* Everything HPAT and Medicine for 2011 *

Original_Name

Hey, I just wanted to say good luck to everyone tomorrow. There's really no point in worrying about it at all - you will have absolutely no idea how you did! I did the HPAT last year and I was so disappointed with myself after it. I really felt so bad after the exam, but long story short - I'm halfway through my first year of medicine! Best of luck and don't stress about it!

jumpguy

partyatmygaff wrote: »

I really wouldn't risk it. I know how much you want medicine. Imagine if something as stupid as that got you booted out of the exam hall.

If you ask them and if they refuse and you still bring it in and get caught you'll be removed from the exam for sure as they'll see that as defiance.

If you don't ask them and just defiantly use it without mentioning it to the people supervising the exam the worst they'll probably do is confiscate it if not just let you get on with using it.

Feckit man, who dares wins! I've heard of people bringing in stopwatchs and it was no bother. It's worth a shot, I'll make sure it's okay with the exam invigilators before the test begins. I don't see what'd be wrong with it.

Toastghost

O)k guys its the night before so I'm gonna tray and rest up aswell as calm my nerves .

I just want to verify that all i need tomorrow is a watch pencils and eraser,my letter of certification from school and my ticket.

Is that all ? I'm getting more enrvous from forgetting one of those then the actual exam :P.

Anywho, I have some final questions about the exam too.

Are we allowed toilet breaks inbetween sections or at least a walk about just to strecth?

And can we underline key points in the pices forsec 1 and 2 and write notes to decipher the correct answers for sec 3? Because I've been doing that and its been working great!

Best of luck everyone

Patri

When you report to the test centre, you must bring with you: 1. a printout of your HPAT-Ireland Admission Ticket (with required details completed on the bottom of the ticket); and
2. appropriate original photo-bearing identification document (refer to our previous emails and the HPAT-Ireland website for details); and
3. pencils (medium soft 2B or HB) and eraser.
Note: All other items with the exception of a bottle of drinking water are prohibited in the test room.

Can you definitely bring in a stopwatch??

Toastghost

Patri wrote: »

Can you definitely bring in a stopwatch??

Someone i know did last year but as someone pointed out earlier you would jsut be fixated on the time and may panic.

jumpguy

Meh, I'll ask at the place. Surely it's no different than a digital watch with a stopwatch function?

I'm off to bed anyway - sleeping is gonna be some job! Best of luck everyone!

nipps

are we allowed a calculator????

QueenOfLeon

Good luck everyone! It will be such a relief to get it over and done with, trust me!

Get a good nights sleep tonight, and get up in loads of time in the morning, don't be flustered, give yourselves plenty of time to get to the centre, if you're not sure of the way print out directions and allow for traffic and all that.
Eat a good breakfast and if theres a big gap between brekkie and the start time bring a snack for before you go in!
Bring water, have your ticket and ID etc ready from tonight.
Wear enough clothes, some of those places (well, the place I did it anyway) aren't used all that much and are FREEZING.
Bring a watch, since a digital watch with a timer setting is allowed I don't see why a separate timer wouldn't be but make sure you ask someone before you enter the hall so you can either give it to a parent or put it in a locker or whatever they provide.
Keep an eye on your timing, don't spend too long on 1 question, you can always guess and NEVER leave anything blank...check at the end that your answer sheet is completely full.

There were no toilet breaks between sections when I did it. Try and get to the test centre in time to go before it, they may let you go just before they start it but once you get into the hall theres no guarantee you'll be let out.

Relax, don't look around at other people and once its over forget about it!

theowen

Good luck everybody. That's all

k.stewart

nipps wrote: »

are we allowed a calculator????

nope!

k.stewart

Good luck everyone!! Really hope you guys do well

partyatmygaff

Waiting in UCD memorial hall for the exam to begin. Good luck everyone.

partyatmygaff

10 minutes.

theowen

Should there not be some post exam chat yet? The memories...

QueenOfLeon

Prepare for the onslaught....:P

eVeNtInE

This post has been deleted.

TheFullDuck

Dear god it will be a massacre!

partyatmygaff

Just out of memorial hall. Phew. I'm on mobile so i'll save the full post battle report later.

AndrewJD

Aaahh I remember HPAT 2010 as if it were yesterday. The joy of it being over with, the anguish when as a last ditch attempt to salvage section 3 I put down an entire column of Cs, the terror at knowing it'll be a long time before you find out how badly you failed...

God, those were the days.

P.S. after that, I still got into Medicine

Chuchoter

AndrewJD wrote: »

Aaahh I remember HPAT 2010 as if it were yesterday. The joy of it being over with, the anguish when as a last ditch attempt to salvage section 3 I put down an entire column of Cs, the terror at knowing it'll be a long time before you find out how badly you failed...

God, those were the days.

P.S. after that, I still got into Medicine

*Mental note for 2012 HPAT: The answer is C for everything! :P*

partyatmygaff

Where is everyone? Last year's sixth years had a mega thread going soon after the exam.

Personally I have no idea of how I did. I don't want to speculate because I keep swinging from 'I didn't do so bad' to 'What a disaster'.

