Mathematics Reviewer

UPCAT Math Coverage

The Math subtest in this reviewer will cover your high school math topics. It will also
involve your basic math skills that you've learned from elementary days like
fundamental operations, fractions, shapes, and other basic concepts.

Here's a breakdown of the topics that you'll encounter in the test:

 Arithmetic and Number Sense

o Order of operations
o Fractions, decimals, percents

 Algebra

o Signed Numbers
o Algebraic Expressions
o Equations and Inequalities
o Quadratic Equations
o Systems of Equation
o Polynomials
o Functions and Relations
o Fractions and Rational Functions
o Cartesian Coordinate System (Graphing)
o Word Problems
o Exponents and Logarithms
o Radicals
o Sets and Set Notation
o Complex Numbers
o Sequences and Series

 Geometry
o Reasoning and Logic
o Definitions, Postulates and Theorems
o Angles
o Parallel and Perpendicular Lines
 o Triangle Postulates and Theorems (ASA, SSS, etc.)
o Quadrilaterals and Other Polygons
o Area and Volume
o Circles

 Trigonometry
o Basic Trigonometric Functions
o Basic Identities
o Application

 Statictics
o Measures of Central Tendencies (mean, median, mode)
o Measures of Spread (variance, standard deviation, percentiles)
o Factorials
o Counting, Permutation and Combination
o Probability

UPCAT Math Tips

 Strengthen and polish your basics. A solid foundation on the basics of the
fundamentals of mathematics is your key to passing the Math part of the UPCAT.
All other topics that are covered will need the basics on math. So before getting
into more complicated topics like calculus and trigonometry, focus on the basics.
 Study the basics of trigonometry ratios. aIt would be best to study the basic
trigonometric ratios and its applications as UPCAT is known to throw in some
trigonometry questions.
 Calculators are not allowed during the exam. That means YOU are your
calculator. It’s best if you brush up on your manual and mental computation skills.
There are a lot of learning resources out there that you can choose from. This PDF
copy of Speed Math for Kids might be able to help 
 Supplement your review with other math learning resources. You can
check out channels like PatrickJMT and KhanAcademy. There are also a handful
of tutorials from other authors on Youtube.
 Master calculating fractions, decimals and percents. This is also a key area
that you should focus on. Study on how to masterfully apply the basic
mathematical operations on fractions and you will go a long way. Believe us.
You’ll thank us later.
 Keep practicing. The best way to see if you are ready to take the actual
UPCAT is to keep taking practice tests and find out where you’re having a hard
time so you can focus on getting better on those topics.
 The UPCAT has NO Filipino questions. Aside from becoming good in
computations, you should also practice your English comprehension skills to
understand word problems better.
 Internalize & analyze, NOT memorize. Lastly, we all know mathematics is
riddled with tons of formulas. It would take years if you wanted to ‘memorize’ all
of them. The secret here not to memorize the formulas, but to internalize them and
understand what they’re for and what they do. When you understand that, the
formula will naturally come to you because you understand how it’s supposed to
work.

Science Reviewer
UPCAT Science Coverage
The Science subtest covers It also focuses on your analytical skills - how you make
connections from science concepts and draw conclusions from observations - aside
from the information and facts that you've memorized.

Here's the breakdown of the science reviewer:

 Earth Science and Astronomy

o Rocks and Minerals
o The Layers of the Earth and its Composition
o Land Formations and Bodies of Water
o Plate Tectonics
o Earthquakes, Volcanoes
o Climate, Weather and the Atmosphere
o Fossils

 Biology
o The Ecosystem
o Classification/Taxonomy
o Biogeochemical Cycles
 o Plants and Photosynthesis
o Animal Biology
o Cell Biology
o Genetics and Heredity
o Human Anatomy

 Chemistry
o Precision and Accuracy
o Conversion of Units
o Elements, Compounds and Mixtures
o States of Matter
o The Periodic Table
o Electronic Configuration and the Quantum Numbers
o Nuclear Reactions
o Chemical Reactions
o Stoichiometry
o Gas Laws
o Redox Reactions
o Basic Organic Chemistry

 Physics
o Scalar and Vector Quantities
o Laws of Motion
o Relative Velocities
o Force
o Work, Energy and Power
o Fluid Mechanics
o Light, Sound and Waves
o Electricity and Magnetism
o Thermodynamics

UPCAT Science Tips

 Use flashcards. An effective way to remember key terms, concepts, and even
formulas is to use flashcards when reviewing. They can easily be downloaded
online or you could create your own.
 Internalize. Similar to mathematics, key to being effective is not to memorize
but to internalize. Understand the concepts and its terms, understand how and
where they are applied, and understand their effects. That is the best and fastest
way to review them.
 Practice computations in science topics. When mathematics is also involved
like physics and chemistry, doing practice tests with the computations will also
greatly help you in preparing for the actual test.
 Always try to challenge yourself. When you’re confident with the simpler
problems already, challenge yourself and try out the more complicated problems
so you can be confident at solving them too.

