UPCAT vs ACET vs DCAT vs USTET: How the Big Four Differ
UPCAT vs ACET vs DLSU DCAT vs USTET — side-by-side format, scoring, fees and AY 2027–28 test dates, what makes each one hard, and how to review for all four.
By Super Tutor Team
Four Tests, Four Different Formats
The big four college entrance tests — UPCAT, ACET, DLSU's DCAT, and USTET — all gate competitive universities. But each one asks something different. Knowing what before you start reviewing saves weeks of misdirected effort.
UPCAT
- Format: Four subtests — Language Proficiency and Reading Comprehension (both in English and Filipino), Mathematics and Science. Paper-based, about five hours to administer, no calculators. UP doesn't publish an item count.
- Scoring: University Predicted Grade (UPG) — your UPCAT scores combined with your Grades 8–11 grades.
- Passing: No fixed passing score; admission depends on campus quotas and/or cut-off grades, which UP doesn't publish.
- Dates: The most recent UPCAT was on 1–2 August 2026; results are due in the first half of 2027. The next UPCAT hasn't been announced (recent cycles: apply in March, test in early August).
ACET
- Format: Multiple-choice questions in mathematics, English, general knowledge and abstract reasoning, plus an essay. No Filipino section. The number of items varies each year.
- Scoring: Not right-minus-wrong. Ateneo also weighs your high-school record, extracurriculars, personal essay and recommendation letters, without publishing the weights.
- Dates: Ateneo's calendar set the SY 2027–28 ACET for 19–20 September 2026 in Metro Manila and 26–27 September 2026 at provincial centres (some provincial sites on 3 and 10 October). Decisions come by email in May 2027.
DCAT (DLSU)
- Format: DLSU doesn't publish an official breakdown. Past takers report English and reading comprehension, mathematics, science and mental ability. Offered onsite and online.
- Application: Through DLSU's Archers Hub, listing three ranked programme choices.
- Dates: For AY 2027–28, DLSU's calendar set applications from 15 July to 30 September 2026, provincial testing from 5 September to 24 October 2026, on-campus testing on 8 November 2026 (Manila) and 6 December 2026 (Laguna), and online sittings on 27 November, 4 December and 11 December 2026.
USTET
- Format: Mental Ability, English, Mathematics and Science, taken in person at UST testing centres. No Filipino section. UST doesn't publish the item count or duration.
- Scoring: Part of your USTET result comes from your grades.
- Fee: ₱600 for Filipino applicants from local schools, waived for public-school Highest Honors students and RA 12006-eligible applicants.
- Dates: UST's schedule sets tests at UST Manila on 18 October 2026, 6 December 2026 and 24 January 2027 (other centres have their own dates). Results are due in the second quarter of 2027.
Which is Actually Harder?
By the numbers, the UPCAT is the one we can measure: 18,350 of 147,437 examinees qualified for UPCAT 2026 (12.44%, including waitlisted). Ateneo, DLSU and UST don't publish admission rates, so any "harder" ranking among them is guesswork. What differs is the kind of hard: the UPCAT's long, no-calculator paper and Filipino-language sections; the ACET's essay and general knowledge; the DCAT's and USTET's science and mental ability items.
Reviewing for All Four
The smart move? One review plan that covers shared Math, English, and Reading — then 1–2 weeks on each test's quirks (Filipino for UPCAT, the essay for ACET, mental ability for DCAT and USTET). Super Tutor has separate reviewers for the UPCAT, ACET, DCAT, USTET, PUPCET, FEU-CAT, CEU entrance exam and MSU-SASE. Each plan covers one exam, from ₱249 a month with auto-pay (cancel anytime), or ₱1,999 for a full year, paid once.
See Also
Sources
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