I had no major issue with timing. Completed section 1 with around 3 minutes to spare. Section 2 with about 5 minutes. I only had 30 seconds left at the end of section 3 though.

Section 1 wasn't too bad really. Very similar in style to the practice tests. I only had to guess one but I had narrowed it down to two options. Some of the answers seemed a bit too obvious though which meant I spent a lot of time doubting myself. All in all quite alike the practice tests so I wasn't too disoriented. As for how well I did... check back in 4 months.

Section 2 was much more challenging than the practice tests. I didn't have any trouble with the adjectives but I heard quite a few people complaining of rarely used words being included in the answers. I don't think I did too badly though.

Section 3 went surprisingly well in comparison to my practice tests. I found all sorts of patterns that I had never noticed before during my preparation. Did anyone else notice that one of the questions in section 3 looked an awful lot like that game on old Nokias called snake?

Were there any other members there in UCD memorial hall?

partyatmygaff

crayolastereo wrote: »

*Mental note for 2012 HPAT: The answer is C for everything! :P*

C stands for 'correct' after all.

Derick990

I just got back from Cork after my test and I have to say, I thought it was alright. Section 1 was as you said a lot like the practice tests, section 2 was a bit harder than the practice test I did, but very manageable. Finally section 3, the hardest by a mile but I did okay. Anyone else have a problem with the 'select the middle part of the series' part? I kept getting confused since I didn't know which to tile to start with to make the series they wanted. It seem a bit awkward, you could make a handful of what I'd call perfectly acceptable and logical sequences from them. I got past that though, 160/300 maybe?

theowen

AndrewJD wrote: »

Aaahh I remember HPAT 2010 as if it were yesterday. The joy of it being over with, the anguish when as a last ditch attempt to salvage section 3 I put down an entire column of Cs, the terror at knowing it'll be a long time before you find out how badly you failed...

God, those were the days.

P.S. after that, I still got into Medicine

Unfortunately.

AndrewJD

theowen wrote: »

Fortunately for me, because you're the bestest friend ever.

FYP. Did I not beat you in the HPAT? And in life generally?

Anyway how late did everyone start? Was a bit peeved at a 40 minute delay for me last year, after sitting down 30 minutes early anyway.

partyatmygaff

Derick990 wrote: »

I just got back from Cork after my test and I have to say, I thought it was alright. Section 1 was as you said a lot like the practice tests, section 2 was a bit harder than the practice test I did, but very manageable. Finally section 3, the hardest by a mile but I did okay. Anyone else have a problem with the 'select the middle part of the series' part? I kept getting confused since I didn't know which to tile to start with to make the series they wanted. It seem a bit awkward, you could make a handful of what I'd call perfectly acceptable and logical sequences from them. I got past that though, 160/300 maybe?

The trick for pick the middle (I hope) is to choose the 1st and 5th then the 3rd and 4th. The pattern is usually reversible.

Patri

Finished around 2 o'clock. Just back now. Difficult to say how I did. For section one I'm almost certain I did terrible. I feel like I was born without logic, if that makes sense :pac: zing! But ya my ability to discern one answer from another was very poor under pressure. What was with that question on radio waves??? Seriously! For some reason I still don't know why, I kept thinking "In Soviet Russia radio waves you!" It was incredibly annoying. I loved section two! Don't think I did too badly. Section three was a mixed bag for me. Liked the "next in sequence ones". Hated the "pick the middles" It wasn't all too different to the med entry practice tests though I must say!

Jaafa

Well I was in the examination center in UCD business school. Went pretty well I thought.

Section 1 was easier than in the practice tests.
Section 2 was harder but still quite good.
Section 3 as expected really.

All in all very manageable.

k.stewart

Jaafa wrote: »

Well I was in the examination center in UCD business school. Went pretty well I thought.

Section 1 was easier than in the practice tests.
Section 2 was harder but still quite good.
Section 3 as expected really.

All in all very manageable.

Exactly my sentiments! I was going in expecting section 2 to be my best.. but it wasn't. Section 1 was easier than the practice test (for me anyways) and section 3 was typical :P
I guess it went like that for most others too?

jumpguy

Down in Kampus Kitchen in UCC - those freezers were annoying!

Section 1 was grand, easier than what I was expecting. I had a bit of a misfire at the start with some simple probability. >.< Other than that it was surprise-free, and there was a strange lack of arithmetic and maths! Finished it with about a minute to spare.

Section 2 was tougher, was kinda expecting it to be from what people were saying last year. There were so many questions that there were 2 answers that DEFINITELY weren't right and then 2 that were both quite suitable. I usually finish section 2 with 5 minutes to spare, but I finished it with only a minute to spare this time!

Section 3 was alright. Finish-the-sequence questions went okay, but there was some tough middle-of-the-sequence questions and grid questions. I had about a minute and a half at the end with 3 more questions to do, so I had to do some quick narrowing-down-and-guessing, didn't have time to go through all the elements.

I've always said I'd either know I did shít or wouldn't know at all, thankfully I managed the latter!

EDIT: We started reasonably within time, my arrival time on the ticket was for 9:45 and I was sitting down by then, the exam got started at about 10:30. I was kinda glad for the time sitting down, acclimatizing, getting used to annoying drone of the canteen freezers, and relaxing.