What is the HPAT?

HPAT-Ireland is the aptitude test used to select students for medicine and several health professions degrees in Ireland.

HPAT-Ireland in one paragraph

HPAT-Ireland (the Health Professions Admission Test) is an aptitude test developed by ACER, the Australian Council for Educational Research, to help Irish universities select students for medicine and health professions degrees. It is sat once a year, in February, on a computer at home with an online proctor. It has 114 multiple-choice questions across three timed sections and lasts two and a half hours.

Who needs to sit it?

You need an HPAT-Ireland score to apply for undergraduate medicine, and for some health professions courses, at six universities: University of Galway, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Trinity College Dublin, University College Cork, University College Dublin and the University of Limerick. Each university lists the courses that need it on its own website. See which universities use the HPAT.

What does it test?

The HPAT is designed to measure general skills and personal abilities rather than what you have learned at school. It does not assess academic knowledge and does not require special understanding of any subject. The three sections are:

Applicants to two University of Limerick courses (MSc Occupational Therapy and MSc Speech and Language Therapy) also sit a one-hour Written English component.

How is it used?

Your HPAT score is used together with your Leaving Certificate (or equivalent) results when universities select students for medicine. From 2027 entry, it counts for up to 150 CAO points. Results go straight to the CAO. A score only counts for courses starting in the same year as the test, so if you apply again in a later year you need to sit it again.

How do you register?

  1. Apply to the CAO for medicine and get your CAO number.
  2. Create an ACER online account and register for HPAT-Ireland, adding your CAO number.
  3. Book your remote-proctored test session with ProctorU, and set up the ACER Test App on your computer.

The standard registration fee for the 2026 test was €164, and registration closed in mid-January. See HPAT dates and registration.

Can you prepare? Yes. The HPAT tests skills, not facts, but familiarity with the question types and the timing makes a real difference. Working through timed practice and reviewing your mistakes is the most direct way to improve.

Facts on this page are taken from the official HPAT-Ireland website and the ACER Test Taker Information Booklet for the 2026 test, checked in October 2026. Always confirm dates and rules at hpat-ireland.acer.org before you register.