HPAT-Ireland

Three skill areas: Logical Reasoning and Problem Solving (comprehending and analysing information to formulate a solution or plausible hypotheses), Interpersonal Understanding (identifying, understanding and inferring the thoughts, feelings, behaviour and intent of others), and Non-Verbal Reasoning (reasoning in the abstract and solving problems in non-verbal contexts). Written English is a separate add-on.

It is a 2.5-hour computer-based test with 114 multiple-choice questions. That works out at roughly 79 seconds per question on average, so pacing is a real skill to train. Practise full timed blocks rather than untimed drills, and decide in advance how long you will spend on a question before moving on.

You need one to apply for admission to undergraduate medicine at University of Galway, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Trinity College Dublin, University College Cork, University College Dublin and University of Limerick, and to UL's MSc Occupational Therapy (Professional Qualification) and MSc Speech and Language Therapy (Professional Qualification). Always check the relevant university website for course-specific requirements.

HPAT-Ireland is available to anyone applying to a course for which it is a prerequisite who can meet the universities' academic entry requirements. Eligible test-takers must either be in their final year of school or have completed their school leaving certificate prior to 2027. International/non-EU students may be exempt, so contact the universities directly.

It is administered as a remote computer-based test through ProctorU, so you can sit it from any suitable location that meets the technical requirements. There are separate deadlines to schedule your remote proctored sitting with ProctorU, so check the HPAT 2027 dates page and book early rather than leaving scheduling to the last week.

Each of the 3 HPAT-Ireland scores is expressed on a scale of 0 to 100, and these are not percentage marks. You also receive an overall score and an overall percentile ranking showing your performance compared with other test-takers sitting in the same year. Treat a section score of, say, 60 as a scaled position, not as 60 per cent correct.

The Standard Registration fee is €167, with a Late fee of €78 and an Exceptional late fee of €114. The Written English component costs €24 and applies only to UL MSc Occupational Therapy and MSc Speech and Language Therapy applicants. Other charges include a Refund administration fee (€62) and a No Show fee (€90).

Registrations for HPAT-Ireland 2027 are open. Sections 1, 2 and 3 run 12-15 February 2027, and Written English runs 12-13 February 2027. Remember there are separate ProctorU scheduling deadlines on top of the registration deadline, and these 2027 dates are not yet in force.

The source material does not state a retake policy or score validity period, so confirm with ACER before planning a repeat sitting. For preparation, build skill rather than content knowledge: timed reasoning sets, inference-from-dialogue practice, abstract pattern drills, and full mock sittings to rehearse the 2.5-hour endurance and pacing demands.

Over-investing time in one hard question and leaving later ones unanswered, treating scaled section scores as percentages, neglecting Interpersonal Understanding because it feels less 'teachable', and leaving ProctorU session scheduling until after the deadline. Also check technical requirements well before test day so a connection or equipment problem does not cost you the sitting.