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Last Oct. 27 and 28, a record number of 167,000 student applicants took the UPCAT (University of the Philippines College Admission Test) on UP campuses and select private and public schools nationwide.

Notorious for its low passing rate and intense competition for slots, the UPCAT left a lasting impression on many senior high school students.

“It was just amazing to see the number of people you were competing with to get a slot in this prestigious university. I knew from the start how much effort I needed to pass but it motivated me even more when I actually stepped inside my testing center and felt the moment.” —Nat Roque, PAREF Woodrose School

“The test is one of the most difficult exams I’ve ever taken. The length, especially in the reading part and the difficulty of most questions, will force you to skip items.” —Benchard Bichayda, PAREF Southridge School

“UPCAT was hard, especially for average students like me. It really takes a genius to finish all those questions, especially the Math part! The time pressure was so real that I’m not even sure if I am going to pass.” —Juliana, St. Scholastica’s College Westgrove

“It was a bit hard especially sa Math kasi I didn’t expect na ganon yung lalabas na questions. Since I was scheduled to  take the exam at 6:30 a.m., I didn’t get enough sleep kaya I got a headache during the exam pero I answered all the questions naman properly. May mga blanks din ako because I didn’t know the answer. The aircon in our room was too cold, as in! A jacket was not enough. I was shivering while answering the exam.” —Kezziah del Mundo, Malayan College Laguna

“I found the UPCAT difficult especially because I don’t speak Filipino and there’s always that  nagging thought at the back of my mind that there are so many people applying at UP. Of course, majority of the questions asked were from things we’ve learned  but there were a few that still were new to me.” —Katja Rocha, PAREF Woodrose School

“All I can say about the UPCAT is that UP tests your intellectual capabilities and the way it inserted  questions in Filipino will really make you think, even though you speak the language every day. The exam schedule was moved  to a later day but all I can say is that I should have studied more so I would be mentally prepared for the exam.” —Luis Mendoza, De La Salle University Senior High School  

“The UPCAT  was actually no different from the other college entrance tests in terms of coverage. What made UPCAT different from other  tests is what was at stake. You can tell who put their heart on the line for this, and who just took it for the sake of pride and pressure.” —Sam Capulong, PAREF Woodrose School

“There are many emotions you  feel when you hear the word UPCAT. I, for one, felt so nervous about every single thing: from going to and finding my testing area at UP Los Baños to taking the test. The test itself was, as expected, incredibly hard but I know I gave my all and am hoping  for the best. Overall, taking and applying for UPCAT was indeed quite an experience I’ll never forget.” —Krist, St. Scholastica’s College Westgrove

“I think most of the test was as doable as the other tests I have taken.  Except for the Math portion, though, because I really hadn’t seen questions like that before. I also think they gave us an appropriate amount of time for each portion, it’s just the right-minus-wrong system that sort of  slows us down.” —Andy Cruz, St. Scholastica’s College Westgrove

“Math was extremely difficult and so were the Filipino portions of Language Proficiency and Reading Comprehension. Reading Comprehension was long,  it was very draining. English was fairly easy, just draining because the passages were lengthy. Science was the easiest part for me, I mostly had data reading and interpretation, Chemistry, Earth Science and Astrology. I think I studied for the test enough and I really hope I get into my dream school.” —Franny Macalalag, De La Salle University Senior High School  

“UPCAT was a day filled with so many mixed emotions. I was anxious, scared and excited. During the test there were questions which were second nature for me to answer, yet there were times I had to either guess intelligently or leave it blank. Overall, UPCAT was truly a test for the best of the best in our country and I wish everyone nothing but the best.” —Eugenie Villanueva, St. Scholastica’s College Westgrove

“I realized how big of a race college entrance exams really are after taking the UPCAT. I really remember the person beside me as he finished the parts ahead of me, then fell asleep right after. He even brought a cake as his snack for the test. Wow.” —Liane Hinlo, PAREF Woodrose School

“UPCAT wasn’t a cakewalk. I  had a difficult time with Filipino Comprehension because of my lack of expansive Filipino vocabulary. The other portions were challenging but manageable. However, there were still points where I didn’t know how to answer a problem. Leaving the testing center, though, I immediately felt relief that it was finally over and that hopefully, all my hard work was worth it.” —Jacob Tambunting, PAREF Southridge School

“I think it was the hardest college entrance test mostly because I’m not good at Filipino. I also don’t have any science subjects because I belong to the ABM (accountancy, business and management) strand and I was not familiar with some of the terms. I really hope  that my efforts were enough for me to be admitted into UP.” —TJ Cruz, Ateneo De Manila University Senior High School

“I was waiting for my sister outside the building, then I asked the security guard what time the morning session would finish. I didn’t realize he, too, was waiting for his son. ‘Ay, sorry po hindi po ako taga dito, hinihintay ko lang rin anak ko,’” he said. —Javi Vilchez, UP Diliman

“I was selling some merchandise and helping my orgs.  I noticed a lot of the parents there were pessimistic about their kids getting in, so I just stayed for support.” —Angelo Gonzalez, UP Diliman

“UPCAT was definitely a pressure cooker.  I had to go through decades of hype and years of preparation to get there even though I didn’t study much for it. The main issues with the test were time and competition. The questions themselves were easier compared to the other college entrance exams  my peers and I took, but the sheer pressure, time constraint and applicant slots could dishearten even the most intelligent student.” —Adrian Silva, San Beda Alabang Senior High School