CAO must clarify results posting debacle

AS a Leaving Certificate student who has applied for medicine, I deem it necessary to draw attention to the current situation affecting medicine applicants.

Approximately, 3,000 students sat the HPAT aptitude test last February, which is compulsory for all medicine applicants and worth a potential 300 points out of a total of 860 (the other 560 being made up of Leaving Cert points, with 20% weighting for every 10 points earned after 550 LC points).

We are due to receive these results in June after the exams, and these will largely dictate our chances of receiving an offer in a medicine course.

Last Friday, HPAT results appeared on students’ CAO accounts, my own included, over one month prematurely.

This naturally prompted a frenzy of activity online, and the results were removed several hours later.

Students who contacted the CAO were informed the results were “a test”. However, no prior nor subsequent communication has taken place between the CAO and all students concerned.

Currently, some students have seen their “results” while others have not and no one can verify them. I therefore call on the CAO to clarify the situation immediately, and to do all they can to remedy the problem, which is undoubtedly causing unnecessary worry to students.

Aidan Coffey

Kilcoleman

Enniskeane

Co Cork