SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS

T E S T PREPARATION
THE ACET ( Ateneo College Entrance Test)

Ateneo bears the distinction of being one of the country’s premier universities.
Consequently, it also has a reputation for having one of the country’s most difficult
entrance exams. There is good news, however. If you think of the test as a training
exercise or as a battle, then you can significantly increase your chances of doing well
on it if you know what to expect ahead of time. Here are some of the things you can
anticipate.
 Standard Issue
o As an entrance test, the ACET has a lot of questions we’ve come to expect from
exams of its type: math, abstract reasoning, logical reasoning, English (subdivided
into language proficiency and reading comprehension). The ACET does not have
a science section.
 The Coverage
o Every university’s entrance test possesses at least one characteristic that sets it
apart from most other exams of its kind. In the Ateneo’s case, that would be the
General Information section and the essay section under the English category. .
but you’ll get a smattering of general science questions here and there.
o The General Information occupies the space normally occupied by the science
section( chemistry, physics, earth science, biology).
 An entrance test usually contains a number of standard issue topics, and the ACET is no
different in this respect. Expect to see questions related to mathematics (geometry and
trigonometry), reading comprehension, language proficiency and abstract and logical
reasoning.
 In case you’re wondering what the difference is between the last two sections, the
former has to do with discerning patterns among shapes and other squiggly things. The
latter has more to do with spotting fallacies and loopholes in arguments.
 In the end, you may be wondering if you need to finish the ACET in order to pass. The
answer is a resounding NO. At the time that I took it, I remember having left so many
questions blank that I wondered if I’d ever make it into the Ateneo. Thankfully, I did.
 Remember: the ACET will test your knowledge of academics, but it will test your
psychological mettle even more. Finishing the test isn’t necessary to pass; competing
with and transcending yourself is. That is something that teachers and school officials
will be looking at as you spend the rest of your college life in the Jesuit University.
 The ACET Secret
 I’ll let you in on a little secret I picked up from my past experience: mind games are
very much a part of Jesuit education, and the ACET is one fine example of that. In other
words, you may think that you’re being tested on academics alone, but in reality, your
future Jesuit instructors are also checking for certain good qualities in you: fluency,
assertiveness, tenacity, calmness under pressure and what not.
 Keep this principle in mind when preparing for the ACET, and it will help you during
testing day and beyond.

THE DLSUCET
 It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to accomplish an important task at your own pace.
Unfortunately, entrance tests like the DLSUCET generally don’t allow you to do that.
Many are the tales of who ran out of time and ended up not finishing the test.
 The Coverage
 In addition to the mainstays ( English, Science, Math ), some distinguishing traits of the
DLSUCET include an abstract reasoning section and a logical reasoning. The DLSUCET
also features a couple of essays—one in English, one in Filipino. They will measure your
ability to organize and express your thoughts quickly (in about fifteen minutes or so)
succinctly and coherently. Questions may be drawn from the entire gamut of social or
current events.
 Harder to Finish, Easier to Pass
o You need not worry, though. With adequate preparation, rest, nutrition and
prayer, you’ll have a pretty good shot at passing it and passing it well.

THE USTET

There are certain subjects or sections that you’ll see in almost every entrance exam out
there: mathematics, science, English, and Filipino. Sometimes, though, you’ll come across
a test that desires to act out of the box and experiment a little. Its coverage is a tad
different from other entrance exams in terms of presentation.

 Testing the (Mental) Waters

If you’re an entrance test veteran, the terms like “formulas”, “word problems” and
“language proficiency” are probably household names for you already. The USTET doesn’t
really deviate from the norm in the sense that they will draw from your high school stock
knowledge of science, math, English and Filipino.
Besides the sections mentioned above, the USTET has its own (“specialty”) Mental
Aptitude section. It’s basically an eighty-five item IQ test

THE UPCAT

Perhaps the most infamous thing that the UPCAT is known for is its right minus ¼ wrong
penalty. So what do you do when you really don’t know the answer? UPCAT veterans
recommend taking your best, educated guess instead of just leaving the item blank. The
reason: you’ll nab a full point if you get the correct answer. If you leave it blank, you
forfeit that full point; if you make a mistake, you lose only a fraction of that full point, so
the odds are in favor of taking that risk.

The penalty may seem a little daunting at first, but the key to overcoming your fear of it is
to polish up on your concepts and your skills. The math and science portions will test your
conceptual knowledge, but the language proficiency sections will challenge your bilingual
skills.

Unlike the ACET and the DLSUCET, there is no essay to accomplish in the UPCAT.

The time allotment may change yearly depending on the UPCAT test makers for that
particular year but here is the breakdown of UPCAT last year.
 Math 60 items 1 hour and 15 minutes
 Science 60 items 50 minutes
 Reading Proficiency 90 items 1 hour and 10 minutes
 Language Proficiency 90 items 50 minutes

The circles that you will shade will determine your destiny”

9 Ways to Outsmart ACET( All College Entrance Tests)

1. Prepare early.

This is not a test you want to cram for. Although it might sound overwhelming, tiresome, or
even boring to some, if you prepare as early as possible and commit to doing it right, then
you will get excited when the result is released.

