UPCAT review tips 2012!
I can hardly believe that it has been six years since I took the University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT). How fast time flies, indeed. I had the exam at the School of Labor and Industrial Relations (SOLAIR). Aside from taking the UPCAT there, I don’t think I’ve ever visited SOLAIR again during my undergraduate years.
On the day of the admission text, I and my Mama had a hard time finding where SOLAIR is. It’s not really easy to find. We had to walk quite a distance from the University Avenue checkpoint to get there. (Lesson: If possible, make sure you know where you’ll be taking the UPCAT even before the U-day.) I passed it (much to my surprise) and I’ve since earned a Journalism degree (cum laude) and began my graduate studies in History (sorry for bragging :-)).
This August 6 and 7, tens of thousands of high school seniors from across the nation will vie for admission to the country’s premier national university. By this time, they must be jittery already. Here are some random thoughts for you:
1. Spending thousands of pesos to enroll in UPCAT review centers does not guarantee anything.
2. Having astronomical grades during high school does not guarantee admission in UP, either.
3. Coming from a science high school does not give you a “free ticket” to UP.
4. Those belonging to your high school batch’s top ten might not even pass the UPCAT. (I should know.)
5. Students who are not in cream-of-the-crop sections can actually make it to UP.
6. Think long-term. Taking an engineering course might sound glamorous, but if you do not have a sufficient foundation in advanced math and calculus during high school, forget about it.
7. If your only goal is to set foot in UP at all cost, then check the list of non-quota courses. To be frank, there are courses in UP that is just being used by some to enter UP. I won’t be discussing that at length here, but I have a reminder to those who plans to do this: for your own sake, take a course that is related to the program you really intend to pursue.
Regarding the exams
1. UPCAT has four parts: math, science, language proficiency, and reading comprehension (not in particular order). Strive hard to do well in the subjects where you know you can hit it big. For example, I did my best to really get a high score in the last two areas because those were my strengths.
2. The right-minus-wrong system is used in UPCAT scoring. More accurately, it is right minus a fraction of the wrong answer (said to be 25%, though I haven’t confirmed it).
Accordingly, blank items are not counted as wrongs. With that in mind, I did not answer items I am not sure about. If memory serves me right, I left as much as half of Math items unanswered. While I’m not sure if my strategy worked, I passed the UPCAT.
The best of luck to all UPCAT examinees this weekend! Passing the exam is something you will never ever regret. 🙂
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🙂 How can SOLAIR be that far when it’s the nearest school building from the Checkpoint, sila ng SURP? Di ko nga maubos ang stick ng yosi ko when walking from the Checkpoint to there.
Maybe because I’m not used to walking nung high school ako. Haha
UP..hahaha. naexperience q yan. ang taas ng quota nung course q.. hahaha
congratz mark. #2.. :)))
Salamat sa pagbisita, Ver. See you soon!
One of my biggest regrets is failing to take the entrance exam in UP because I couldn’t pay the 350-peso application form. Life is pretty hard back in the days. I always wondered what could have been the result. And in times my friends in high school joke about this entrance test whenever it’s brought up for discussion, I would always say, “Puwede kong sabihin sa inyo na papasa ako kasi di pa ako nagte-take. Kayo hinding hindi na.” … Now that it’s impossible for me to turn back time.
Anyway, I like the seven random thoughts you wrote there. It helps those students, who have too much or high expectations, to become HUMBLE.
Sir, share ko lang po. If I didn’t make it to UP, I would have enrolled in UST. Like you, I’m also wondering how things would have been different had that happened. But I think we ended up in our respective universities for a reason.
Actually, isa po yan sa goals ko in writing this. High school is way different from college – and excelling in HS can not be used as an excuse for complacency in college.
And by the way, I was also joking when I say I could pass UP. Pampakonswelo lang yun sa regret ko.
Malay nyo naman po, in the next life, UP student na kayo. 🙂
Wishful thinking … Thanks for the push though!
Or maybe your descendants. 😛
That’s it! Positive dapat di ba?
Sir, saan po ba kayo nagtuturo right now? 🙂
STI College, Cubao at Rizal Technological University, Mandaluyong City
Kakainggit naman po kayo. 😛
Hi. Can I ask a question ? When is the right time to take an UPCAT REVIEW ? Habang third year po ba o pag fourth year na ? THANKS !
Actually Kim, kung pwedeng wag ka na mag formal review, do it. As I said, hindi naman ssurance yan na papasa ka talaga. Pero if ever, start reviewing during the summer vacation bago ka mag 4th year. 🙂
I just want to share one cool android application that helps students in their review for UPCAT.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.javatutorialhq.upcat.pocketreviewer
Let me know if you have any suggestion. I will address it.