UPCAT!!!

12 reminders to UPCAT takers

 

 

Monday, July 28, 2008

 

 

Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 07:50:00 07/28/2008

 

 

On Aug. 2-3, around 70,000 students will take the University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT).

 

 

Of the country’s premier universities that include Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University, the UP is reputedly the most difficult to get into because of the large number of students taking the UPCAT.

 

 

Here are some tips to students that may help them pass the UPCAT:

 

 

1. Prepare not only mentally but physically and psychologically. Always think that you can do it.

 

 

2. Go to the restroom before the test starts so you do not waste time during the test.

 

 

3. Check your seat as soon as you arrive. If you are left-handed, ask for a chair fit for a left-handed person. Ask for a change of seats if water is dripping on your head, the air-con is directly facing you, the sun is in your eyes or whatever else makes you uncomfortable.

 

 

4. Scratch paper will be provided. If you write extra big letters, you may need more scratch papers. Ask the proctor for more immediately.

 

 

5. Read the directions carefully.

 

 

6. Look over the exam and plan your strategy for answering it. Budget your time. For example, if a sub-test has 60 items and you are given 70 minutes to finish it, allot 60 minutes for answering and 10 minutes for checking and reviewing. See to it that you are answering one item per minute. If you are too fast, like three items per minute, you may be answering incorrectly.

 

 

7. All items have equal points even if others are harder to answer. Answer first the questions you think you know very well. Mark on your answer sheet the items you did not answer, but be sure to get back to them and erase the mark after you have answered.

 

 

8. Make intelligent guesses for questions you really do not know. Eliminate ridiculous choices.

 

 

9. If in the middle of the test you feel tired or sleepy, stand up and stretch.

 

 

10. Tests are not perfect. Do not waste your time pointing out to the proctor items you think have some kind of error.

 

 

11. Many proctors make unnecessary noises. Try to ignore them as much as possible.

 

 

12. Do not leave until the proctor says you can, even if half the group has already left. Use the extra time to review your answers. Rossana Llenado, Contributor

 

 

UPCAT Q & A
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 07:51:00 07/28/2008

 

 

• Who may take the University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT)?

 

 

All applicants for admission to UP who are high school seniors expecting to graduate at the end of school year 2008-2009 or are high school graduates who have not enrolled or are not currently enrolled in any school and have not taken the UPCAT before.

 

 

• Can students who did not graduate from regular high school but have passed the Philippine Educational Placement Test (PEPT) for college admission take the UPCAT?

 

 

Yes, graduates of DepEd-accredited schools and those who have been declared eligible for college admission after passing the PEPT are eligible to take the UPCAT as long as they have gone through the application process.

 

 

• How much does it cost to take the UPCAT?

 

 

The UPCAT application fee, which is nonrefundable by the way, is P450 for Filipinos with annual gross family income of more than P100,000 and resident foreign applicants studying in the Philippines.

 

 

• Are there exemptions to this fee?

 

 

Yes, you don’t have to pay it if your family’s annual gross income is P100,000 or less (present 2007 ITRs of earning members of the family or BIR Certification of Exemption). If you’re among the top 10 graduates of your high school or among the top 10 students graduating at the end of SY 2007-2008, you also don’t have to pay the fee. Ask your high school principal to certify this.

 

 

• What should my high school grade be to qualify to take the UPCAT?

 

 

There is NO minimum high school grade requirement in taking the UPCAT.

 

 

• How long is the UPCAT?

 

 

It is a five-hour test, so bring something to eat and drink.

 

 

• Is the UPCAT in English?

 

 

It uses both English and Filipino.

 

 

• What is the UPCAT designed to measure?

 

 

The UPCAT is supposed to measure English proficiency and reading comprehension through the Verbal Test (VT) and knowledge in mathematics and science through the Quantitative Test (QT).

 

 

• When is the UPCAT this year?

 

 

You either take it on Saturday, Aug. 2, or Sunday, Aug. 3, at the UP campus designated in your permit.

 

 

• If I fail the UPCAT, can I take it again?

 

 

Sorry, the UPCAT is a make-or-break test. It can be taken only once.

 

 

Ito, pabasa ninyo sa nanay at tatay ninyo:

 

 

The UPCAT: 15 ways parents can help
By Llenado Rossana
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 07:52:00 07/28/2008

 

 

Every year for the past 13 years, I have been speaking to parents to help them understand what their children go through in preparation for the UPCAT and other entrance exams, giving them advice on what they can do to help kids perform well.

 

 

The college entrance exam may be the most important test a person will take. The bar or board exams may be taken again if one fails, but UPCAT or the entrance tests of the other top universities can only be taken once.