2. Study your weak areas.

You need to know where you need help the most. Once you identify the areas that need
improvement, it is time to review. Be brave to admit that you need help in those areas.
Also, you need to allot a study time for this.

3. Avoid using the calculator.

Too much dependence on the calculator might be detrimental in your preparation especially
for the Math subtests. Try doing the manual computations even in your school assignments.
Practice your estimation and mental calculation. Aside from the fact that college entrance
exams involve simple computations, you need to focus more on the analysis of worded
problems. So please keep your calculator out of sight.

4. You read well? Good! But you need to study how the test maker in reading
comprehension arrived at the correct answer.

This is about getting the BEST answer in the reading comprehension part. When answering
this portion, you need to eliminate your bias, your belief, or your opinion. What matters
most is how the test maker sees it. The test maker would include three wrong answers
among the four choices, each of which has at least one word that is obviously wrong, or at
least, can be proven wrong. So make it a habit of eliminating those three answers no matter
how plausible
they are. The best answer is the correct answer.
5. Do not underestimate the grammar part of the test.

Nowadays, students are accustomed to writing and reading (or even speaking) in the
popular abbreviated text messages. The problem with this is they no longer recognize what
is right or wrong in their grammar usage. That is the reason why most students now
perform poorly in grammar and spelling tests. You can still avoid this grammar trap by not
going with the flow. Write your text messages in complete sentences, correct spelling, and
proper subject-verb agreement. Take this seriously because the rewards are enormous.

6. Assess your guessing abilities when you review.

“Guess, even if it is right minus wrong.” In the UPCAT, there is no penalty for leaving a
question blank, but an incorrect answer costs you ¼ of a point. Some students guess really
well. But you need to understand that these students have mastered the art of smart
guessing as compared to those who guess poorly and used to “wild guessing”. It is better
if you know whether you are a good strategist in guessing the correct answer or not. So
while reviewing, assess your guessing skill so that you will be more confident when you
need to guess in the actual test.

7. Review relentlessly.( again, RELENTLESSLY! )

Diligence, persistence, determination. They all mean one thing – “If you want it, then get
it… by all means!” It is not the number of review materials you have on your study table.
It is not your academic ranking in your batch. It is not the school where you study. It is not
the review center where you attend review classes. It is not the online resources you
bookmarked. It is all about you – how you discipline yourself to achieve your goal of
passing. You should not compromise your study time for anything else less important – like
watching movies, playing online games, chatting, malling, or even checking your Facebook
account. These things should be put aside every time you are scheduled to study . Do this
consistently and you know that you are inching your way to the target. Go for the goal !

8. Keep tabs on the major events of the major dailies.

This serves a dual purpose: one, it will help you store away knowledge for the General
Information section; two, it will also get you thinking and reflecting about what you’ll
eventually express in the essay section. ACET and DLSUCET are all about reflection and
writing, so the sooner you can start on it, the better.

8. The power of P R A Y E R S will help you reach your goal. Do not forget the Supreme
Being who has the power to give you what you deserve. “ Do your best, and God will do
the rest”.

9. Shake, rattle and roll in the test by applying what you’ve learned.

Taking the test is much like a one-on-one basketball do-or-die championship match –
exhausting, nerve-racking, and requiring your extreme focus until the final buzzer sounds.
So you need to endure the pressure, you need to be confident and overcome test anxiety,
and you need to enjoy the gruesome mental exercise. Remember, in a competition, those
who desire the most usually win. So you just apply whatever you learned in the review –
not only the subject content but also the techniques and strategies in taking the college
entrance exam. If you follow numbers 1 to 8 above, then you are ready to rock!

A Final Word

If you stock up on knowledge, pray and apply the proper strategies, you’ll have a pretty
good chance of landing that much-coveted slot. May the odds be ever in your favor !

GENERAL STUDY TACTICS FOR THE UPCAT

TACTIC #1) ESTABLISH A BASELINE SCORE - use your baseline scores to balance
the time you’ll spend reviewing for each subset.
TATCTIC #2) MAKE A DAILY REVIEW PLAN – Below is my suggested review
plan/schedule for you.

SUBJECT number of hours per day

MATH 5 hours
SCIENCE 3 hours

Language Prof. 2 hours

Reading Comp. 3 hours

 FOR MATH, CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS – Solve one to two proficiency

worksheet/s each day. Make sure you review the solutions to each problem
that you were not able to answer correctly.
 FOR SCIENCE AND LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY – Read and memorize important
notes given during the review and the worksheets. Do additional reading of your
high school books.
 FOR READING COMPREHENSION – Try to read other literary works of famous
authors and speeches of famous people.
TACTIC #3)READ, READ, READ, AND THEN READ SOME MORE!
TACTIC # 4)MAKE THE UPCAT REVIEW A PRIORITY – Commit yourself to reviewing
for the exam. REGARD THE UPCAT AS THE MOST DIFFICULT EXAM OF YOUR
HIGHSCHOOL LIFE.
TACTIC # 5) EAT RIGHT, SLEEP RIGHT
TACTIC #6)PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT – The vocabulary level of students increases
as they are constantly exposed to the format of the questions, the analytical skills in
Math are practiced when continuously solving Math problems, and memorizing
Science related definitions helps in your performance in the UPCAT.
TACTIC # 6) HAVE FUN ! –Giving yourself a reward to look forward to makes the
grind all the more bearable.

