I wasn't supposed to write this until recently a tumblr mutual who is an upcoming Grade 12 student asked me for tips on how I prepared, studied and handled my College Entrance Tests [CETs]. Warning for grammatical errors since I am writing this at 3 am. For validity purposes, I surprisingly passed 5 universities: DLSU [DCAT], FEU [FEUCAT], UP [UPCAT], ADMU [ACET], and UST [USTET]. I also passed the 2020 DOST Scholarship, a scholarship for students with science-related courses.

Please take note that most of the tips included here contain what I researched prior to my exams, what I applied, what worked, and what I should have done, so this is loosely based on the expectations/realities of my college entrance exams. I also included some of my experiences during application (such as choosing a course for each university), before, during and after examination (such as what to do about your post-test anxieties),and lastly, what to expect for each university that I applied to.

Disclaimer: I will also include links with pdf files and images of important details regarding application and exam coverage. Most of the pictures are not mine, but I will try to include the source if I can still find them. Enjoy!

Pre-studying Preparations:

1. Start now

Preparing for these entrance exams is really hard, not because you will find the questions difficult, but because the exams are time-consuming and contains too many topics. Which is why I totally suggest starting as soon as possible. I actually didn't start reviewing seriously until July because I was a little lazy, so my reviewing time was cut down because of school works, extra-curricular activities and application deadlines. You would think it's still early, but it's already too late (scary). Remember though: your review will be most effective if you prepared well, so don't jump into reviewing right away.

2. Discover the most appropriate way of studying for you

Studying is boring. I know. Thus why this step is important. I actually never knew the most appropriate way of studying for me, but I did discover how to mentally situate and place myself into studying mode. Basically, you determine the steps you need to do so your body and brain recognizes that you are about to study your brains off. I have 4 steps on achieving the ~CETs mode~ which you can follow too, if you have no idea the best type of studying for you:

(1) Set up the ambiance. You're already in high school, so hopefully you already know those things that motivate you to study. For me, I work well in a coffee shop setting, I work more efficiently if I have my earphones on, I remember better with my mechanical pen instead of my pen for math-related topics, I prefer using purple ink, and I work best around 5 pm to 12 mn, and many more. How about you? There are many factors, but you can work for hours straight without feeling too tired or overload-ed if proper conditions are met.

(2) Set a time for CETs studying only. This might be different for every student but reviewing 5 hours straight is more effective for me than reviewing an hour for every 5 hours. Nevertheless, keep a consistent time for reviewing. You can include snack times in between, but I really suggest staying focused for the time you will allot for reviewing.

(3) Decide on your materials. This includes whether you should include digital reviewers since gadgets tend to distract students a lot. For me, I used NBS-available college preparations booklets, printed exam simulations (located at the end of this entry), and some textbooks (just math and statistics because I really suck at math). For my writing materials I used a blank-inked pen, a purple-inked pen for checking and taking notes or reminders, and a mechanical pencil. This is important to note since you need to keep your materials as few as possible because too much things on your workspace might make you feel overwhelmed.

(4) Decide on an approach. There are many ways to review such as reviewing past notes or answering simulated exams. I highly recommend the latter approach because an effective way of information retention is by making mistakes here and there. So, take a simulated exam for a specific amount of time, then check and review all of your answers. As time passes by, this approach will let you remember all of your previous mistakes, and most importantly, it will teach you how to manage your time during an exam. You can use mixed methods if you have enough time.

3. Research

You should definitely research the schools you will apply to because every school has a different exam gauge. (1) Knowing which schools you will apply to will significantly lessen your topics to focus on and helps you determine the topics that you really need to focus on. For example, UPCAT questions contain Tagalog questions, so you might need to review some Tagalog science and math vocab. ACET has an essay writing portion, which you definitely need to practice if you plan on entering Ateneo. (2) Another thing that motivated me was the passing rate of each university. For example, I was told that out of 7 UPCAT takers, only 1 will pass (I forgot where I heard this, but I was told of this before). Anyway, I imagined the 6 best performing student in my class [vs me] and immediately created plans on how I would be able to take that spot instead of one of them. In a way, it motivated me to study harder. Who are those 6 people you want to beat [academically]? (3) The dates of the exams matter as well so you can prepare accordingly. Do not fret, I have a separate section on how you should make a study schedule depending on the dates of your exams and the time left for you to study. But do take note and put these dates in your calendar so you will have an idea how close or far each exam is. (4) Research about the place as well, like what your exam room (if you have information about it already) looks like, how will you commute to and from it, and where are the nearest bathrooms. You know what, a better alternative for just researching is doing a recon yourself. You should go to the place, let's say, a week from your exam, and get to know and be familiar with it.

