too long ago. When I fi ...
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19th November 2025
Mind Games: Motivation for HPAT Study
Before you pick up your phone to scroll through TikTok or Instagram or YouTube, read this! Motivating yourself to prepare for HPAT can be difficult. You should not expect to always feel motivated to prepare for HPAT – no one feels motivated all the time. However, there are proven methods to help boost your motivation for HPAT prep. Cultivate a positive mindset ...
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13th November 2025
Managing HPAT With Other Commitments
As many of you would have noticed, HPAT preparation takes time. And I mean a LOT of time! It’s often overwhelming trying to get those HPAT practice exams you’d promised yourself to get done as well as study for that first chemistry quiz if you’re in 6th year, or keep up with your GAA training. In many cases, students often lose time, confidence and their interest i ...
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23rd October 2025
4 Steps to Balancing the HPAT – the Extra Subject
We are all too aware of how busy sixth year can be. However many don’t consider just how much busier it gets when you decide to sit the HPAT on top of that. Suddenly you have a whole lot more study on top of your expected workload and it can really be like taking on a whole other subject (or two!). Think of HPAT as a subject for which you have no teacher, no homework, and no deadlin ...
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