Everything You Need to Know About the HPAT
3 weeks ago by Tom
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 total of 2½ hours.
The HPAT is in multiple-choice format and consists of questions in three sections: HPAT Logical Reasoning and Problem Solving, HPAT Understanding People and HPAT Non-Verbal Reasoning.
What courses require the HPAT?
The following courses require students to sit the HPAT:
| University | Course |
| Trinity College Dublin | Undergraduate Medicine |
| University College Dublin | Undergraduate Medicine |
| Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland | Undergraduate Medicine |
| University College Cork | Undergraduate Medicine |
| University of Galway | Undergraduate Medicine |
| University of Limerick | Undergraduate Medicine MSc Occupational Therapy MSc Speech and Language Therapy |
Undergraduate medicine is offered by six universities in Ireland, and all of these universities require students to sit and succeed in HPAT in order to gain entry.
When will the HPAT be held?
The HPAT will take place in late February 2027 (dates to be confirmed).
How will the HPAT be administered?
HPAT was traditionally undertaken in paper and pencil format. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, HPAT ran online via remote proctoring for the time ever in 2021. This format has since become the standard mode of delivery for the HPAT.
Where can I sit the HPAT?
The online version of HPAT is conducted via remote proctoring. This involves sitting the test under live supervision in a quiet and private location that has an internet connection, using your own computer.
How do I register to sit the HPAT?
Registrations for the HPAT open in early November and close in mid-January each year. You can register for the HPAT via the HPAT Ireland registration page on the ACER website.
Note that enrolment in MedEntry does not mean you are registered to sit the HPAT.
What is the cost to sit the HPAT?
The cost to register for and sit HPAT 2026 was €164. There was an additional fee of €22 for all UL applicants who are also required to complete the Written English component. There is an additional late fee (for late registrations to sit HPAT) of €75.
When can I sit HPAT?
You can apply to sit the HPAT if you are in your final year of schooling (6th year), and any year thereafter.
How often can I sit HPAT?
HPAT is administered once per year. You can sit HPAT, once per year, for as many years as you like, as long as you are in your final year of schooling or thereafter.
What is being tested in the HPAT?
The HPAT 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 HPAT consists of three separately timed sections:
- Section 1 (Logical Reasoning and Problem Solving): tests how fast you can interpret information, think critically and utilise problem solving skills
- Section 2 (Interpersonal Understanding): tests your ability to empathise and understand what people may be thinking or feeling using passages or scenarios
- Section 3 (Non-Verbal Reasoning): tests your ability to think non-verbally, by solving problems using patterns and pictures
- Section 4 (Written English): University of Limerick's MSc Occupational Therapy and MSc Speech and Language Therapy applicants only
What is the structure and timing of the HPAT?
The three HPAT sections are separately timed, and each contains several questions. There are 112 multiple choice questions in HPAT distributed as follows:
| Number of Questions | Time in Minutes | Precentage Weighting | |
| Section 1 | 42 | 60 | 40 |
| Section 2 | 42 | 50 | 40 |
| Section 3 | 30 | 40 | 20 |
| Total | 112 | 2hrs 30mins | |
| For UL applicants only: Written English |
2 | 60 | Marked Separately |
What HPAT score do I need to get into medicine?
The minimum points required to get into medicine varies from year to year and between universities. As the medical entry system is changing from 2027, it is yet to be seen what the minimum score required for entry will be. Your score consists of a sum of two components:
This is the addition of:
- Your Leaving Certificate points (up to a maximum of 625), and
- Your HPAT overall score (up to a maximum of 150)
Most successful applicants will need to achieve around the 80th percentile or higher in HPAT to be competitive for one of the limited places available.
When and how will I receive my HPAT score?
HPAT results are released to candidates in late June (UL applicants and mature candidates will receive their HPAT scores in April). You will receive an email to advise you when your HPAT results are available (accessible via your online ACER account). ACER will then provide your HPAT results to the CAO and universities.
Note that your HPAT score can only be used for admission to a course in the same year that the course is due to commence, i.e. 2026 HPAT scores are used for courses that begin in 2026.
What is the HPAT scored out of?
When you receive your HPAT results, you will receive:
1. A score for each of the three sections and an overall HPAT score
Each of of the three HPAT sections are scored separately using scaled scores rather than raw marks. Sections 1 and 2 are each weighted at 40%, while Section 3 is weighted at 20% to contribute to the overall result.
The scores are not based directly on the number of correct answers, they are statistically scaled by ACER using psychometric methods. The exact scoring and scaling process is not publicly disclosed.
Candidates receive a score for each section, along with an overall score and a percentile ranking, which indicates performance relative to other test-takers in the same year.
ACER does not publicly release the detailed methodology used to calculate HPAT scores. Further information on HPAT scoring is available in MedEntry HPAT courses.
2. An overall percentile rank
An overall percentile rank for HPAT is also given. This indicates how well a student has performed in relation to other HPAT candidates. For example, a HPAT percentile of 70 means that you have performed better than 70% of HPAT candidates, and 30% of HPAT candidates have performed better than you. Depending on your leaving certificate performance, a HPAT percentile of at least 80 is normally required to gain admission into medicine in Ireland. This may seem achievable, but remember that everyone sitting HPAT is aiming for medicine (and therefore are smart and motivated) so being in the top 20% of this cohort is not easy.
How long are HPAT scores valid?
HPAT scores are valid for one year and used for admission to a course in the same year in which the course is due to begin.
Is the HPAT important?
HPAT is a significant component of selection for undergraduate medicine in Ireland and can be decisive in final rankings. As most applicants achieve high Leaving Certificate results, differences in HPAT performance often play a key role in distinguishing candidates.
Strong performance in both the HPAT and Leaving Certificate is therefore important for improving overall competitiveness.
Is the HPAT hard?
Yes! Many practicing doctors believe that the HPAT was the hardest and most important test they ever sat. The questions are completely different to those you will have encountered at school or university, and there is a strict time limit which means that the vast majority of students do not finish the exam. It is a 2 ½ hour long test requiring extreme concentration.
The good news? It is possible to prepare for and do well in HPAT.
How can I prepare for the HPAT?
Successful preparation for the HPAT can be summarised in five key steps:
- Understand the importance of HPAT
- Familiarise yourself with HPAT-style questions
- Learn strategies for tackling each type of HPAT question
- Attempt full length HPAT practice exams under timed conditions
- Identify your HPAT weaknesses and work on them
MedEntry makes this easy with our comprehensive HPAT courses.
Where can I get more information?
You can find more information about HPAT from the following sources:
And by following MedEntry on social media.
