The short answer is no. Studying 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 put in and how effectively you do it. At this stage, it’s important to study SMART. Trying to do as many HPAT papers as you can will also take up a lot of your time. You are probably also going to be quite busy balancing 6th year or University study and work with HPAT preparation, so learning study techniques...