HPAT-Ireland cheat sheet

Syllogism validity depends only on form, not truth: an argument with premises 'All A are B' and 'Some B are C' cannot validly conclude 'Some A are C'.

Contrapositive is always equivalent to the original conditional: 'If P then Q' equals 'If not Q then not P'; the converse and inverse are not equivalent.

'Only if' reverses the arrow: 'P only if Q' means P implies Q; 'if P then Q' is the same as 'P only if Q', not 'Q only if P'.

'Unless' means 'if not': 'P unless Q' translates to 'not Q implies P', which is equivalent to 'not P implies Q'.

'Some A are B' and 'Some A are not B' are both true whenever at least one A exists that is B and one A that is not B; neither implies the other.

'No A are B' is equivalent to 'All A are not B'; the negation of 'All A are B' is 'Some A are not B', not 'No A are B'.

In seating/ordering puzzles, count constraints first, then place the most restricted element; the number of distinct linear arrangements of n items is n!.

For data-sufficiency-style items, test each statement alone, then together; a statement is sufficient only if it forces exactly one answer.

For rate and ratio problems, set up a single equation using a common unit; work-rate combines as 1/T = 1/a + 1/b for tasks done in parallel.

Identify the speaker's stated feeling versus the underlying need; the correct answer names the need the speaker implies, not the literal words.

When two parties conflict, the most constructive response acknowledges both perspectives and proposes a concrete next step; responses that assign blame or ignore one side are distractors.

Distinguish empathy (naming the other's feeling) from sympathy (expressing your own reaction); empathy-focused options are usually preferred in patient/carer scenarios.

In professional settings, confidentiality limits disclosure: share only with those who need to know, and only the minimum necessary information.

Consent requires capacity, information, and voluntariness; a patient who lacks capacity is supported by best-interests decision-making, not by assumed agreement.

Active listening behaviours: reflecting back, open questions, summarizing, and allowing silence; interrupting or giving premature advice signals low interpersonal skill.

Assertiveness differs from aggression: state the observation, the impact, and the request ('When X happens, I feel Y; could we Z?').

Cultural and power differences shape communication; a response that checks understanding and adapts language is preferred over assuming shared meaning.

Rotation preserves shape and size; reflection reverses orientation (chirality) - check whether a figure could only be a mirror image, not a rotation.

Count elements that change independently: number of sides, number of enclosed regions, number of intersections, and number of lines of symmetry.

Common sequences: +1 side per step, alternating +1/+2, doubling, or cycling through a fixed set; test the simplest rule first.

Track position rules separately from shape rules: a dot may move clockwise one vertex per step while the outer shape gains a side every two steps.

In matrices, check rows before columns and then both; the missing cell often satisfies a row rule and a column rule simultaneously.

Shading and fill patterns often alternate or rotate independently of outline shape; treat fill as its own dimension.

Odd-one-out items: find the property shared by all but one figure - symmetry, number of regions, curve vs straight lines, or open vs closed.

Fold-and-punch items: unfold in reverse order, mirroring the hole across each fold line; the number of holes doubles with each unfold unless holes coincide.

Subject-verb agreement: the verb agrees with the head noun, not the nearest noun - 'The list of items is long', not 'are long'.

Dangling modifiers: an introductory phrase must describe the subject of the main clause - 'Walking home, I saw the sign', not 'Walking home, the sign was seen'.

Semicolons join two independent clauses; a comma alone between them is a comma splice.

'Fewer' counts discrete items, 'less' counts mass nouns; 'amount' pairs with mass nouns, 'number' with count nouns.

Parallel structure: items in a list or comparison must share grammatical form - 'reading, writing, and running', not 'reading, writing, and to run'.

Pronoun reference must be unambiguous; 'it' or 'they' should point to a single clear antecedent within the sentence or prior clause.

Dangling comparisons: 'than' or 'as' clauses must compare like with like - 'Her score was higher than his', not 'higher than him'.

Register and tone: match formality to audience; wordy nominalizations ('make a decision') can often be replaced by verbs ('decide') for clarity.