Do I need to train for the HPAT?

Yes! Even high achieving students stumble in the HPAT.

Some students with perfect leaving certificate scores have missed out on a place in medicine and related courses due to their low HPAT scores.

Research shows training can significantly improve HPAT score by familiarizing you with the types of questions that will be asked and developing strategies to tackle them. Even ACER now admits that training for HPAT helps.

An all-too-common fallacy about preparing for HPAT is that all you need to do is 'familiarise' yourself with the test by doing some practice questions. That's like saying the way to become a great basketball player is to familiarise yourself with a basketball court and practice taking a few shots. The HPAT is a skills-based test: you cannot ‘cram’ information the night before. You have to overlearn the strategies to solve HPAT style problems so that thinking becomes automatic and fast.

Updated on: 31/12/2025