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 Angles

o Order of operations o Parallel and Perpendicular
o Fractions, decimals, percents Lines
o Triangle Postulates and
 Algebra Theorems (ASA, SSS, etc.)
o Signed Numbers o Quadrilaterals and Other
o Algebraic Expressions Polygons
o Equations and Inequalities o Area and Volume
o Quadratic Equations o Circles
o Systems of Equation
o Polynomials  Trigonometry
o Functions and Relations o Basic Trigonometric
o Fractions and Rational Functions
Functions o Basic Identities
o Cartesian Coordinate System o Application
(Graphing)
o Word Problems  Statictics
o Exponents and Logarithms o Measures of Central
o Radicals Tendencies (mean, median, mode)
o Sets and Set Notation o Measures of Spread
o Complex Numbers (variance, standard deviation,
o Sequences and Series percentiles)
o Factorials
 Geometry o Counting, Permutation and
o Reasoning and Logic Combination
o Definitions, Postulates and o Probability
Theorems

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.
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 Conversion of Units

o Rocks and Minerals o Elements, Compounds and
o The Layers of the Earth and Mixtures
its Composition o States of Matter
o Land Formations and Bodies o The Periodic Table
of Water o Electronic Configuration and
o Plate Tectonics the Quantum Numbers
o Earthquakes, Volcanoes o Nuclear Reactions
o Climate, Weather and the o Chemical Reactions
Atmosphere o Stoichiometry
o Fossils o Gas Laws
o Redox Reactions
 Biology o Basic Organic Chemistry
o The Ecosystem
o Classification/Taxonomy  Physics
o Biogeochemical Cycles o Scalar and Vector Quantities
o Plants and Photosynthesis o Laws of Motion
o Animal Biology o Relative Velocities
o Cell Biology o Force
o Genetics and Heredity o Work, Energy and Power
o Human Anatomy o Fluid Mechanics
o Light, Sound and Waves
 Chemistry o Electricity and Magnetism
o Precision and Accuracy o Thermodynamic

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.

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 Correct Usage

o Word Meanings o Punctuation
o Spelling o Capitalization
o Synonyms o Subject-verb Agreement
o Antonyms o Sentence
o Confusing Words Construction/Fragment Sequencing
o Modifiers
 Grammar o Finding Errors/Sentence
o Parts of Speech 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

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  Graphs and Other Diagrams

 Getting the Main Idea/Topic  Figures of Speech (simile,
Sentence metaphors, etc.)
 Appropriate Title of Selection  Author’s Point of View
 Poetry  Meaning Through Context Clues
 Short stories  Drawing Conclusions
 Speeches  Inference
 Comic Strips  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.