Why You Should Be Studying For the HPAT Right Now

Posted by MichealH Alexander on January 15th, 2021

Are you all aboard the express train to Procrastination station? Are you experiencing a motivation crisis? Are you just about ready to give up?

Well you’re not going to give in to the internet, not this time. I am here to remind you WHY you should be studying for the HPAT right now.

1. The HPAT is one test.

If you do well in the HPAT, you will have significant leeway with your leaving cert results, which is not one test but a result based on a series of assessments and a number of different subjects over an entire YEAR! Your HPAT is an individual result whilst your leaving cert result is based on a number of factors and it can all get messy and confusing. There are places where you can get into medicine with a good HPAT and a leaving cert in the mid to low 500s! Do everything you can to do well in this ONE TEST, so that if an aspect of your final year of high school doesn’t go well for you YOU WILL STILL HAVE A CHANCE!  HPAT Courses

2. The HPAT isn't a silly, pointless test.

The HPAT is an aptitude test, essentially a test that tests your IQ and emotional intelligence (EQ). Thereby as you study for the HPAT and improve your ability and learn new techniques, you are essentially INCREASING your IQ and EQ. This can set you up for LIFE! I'm telling you, my study for HPAT changed everything. School was entirely different for me. Exams were a breeze. My marks went up in EVERY subject. I could focus! For hours! This isn’t a coincidence. The HPAT made a difference! It made me a more effective and inquisitive student. I learnt to value scholarship and think critically. If I never got into medicine, or if I decided medicine wasn’t the career for me, my life would still have been significantly improved as a result of studying for and sitting the HPAT!

3. You are already so far ahead for even glancing over HPAT preparation materials, so why not push it further!?

Don’t be disheartened by disappointing results, difficult questions or silly mistakes. Use these set backs to drive your HPAT study. Play a game with yourself, see how many of your ‘mistakes’ or ‘weaknesses’ you can overcome!

4. You could be studying medicine NEXT YEAR.

That’s right, visualise it. In less then twelve months, you could be purchasing your first stethoscope. You could be in hospitals, surrounded by like-minded people, and delving head first into the intricate wonders of the human body… NEXT YEAR! Seriously visualise it, how GREAT would that be! It is worth doing the little bit more study, that extra practice exam. Just do it.

HPAT study might be frustrating, you might feel like you aren’t getting anywhere, but it is honestly worth it. STILL need help with your motivation? Reward yourself and apply time pressure - maybe you could organise to meet your friends for dinner at 7pm so you are forced to start a practice exam at 3pm. Be accountable for your revision by forming a HPAT study group! HPAT Test Examples

In saying that, if you are feeling really flat out and its just not working for you, PLEASE take a break. With the exception of practice exams, you should be taking a ten minute break every hour and an hour break every couple of hours in order for your study to be effective. So after reading this article, if you really are struggling, maybe leave your study for a while. Immerse yourself in nature, spend some time with your family and friends or practice a musical instrument, then come back to HPAT feeling motivated and refreshed.