24th June 2026
How to Interpret Your HPAT Results
HPAT results have been released! You will have received an email from ACER with details on how to access your results. This blog contains information for how to interpret your 2026 HPAT statement of results. What do the numbers on the HPAT Statement of Results mean? Your HPAT Statement of Results will display two measures of your performance: HPAT score and HPAT percentile. ...
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24th June 2026
I Didn’t Get a Good Enough HPAT Score. What Should I Do?
After spending months working through HPAT guides, completing practise exams and labouring over difficult drills it can be devastating when HPAT results day arrives, and you realise that you have not achieved a good enough HPAT score to get into medicine. It is completely understandable that to feel extremely disappointed, but it is very important that you have a clear idea of the other option ...
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17th June 2026
HPAT Results: What to Do With Your CAO
HPAT results are usually released in late June, and after months of waiting, it can feel quite overwhelming to finally receive them! After all the hard work and preparation for HPAT, everyone wants to get a great HPAT score. However, it is important to know what to do if things don’t go as well as you had hoped. It’s not the end of the world and if you want to be a doctor you ...
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12th June 2026
HPAT Results Will Be Released Soon! Here Are Some Frequently Asked Questions and Answers Regarding HPAT Results
HPAT results are due to be released in late June. You may have questions about your HPAT results, how they are calculated and what they mean. This blog seeks to answer those questions. When will I receive my HPAT 2026 results? You will receive your HPAT 2026 results in late June. ACER does not normally release a specific date when HPAT results are made available, however, for the ...
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9th June 2026
Medicine, the HPAT and the CAO: One BIG Mistake to Avoid
For any Leaving Certificate students hoping to go on to study medicine, the HPAT (Health Professions Admission Test) and the CAO (Central Applications Office) are two well-known abbreviations that are of great importance as you prepare for life after the Leaving Certificate. I wasn't certain until the very end of 6th year about what exactly I wanted to do after school. Honestly, it wasn ...
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27th May 2026
5 Tips for Leaving Cert Exams From a Current Medical Student
So the dreaded time of the Leaving Cert exams has rolled around once again and I'm sure many of you are trembling in your seats at the mere mention of it. But trust me when I say that I can completely relate with you. This time last year I was in your position, getting ready to sit the Leaving Cert, my head flooded with feelings of excitement and anxiety for what lay ahead. I know that f ...
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18th May 2026
Should I Choose a Medicine Course With a Pre-Med Year?
There are six universities in Ireland offering undergraduate medicine: University of Galway, University of Limerick (new course for 2026 entry), Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), University College Dublin (UCD), University College Cork (UCC), and Trinity College Dublin (TCD). These universities offer two course options, 5-year programmes that begin with medical studies immediat ...
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13th May 2026
Is HPAT Stressing You Out? Here's How to Use Stress to Your Advantage
You may have heard that stress negatively impacts performance, particularly in a high-stakes, intellectually challenging exam like the HPAT. You may have been told that if you are too stressed in the lead-up to an important exam such as the HPAT, you won't do well. You may have been advised to look for ways to relieve your HPAT-related stress. While this may be true, in some cas ...
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11th May 2026
9 Factors to Consider When Choosing a Medical School
There are 6 universities in the Republic of Ireland which offer undergraduate medicine: University of Galway, University of Limerick, Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI), Trinity College Dublin (TCD), University College Dublin (UCD), and University College Cork (UCC). It may seem difficult to decide which university is right for you and students often end up making their choice purely ...
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11th May 2026
How to Apply for Medicine in the UK as an Irish Student
UK medical schools have an excellent reputation internationally and many Irish students travel to the UK to study each year. Applications to UK universities are made through UCAS (like the UK version of the CAO). Irish students applying to study medicine in the UK in 2027 can start their UCAS application over the summer before 6th year (applications open on 12 May 2026). They must submit th ...
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