4. Set goals

Obviously, your goal is to maximize your remaining time preparing, and of course, passing. You also want to answer questions as efficiently as you can, and you can if you strictly follow your review routine. How do you make one, you ask? Now that you know what to study and how to study them (refer to steps 2 and 3 of the "Pre-studying preparations"), you should account the number of hours left for you to efficiently study all of them. This will help you in setting up your study schedule. Here are some tips on how to create a study schedule:

(1) Count the remaining time for you to study. For example, if I have three days left before my UPCAT exam, then I have at most 15 hours (since I study 5 hours a day) left to study.

(2) List down all of the general subjects/topics for every exam you plan on taking. Here are some of the coverage of previous CETs for DCAT, ACET, UPCAT and USTET.

(3) Arrange them in order of priority or difficulty for you. For example, the top of my list had always been statistics and calculus because I suck too much at those subjects; meaning, I will practice those subjects more than anything, so I will have at least a chance of not flunking there.

(4) Assign an amount of time per week that you will allocate for each topic. For example, I make sure I get 8 hours a week for science subjects (like Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Earth and space science). I also have 8 hours for math subjects (like Algebra, Arithmetic, Trigonometry, Business math, Calculus and Statistics). I also use my free times on weekends to practice essay writing. I was a lazy student so I had no time to study Language proficiency, but I was fairly good at English and Filipino so reading comprehension and other language-related subtests were okay for me, despite me not allotting a time to study them.

(5) Make a physical or digital calendar. Again, I am lazy so making my own calendar with the things to do and accomplish within the day helped me a lot. I check my phone a lot so I put my study schedule there. Every phone has a widget for the calendar, making it easier to access, and without you having to download an application for it.

5. Commit self-disciple

This is pretty easy to understand, but the hardest step to accomplish. Having self-discipline would mean staying consistent with your study schedule and goals. In order to do so, you must remove all sources of distraction such as gadgets, if you don't necessarily need it. Strictly no socmed should be established also since it is a proven effective way to kill time and productivity. Also part of being consistent is not delaying or skipping review time, or changing your study schedule to fit your needs, even if an important exam or project is upcoming (thus why it is important to start even before classes start since clashing of schedules is bound to happen). A great way to encourage your mind and body to work towards a consistent study schedule is by visualizing your end goals and assigning specific stepping points so you'll know your progress. Don't forget to take care of your body and mind as well! All of these tips would be useless if you cannot take care of yourself physically, mentally and emotionally before the exam season kicks in.

Frequently asked questions about Review Centers and Private tutors:

(1) Are review centers necessary for CETs? No.

(2) Will entering a review center ensure my passing of entrance exams? No.

(3) Will it increase my odds of passing my first choice of school? Not necessarily.

(4) I work best in a classroom-setting, is that enough reason to enter a review center? Not necessarily, as well. There are many types of review centers and most of them, while have a classroom setup, do not have the same effect. If this is your only concern, I suggest arranging a study group which is a cheaper and more convenient option.

(5) So, who (do I think) should really apply for review centers/tutors? Those who have trouble with math, those who they think cannot commit to their accomplished study schedule, and non-STEM students. It can be unfair, but most CETs questions heavily depend on your knowledge in Math, Science and English. As for the math part, studying math all by yourself is hard especially if you're a slow learner. Having great teachers to teach and give you tips will help with your test-answering skills.

(6) Which review center should I enter? Entering a review center is under your discretion, and if you really want to register to one, I suggest you make your research. I have received mixed reviews regarding different review centers, so don't enter a specific review center just because many of your peers do, because it works differently for every student. Here are five standards when picking an appropriate review center for you:

(1) System. The best type of review center systems are those that simulate exams since it will not only practice your test-taking skills, but "force" you to work your brain and remember past lessons and knowledge.

