A guide to answering questions in the Hpat (part 1)

Of course, you may have alternate methods that are more effective for you. Methods presented here are designed to help you in your performance but are not to be taken as the exclusive way to interact with each question type. Ultimately, you should adopt the approach that works best for you.

Section 1 - Logical reasoning and problem solving:

These questions assess your ability to understand, infer rational conclusions, identify relevant facts, analyse information, identify omitted/supplementary information, and create and evaluate possible hypotheses.

Example 1 - Numerical reasoning: The following question type tests your numerical understanding and ability to read data, graphs and charts. Questions of this style vary in their level of difficulty, ranging from those that simply require you to add numbers in a table, to more difficult questions involving percentages and averages. To improve performance in these questions you should practise doing simple calculations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and percentages) without a calculator. The more you practise, the faster you will be able to get through questions.

Sample Question - From the diagram below it follows that:

A – Professional basketball players will earn more during their entire career.
B – Basketball players who win on average nine games per year, taking their win bonus into account, will earn more than a football player who wins 16 games in a year.
C – Professional basketball players winning six games per year will earn more than football player who win 12 games per year during their careers. 
D – Professional basketball players play more games during their career than professional football players.

Solution:
A – Incorrect. 
How much a footballer or basketball player earns will depend on how many games they win due to the win bonuses. No information is provided on how many games are played or won. Therefore this cannot be correct, as we can't tell how much either is likely to earn.
B – Correct. Footballer 30 (wage) + 16x5 (win bonus) = 110
Basketball player: 25 (wage) + 9x10 (win bonus) = 115
Basketball player earns more in the year.

With mathematical questions, once you have proven an answer to be correct, you can ignore subsequent options (C and D here). This will save time.

Example 2 - Verbal reasoning: These questions test whether or not you are able to extract important information from a short piece of text. Again, questions vary in their difficulty – some are quite straightforward whereas others are very technical or subject-specific. It is important that you quickly absorb all the information and draw logical conclusions from the information provided. Clearly separating and identifying each piece of important information will help you achieve this quickly. Remember, all the information you need to answer the question is contained in the text.

Sample question:

Whales are mammals that are part of the order cetacean, an order characterised by a spindle-shaped body and flipper-shaped forelimbs. They are nearly hairless and are insulated by a thick layer of blubber. Mammals are characterised as having three ear bones and a neocortex area within the brain.

Whales are the closest living relative to another mammal, the hippopotamus; both evolved from a common ancestor approximately 55 million years ago.
Which of the following is not supported by the information above?
A – All whales have flippers and a ventral opening for breathing.
B – Whales can be classified as mammals.
C – Both whales and hippopotamuses evolved from a common ancestor 55 million years ago.
D – Hippopotamuses have three ear bones.

Solution:

A – Correct. B, C, and D are all directly supported by the text. There is no mention in the text of ventral openings. Therefore we cannot say all whales have a ventral opening for breathing. The information must be supported by the text, no outside information is needed (such as knowledge of whales). A is not supported.

Section 2 - Interpersonal understanding:

This section tests your ability to perceive reactions, beliefs, emotions and motivations of other people from a short text or conversational piece. These questions often involve interactions between professionals and non-professionals, or people with differing perspectives, which you have to appreciate and understand.

This section requires a mix of verbal comprehension and interpretation of matters of a personal or human nature. While the items seek to identify your ability to understand various human situations, they are still constructed in a way where the information required to answer a question correctly is always provided.

This section is heavily dependent on your understanding and level of English. It is important to try and increase your vocabulary and range of language. This can be achieved by reading articles and books that use complex, descriptive language. If you don’t understand a word, look it up in a dictionary. Also use a thesaurus to widen your descriptive vocabulary.

Note: Although there is only one right answer to any given question, you should make sure you check all the alternatives in the interpersonal understanding section as there can sometimes be two or three options that make sense in the context of the piece. In these instances you must ensure you select the most appropriate option. Spending a little extra time checking that the facts and wording in the passage support your chosen option is wise here.

Sample question:

In the following passage girl reflects on her current situation with her very sick mother.

“I always remember the days when she was okay. It wasn’t long ago, two years to be exact. I prefer the old days and often just sit there by her bedside, daydreaming about the past when we were able to talk and laugh together, while she sleeps. It is the memory of what used to be that keeps me going. She always sleeps.

I wish it would be possible to go back in time and re-live those memories once again. I know it is not possible, yet every day I wish for things to go back to the way they were. The memories are what I cling to and that sometimes helps me to deal with the issue.

We hardly talk anymore, mainly because she is always asleep and if she does wake up she is too tired. I feel exhausted too, waiting for her to overcome her illness. I wish she finally would and I could get my life back."

The daughter relives her past...

A – Because she cannot interact with her mother in the mother's current state.
B – Because she refuses to face the reality of her mother's condition.
C – To get respite from the reality of her situation.
D – Because until her mother wakes up it is the only thing left for her to do.

Solution:

A - Incorrect. While the girl cannot interact with her mother as much anymore, she does not state that this is the reason for her daydreaming.

B – Incorrect. The girl wishes she could go back to the old days, however she accepts this is not possible due to her mother’s condition when she says: “I know it is not possible, yet every day I wish for things to go back to the way they were”.

C – Correct. The girl states: “It is the memory of what used to be that keeps me going.” It is clear that in this difficult time the girl uses the memories of happier times to escape the reality of her current situation.

D – Incorrect. We do not know anything about the girl’s situation outside of her mother’s state. The girl’s life is not discussed, it may be busy and hectic, or it may be quiet and slow. This answer is not supported by the text.