*Everything HPAT and Medicine 2013*

Hermione Granger

Slow Show wrote: »

Was all happy doing a ******** practice exam, ended up doing very well in section 1 and 2, up in the 80th percentile for both and then boom, section 3. 0-20. Talk about disheartening... The thing is I didn't think my score was altogether bad. I mean, I got 20/42 which isn't exactly good or even average but I think it'd be somewhat passable if I did particularly well in the other two sections. Would've thought it'd be a little bit higher than 0-20 anyway. Looking back at my first practice exam I got 12/42 though so I suppose I am err slightly improving. :pac: Ah well, there's still more than four months to go and in the end the only score/percentile that matters is the one you get at the end of June.

Think I needed that pep talk...

What exam number was this ?

Did anyone else do the course at mid-term? Have ye heard back from the company as to what the results of your test was like ?

whistlin_boy

A little perspective who was in yer position last year...Got into Medicine first time btw!!

Don't stress too much about HPAT prep and courses. I did the med entry one last year, didn't like it and they told me I was going to get at most 70th percentile in the HPAT. I ended up in April in the 98th percentile (probably fluky but anyways!) The main thing is do not get too stressed over the whole thing, its only sn exam and at the end of the day, you can always repeat (if Medicine is all you wanted to do-like me! :P)

Btw any questions about the course so far or even LC (I'm in RCSI) give me a PM and I'll get back to you (although it could take a while-medicine involves lots of study!)

:cool:

lovelyoner

anyone think there should be a charter/sticky on HPAT resources, pre-tests, exercises, sample questions, etc, etc? Would be so much easier than trawling through ~1000 posts.

mmcinerney

Hi guys just wondering when ye are doing the practice exams do ye do the whole thing in one go or do you do one section a night or take breaks? the last 2 i did straight through but i havent got time these days to devote 2 and half hours to it in one block

weirdspider

What is everyone using to prepare for the HPAT? I'm really lost with regards to it. Could anyone recommend me a prep book?

Glitt_123

Hey guys, I just registered for the hpat. I didn't click on the practice booklets but in the email they sent me it says that I've said yes to practice booklet 1,yet they only charged 115 euro, was wondering if they allow you to download it anyways(free of charge once you have registered) or have I clicked it wrong?!

JDOC1996

Is 120 a good score for a first attempt, without any prior practice?

Just Like Heaven

JDOC1996 wrote: »

Is 120 a good score for a first attempt, without any prior practice?

Who gave you a score? Or is that a raw score you worked out yourself?

JDOC1996

Worked it out myself.
I got everything in section 2 right, but I found sections 1 & 3 sooo hard.

Just Like Heaven

Wow everything in section 2 right? That's great.

Well section 3 is supposedly the most preparable for, and I personally believe section 1 will come with practice, so although yeah 120 won't get you into medicine it's better to be scoring that now with 3 full months until the exam than sitting your first exam in three months and scoring 120.

Also don't take the raw score too seriously, it probably isn't that representative of an actual hpat score. Like, if some of the more difficult questions in a section will be carrying a lot more than 2-3 marks, so to get everything right in a section will really bump you up.

JDOC1996

I'm in 5th year, so I've got 15 months, thank god.
Thats awesome! I thought that everything was marked the same :P
Section 3 is definitely my weak point though, Have you got any tips as to how to improve it?

Just Like Heaven

I can only give the same advice as everybody else really (that is if you want my advice I'm not in Medicine either), practise and sit down to figure out where you're going wrong. Section 3 is most peoples weak point. I suspect you can probably still get quite a few of section 3 wrong and still get a good score.

If you've started studying for it now you should be fine. Sorry I can't be much more help Perhaps take one of the prep courses next year and read through the threads here on boards too I guess.

0mega

I seem to be getting worse at Section 2 for some reason, I don't know if its because I'm beginning to overanalyse the questions, or I'm slowly becoming less empathetic. :pac:

nutsnbolts

Is 3 months enough time to prepare for this test? (assuming no other commitments, i have the LC done already)

Does anyone have any advice on how to go about starting study? i have the practice tests, but don't want to use them up this early..
am going to get an abstract reasoning book for sec3, but does anyone have any pointers for section 1 & 2?

thanks a million!

Slow Show

0mega wrote: »

I seem to be getting worse at Section 2 for some reason, I don't know if its because I'm beginning to overanalyse the questions, or I'm slowly becoming less empathetic. :pac:

SAME. I've slipped from 96th percentile in my first med-entry practice test to 62nd in my last one (well it was 72nd when I did it last week, these percentiles are crazy :pac:)...I dunno tbh, when I look back over the solutions the answers seem so obvious. But yeah at the actual day course, the person in charge of it said that our S2 scores would be the one that would fluctuate the most because it's the one that depends most on your mood..so I dunno, maybe try be happier when you're doing S2? .Also I think once you hit the 30s there's a huuuge difference in percentiles with every score, like let's say in the one I got 96th percentile in I got 36/44 and the one I got 62nd in I got 32/44. Which is a bit scary if you think about it...so I'm not going to.