(2) Price and Reviews. There are many overpriced review centers and tutors that overcharge. Do not be tempted to pay a large sum of money just so you get to be in a review center. Check for reviews from previous students of those centers (not from parents or teachers), so you can know if the service the review center is offering will be worth it.

(3) Materials. Many review centers provide textbooks with lessons and simulated exams, and some don't. For future references, it is best to enter review centers that let you keep your study materials, so you can review even after your sessions.

(4) Location. You need not to only consider quality learning, but safety and efficiency too. You must consider transportation expenses, commute time and the convenience of the location.

(5) Staff. This is the most important criteria to consider when picking a review center. You can get as much review materials online and in bookstore if you have enough money. So when it comes to tutors and review centers, if money is of no consequence, you should go for the best and well-rated teachers.

Tips during the Application Period:

1. Prepare your files early.

Applying to most universities is easier nowadays since some utilize the internet and online world. You need to research on the files that are required by the universities you will apply to, and prepare soft copies for easy access later on. These are samples of the application forms for DCAT, ACET, UPCAT and USTET.

2. Pick a course smartly.

If you need guidance on what and how to choose your course, refer to the section "Reservations and Deciding" since I am discussing a different subject here. You should pick your first, second and third course choices depending on their passing rates on your chosen university or college. There are courses that accept very limited number of students [quota courses], and courses that have interviews and talent exam portions [some courses related to the arts]. Unless you are very confident that you will pass your chosen university, it is safest to pick at least one non-quota course to increase your odds at getting accepted in that university. If you are worried about passing the course and not on passing the university, there are ways to change to your favored course so long as you are qualified and lucky enough (see the section "Post-exam Care and Announcement Period" for more information).

3. Do it yourself.

Preparing the application forms yourself can help you train your skills in scheduling and organizing, and test your orderliness and patience. Most of the things that you need for application are forms you will be requesting from your school administrator (including Referral letters, which is a requirement for certain universities), personal forms like birth certificate and important information like your annual gross income. You are not the only student asking for those files/information, so you should be time-effective when asking for files from your teachers/guidance counselor. I also suggest you do as much as you can by yourself to ensure no wrong information will be written. This is also important during Announcement Season since (due to Data Privacy Act) you need to log in to be able to see your results.

4. Double check with your parents/guardians.

Wrong information can not only add issues with more work on during your application, but can also disqualify you from applying. Be sure to check all forms and files you will pass, and have your parents double check them.

5. Be an early bird.

This is actually very important since you have enough time to correct any incorrect information, if you have one. Some registrar staff also tend to half-ass your forms if you give it to them near the deadline (My friend experienced this, but the employee was reported and the issue was handled correctly). You'll also avoid the crowded application sites if you go there early.

Universities and Actual Exams:

Before:

(1) Just a reminder, going to your exam sites earlier than the call time reduces your level of anxiety to a very significant notch. During my ACET, I was able to walk around campus before taking the exam. Since I was able to walk around, the familiarity of the place helped me calm down a lot during the exam.

(2) You should also know where important places are (aka the bathroom) before taking the exam. During ACET, I kept on going to the restrooms (which was the worst exam for me to do so because of the impossible time limit) and a significant amount of my exam time was for running around campus, looking for an empty stall. I almost entered a male rest room at some point because I was desperate to find a stall (but I didn't, thankfully).

(3) Be prepared for any kind of environment. I suggest wearing comfortable and your preferred clothing. Bring a jacket, handkerchief or face towels just in case.

(4) You can bring food, if you're an eat-while-answering person, but I suggest only water, candies and dry food (those that can't stain your fingertips and test papers) like sky flakes, sandwiches, and others.

(5) I know it's scary but don't think too much before an exam which means: Do not study before an exam but you can scan your notes if you really want to. They say studying before an exam will hurt your brains out but it never happened to me when I did it for my FEUCAT and DCAT; but since it happened to others, do so at your own risk. If you prepared enough, you do not even need to review the night before your exam, so just do your best to prepare and let God do the rest.

(6) Do not eat and drink too much as well, because you might take too much time trying to go to the bathroom.

(7) Check the university website/facebook pages and your test permit prior to the test date for extra reminders like the prescribed pencil and any other important documents to bring (test permit, official receipts, ID picture if indicated).

