HPAT Ireland 2027

HPAT 2027 dates and registration

CAO’s 2027 medicine booklet and application timetable give the following dates. You need a 2027 CAO application number before registering for HPAT.

As checked on 24 October 2026, ACER’s registration page still showed 2026. The dates above come from CAO’s 2027 publications. Follow ACER for booking instructions and any changes to test arrangements.

How to register

1. Apply online to CAO and obtain your CAO number.
2. Create an ACER account and register for HPAT when that year’s registration opens.
3. Book the remote test session through the HPAT registration.

These are separate steps. Paying for practice materials or a preparation course does not book a test.

How much does the HPAT cost?

The standard 2027 fee is €167, including one practice test e-book with worked solutions. CAO lists late registration until 25 January 2027, 5:15pm GMT at a total fee of €245, and exceptional late registration until 1 February 2027, 5:15pm GMT at a total fee of €281. Register by the standard deadline to avoid these higher fees.

Reasonable adjustments are arranged through ACER. Its registration guidance explains the documentation and application process.

What is in the HPAT?

CAO confirms that the 2027 test will be remotely proctored, with three multiple-choice sections lasting 150 minutes in total. It tests reasoning rather than Leaving Cert science knowledge.

CAO’s booklet does not list question counts or individual section timings. Check ACER’s 2027 instructions before planning your timing.

The additional Written English component is for the University of Limerick’s MSc Occupational Therapy and MSc Speech and Language Therapy applicants. It is not an extra requirement for undergraduate medicine at UL.

Try five worked examples and read the preparation guide.

HPAT scores and the 2027 points change

In 2027, your overall HPAT score is out of 150. Add it to your full Leaving Cert points, up to 625, for a maximum combined score of 775. CAO’s 2027 booklet confirms both the overall score scale and the end of Leaving Cert moderation above 550.

Use the overall score on your 2027 result, not a section score or percentile. Do not halve it. A previous year’s result cannot be carried forward, and an old combined cut-off out of 865 is not a 2027 target.

Calculate your medicine points, or use the calculator’s separate historical 2026 mode.

What is a good HPAT score?

A percentile describes your position within a particular year’s candidates. In the 2026 results, on the old 300-point scale, 158 was the 60th percentile and 181 the 90th. These are not 2027 targets. Your Leaving Cert result, subject eligibility, available places and other applicants affect selection.

When do HPAT results come out?

CAO’s 2027 booklet gives mid to late April for mature applicants and late June for standard applicants. It does not give an exact release day. Results are released through your ACER account.

ACER explains results, percentiles and their one-year validity. There is no results recheck or remark service.

Sitting the test

The test is remotely proctored. Check the required computer, software, identification and room setup well before your booking. CAO advises allowing up to three and a half hours for the session, including checks and possible delays; phones and tablets are not supported test devices.

Calculators are prohibited. A bathroom break does not stop the timer. Read ACER’s test-day instructions for the full equipment and conduct rules.

Which medical schools use HPAT?

The school-leaver CAO route uses HPAT at Galway, UL, RCSI, Trinity, UCC, UCD. Each school also has its own subject requirements.

Compare the six schools’ entry requirements and historical points. Degree holders considering graduate entry should read the GAMSAT and graduate medicine guide.

Common questions