Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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649. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there is an opportunity for students who sat the leaving certificate in November 2020 to undertake the HPAT assessment, which is needed for access to certain courses and without which a further loss of a year before enrolment would arise. [10098/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The HPAT is independently administered by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) on behalf of the universities’ medical schools and RCSI. The selection criteria and process for admission to medical schools is a matter for those institutions in line with their statutory autonomy in relation to academic affairs. Neither I nor my Department have a role in the administration of the HPAT.

Students whose November Leaving Certificate results entitled them to a higher preference offer based on their 2020 CAO application will have received a deferred offer to start their course in the 2021/22 academic year. Such offers are part of the 2020 application cycle, and therefore will be based on the 2020 HPAT results where applicable.

If a student wishes to use their November Leaving Certificate results to make a new application for 2021 such an application will follow the same requirements that are in place for all 2021 applicants, including in relation to the HPAT. It is my understanding 2021 HPAT took place on the 20th and 21st February, and the next HPAT exam will take place in 2022 for the 2022 application cycle.