1. De La Salle University

I wasn't that scared nor anxious about taking DCAT because I don't plan on going there (it's nothing personal, the location is too inconvenient for me), so I took this exam with ease and less pressure; but the university had MBB, my first choice course, so I didn't mind passing and eventually accepting it, if I didn't get a spot on my top-picked universities. Anyway, I took this test in my high school so there were no environmental factors affecting my performance since my high school campus was a place I don't feel too uncomfortable with. If you haven't been to a DLSU campus, I took my D-SHAPE in the Taft campus, and most of the class rooms were cozy. The lighting was fitting for exam-taking, but the room was too cold! Be sure to bring a jacket and other thick clothing if you get cold easily.

Actual Exams
Almost all of the subtests were easy for me, with the language proficiency subtest being the easiest. The only thing that made DCAT hard for most of the takers was the math subtest. It consisted of mostly statistics and business math problems, with questions even I haven't encountered.

2. Far Eastern University

I never intended to take the FEUCAT but they conveniently went to my high school to administer the exam, so I took it on a whim for the experience. I didn't regret taking it at all because I learned which subjects I need to practice and study more. Since this exam was sudden for me, I had no idea nor time to review the subtests at all. But they have great scholarship programs and offered courses, so you should definitely consider taking FEUCAT. The results were also released just a month after the exam, so this will lessen your anxiety.

Actual Exams
The two main problems I encountered during the FEUCAT was vocabulary and abstract reasoning. The math was very easy (the first question was similar to "2X+5=45 what is X?").

3. Ateneo de Manila University

During my ACET, I was assigned on the same room where I took my A-SHAPE [Ateneo Senior High School Admission and Placement Exam]. I passed both, by the way! But I didn't take the slot for both due to certain problems, so that kind of suck. I love Ateneo though, it was my dream school since I was in elementary school. The thing is, for me you are at a disadvantage if you didn't take the A-SHAPE because how time-consuming the ACET exam is indescribable. It was almost as if the exam wasn't meant to be finished. Since I took the A-SHAPE, I had an idea how pressuring the test would be. The best way to counter this time problem is to practice using simulated exams to train your brain to process information faster. If you didn't finish on time, you can guess but be *smart* about it.

Actual Exams
I had no problem with the questions in all subtests (must be a perk of having a very time-consuming exam), but I should remind you that the ACET has an essay writing portion. Important: Said essay writing portion is included in the limited time for you to answer the Language Proficiency subtest, so make sure to allot time to write your essay. I didn't know that there were no separate times for Language Proficiency and essay writing, and I was lucky I finished the multiple choice portion 15 minutes earlier than the allotted time and immediately worked on writing my essay. Imagine my surprise when they started collecting the essays 15 minutes later. Oh, by the way, my essay prompt was to write an essay that contains the subject of ~privacy~.

4. University of the Philippines

I was at the peak of my unluckiness when UPCAT came. I got the last batch of UPCAT takers (which is an afternoon shift which is after lunch), so I feel so sleepy on the way to the test site. I also arrived around 12 nn, and was walking from UPTC and back at the hottest time of the day. (Not) luckily enough, the room I entered was at most 15 degrees celcius, so suddenly entering a room that cold after walking under 34 degrees celcius was torture for my brain. Long story short: the temperature swing made me feel nauseous throughout the exam period. I also barfed in the middle and start of the science and math subtests but you don't need to know that. Thankfully, my proctors and other staff of my test site (National Institute of Physics building) were very accomodating and helped me throughout the whole incident. An interesting thing about UPCAT is they have different sets of questionnaires per batch, which is no surprise since there are 100,000 students, grouped into 4 batches, taking it.

Actual Exam
There aren't much Filipino questions, unlike what my friends who took the UPCAT last year told me. If there are Filipino questions, it would contain easily comprehensible words if you look at context clues. The reading comprehension was also easy, which was the opposite last year, according to my friends. Despite all of my comments, of all the CETs I have taken, UPCAT was definitely the most difficult test.

