12 reminders to UPCAT takers
First Posted 07:50:00 07/28/2008
Inquirer Headlines / Learning
Rossana Llenado, Contributor
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.
The UPCAT: 15 ways parents can help
First Posted 07:52:00 07/28/2008 Philippine Daily Inquirer
Link:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/
By Rossana Llenado
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.)
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