Three months feels like no time at all. I'm combating the fear by not allowing myself to process it tbh. What HPAT? I'm only doing these puzzles for fun! Fun!

MyronGaines

Hello fellow Med applicants, i've a few questions regarding the HPAT and such....

(1) How valuable are any of the courses? Which one would be the best?

(2) What is the change of currency that was on the HPAT website. Im repeating the HPAT ( got 141 last year with 565 from my A-levels) and can I then choose which score i want for this years entry?

(3) Preparation wise just follow this (http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055956208) and go through the HPAT official books, whats everyone else going to do (or already done!)

N.B The UKCAT is far less stressful and much more appropriately weighted to get into uni IMO! HPAT will give me a nervous breakdown second time round! :P

Dicksboro_man

Hello guys,
Was just stumbling through boards and thought I might throw in my 5 cent.. :pac:

I was in the same boat as ye last year, freaking out about HPAT, feeling overwhelmed because of the amount of work I had to do for the Leaving, mocks etc etc etc.

Im now in 1st Med in Trinity and studying for my Christmas exams ( its pretty tough going but say naathing :rolleyes: ).

I would definitely advice everyone to go to the ME course, its become a bit of a "must-do" these days if you're serious about getting a good score.

The first time I opened a HPAT practise booklet, I literally wanted to cry after spending like 20 mins on a section 3 question. It just seemed impossible..but... practise is everything for this exam.

I did every drill online at least 2-3 times, did all the mock exams + read over each once or twice and went from getting <20th percentile at the start to 98th and 99th in the last few practise exams (even though these scores should not be taken seriously and are more of an indicator of how you're doing rather than a prediction of a real hpat score). Just keep doing them over and over. Especially section 3 because qs in the real thing are very similar and you can adapt the same methods over and over again whereas section 1 questions can be a bit different, i found last years qs somewhat difficult but to be honest I dont remember much of the exam at all. :P

Make sure your head is right on the day because I was very anxious myself and couldn't concentrate at all at all. Hence why I got 87th percentile, a score I was delighted with, but secretly wanted more.

All in all, its not as bad as you may think and you will be SO relieved once its over ( I even had a celebratory nap that day! ) so just keep doing practise questions and try to do your best!

Best of luck to everyone!

PS
If you walk out of the test centre devastated thinking you did awful and there's no way you'll get any kind of a semi-decent score now, dont freak out, exact thing happened to me and I was fine in the end! You're competing with other candidates, not trying to get every question right, thats the main thing. If you're finding a question hard, everyone else probably is too!

0mega

Anyone get an interview from Queens yet?

CookieMonster.x

0mega wrote: »

Anyone get an interview from Queens yet?

Yup have you? They started sending emails on Tuesday.

GoldenPoppy

So I registered for the HPAT like last month, but I'm wondering when/how do you get the free ACER booklet? I'm very confused, it was supposed to be an e-book?

0mega

CookieMonster.x wrote: »

Yup have you? They started sending emails on Tuesday.

Yeah

What date is yours? :P

CookieMonster.x

0mega wrote: »

Yeah

What date is yours? :P

I'd rather not say on this but I'll PM you

nutsnbolts

question re HPAT scores.. am i right in saying that it's your raw score out of 300 that gets added to your LC points?

if so, why are people talking about the percentile curve?

thanks!

laurenl123

Hey anyone interested on getting a group deal for the ME course in GMIT in early Jan? pm me if ye are:)

laurenl123

612flombie wrote: »

Hi all:)
Anyone interested in signing up for med entry with me to get the discounted rate?

I defo am:) Pm me there because i'm not sure how this yolk works:S

weirdspider

nutsnbolts wrote: »

question re HPAT scores.. am i right in saying that it's your raw score out of 300 that gets added to your LC points?

if so, why are people talking about the percentile curve?

thanks!

Yes although each 5 points after 550 counts as 1 point. For example, 580 would give you 556 LC points and that is added to you hpat score which is out of 300.
The hpat is marked on a comparative basis so say you got in the 87th percentile (which would be amazing!!) it means you scored better than 87% of the candidates who took the test.

qazokm

laurenl123 wrote: »

I defo am:) Pm me there because i'm not sure how this yolk works:S

Hi guys can I please join your group discount?

Skinhead Kane

Assuming everybody got top marks in the LC (560), how much percentile would you need for medicine? As in would everyone in the 80 percentile and upwards make it or is it 90 percentile?

0mega

Skinhead Kane wrote: »

Assuming everybody got top marks in the LC (560), how much percentile would you need for medicine? As in would everyone in the 80 percentile and upwards make it or is it 90 percentile?

I'm pretty sure you'd be looking at 90+

Skinhead Kane

0mega wrote: »

I'm pretty sure you'd be looking at 90+

So in other words, only the 90+ percentile upwards get into medicine, anything else won't work...