University of the Philippines College Admission Test
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The University of the Philippines
College Admission Test, commonly known as UPCAT, is part of the admission requirements of the University of the Philippines
, administered to graduates of Philippine and foreign high schools. The UPCAT is considered to be the most competitive college entrance exam in the country.
In addition, graduates must not have taken and must not be taking any college subjects. He or she should not plan to take any college subjects before the semester or academic year of the UPCAT.
Anyone who has taken the UPCAT may not take it again.
The deadline for filing of applications for the UPCAT is announced regularly, and is usually in late June.
In order to make the student population of UP more representative of the country's population, socioeconomic and geographic factors are also considered in selecting campus qualifiers.
The top-ranked applicants (according to the UPG) based on the quota and cut-off grade of each campus are eligible to enter. For degree programs, different grade predictors are applied for each. Top-ranked qualifiers are accepted depending on the slots available in that program.
If one does not qualify for the two chosen campuses, a student may apply to be part of the waitlist provided that he/she has chosen the campus he/she would apply to as either their first choice or second choice campus.
. The UPCAT is usually held on a Saturday and Sunday in early August with two batches of examinations per day in the morning and in the afternoon.
UPCAT test centers are found in major schools throughout the Philippines, including the different UP campuses. Close to 70,000 applicants take the UPCAT every year with almost 30,000 in UP Diliman alone. Because of this, and that the campus is open and connected to major public roads, heavy traffic is expected at this time of year. Food stalls and other tiangges set up shop everywhere around the Diliman campus, especially the Academic Oval, to take advantage of the numerous parents and guardians that accompany and wait for the applicants taking the test.
's website, usually around February. The list of qualified students is also posted outside the U.P. Office of Admissions. Aside from these, a list of examinees and their corresponding qualifying status is sent to the high school. Finally, individual letters containing qualifying information and further instructions, if any, are sent to the individual examinees.
There are about 10,000 qualifiers from the 70,000 examinees every year.
The UPCAT Results can also be accessed through any WAP-enabled device (particularly PDAs and mobile phones), at the University's official WAP site.
Scholars are the top fifty qualifiers to the UPCAT. Their scholarships, should they choose to enter UP, provide them with a 100% discount on tuition fees, transportation and book allowances, and monthly stipends.
Among the Oblation Scholars who choose to enroll in UP, several are chosen to give a welcome address during the freshman assembly at the UP Theater.
University of the Philippines
The ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...
College Admission Test, commonly known as UPCAT, is part of the admission requirements of the University of the Philippines
University of the Philippines
The ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...
, administered to graduates of Philippine and foreign high schools. The UPCAT is considered to be the most competitive college entrance exam in the country.
Eligibility and Application to the UPCAT
Individuals that are considered eligible for the UPCAT should be any one of the following:- A senior student of any secondary school that is accredited by the Department of EducationDepartment of Education (Philippines)The Department of Education , is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the management and governing of the Philippine system of basic education. It is the chief formulator of Philippine educational policy and is responsible for the Philippine primary and secondary...
; - A graduate of any secondary school that is accredited by the Department of Education, or of any secondary school found abroad; or
- Any individual that has been declared eligible to enter college according to the Philippine Educational Placement Test (PEPT) results.
In addition, graduates must not have taken and must not be taking any college subjects. He or she should not plan to take any college subjects before the semester or academic year of the UPCAT.
Anyone who has taken the UPCAT may not take it again.
The deadline for filing of applications for the UPCAT is announced regularly, and is usually in late June.
University Predicted Grade
The University Predicted Grade (UPG) is a combined score of an applicant's weighted UPCAT score and the weighted average of his/her grades in high school. It is approximately 40% from his/her grades in high school and 60% from the UPCAT. UPCAT results are ranked according to the examinees' University Predicted Grades.In order to make the student population of UP more representative of the country's population, socioeconomic and geographic factors are also considered in selecting campus qualifiers.
Qualifying for a Campus and a Degree Program
A student must specify two campuses from the U.P. System's nine campuses, ordered according to preference. For each campus chosen, two degree programs must also be specified. UPCAT applications are processed according to the order of these preferences.The top-ranked applicants (according to the UPG) based on the quota and cut-off grade of each campus are eligible to enter. For degree programs, different grade predictors are applied for each. Top-ranked qualifiers are accepted depending on the slots available in that program.
If one does not qualify for the two chosen campuses, a student may apply to be part of the waitlist provided that he/she has chosen the campus he/she would apply to as either their first choice or second choice campus.
The Exam
The five hour exam covers language proficiency, reading comprehension, mathematics, and science. UPCAT questions can be in English or FilipinoFilipino language
This move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...
. The UPCAT is usually held on a Saturday and Sunday in early August with two batches of examinations per day in the morning and in the afternoon.
UPCAT test centers are found in major schools throughout the Philippines, including the different UP campuses. Close to 70,000 applicants take the UPCAT every year with almost 30,000 in UP Diliman alone. Because of this, and that the campus is open and connected to major public roads, heavy traffic is expected at this time of year. Food stalls and other tiangges set up shop everywhere around the Diliman campus, especially the Academic Oval, to take advantage of the numerous parents and guardians that accompany and wait for the applicants taking the test.
UPCAT Results
All UPCAT news and results are announced at the UniversityUniversity of the Philippines
The ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...
's website, usually around February. The list of qualified students is also posted outside the U.P. Office of Admissions. Aside from these, a list of examinees and their corresponding qualifying status is sent to the high school. Finally, individual letters containing qualifying information and further instructions, if any, are sent to the individual examinees.
There are about 10,000 qualifiers from the 70,000 examinees every year.
The UPCAT Results can also be accessed through any WAP-enabled device (particularly PDAs and mobile phones), at the University's official WAP site.
Oblation Scholars
U.P. OblationU.P. Oblation
The Oblation is a concrete statue by Filipino artist Guillermo E. Tolentino which serves as the iconic symbol of the University of the Philippines...
Scholars are the top fifty qualifiers to the UPCAT. Their scholarships, should they choose to enter UP, provide them with a 100% discount on tuition fees, transportation and book allowances, and monthly stipends.
Among the Oblation Scholars who choose to enroll in UP, several are chosen to give a welcome address during the freshman assembly at the UP Theater.