 

 

Some parents think that a child who studied in a top school from pre-school to high school will automatically be admitted to its college. Wrong. Sometimes, only 60 percent of a school’s graduating class get into the college.

 

 

Top schools accept only the best in the whole country regardless of which high school they come from. The selection is based in large part on the entrance exam.

 

 

Parents who prioritize education provide ample guidance to their children in preparing for the entrance exams. The results of these exams will more or less determine the road their children will take.

 

 

Family support is very important. Show your child that the exam is important to the entire family so it will become important to him/her as well.

 

 

What can parents do?

 

 

The power of prayer is truly amazing so lead the family in a prayer for patience, concentration, and determination.

 

 

Prioritize college entrance tests over other activities. The college entrance exam can only be taken once.

 

 

Visit the venue with your child before the exam. Determine the best route to the building, but find alternate routes as well. Locate the comfort room nearest your child’s exam room.

 

 

On the eve of the exam:

 

 

• Make sure your child is well-rested and gets eight hours of sleep. Avoid activities that will tire him/her. Do not let the child sleep too early or too late. Lack of sleep ruins concentration while too much sleep can make him/her groggy.

 

 

• Let the child prepare his/her things—shoes, clothes, bag—for the next day. Girls with long hair should tie their hair during the exam. Long, flowing sleeves may get in the way. Dangling earrings, bulky bracelets and long nails may pose a problem during the test.

 

 

• Do not let the child study some more at least 24 hours before the exam. It is a mistake to push children to study until the very last minute before the exam.

 

 

• Watch out for weather bulletins, especially typhoon announcements; floods, transport strikes, political unrest and other unforeseen events. The UPCAT will not be cancelled even for storm signal No. 3, so you must have a back-up plan for getting the child to the exam venue.

 

 

• Make your child eat and drink wisely before and on the day of the exam. Do not give anything that might cause allergy or indigestion.

 

 

On the day of the exam:

 

 

• A quick shower will refresh your child’s mind and make him/her feel energized.

• Make sure the child has a good breakfast.

 

 

• Make sure he/she has at least six pencils with erasers, a small ruler, the test permit, ID, jacket, fan, snacks and drinks (if allowed), and an analog wristwatch.

 

 

The extra pencils are to make sure he/she has a spare when one breaks or when his/her best friend needs one.

 

 

The ruler will ensure that the child is answering the correct number. Halfway into the exam, his/her eyes may be too tired that he/she may overlook some questions.

 

 

Without the test permit and ID the child will not be able to take the exam.

 

 

The jacket will come in handy if the room is too cold. Make sure the jacket opens at the front so it can easily be taken on and off as needed. The fan may be useful if the room is hot.

 

 

Snacks and drinks must be easy to handle—nothing sticky, wet, big or noisy. Heavy stuff is also not advisable. Sandwich and juice may be sufficient though water and gum should be best.

 

 

Make sure the child wears an analog wristwatch to keep track of time. A digital watch may have a calculator function and will not be allowed.

 

 

• Advise your child to wear his/her most comfortable outfit. New clothes or shoes that have not been “broken in” should be avoided. The child may not be able to move freely in new clothes or shoes, thus affecting his/her test-taking.

 

 

• Make sure the child is at the venue 30 minutes before the exam. Being too early might cause anxiety while less time might make him/her panicky.

 

 

• Psyche the child up! Tell him/her to do the best that he/she can. But assure him/her that you will always support and love him/her no matter what the results of the exams are.

 

 

• Try to be with your child on the day of the exam. Many parents will be there waiting. It may affect your child psychologically if he/she thinks he/she is the only one whose parents are not there.

 

 

(The author is a recipient of the Working Mom Award and other honors from local and international organizations. She was recently named one of the Philippines’ 75 most admired persons. These tips are part of the three-to four-hour seminar Ahead Tutorial & Review conducts for parents.)

 

 

Copyright 2008 Philippine Daily Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 

 

*note: nakita ko ang tips na ito sa superhelios (http://superhelios.com).*

 

 

1. Kung hindi niyo alam ang sagot, LEAVE THE ITEM BLANK. Please lang, huwag kayong tumulad sa akin na kahit 50-50 pa rin ang pakiramdam sa tanong eh pinipilitan sagutan. Basta if you are 70% or up sure, go! Effective ito, dahil yung friend ko kalahati lang ng Reading Comprehension ang nasagutan pero 90% ang grade niya dito.

2. Kung feel manghula, B or C lang ang isagot. Huwag letter A kasi bihira talaga ang A na sagot. PERE please, huwag na lang kayo manghula. 🙂 Hehe, mas nababawasan yung chances niyo pumasa kapag nanghuhula.

