UPCAT Facts, Figures and Information Reasoning

What is the UPCAT Definitions, Postulates and Theorems

Being the premier State University, the University of the Angles
Philippines offers a wide range of degreeprograms. Parallel and Perpendicular Lines
Most of the programs requirequalification through the Triangle Postulates and Theorems (ASA, SSS, etc.)
UP College Admission Test, or more popularly known as Quadrilaterals and Other Polygons
the UPCAT. Tomaintain its high standard of education Area and Volume
and to maximize its limitedresources, UP has had to Circles
limit slots for freshman admission to eachcampus and Trigonometry
to its various degree programs thus a screening process Basic Trigonometric Functions
is necessary for UP to distribute these slots. Basic Identities
Statictics
If you decide to take the UPCAT you will be among the Measures of Central Tendencies (mean, median, mode)
tens of thousands students who will be vying for the Factorials
more or less 13,000 slots for UP. Last year, the number Counting, Permutation and Combination
of examinees was more than 80,000 (there were only Probability
over 70,000 examinees in the previous years). As you Science
might have noticed, the competition in the UPCAT is Earth Science and Astronomy
very tough. Rocks and Minerals
The Layers of the Earth and its Composition
Coverage of the UPCAT Land Formations and Bodies of Water
The UPCAT consists of 4 subtests: Language Proficiency, Plate Tectonics
Science,Mathematics and Reading Comprehension. Earthquakes, Volcanoes
Each subject covers most of the topics that you have Climate, Weather and the Atmosphere
taken during your high school years. Here are the Fossils
subtopics that are included in the test: Biology
The Ecosystem
Mathematics Classification/Taxonomy
Arithmetic and Number Sense Biogeochemical Cycles
Algebra Plants and Photosynthesis
Signed Numbers Animal Biology
Algebraic Expressions Cell Biology
Equations and Inequalities Genetics and Heredity
Quadratic Equations Human Anatomy
Systems of Equation Chemistry
Polynomials Precision and Accuracy
Functions and Relations Conversion of Units
Fractions and Rational Functions Elements, Compounds and Mixtures
Cartesian Coordinate System (Graphing) States of Matter
Word Problems The Periodic Table
Exponents and Logarithms Electronic Configuration and the Quantum Numbers
Radicals Nuclear Reactions
Sets and Set Notation Chemical Reactions
Complex Numbers Stoichiometry
Sequences and Series Gas Laws
Geometry Redox Reactions
Basic Organic Chemistry Tayutay
Physics Paksa ng Talata
Scalar and Vector Quantities (note: The Filipino part is integrated with the Language
Laws of Motion Proficiency and Reading Comprehension subtests)
Relative Velocities UPG Computation
Force The University Predicted Grade (UPG) is the basis used
Work, Energy and Power by UP in ranking all of the applicants. UP combines
Fluid Mechanics several factors such as UPCAT test scores, high school
Light, Sound and Waves grades, geographical location with respect to campus
Electricity and Magnetism applied for, nature of high school attended, etc. A rating
Thermodynamics of 1.000 (highest) to 5.000 (lowest) is then given to a
Language Proficiency student.
Vocabulary But the UPG, simply put, is just comprised of the
Word Meanings following:
Spelling
Synonyms UPCAT test scores which amounts to about 60% of the
Antonyms UPG
Confusing Words 1st year to 3rd year high school grades, which is roughly
Grammar about 40% of the UPG.
Parts of Speech To obtain the final UPG, other factors are integrated by
Correct Usage either adding or subtracting a fraction of a point from
Punctuation the initially computed UPG.
Capitalization
Subject-verb Agreement Qualifying for a Campus
Sentence Construction When you fill up your application form, you need to
Modifiers choose two campuses from among ten other campuses
Finding Errors/Sentence Correction (Diliman, Manila, Los Baños, Cebu, Baguio, Iloilo,
Voice (active and passive) Mindanao, Pampanga, Tacloban and Open University).
Reading Comprehension You will then be ranked based on your UPGs and then
Essays be screened based on your choice of campus.
