What are the entry requirements for medicine?
If you’re aspiring to study medicine in Ireland, it’s essential to understand the academic requirements and scores needed. In order to be eligible to compete for entry into undergraduate medicine you need to meet the minimum subject entry requirements. You must achieve the 480 points criterion in the same sitting of the Leaving Certificate exam.
Allocation of places for Medicine are determined based on a combination of that Leaving Certificate Examination (LCE) score and the HPAT-Ireland score. This is to strike an appropriate balance between the perceived pressures on students to achieve maximum grades in the Leaving Certificate Examination while at the same time recognising excellence when it has been achieved.
Important Update – HPAT & Medicine Entry from 2027
From 2027, the maximum combined score for Medicine will be:
625 Leaving Certificate points + 150 HPAT points = 775 maximum points
The adjustment previously applied to Leaving Certificate points above 550 will be removed. This means that full Leaving Certificate points up to 625 will count.
The HPAT will still be required for Undergraduate Medicine entry, but it will carry less weighting than under the current system.
See here for a full guide to the changes
Which universities require a HPAT – Ireland score to apply?
You will need a HPAT – Ireland score to apply for admission to any of the following courses:
• National University of Ireland Galway
– Undergraduate Medicine
• Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
– Undergraduate Medicine
• Trinity College Dublin
– Undergraduate Medicine
• University College Cork
– Undergraduate Medicine
• University College Dublin
– Undergraduate Medicine
• University of Limerick (New course for 2026 entry)
– Undergraduate Medicine
– MSc Occupational Therapy (Professional Qualification)
– MSc Speech and Language Therapy (Professional Qualification)
Historical Medicine Entry Points
Up to and including 2026 entry, Medicine points were calculated using:
Adjusted Leaving Certificate points + HPAT score
Under this system, Leaving Certificate points above 550 were adjusted down, and the maximum combined score was:
565 adjusted Leaving Certificate points + 300 HPAT points = 865
This old system no longer applies from 2027 entry onwards.
Preparing for HPAT 2027
Even though the HPAT weighting is changing from 2027, HPAT will still form part of the Medicine entry score. Students should prepare early and focus on developing the skills assessed in the exam.
A good HPAT preparation plan should include:
- Understanding the test format
- Practising each question type
- Completing timed practice
- Reviewing worked solutions
- Building speed and accuracy
- Learning section-specific strategies
The aim is not just to complete questions, but to understand how to approach them under exam conditions.
