99th Percentile – Student Experience 2025
Dara enrolled in Ace the HPAT as a 5th year student and scored in the 99th percentile in the HPAT exam in 2025. He shares his experience here.
I remember when I first started studying for the HPAT in fifth year. It felt like such a daunting exam. Every YouTube video I watched, every blog post I read and all the podcasts I had listened to seemed to paint the HPAT exam as some impossible hurdle that stood between me and my dream course, medicine. For a while, I tried to study independently using some of the resources available online. However, I found it difficult to tackle such a crucial exam without proper guidance. In practice exams, my results weren’t improving, and my confidence was taking a hit.
I stumbled upon ‘Ace the HPAT’ online and I decided to enrol for the first semester. At the time, Aifric and John were my tutors, and they quickly debunked the myth that you must be a natural ‘genius’ to succeed in the HPAT. From the very first lesson, both John and Aifric instilled positivity in the class. All attendees were encouraged to contribute to the discussions about various questions, which meant that we learned to appreciate different perspectives. Seeing a question through a different light was often very useful. The group became a very supportive community, which is especially necessary when perhaps you might be the only one in your class to be studying for the HPAT. We were provided with useful tips and strategies that could be implemented on exam day. The classes were very interactive, and the online platform allowed us to speak directly with the tutor. Being able to speak to tutors who had experienced the HPAT was really affirming. To complement the live lessons, we were given access to many pre-recorded videos that explained some common question types, along with PDF notes, mock HPAT exams and scoring guidelines that helped us monitor our progress throughout the course. Unlike other HPAT programmes, we were given access to all these resources with one subscription and did not need to ‘upgrade’ to access different aspects of the course. At the end of each session, we were invited to stay online to ask any questions about the exam. It felt like a team effort and being in an environment of students with similar aspirations was very motivating.
Throughout the ten classes, we tackled each of the sections in great detail. Personally, I found section one quite difficult. Even though I liked maths in school, the ‘logical reasoning’ required was a skill that I had not yet gained. This section of forty-two questions combines lengthy paragraphs of text with detailed figures and statistics. In my opinion, it is also the most time-pressured section and it’s often a challenge to maintain concentration when faced with such an intimidating amount of information. Sometimes the questions seemed ridiculous. However, I was always told to never lose confidence. It can be so easy to become frustrated with the HPAT, but it’s so important to keep a positive mentality. While you should always try to understand your mistakes and learn from them, I learned that gaining perspective is equally crucial. Nobody finds the HPAT easy, but it’s important to keep practicing.
My main tip would be to work on improving your weaknesses up until Christmas and to enhance and focus on your strengths as you get closer to February. For me, I became much stronger in section two and three. From Aifric and John, I learned so many techniques that allowed me to identify ‘false friends’ that are purposefully included to mislead students and to eliminate other unlikely answer options. ‘Mapping’ techniques for section three proved incredibly useful and section three soon became my best. In my opinion, it is easiest to improve in this section, so it is worth some effort! For section two, seeking insight from the medics of ‘Ace The HPAT’, who have multiple interactions with patients daily, helps to understand the professionalism and empathy that are the hallmarks of a good doctor. As the course progressed, it became clear to me that the HPAT is an exam you can prepare for. Despite the scaremongering synonymous with it, you can succeed at the HPAT if you prepare the right way.
Other than that, you should try to prioritise your HPAT over the Christmas period and throughout January and February. Try your best for your LC mocks but remember that your HPAT should take precedence for that short period of time. Although it may be difficult to ‘switch-off’ during such a busy period in the school calendar, I would also advise taking a break the week before you sit the HPAT exam. At that point, your work is done, and last-minute cramming will not help. Trust in your study and dedication. If I can do it, you can too!
Overall, ‘Ace the HPAT’ was an invaluable resource for me. On exam day, I was confident in my preparations, and I was comforted in the knowledge that I had learned from the best. The genuine care for students and the willingness to assist aspiring doctors from Aifric and John helped me overcome this hurdle and score in the 99th percentile in my HPAT exam.