5. University of Sto. Tomas

My testing site was in Roque Ruano and it took my dad 30 minutes to find the building because there were not enough signs and staff to assist us, and since UST has a very large campus, make sure to bring a map or guide with you. Many mobile apps like Waze do not input all of the buildings inside the campus so I'd rather you not depend on those. Go there early to get familiar with the place because restrooms have either long queues or are very hard to find. They have food stalls and mall all around campus, so you can eat there before the test if you prefer. If you, like me, get an afternoon batch for this exam, bring an umbrella because they are going to make you fall in line in front of the building. Another troublesome problem I encountered in my USTET experience was the heavy traffic inside and outside campus. One thing I remember the most was that the guards were very friendly (and there were so many cats at night).

Actual Exam
Many USTET takers consider this exam as the hardest this year, which was not the case for me. It was honestly easier than UPCAT, but the math questions in the USTET were more complex and harder than the math subtest in UPCAT. The questions contained many calculus and analytic geometry questions, so make sure to review math before the exam. If I were to give you a single tip in preparation for USTET, I suggest reviewing your SHS lessons (assuming you are a STEM student).

Post-exam Care and Announcement Period:

The moment after you have taken all of your exams is the most nerve-wracking and stressful part of your CETs journey. Remember that not everyone experienced the exam the same as you did. Many of us feel differently after finishing an exam, so be careful with dealing with others and yourself as well. It is okay if you do not want to "treat yourself for doing a good job" unlike what other people do. Many even exclaim that they're going to fail despite being unsure about it, and that's an acceptable reaction too. In short, we all react differently to stress and anxiety so do not invalidate your feelings and others' as well. Nevertheless, it is important for you to relax and reflect, so you will know that you did your best. One way to self reflect is to remember the questions you felt you lacked review of, so you can do better next time. Seeking improvement is a sign of strength! You should apply the same when the results have been announced. But whatever the results are, know that it is not the end! If you didn't pass on your chosen course, you can send a reconsideration letter to the dean of the college you plan on entering (this works for UP and UST, as far as I know). Shifting is another option, but you can only do so after your 1st year. If you are waitlisted, there is still a chance for you to get a slot since there are many students who end up not accepting theirs (except UP, unfortunately).

Reservations and Deciding:

   If you made it this far, congratulations! I'm assuming the results have been announced and you are deciding on your final course and university to enroll to. An important tip is to take note of all deadlines and put them in your calendar, so you don't forget them. If you are having a hard time in deciding which course/university to pick (or which university should you buy a reservation slot on), make a priority list of schools/course that you can accept. You will make reservations based on that list. Personally, I think you should decide based on (1) finance/money, (2) school system and (3) course. For example, my first choice would be any of my first three courses in UP because there would be no tuition fee, the UPD campus is near my house, and I'm fine with taking any of those three courses. My next choice would be UST since I got a scholarship there. My last resort was outside of the country [US] because I got a schorlarship there as well; but I was scared because I applied for a very daunting course (Computer Science and Astrophysics, yikes).

   Anyway, if you have trouble picking a course since you are undecided, I suggest you pick a course you will definitely enjoy to maximize the learning experience. Do not pick based on what is trending or in demand today because these can easily change. If reservation and acceptance deadlines are nearing and you are still unsure on what course to get, I was told to pick something broader so you can experience more things. For example: if you are unsure on whether to accept either a BS MBB or BS Bio course, you should go for the BS Bio one, since it tackles all branches of Biology which might lead you to discover what you truly want to do in the future. Other than that, I was also told to pick a course that has something similar to a board exam or licensure exam so you can get a job quickly after college and study again if you still want to take on your favored course.

   If you are done accepting, it's best to be a little bit more active on social media for announcements. You can also ask as much questions as you can from current students assigned to help and guide your enrollment process as a freshie. You can also research on your possible professors and the campus map to guide you during enlistment (Enlistment is when you pick your units and schedule). Make sure you are guided so your freshman year won't be a "living hell," as many dubbed it. Para sa bayan!

Extra links:

https://academic-clinic.com/2011/05/free-upcat-reviewers-modules-and-readings/

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-lbOU_YaJbdU1IzNTM5OGtuTGs

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/0B4Z4XdK9854qOFN5WFBLbTZCRDA

MSA Refresher: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-lbOU_YaJbdNzRyNFlHUWtERTg/view

That's all for this very long entry. Feel free to ask me anything about my experience by commenting or sending a private message at my tumblr account!

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How I (barely) passed my College Entrance Tests