After one postponement because of Typhoon “Ompong,” the UPCAT (UP College Admissions Test) should push through this weekend, with more than 100,000 examinees expected at centers scattered throughout the country.
The test is administered by the UP System’s Office of Admissions, which will be fielding hundreds of proctors. UP Diliman will have the largest number of examinees, an estimated 40,000.
I thought it would be good to offer some survival tips for parents and examinees.
Be prepared for traffic in UP Diliman, UP Manila and UP Los Baños, which are the major testing centers. For UP Diliman and UP Los Baños, vehicles will be allowed into the campus, but please follow instructions for drop-off points and parking areas. There are large signs in front of each of the testing centers.
Only examinees and UPCAT personnel will be allowed to enter the buildings where the tests will be held. In Diliman, food vending will not be allowed around the academic oval and near the testing centers. This is to prevent distracting noise and traffic congestion. The following areas will have food vending: the back of the Faculty Center, the back of Vinzons Hall, the DMST (Department of Military Science Training) area and the College of Science amphitheater area.
Examinees have been advised on what to bring, so what I’ll add here are more of tips for the exam process itself.
UP has never endorsed any of the review centers, because we don’t believe they’re that useful. Our exams are changed every year and are guarded as strictly as the licensure and bar examinations. If the review centers are of any help, it’s more in getting students used to taking so many examinations in half a day.
Some suggestions to survive the rigors of the exam:
Get enough sleep the night before. Don’t even think of peeking at your phone in the middle of the night; you might find a message from a nervous classmate preparing for UPCAT, and anxiety can be contagious.
Don’t go in on an empty stomach, especially for the morning sessions. But guard, too, against getting too full, particularly for the afternoon sessions.
Bring a light jacket in case you’re assigned to an air-conditioned room and you’re not used to the cold.
Proctors will allow stretching in between exams, but also consider a simple breathing 638 exercise before each exam. Start by thinking, “Kayang kaya ko ito,” then inhale while counting to 6. Hold your breath, counting 3, 2, 1, then exhale, counting 1 to 8. Repeat several times. (If you forget the numbers, just take long exhalations and inhalations.)
Once you start answering the questions, just keep going. Don’t spend too much time on questions that you can’t handle. As in love, move on, because there is no forever in exams.
If you felt you didn’t do too well on one exam, don’t brood about it. Face the challenge of the next exam with renewed energy and optimism.
If you need to go, go, but ask for permission. Don’t hold back, even if you’re wearing diapers. Dry is always better than wet.
If you’re not feeling well, tell the proctor. First-aid stations are distributed throughout the centers.
The exam sheets have sensors embedded to detect examinees’ excessive neck and eye movements. I’m joking, I’m joking—but don’t even think about it.
Now to the parents and guardians:
Don’t pressure your kids, especially with remarks like “Your great-grandparents and your grandparents and your uncles and aunts and your mom and I all made it into UP.” If your kids don’t make it, that won’t be the end of the world. With good grades from another school, they can transfer in the second year.
It’s not really necessary for you to go with your kids to take the exam, but if you insist, then be prepared with some food and drinks (nonalcoholic). We apologize ahead of time for not being able to put up tents for you, but our campuses are well-shaded with trees.
While waiting, do some of the breathing exercises, a modified 638 one with a mantra that begins “Kayang kaya niya.” Walk or jog away the stress, or, in Diliman, use one of the outdoor exercise machines donated by Mr. Ignacio Gimenez.
Bring stuff to read. I’ve seen some parents bringing prayer books and Bibles and rosaries. Other parents bring puzzles, coloring books. You know what calms you down.
You might catch some of us UP administrators making the rounds, but whether you see us or not, just imagine us by your side, assuring you: Tahan na. It will be all right.
mtan@inquirer.com.ph