Language Proficiency Reviewer

UPCAT Language Proficiency
Coverage
The Language Proficiency subtest mainly focuses on grammar, vocabulary and proper
composition of sentences and paragraphs.

Here are the topics covered in language proficiency reviewer:

  Vocabulary
o Word Meanings
o Spelling
o Synonyms
o Antonyms
o Confusing Words

 Grammar
o Parts of Speech
o Correct Usage
o Punctuation
o Capitalization
o Subject-verb Agreement
o Sentence Construction/Fragment Sequencing
o Modifiers
 o Finding Errors/Sentence Correction
o Voice (active and passive)

UPCAT Language Proficiency Tips

 Sharp vocabulary and grammar skills is the key to acing the language
proficiency subtest. An effective way to hone these skills is by reading
professionally written materials such as journals, books, magazines, and academic
articles.
 It is best to avoid poorly written editorials or blogs as though they may have
decent and understandable content, they tend to skew your understanding of
proper grammar and vocabulary.
 Another good practice is to write in complete words and sentences when
sending text messages, emails, chats, and even when writing comments on social
media. This will help you a lot in getting accustomed to using properly structured
sentences.
 The dictionary is your best friend. It’s best to learn a new word everyday.
Here’s another reference you can use to learn new words that are most likely to
appear in the test so be sure to check it out here.
 If you want to improve your english proficiency, we advised that you refrain
from watching Tagalized shows for the duration of your review until after the test.
Watch informative shows that are in full english instead. This will help you be
more familiar with the language.
 Guessing the meaning of the word is actually possible, even if you don’t have a
dictionary or a thesaurus with you. You can do this by using context clues.
Example: "The wounded soldier languished in pain as there was no nearby
medical team to aid him." You would infer that the meaning of the word
"languish" is to be forced to remain in an unpleasant state.
 Word games will definitely help you in expanding your vocabulary and
understanding of the words, and also your logical thinking. This means playing
word games like Scrabble, Word Factory, or even Boggle during your downtime
can help you a lot in preparing for the test.
 Learn how to guess the meaning of a word by looking at the root word, and
then looking at the prefix or suffix. Example: “Circum” is a Latin word which
means “around” so English words that originated from it like circumference,
circus, and circuit all have that sense of going around.
 Practice communication using the language. Both speaking and writing in
english will drastically help you improve your mastery of the language. What
 better way to learn it that to put it into action, right? Practice on writing essays,
editing blogs and articles, or better yet, start your own. Do everything to improve
your language proficiency because it is one competency that you will need 24/7
not just for the UPCAT or in UP but even in the real world after that

Reading Comprehension
Reviewer
UPCAT Reading Comprehension
Coverage
The Reading Comprehension subtest of the UPCAT is comprised of different written
materials, as well as diagrams and figures, which measures the level of understanding
and analysis of the student.

This subtest may include the following:

 Essays
 Getting the Main Idea/Topic Sentence
 Appropriate Title of Selection
 Poetry
 Short stories
 Speeches
 Comic Strips
 Graphs and Other Diagrams
 Figures of Speech (simile, metaphors, etc.)
 Author’s Point of View
 Meaning Through Context Clues
 Drawing Conclusions
 Inference
 Fact and Opinion
UPCAT Reading Comprehension Tips
 Read the questions first before passages. Reading all the stories and passages
given during the test from start to finish will be impossible to do in under 30-40
minutes, especially if you will be answer questions after. One good technique to
overcome this is to go straight into reading the questions. This way, you know
what you’re looking for and you can use clues to find the answers in the story or
passage.
 Practice reading fast while maintaining full comprehension of what you’re
reading. This may sound hard, but you just have to keep on doing it until you
master the art of skimming and scanning so you can understand important
information without having to read a entire blocks of text.
 What are the parts of the Ateneo College
Entrance Exam?
The ACET covers three topics, namely: English,
Mathematics, and General Intelligence. It all seems
simple but, when broken down, it’s the ultimate
test of how well you do under pressure—a.k.a. The
Atenean Way. Here’s what to look out for. Note that
this isn’t the testing order.

 Mathematics (Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry,

Arithmetic)
 Mathematics (Problem Solving)
 Language Proficiency
 Reading Comprehension
 Essay
 Logical Reasoning
 Abstract Reasoning
 General Information

Pro-tip: Focus on your weak areas. But don’t

neglect the others either.

Is the ACET hard?

Yes. I mean, all college entrance tests are. But
you must not doubt yourself. You will get through
it. Knowing what you have to review for is a huge
 advantage. Knowing how to answer the test, however,
is the bigger obstacle.

