Since I am a 4th year student and I was one of the seniors all over the Philippines who took the UPCAT this weekend, I will share my story, too. :)
My UPCAT schedule was 12:30 pm, Saturday. I woke up early and I took my bath and all that. My dad, who was from work, picked me up at the house at 10:30 and we went to the mall to eat lunch and to buy the materials and snacks I needed for the exam. While I ate, he gave me UPCAT tips and he also gave quick lessons about English vocab. “If you do not know the meaning of the word, look for its Greek or Latin root word,” my dad had said.
We arrived at the testing center at 11:30. My dad bade me goodbye, and I remember the last words he said to me very clearly: “Do think of UPCAT as a game. Enjoy.”
We were admitted inside the library at 12:30 pm and then instructions were given. I felt weird at that time because I didn’t feel nervous anymore. LOL. After that, the exam started.
UPCAT was hard, yes, but not to the point that I almost died or something. It was just like a hard test, but with less time, of course.
Here are my comments for each subtest:
- Languange Proficiency - This was the first subtest and this was the easiest. I finished answering it 10 minutes before the end of the time, and therefore I was able to review my answers. This is the only subtest in which I was able to review my answers.
- Science - If Language Proficiency was the easiest, science was the hardest. The best word that would describe me while I was answering science was HOPELESS. I was freaking hopeless. The things I reviewed didn’t show up and the questions were freaking hard. I used the “eenie miney moe” method in most questions and I hope it’ll work. Phew.
- Math - Math, for me, was surprisingly easy (not that I’m bragging or anything). There were lots of geometry (yay!) and I actually enjoyed answering the questions. I liked the questions because they really made me think hard. I was not sure of my answers to more or less 5 questions, though.
- Reading Comprehension - It was okay. I say okay and not easy because when the time came when we’d already answer Reading Comprehension, my mind was too tired. I read the long texts very carefully and I tried my best to answer the questions right, but I’m not sure if I was really able to answer them right. Phew.
- Essay - I expected to be asked to talk about a certain issue in the Philippines for the essay part, but I was wrong. When I read the essay question, I was shocked and I was like, “Are you effing kidding me?” HAHAHAH XD My question went like, “You encountered an alien from another planet. Narrate the series of events.” and not “What would you do if you meet an alien?” nor “Narrate the conversation when you encounter an alien.” What a random question. LOL. We were given only 15 minutes and I almost didn’t finish my essay because I kept changing my lead in the first few minutes. Phew.
I didn’t leave any blanks, because that’s what my father advised me and I also thought that having an educational guess and not leaving a number blank is better than not answering a question. I kind of regret not leaving any blanks in science, though. What if my answers were all wrong? My score would be -15. LOL.
I have this very strong feeling that I won’t pass UPCAT because of science. *Sighs* I hope and I pray that I pass. I’ll really be happy if I do. But if I don’t, well, okay.
