UPCAT
preparation guide
University of the Philippines College Admission Test — a month-by-month study plan and how to approach each subject.
The exam in brief
Four subtests: Language Proficiency and Reading Comprehension (both in English and Filipino), Mathematics and Science. Test administration takes about five hours. UP doesn't publish item counts or subtest weights. There's no fixed pass mark. UP combines your UPCAT score with your Grades 8–11 grades into the University Predicted Grade (UPG) and doesn't publish the weighting. 12.44% of examinees qualified for UPCAT 2026 and about 13.3% for UPCAT 2025.
Official sources, dates and fees are on the UPCAT page.
Month-by-month UPCAT plan
Weeks 1–2: Diagnostic
Get used to working without a calculator
- Take a timed practice test with no calculator
- List the math topics you reach for a calculator on
- Drill mental math for 15 minutes a day
Weeks 3–5: Language and reading
English and Filipino both count
- Practice grammar and usage in both languages
- Read one long passage a day and time it
- Build a vocabulary list from your reading mistakes
Weeks 6–8: Mathematics and science
Rebuild the high-school foundations
- Review algebra, geometry and trigonometry
- Mix biology, chemistry and physics sets
- Redo every wrong answer a week later
Final 2 weeks: Full practice tests
Stamina — administration takes about five hours
- Sit two full timed practice tests
- Re-read the explanations for every miss
- Prepare your test permit and the items UP allows the night before
How to approach each subject
Language Proficiency
English and Filipino
- Grammar and usage in both languages
- Read explanations even when you got it right
- Build vocabulary from context
Reading Comprehension
English and Filipino
- Timed passages from day one
- Main idea and inference questions
- Find the evidence in the passage fast
Mathematics and Science
No calculator
- Algebra, geometry and trigonometry
- Mental computation shortcuts
- Mixed biology, chemistry and physics sets
Study for the UPCAT with Super Tutor
Every chapter, 11 ways
Summaries, study notes, flashcards, concept maps and cheat sheets for each UPCAT chapter.
Quizzes at three levels
Practice quizzes for every chapter, with an explanation for each answer.
An AI tutor
Ask why an answer is right, or yours was wrong, whenever you're stuck.
Full mock exams
Timed UPCAT mocks. One is included in the free trial.
UPCAT preparation FAQs
Preparation time, passing rule and the next exam date
How long should I prepare for the UPCAT?
Most takers plan for 8–12 weeks of steady review, longer if the fundamentals are rusty. What matters more than the number of weeks is a daily slot you keep and regular timed practice.
How do you pass the UPCAT?
There's no fixed pass mark. UP combines your UPCAT score with your Grades 8–11 grades into the University Predicted Grade (UPG) and doesn't publish the weighting. 12.44% of examinees qualified for UPCAT 2026 and about 13.3% for UPCAT 2025.
When is the next UPCAT?
The last UPCAT was held on 1–2 August 2026. The next one is expected in August 2027 but hasn't been announced by the UP Office of Admissions yet. In recent cycles applications opened in March and the test ran on the first weekend of August.
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