UPCAT Facts, Figures and Information

What is the UPCAT

Being the premier State University, the University of the Philippines offers a wide range of
degreeprograms. Most of the programs requirequalification through the UP College
Admission Test, or more popularly known as the UPCAT. Tomaintain its high standard of
education and to maximize its limitedresources, UP has had to limit slots for freshman
admission to eachcampus and to its various degree programs thus a screening process is
necessary for UP to distribute these slots.

If you decide to take the UPCAT you will be among the tens of thousands students who will
be vying for the more or less 13,000 slots for UP. Last year, the number of examinees was
more than 80,000 (there were only over 70,000 examinees in the previous years). As you
might have noticed, the competition in the UPCAT is very tough.

Coverage of the UPCAT

The UPCAT consists of 4 subtests: Language Proficiency, Science,Mathematics and
Reading Comprehension. Each subject covers most of the topics that you have taken
during your high school years. Here are the subtopics that are included in the test:

Mathematics  Angles
 Parallel and Perpendicular Lines
 Triangle Postulates and Theorems
 Arithmetic and Number Sense (ASA, SSS, etc.)
 Algebra  Quadrilaterals and Other Polygons
 Area and Volume
 Signed Numbers  Circles
 Algebraic Expressions
 Equations and Inequalities  Trigonometry
 Quadratic Equations
 Systems of Equation
 Basic Trigonometric Functions
 Polynomials
 Basic Identities
 Functions and Relations
 Fractions and Rational Functions
 Cartesian Coordinate System  Statictics
(Graphing)
 Word Problems  Measures of Central Tendencies
 Exponents and Logarithms (mean, median, mode)
 Radicals  Factorials
 Sets and Set Notation  Counting, Permutation and
 Complex Numbers Combination
 Sequences and Series  Probability

 Geometry Science
 Reasoning  Earth Science and Astronomy
 Definitions, Postulates and Theorems
  Rocks and Minerals  Vocabulary
 The Layers of the Earth and its
Composition  Word Meanings
 Land Formations and Bodies of Water  Spelling
 Plate Tectonics  Synonyms
 Earthquakes, Volcanoes  Antonyms
 Climate, Weather and the Atmosphere  Confusing Words
 Fossils

 Grammar
 Biology
 Parts of Speech
 The Ecosystem  Correct Usage
 Classification/Taxonomy  Punctuation
 Biogeochemical Cycles  Capitalization
 Plants and Photosynthesis  Subject-verb Agreement
 Animal Biology  Sentence Construction
 Cell Biology  Modifiers
 Genetics and Heredity  Finding Errors/Sentence Correction
 Human Anatomy  Voice (active and passive)

 Chemistry  Reading Comprehension

 Precision and Accuracy  Essays
 Conversion of Units  Getting the Main Idea/Topic Sentence
 Elements, Compounds and Mixtures  Appropriate Title of Selection
 States of Matter  Poetry
 The Periodic Table  Short stories
 Electronic Configuration and the  Speeches
Quantum Numbers  Comic Strips
 Nuclear Reactions  Figures of Speech (simile, metaphors,
 Chemical Reactions etc.)
 Stoichiometry  Author’s Point of View
 Gas Laws  Meaning Through Context Clues
 Redox Reactions  Drawing Conclusions
 Basic Organic Chemistry  Inference
 Fact and Opinion
 Physics
 Filipino
 Scalar and Vector Quantities
 Laws of Motion  WastongGamit
 Relative Velocities  Bahagi ng Pananalita
 Force  Sawikain o Idioma
 Work, Energy and Power  Tayutay
 Fluid Mechanics  Paksa ng Talata
 Light, Sound and Waves
 Electricity and Magnetism
 Thermodynamics (note: The Filipino part is
integrated with
Language Proficiency
the Language Proficiency and )