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HPAT 2027 and the Leaving Cert: What Changes for Medicine in Ireland — and Why Studying Medicine in Poland Still Matters

SupportSMP
6 days ago
4 min read


The headline change for 2027 entry

From September 2027, Irish universities change how CAO points are calculated for undergraduate (direct-entry) medicine. The Irish Universities Association (IUA) confirmed the changes apply to all six schools: Trinity, UCD, UCC, RCSI, University of Galway and University of Limerick.


Up to 2026 entry

From 2027 entry

Leaving Cert maximum

565 (scores above 550 moderated)

625 (no moderation)

HPAT maximum

300

150

Combined maximum

865

775

Leaving Cert minimum

480 points

480 points (unchanged)

HPAT required?

Yes, same year

Yes, same year

In plain terms: the Leaving Cert counts for more, the HPAT for less. HPAT remains compulsory, and a score is valid only for entry in the year it is sat — a 2027 HPAT score counts only for 2027 admission (RCSI).


No HPAT required to study medicine in Poland

Why the change — and the Leaving Cert grading context

The IUA gives three reasons: the expansion of medicine places since 2022, the 2017 changes to Leaving Cert grading and points, and the planned unwinding of the Covid-era post-marking adjustment from 2025.

That last point is critical. As John McGinnity of the Institute of Education noted in his end-of-exams reflection shared with the Institute of Guidance Counsellors (IGC), there is a plan to bring grades down marginally over several years towards pre-Covid 2019 levels — about 7% lower overall. The reduction began in 2025 (roughly 2% lower), with similar reductions expected in 2026. He also described 2026 papers as showing increased difficulty and complexity, and noted a record 71,698 Leaving Certificate candidates in 2026 — possibly a high-water mark as enrolments fall.

Put together: from 2027, medicine applicants will be ranked more heavily on a Leaving Cert that is gradually being graded more strictly, with every point up to 625 now counting.



What this means for students in 5th and 6th Year

  • Old cut-offs are not a target. 2026 Round 1 medicine cut-offs (old 865 scale) were: Trinity 741, UCD 738, UCC 735, RCSI 734, Galway 730 and UL 730 (new programme). These cannot be compared like-for-like with 2027 scores out of 775.

  • Near-maximum Leaving Cert results become essential. Writing in The Irish Times, a guidance columnist expects few applicants with under 580 CAO points to secure an undergraduate medicine place from 2027.

  • Competition is rising. First-preference CAO applications for medicine rose 22% in 2026 (The Irish Times), and in 2026 every school except UCC used random selection at the cut-off.

  • HPAT still matters. A strong HPAT can still separate applicants on near-identical Leaving Cert scores.



How many medicine places are there for 2027?

No official consolidated total for 2027 undergraduate CAO medicine places has yet been published. What is confirmed:

  • 78 additional medicine places a year were approved by Government on 21 August 2026, across undergraduate and graduate-entry routes, as part of a 612-place healthcare package (gov.ie; Minister James Lawless). The Irish Times reported these would be in place for the next CAO round.

  • Over 200 extra undergraduate places had been added since 2022 by 2026, including UL's new direct-entry programme (IUA).

  • University of Galway plans a new Graduate Entry Medicine programme from 2027.

Most recent published EU/CAO place figures per school:

School

CAO code

EU/CAO places


RCSI

RC001

90 EU (plus 220 non-EU) — advertised for 2027 entry


University of Galway

GY501

c. 157 EU


Trinity College Dublin

TR051

136


UCD

DN400

c. 120 via CAO


University of Limerick

LM301

c. 30 (first intake 2026)


UCC

CK701

Not published


For scale: around 3,000 students sit the HPAT each year for roughly 500–600 undergraduate places (estimate).



Key dates for the 2027 cycle

  • 5 November 2026 (12 noon): CAO opens for 2027 applications. A CAO number is needed before registering for HPAT.

  • November 2026: HPAT-Ireland registration expected to open (ACER had not published 2027 dates or fees as of late September 2026; 2026 fee was €164).

  • 1 February 2027 (5pm): CAO normal closing date.

  • February 2027: HPAT test window (exact dates to be confirmed by ACER).



Plan B — or Plan A: study medicine in Poland

As Artur Banaszkiewicz reminds students, the options today stretch well beyond the CAO — across Europe, UCAS, PLC and apprenticeship routes. For Irish students set on medicine, studying medicine in Poland is one of the most established of those routes.

With StudyMedicinePoland.com, Irish and UK students apply to English-taught medicine programmes in Poland at various universities in Bydgoszcz, Gdańsk, Kraków, Białystok and Poznań:

  • No HPAT — admission is based on Leaving Cert science results, so the 2027 reweighting does not apply.

  • No 730+ CAO-style ranking — a strong but not near-perfect Leaving Cert can still lead to a medical degree.

  • EU-recognised degree — Polish medical degrees are EU primary medical qualifications, recognised for registration with the Medical Council in Ireland.

  • 15+ years' experience guiding Irish students into Polish medical schools — and back home to Irish internships.

Applying to Poland alongside your CAO application means you are not putting everything on one HPAT sitting and one set of Leaving Cert results.


Talk to us: support@studymedicinepoland.com · +353 83 134 5788


 
 
 

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