BEFORE THE FIRST WEEK OF AUGUST :

 YOU SHOULD BE FULLY PREPARED FOR THE UPCAT !!!

 This means that you have memorized all the formulas in Math, Physics, and
Chemistry.
 You have memorized as many vocabulary words as possible.
 TAKE A MUCH NEEDED RELAXATION TIME THE DAY BEFORE THE TEST.
COMMON STUDY ERRORS
1. Not building your vocabulary.
2. Not creating a study plan.
3. Failing to practice sufficiently: READING YOUR WORKSHEETS AND
ATTENDING REVIEW CLASSES ARE NOT ENOUGH!
4. Trying to manipulate equations in your head instead of writing it down and
solving it.
5. Looking at the answer choices without having some idea of what the correct
answer should be.
6. Not picking the answer the item asks for.
7. Rushing through a set instead of thinking each item through.
8. Spending more than a minute or so on any one item in a set. – Mark the
number on the questionnaire and leave it blank first. Go back to answering the
blanks during free time.
9. Refusing to drop a difficult question.

ONE WEEK BEFORE THE EXAM:

 Practice – Review your notes, books, explanations to practice exams, etc.
 Check the test site – Don’t leave finding the site to the day of the test. Who
needs that kind of pressure?
 Ease up – The best test takers do less and less as the test approaches. Give
yourself time off, especially during the evening before the exam. BY THAT TIME,
IF YOU PREPARED AND STUDIED WELL, EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW IS
FIRMLY STORED IN YOUR MEMORY BANKS.
 BELIEVE ! – You are now ready to change the IMPOSSIBLE to I’M POSSIBLE!
Reasonable preparation is enough to propel you to pass.

ONE DAY BEFORE THE TEST:

 Stop Studying. Give yourself a breather on that day.
 Keep systems stable. Forego caffeine, junk food and bad sugars. Sleep at your
usual sleeping time.
 Make an exam checklist.
 Timepiece
 At least 4 sharpened No.2 pencils, a small pencil sharpener, an extra big eraser
that really works
 Your test permit
 Snacks, Tissues ( even if you do not have a cold), Layers, in case it is cold in the
room
 Your smallest and lightest lucky charm

TEST DAY TIPS:

 EARLY BIRD WAKE-UP CALL – Wake up early enough to eat your normal
breakfast and relax.
 ONCE YOU ARRIVE AT THE TEST SITE, BE SELFISH – Do whatever that relaxes
you.
 Be early on the actual test, and pace yourself during the exam. Review your
work during the remaining time.
 Bathroom breaks are not allowed during the examination period
 Be attentive to directions – Listen carefully to the instructions given by the Test
administrator.
 When the test starts, stay calm – When it is time to begin, take three deep, slow
breaths before you even pick up your pencil. Finally, BE CONFIDENT! Just do
your best and do not worry. Trust your preparation and effort. It will pay off.
Focus completely on the test.
 Pace, not race – Since your score will depend on how many correct answers you
give within a definite period of time, speed and accuracy both count. Keeping
track of time is not your end goal. The real goal is to use the time effectively.
 YOU MUST PACE YOURSELF, WORKING AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT
WORKING SO QUICKLY THAT YOU SACRIFICE ACCURACY TO SPEED.
  Bear in mind the time allotment for each subtest
 Eliminate as many wrong answers as you can.
 Change answer only if you have a reason doing so- It is usually best not to
change an answer based on a hunch or a whim. Usually, the right answer is often
the one in which you have first decided on, when your mind wasn’t too cluttered
by other confusing facts. But if you decide to change the answer, be sure to
erase it neatly.
 Re-read and review all entries-avoid error of hasty submissions. Mark your blank
answers on the given scratch papers to confirm the correct entry for each
number.
 If under pressure, use acupressure
 WORST CASE SCENARIOS:
 Your test booklet has blanks, has missing pages, or the pages are stuck together.
Just raise your hand and the proctor will handle it.
 Your neighbor is coughing or fidgeting. Don’t be polite. Raise your hand and have
the proctor move you.
 You freeze or have an anxiety or panic attack. Take a minute or two to do the
following:
SOLUTIONS :
 Stop what you’re doing.
 Look up from the test and out a window, if possible, or at a poster , or
blackboard. Focus on that completely. Alternatively, close your eyes and picture
a beautiful, calm place you’ve been to or even just imagined. Breathe deeply,
slowly, and rhythmically.
 Stretch your arms and back to loosen up any tension.
 Return to what you are doing.
 You misgrid your answers. Raise your hand and talk to the proctor about it. You
may or may not be allowed to re-grid your test, so be careful when filling in
those tiny bubbles