That’s why it’ll help to enroll in a review center.

They give you practice exams and simulations that
get you in the zone. Plus your instructors have
methods for making intelligent guesses under time
pressure.

We’ve got handy articles on review centers for you

to check out!

 10 Review Centers to enroll in this 2019

 Do college review centers really work? (TL;DR,
we answer from all POVs: Yes, no, and it depends.)
 What to do when you can’t afford a review
center for entrance exams
 CETs: One-Month Study Guide

They say the ACET wasn’t designed to be finished.

That’s not entirely true. Of course, there are exam
portions in which you must answer 25 questions in 5
minutes. Seems impossible, yeah? However, it’s not
improbable. In fact, people have finished the exam
with nanoseconds to spare (myself included). You
just need some time management skills and also
master the art of intelligent guessing—er,
answering.

How to pass the ACET secret #1: Constantly

practice your math and reading
Practice your math problems. Memorize your formulas
—you won’t be allowed a calculator. Target your
weakest subjects.
But your practice doesn’t stop at math. The English
portion, logical reasoning, and reading
comprehension will hurt even a native speaker’s
brain. Therefore, you must learn how to
read and write—and do so quickly and concisely.

So pull those great books off your shelves. Brush

up on the classics. Expose yourself to well-written
works in English. Learn good sentence structure in
the best way: reading.

Another note on vocabulary: While you come across

hard words in your reading, take note. However, the
biggest trick in the book is remembering common
prefixes, root words, and suffixes. The vocabulary
part of the ACET becomes easier if you break down
the word. You don’t need to memorize a dictionary or
draw up flash cards either. 

How to pass the ACET secret #2: Outline

your essay before you write it
See if you can write about abstract topics. This is
where your reading practice comes in handy—exposing
yourself to good writing gives you an edge. An
abstract topic will likely be your essay question.
Ateneans love philosophers.

The ACET essay question usually makes you consider

abstract concepts. For example, hope, maturity,
talent, or even “the Ateneo.” Prompts are often
phrased like, “What is ___ to you?” Or “Write an
essay that defines the word ___.”

Be coherent, concise, and complete with your

thoughts. In other words, don’t ramble. Make sure
your essay is structured and uses proper grammar.
Give your essay a proper introduction, body, and
 conclusion. Outline your thoughts on your scratch
paper before you write. The ACET essay portion not
only tests your thought process and how you work
under pressure, but it also serves as a grammar and
style check.

How to pass the ACET Secret #3: Mind tricks

and time management hacks
Scared? Nervous? That’s alright—I was, too.
Although, I did mention mind tricks, right? That’s
where some calming techniques, time management
hacks, plus general anxiety busters come in to get
you through the Big Day.

1. Calm yourself. Do not give in to fear. You’re

allowed to bring water. Drink it when you’re about
to panic.
2. Be familiar with some breathing
exercises. Meditation will save you in a panic. 
3. Mark now, shade later. Time pressure is your
worst enemy. You don’t want to waste precious
seconds on getting that little circle perfectly
shaded. Put a dot on the letter, and shade all your
answers at the end when you have the time.
4. If you have a math problem that
requires solving for x, skip the solution. Just fix
the formula and plug in the answers already given,
since it’s multiple choice. Don’t waste your time!
5. For vocabulary, know your prefixes and suffixes.
Most difficult words come from root words so know
those, too. Also rely on context clues. 
6. Reading Comprehension is time-consuming unless
you know how to proceed. Read the
questions first. And then read the text. That way,
you already know what information to look for when
you read the passage provided.
7. If you’re stuck on an item, skip it! Come back
to it later when you have the time. Also, don’t
leave anything blank. This test isn’t right minus
wrong. Use intelligent guesses.
8. Most importantly: Wear a watch.

How do I get into an advanced placement

program?
Ateneo believes in pushing the boundaries of
students’ learning—therefore, it gives top-
performing students the opportunity to study a more
skillful program. This includes advanced English,
Filipino, Math, and also foreign language programs.
From the ACET, you can already place in the merit
English and possibly Math sections.

Your ACET score in the language section together

with your essay determines whether you place in the
advanced English program or not in your Ateneo
undergraduate studies. Similarly, your scores in
the math section determine whether you place in a
Merit, Regular, or Basic section. Top 10% scorers
gain admission. 

So do well, and you might just be learning under a

renowned Filipino author or academic next year!

Get started on your road up the hill to

Ateneo!
Ateneo de Manila University is one of the top
ranking schools in the Philippines. You’ll be sure
to find great education and opportunities after
graduation, too! While it’s known for its business,
humanities, and sociology courses, Ateneo also
boasts a great Fine Arts department. Did you know
it’s got the first museum of Philippine modern art
on campus, too? Plus, a long list of accomplished—
and super cool—alumni.