How to Prepare for the HPAT Effectively
Preparing for the HPAT can feel overwhelming, especially if you are in your final year of secondary school. How can you fit in preparation for such an important and difficult test into your already busy schedule? Do not despair! MedEntry has developed a plan to help you effectively and efficiently prepare for the HPAT so you will be ready come HPAT test day.
You can prepare for the HPAT by practising strategies that can be used to solve questions quickly and accurately, discussed in detail in the MedEntry HPAT courses.
Completing full-length exams under timed conditions to simulate the HPAT is one of the best methods to prepare as you will get used to the time pressure of the exam and the standard of questions. MedEntry offers up to 15 high quality, full length exams which accurately simulate the live HPAT.
How can I prepare for HPAT?
Effective preparation for HPAT can be summarised in four key steps:
- H - Highlight
- P - Plan
- A - Assess
- T - Train
H – Highlight
To succeed in the HPAT, you will need to Highlight the following:
- How important HPAT is and how it is used in selection
- Important details relating to each HPAT section, including structure, timing, format and types of question
- Effective strategies and skills for answering each type of question in each section
MedEntry makes this easy by providing a two-day workshop and comprehensive curriculum with video instruction, enabling you to have a detailed understanding of the HPAT.
P – Plan
Preparing for the HPAT will require you to be organised in order to balance your Leaving Cert study, hobbies and HPAT preparation. Therefore, you will need to Plan your time effectively.
You should create a HPAT study plan that takes into account your other academic and non-academic commitments.
MedEntry provides an interactive study planner to allow you to easily plan and track your HPAT preparation.
You should also Plan how you will approach questions on test day. You should create a bank of strategies that work for you when approaching each type of question and HPAT overall.
Our comprehensive two-day workshop and detailed curriculum covers every effective HPAT strategy, with thousands of practice questions for you to apply them. By the end of MedEntry’s program, you will armed with a bank of strategies that work for you, so you will be ready to succeed come HPAT test day.
A – Assess
It is important to prepare for HPAT efficiently, so that your HPAT preparation does not detract from your Leaving Cert study. The most time-efficient way to prepare for HPAT is to Assess
- How you are performing overall in HPAT
- How you are performing in each of the three HPAT sections, and in each HPAT question type
- What your strengths and weaknesses are
You can then target your HPAT preparation to focus on your weakest sections and question types.
MedEntry makes this easy with our Personalised Adaptive Learning (PAL) technology. PAL provides comprehensive, personalised feedback after each drill or practice exam attempt, including:
- Predicted HPAT percentiles and scores
- A breakdown of your performance in each HPAT section and question type
- Specific feedback on every question, with comprehensive solutions (including video solutions) and feedback on how other students have performed on that question
- An ability to re-attempt incorrectly answered questions in each practice exam up to four times
- Performance reports which analyse your performance and provide advice on where to direct your future study
With MedEntry, you can be sure your HPAT preparation is targeted, effective and time-efficient.
T – Train
The HPAT is like a marathon, and it requires training. As well as acquiring and practicing the strategies required to solve each question, it is also vital that you Train for the HPAT. This involves developing the following skills in order to succeed:
- Concentration
- Focus
- Stamina
The best way to do this is by completing full length HPAT practice exams under simulated conditions.
The most important way to simulate the HPAT is to ensure you complete each practice exam under strict time conditions, with no breaks. To replicate exam conditions as best as possible ensure the people you live with know not to disturb you for the 2.5 hours you need to complete each exam.
MedEntry makes training for the HPAT easy with up to 15 full-length HPAT exams, which accurately simulate the content and difficulty of the HPAT. MedEntry also offers trial and simulated exams that exactly replicate the live test experience. By the time the HPAT test day arrives, it will feel like just another MedEntry practice exam!
How much time should I spend on HPAT preparation?
A common question that students ask is ‘how long should I spend on HPAT study?'
The amount of time you spend on HPAT preparation depends on your specific circumstances and extent of your desire to pursue medicine. In general, MedEntry recommends setting aside about 10% of your study time for HPAT preparation. For example, if you study for about 25 hours per week, about 2.5 hours should be allocated for HPAT preparation.
However, it is not the number of hours which is important when it comes to HPAT preparation. It is what you do and how you do it that is important.
To prepare for the HPAT in the most effective way, you should:
- Develop a bank of HPAT strategies that are effective for you by attending a MedEntry workshop and working through MedEntry’s comprehensive guided curriculum
- Prioritise full length HPAT practice exams, completed under simulated conditions (particularly adhering to time limits)
- Thoroughly review your HPAT exams, performance feedback and each question, and reflect on what you can do to improve in your performance next time
- Discuss difficult questions with a HPAT study group
- Focus your preparation on your weakest sections and question types
How can I balance HPAT study with other commitments?
The best way to balance your HPAT study with other academic and non-academic commitments is to create a HPAT study plan. You can do this easily with MedEntry’s advanced, unique, interactive study planner. Schedule a little bit of HPAT study on a regular basis, for example once or twice per week.
You do not need to engage in HPAT practice every day, but regular practice over a period of time will help you develop the skills you need to succeed.
Suggested HPAT preparation timeline