Getting the Main Idea/Topic Sentence In the previous years, the cut-offs for the different UP
Appropriate Title of Selection campuses are as follows:
Poetry
Short stories UP Manila 2.1-2.2
Speeches UP Diliman about 2.2
Comic Strips UP Los Baños 2.3-2.4
Figures of Speech (simile, metaphors, etc.) UP Baguio 2.6-2.7
Author’s Point of View UP Tacloban about 2.7
Meaning Through Context Clues UP Cebu about 2.7
Drawing Conclusions UP Iloilo about 2.7
Inference UP Mindanao about 2.75
Fact and Opinion Thus, campuses with high UPG cut-offs are harder to
Filipino get into than campuses with lower UPG cut-offs. You
WastongGamit should be wise on what you put on your campus choices
Bahagi ng Pananalita in your application as this plays a major factor in your
Sawikain o Idioma probability of passing the UPCAT.
 Program with Available Slot (DPWAS or DPAS). The
Qualifying for a Degree Program campus you qualified into will find a program that can
Aside from having to choose two campuses, you are accommodate you.
also to choose two degree programs per campus as part Under Represented Areas
of the application. In its efforts to provide slots for underrepresented
After qualifying for a campus, you are then screened for areas, UP implemented the Excellence-Equity
acceptance into one of the degree programs you chose. Admissions System (EEAS). One of the ways UP did this
Each degree programuses a different grade predictor is to allot only 70% of the slots to those who qualified
which uses the UPCAT subtest scores, depending on the based entirely on their UPG ranking. The remaining 30%
focus subject of the program. Campus qualifiers are is then allotted to underrepresented areas in the
ranked according to the degree program predictor. Top- country.
ranking qualifiers are accepted according to the number Here’s an example: If the cut-off for UP Diliman is 2.2,
of slots available for a program. Thus the number of the campus allots 70% of the slots to those who have
applicants for the degree program and the program above that UPG. UP Diliman then uses a deep selection
quota matters. parameter of 0.1. The absolute cut-off will then be 2.3
and this will be the cut-off used for students from
As an illustration, admission to Engineering programs underprivileged high schools and underrepresented
would require a high math and science subtest score. In areas.
contrast, Mass Communications degree will require a Pabigat & Palugit
high subtest score in Language and Reading The UP admissions system includes several bonuses and
Comprehension. penalties on the UPG:
Palugit: A bonus of 0.05 is given to the UPG of
If you make it to the quota for your first choice applicants coming from public barangay, public
program, you will nolonger be screened for your second vocational and public general high schools, excluding
choice. If you don’t make it to yourfirst choice of degree those administered by state universities and colleges
program, you will undergo the same screeningprocess and science high schools. A palugit of the same amount
for your second choice. If you still do not make it, you is also given to applicants who are legitimate members
willremain qualified for that campus but must then find of cultural minorities.
a degree programthat can accommodate you. Pabigat: A penalty of 0.05 is given to the UPG of
applicants who apply for regional campuses not within
Truths & Myths About Non-quota Courses their geographical area as his second choice campus.
Myth: Choosing a Non-Quota course will make it easier One example is a student from Luzon choosing UP Cebu
for you to enter UP. as his second choice campus. If that student chose UP
Truth: You have to qualify first for a CAMPUS before Cebu as his first choice, although coming from Luzon, he
you are screened for the degree program. will not have a pabigat.
Is the Test Right Minus Wrong?
Your UPG should first make the cut-off for a particular The UPCAT differs from the other entrance test because
UP campus that you applied for before you are it deducts 0.25 or ¼ of a point if you answered an item
considered for a degree program. If your UPG doesn’t incorrectly. In a way, you are slightly penalized for a
make it to the campus cut-off, then there’s no point to wrong answer. Note however that you do not get a
screen you for the program. Thus, CHOOSE YOUR deduction if you leave an item blank.
CAMPUS WISELY first; the course is secondary. The question now is do you guess or do you leave an
item blank if you don’t know the answer?
As previously discussed in qualifying for a degree It would be better if you can eliminate a wrong answer
program, if you made it to a campus but did not make it before guessing so that your chance of getting the
to the program cut-off, you will get a result of “Degree correct answer is increased.