3. Kung UP Los Baños na ang second choice niyo, huwag na mangamba pa. You’re 50% in sa UP, especially kung Avo-Darwin ang section. Malaki ang chances lalo na kung nag-rarange sa 89 pataas ang GWA niyo from 1st year to 3rd year. Promise!

4. Kapag minani niyo yungang dalawang subtest, lalo na ang Math and English… 50% in ka na rin sa UP.

5. Magdala ng chocolate. Food for the brain yan. 🙂

6. Magdala ng water. Pero wag masyado uminom. Baka mag-CR ka niyan ng madalas. Sayang yun sa oras.

7. Bring at least 4 pencils. One for each subtest. Siguradong pudpod ang pencil mo after one subtest.

8. Magdala ng eraser. Huwag humiram sa katabi. Maabala siya. Hehe.ü

9. Believe! Ikaw lang ang makaka-assure sa sarili mo na magagawa mo at kaya mong lagpasan ang UPCAT.

10. Pray. Do your best and He will do the rest.ü

 

 

Other tips I found were these…

 

 

• Gumamit ng No.2 Mongol for kids pencil. Mas mabilis kayong makakapagsagot kasi ubod ng laki ung pencil.
• Be at the designated testing area an hour before the test para hindi kayo masyado ma-stress pag nakita nyo na yung test mismo.

 

 

Eto naman yung iba pang mga bagay-bagay na kailangan natin malaman..

*note: galing din po ito sa superhelios (http://superhelios.com) kaso comment lang sya ng isang nagngangalang “Ziella“…Ate, kung sino ka man, maraming salamat po!*

 

 

• English:
  -walang vocab
  -sentence completion
  -chronological arrangement
  -identifying errors
  -comic strip
  -grammar
• Math:
  -Algebra (marami ito!)
  -Trigo (konti lang ‘yan!)
• Science:
  -Chem (lalo na yung mga inaral niyo nung third yr!)
  -Physics (5-6 questions lang yan. super dali lang for you. newton’s law lang!)
  -NatSci (basic lang ito pramis!)
  -EarthSci (more one landforms, rocks, tectonic plates, earthquakes)
  -Bio (systems ng katawan)
• Reading Comprehension:
  -magbasa lang kayo ng books mga two weeks before exam para mahasa kayo magbasa ng mabilis!ü wag na kayo mag-review kapag malapit na exam. orasan niyo sarili niyo. dapat mga 2-3 pages mga 5 minutes niyo lang babasahin.

 

 

And there you have it! Sana po may mga natutunan kayo! Kung meron pa po kayong ibang nalalaman na importanteng mga bagay-bagay, paki comment nalang po sa post na ito.

Let’s pray din po para sa ating mga kaibigan and of course ating mga sarili na ibigay sa ating ng Diyos ang ating munting pangarap na makapasok sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas.

[added 16 June 2007]
Ok so nakapasa ako. Sa kasalukuyan ako’y freshie ng UP under the BA Political Science program. I’d like to add a few things:

 

 

• I took 5 college entrance exams last year dahil sa takot na hindi pumasa sa U.P.. I suggest mag take kayo ng 3-5 exams din just to broaden your choices. 3 would be ideal, 5 would be overkill [one i just did! haha! :D].
• Of the 5 exams i took, the UPCAT ranked 3rd na pinakamahirap [hardest to easiest: DLSUCET, ACET, UPCAT, UA&P CET, USTET]. Feeling nyo lang mahirap kasi may tremendous stress and anxiety itong kadikit. Di ganun kahirap ang UPCAT, pero kamon, 60000++ kayong kukuha nyan! Pagalingan talaga!
• Read the comments below, madami akong sinagot na tanong dyan.
• Bring a light, waterproof jacket or windbreaker. Nung nagUPCAT ako umuulan e. Chances are uulan din during UPCAT season kaya magdala kayo ng jacket na pwede nyo ding itago pag hindi kelangan. Posible ding mapunta kayo sa isang airconditioned room [thats what happened to me], kaya it’s good to be ready dahil sobrang lamig dun [i wasn’t ready..ehehehe].
• Basahing maigi ang accompanying papers ng UPCAT form. Malaking problema pag may namiss kayong deadline or something. A couple of my friends did kaya di sila nakapagUPCAT.
• Magpass ng Form ng maaga. Siksikan yan sa deadline.
• Makipagdaldalan sa katabi bago magsimula ang exam. nakakareduce ito ng stress.
• Ipaaccomplish kaagad sa school registrar yung isa pang form. Sa dami ng applicants , ilang araw bago mo yun makuha kaya ipafillup kagad.