My daughter’s supposed to take the UPCAT this year, though the schedule is not confirmed yet. Needless to say, my (and her father’s) tips would probably not be that relevant anymore given that the UPCAT has changed from the time I took it.
Any tips from those who recently took it? How did you prepare? Any good review centers you know? Saan kayo nahirapan/ nadalian?
Thank you!
Medyo bugbog yung Math part nung tinake ko yung UPCAT (noong 2018, so bale 2019 UPCAT siya and the latest was in 2019 — 2020 UPCAT). Straightforward yung questions from 1 - 10, then after that tumatalon-talon na yung difficulty from one question to another. Adviced talaga na i-skip yung ibang questions if hindi ma-solve ang problem agad then balikan na lang afterwards if may time pa (++nung time din na nagtake ako, may isang problem na nasa questions 1 - 10 ata na wala naman yung sagot sa choices 
). Most problems are very logical but there are few naman na pahirapan lang sa arithmetic — so medyo may approximation skills din na kailangan (iirc, one problem was about comparing the BMIs of two persons and the numbers are very ugly decimals lol). Mas madali rin yung questions sa bandang dulo kaya okay rin na i-skim muna yung problems bago magsagot 
Sa science part naman, composed siya mostly ng basic Chem, Bio, Physics and Earth Science stuff (pero syempre may mga outliers din). I think (sa Physics part) as long as you know the kinematics equations and how to use them, you’re good to go kasi they would surely include the formula to be used sa problem (since problems are very logical). Sa Chem, may mga problems about experiment set-ups (like given ka ng unkown compounds A and B na chemically nag-react ano yung most likely na by-product nila as to why the solution formed bubbles, ganun). Sa Bio, I just remembered na may isa akong tanong na di maintindihan (the choices have kPa as their units), hanggang ngayon hindi ko pa rin alam kung ano yun , it can also be very logical since may isang question din about don na may blood sample/stain something ng murdered person tas there would be suspects and from their blood samples (of the suspects), you should identify the real culprit/s. Sa Earth Science, I guess (?) it is pretty standard (e.g. planets, gravity, kepler’s etc.). Medyo marami rin yung graph interpretation sa science part haha.
For Reading Compre and Language Prof, wala akong masyadong maibibigay na input since I think I really bombed the tests kung wala yung Filipino part hahaha. The readings were interesting and humorous at the same time, may question dun, ano raw yung ibig sabihin ng “isuko ang Bataan” sa sentence. Adviced din na tingnan muna yung mga tanong before basahin yung napakahabang reading
P.S. Sumakit ulo ko after tapusin ang math part, ang ending medyo nakalimutan ko pa pano magbasa sa reading compre imagine the internal panic (the test was arranged as Language Prof > Science > Math > Reading Compre)
P.P.S. Sa sobrang eager kong tapusin ang math part, sinulat ko pa yung isang question at yung choices niya dun sa scratch paper
@shirogane wow. Ang dami mong natandaan sa exam. Years ago na ako nagtake and wala akong natatandaan kahit right after that exam.
@arwen di ako nagreview center bilang walang panahon at walang pera (kahit nga pang-entrance exam wala). So more of balikan lang ang notebooks ko mula first year to third year high school ang ginawa kong paghahanda. Nakihiram ng reviewers sa classmates na afford bumili. Take note na general public school ako galing at sobrang shock ko sa ibang tanong bilang di ko sila naencounter at all sa school. Mataas lang talaga grades ko nun kaya feeling ko yun ang nakahatak para makapasa.
Ang naging advise sa akin ay maging test smart.
Baka gusto mo itong i-check habang nakaquarantine. From UP ang handler nito: e-skul ng bayan
Meron din yang fb group: e-skul ng bayan fb group