HPAT exams

In last year's CAO season, one of the big stories was the introduction of HPAT Ireland (Health Professions Admission Test-Ireland), the test selected by the Irish Medical Schools for applicants to undergraduate medicine. Interested people may remember all the controversy that surrounded its introduction, and the effect of its results on the medical application process.

This year's HPAT Ireland test will take place this coming Saturday, February 27, at designated centres around the country. Admission tickets were emailed on Friday, February 12, to all candidates.

Candidates must present their ticket and photo identification on the day or they will not be allowed to sit the exam.

Q When do HPAT candidates receive their results?

A An online HPAT-Ireland Statement of Results will be issued to every candidate in late June after the Leaving Certificate Examinations finish. The maximum score a candidate can receive is 300.

The HPAT scores will be added to all qualified applicants' Leaving Certificate scores. Applicants must achieve the necessary results in the required Leaving Certificate subjects for the medical schools, and achieve a minimum score of 480 Leaving Certificate examination (LCE) points. The allocation of places will be in order of merit on the basis of a combination of LCE points and their score from the admissions test.

Q I am a little confused about the date of CAO change of mind facility. Is it March 1 or July 1?

A The normal time span for CAO's change of mind facility is from early May to July 1. But the date of March 1 has some relevance for restricted categories of applicant (like mature applicants) and for applicants who have applied to "restricted application" courses. The procedure to allow course choice changes by March 1 is designed to help such applicants who might have made an error or omission in their choice of restricted application courses. Such applicants should avail themselves of the opportunity to make any necessary correction by March 1, with a payment of an additional €10.

Other applicants should wait until the May-July 1 period, when they may change their course choices at no extra charge.

Open days/information sessions this coming week:

Today: An open session takes place between 2pm and 4pm in Dunboyne College of Further Education, Dunboyne, Co Meath. Also, UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, Carysfort Avenue, Blackrock, Co Dublin, hosts an information evening for post graduate students from 4pm-7pm.

Tomorrow: Cavan Institute, one of the largest providers of further education in the country, is celebrating 25 years in education this year. It hosts an open day tomorrow, Thursday February 25, from 10am -- 5pm. The DIT School of Culinary Arts and Food Technology invites CAO applicants to its courses to visit them in its Cathal Brugha campus Street, Dublin 1, tomorrow, from 2pm-4pm. Ormonde College of Further Education, Ormonde Road, Kilkenny, hosts an open day on Friday February 26 from 9.30am --1.20pm The Adult Learners' Festival 2010, organised by AONTAS, is in full swing this week, with a host of different activities nationwide. The festival continues until Friday. Details are available on www.adultlearnersfestival.com

Irish Independent