UPCAT REVIEWER: POINTERS

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.