The University of the Philippines College Admission Test is part of the admission requirements of the University of the Philippines System, administered to graduates of Philippine and foreign high schools. The UPCAT (pronounced "oop-cat") is considered to be one of the most competitive college entrance exams in the country.
A student must specify two campuses from the U.P. System's nine campuses, ordered according to preference. For each campus chosen, two degree programs must also be specified. UPCAT applications are processed according to the order of these preferences.
The top-ranked applicants (according to the UPG) based on the quota and cut-off grade of each campus are eligible to enter. For degree programs, different grade predictors are applied for each. Top-ranked qualifiers are accepted depending on the slots available in that program.
If one does not qualify for the two chosen campuses, the applicant's UPG might fall within other campuses' cut-off scores and, if slots are still available.
The five hour exam covers language proficiency, reading comprehension, mathematics, and science. UPCAT questions can be in English or Filipino. The UPCAT is usually held on a Saturday and Sunday in early August with two batches of examinations per day in the morning and in the afternoon.
UPCAT test centers are found in major schools throughout the Philippines, including the different UP campuses. Close to 30,000 applicants take the UPCAT in UP Diliman alone. Because of this, and that the campus is open and connected to major public roads, heavy traffic is expected at this time of year. Food stalls and other tiangges set up shop everywhere around the Diliman campus, especially the Academic Oval, to take advantage of the numerous parents and guardians that accompany and wait for the applicants taking the test.