The Big Deal (Tips for College Entrance Exams: part 2)

As I've said in my previous post, here are the ~actual~ tips for the upcoming entrance exams. :) These are not only applicable to the UPCAT and ACET. These tips are for all entrance exams in general.

       Basically, an entrance exam is one of the few obstacles that universities put up to see who are really good enough to enter. Kumbaga, siya yung nagfi-filter ng mga estudyante para makapasok sa isang unibersidad. These exams cover most of the topics that have been discussed since you were a freshman. Along with the grades for the past few years in high school, and a clean record, entrance exams serve as the "final boss" when it comes to student qualification. If you pass it, then alleluia! Pa-burger na yan.

If you're pretty clueless on what to do, then you've stumbled upon the right article. This post will tackle some tips and things to remember in preparation for the brain draining torture commonly known as "College Entrance Exams".

Get your pen and paper ready.

DAYS OR EVEN MONTHS BEFORE THE EXAM:

• Review while you have time. I will repeat what I've said in my previous post, "nasa huli ang pagsisisi". 
• Research on the coverage of each entrance exam to avoid unnecessary preparations. I'll have you know, I self-studied abstract reasoning days before the UPCAT. But guess what? It wasn't in the test. Huhu.
• Review centers are just optional. One of the best things that review centers could give you would be the Simulation Tests. It's a type of exam that's supposed to give you "the feeling" of taking the actual exam of a particular university. Best practice for pressure! Speaking of which..
• Make yourself used to time pressure. If you're planning to take the ACET, brace yourselves.. you'll seriously go nuts with the time pressure. There's a part that has 25 items that you have to answer in 5 minutes. 
• Advanced reading won't hurt. Some topics that are supposed to be discussed in your last year in high school are already in the entrance exams. There are bits of Physics and Trigonometry in most exams. (you're lucky if you study in a Science High School)
• Make yourself used to reading long essays. Reading comprehensions in exams are time consuming. You'll have to read a number of paragraphs just to answer less than 3 questions. It's pretty harsh. Usually, the first and last paragraphs contain the exact point of the whole essay. Unless the given question is asking for a particular point found in the body of the essay, I'd suggest you'd only read the first and last part. You can also read the question first before finding the answer in the given essay. Whatever floats your boat.

A NIGHT BEFORE THE BIG DAY:

• Prepare everything! Make a checklist containing the following:

1. a lot of no. 2 pencils (preferably Mongol), 
2. a sharpener
3. a good eraser (preferably Stabilo or Faber-Castell), 
4. a pen (just in case), 
5. at least 1 ID*
6. a jacket**
7. a watch (to pressure yourself! mwahaha)
8. some food***

*: Bring an ID just in case. You'll never know when you'll need it.

**: Some venues are cold, some are warm. Better bring a jacket just to be sure. Since most exams are taken mid-year, the weather is most likely to be rainy.

*** Remember to bring food that won't make a lot of noise. This is for those who wish to take the UPCAT. In the ACET, you are given around 10-15 minutes to eat your snacks. On the other hand, you can eat anytime while taking the UPCAT (yay!). Just be careful not to disturb the other examinees. If they fail because of you, you'll be haunted forever.

• Sleep early! I seriously didn't sleep much a night before both the UPCAT and ACET, but I was stressed enough not to fall asleep during the exam. 
• Stop reviewing. You're going to stress yourself for no good reason. I was reviewing a night before the UPCAT, and also a few hours before the exam. I was really stressed because I couldn't remember much of what I read the night before. In the end, the topic that I crammed for wasn't even in the test.. I was stressed for nothing. Bummer.

ON THE EXAM DAY:

• Feed yourself to your stomach's content. An entrance exam could be as long as 8 hours. Better go with a 3/4 full stomach. (remember to ease the load a little bit)
• Do your thing before the exam starts. You might get more stressed in keeping yourself from peeing than answering the exam. Some proctors are so strict that they won't allow anyone to go out of the venue once the exam has started.
• Wear the most comfortable clothes you could find. Remember that at the end of the day, every examinee will look so drained out that no one would care what you'd look like. Hihi
• Double check your stuff before leaving the house. 
• Don't be late! Arrive around 30 minutes or an hour before the exam starts. Usually though, the exam starts a little beyond the allotted time because of the heavy traffic and well.. Filipino Time. 
• Put your phone on silent! 
• Keep calm and stay at ease. Once you're in your seat, relax and make yourself used to the atmosphere.
• Fill out required information legibly. Name, application number, and the likes are required to be filled out in given sheets of paper. Remember to keep your handwriting clean and understandable.
• Start as soon as you're told to. Answer to your.. brain's capabilities. Regain composure if you feel too stressed again.
• Read the directions carefully. It's not just about shading circles. Some questions are meant to make your brain flip. So remember to read the instructions at least twice.
• Answer at a certain, stable momentum. In other words, set up an even pace for yourself as you answer each number. Don't take too long to answer just one item, you'll be sacrificing the minutes used to answer the harder ones.
• Counter-check the number of the item with its number in the answer sheet. You might have skipped a question without knowing. Oops!
• When you have a scratch paper, use it! But remember to be organized. Scratch papers are usually given before the exam starts. (As far as I remember..) you can use it anytime. So don't hesitate on writing anything exam-related there. Remember to keep it clean though. Be sure your formulas are written well.
• When in doubt, read twice. If you couldn't understand a question, read it again and focus! 
• When things go wrong, guess. This should ONLY be your last resort. Don't guess because you don't want to think. Make an educated guess.
• If everyone else is leaving, don't be stressed! Remember that entrance exams aren't about who finished first.

I suppose that's all. I might add more in the future. Most of the tips above are gained from experience. I've learned the hard way..

Remember: Failing an exam won't end your life. There's always a way to get what you want. So keep pushing forward. Study hard, and passing will be a bonus. *wink*

On a side note, I didn't pass the ACET (pero pasado naman ng UPCAT). Yes, there are essay questions for both exams. The questions differ for each batch. I think they give around 20 minutes max for the essay part.

GOOD LUCK!