Hi ​Batch 2019​!

Here is a collection of tips from us. Please do take note that these tips are
from different people so there may be tips that contrast each other. This just
proves that everyone prepares for CETs season differently and that’s completely
okay. Some of us enjoyed study groups but some of us also preferred studying
alone. A lot of us enrolled ourselves in review centers but there were also people
who chose not to. Moreover, we were enrolled in different review centers and you
guys may be currently deciding which one to choose. However, please be assured
that no matter what review center you choose, no matter how you choose to
prepare for the CETs, it doesn’t matter. What matters is your dedication and
determination to do well. It really all depends on you.

We know that the future looks scary but we do hope that this will help you
plan out the incoming months. There is no doubt that you will go through a lot.
You will feel anxious, helpless and defeated multiple times but please do
remember that you are never alone in this. You have your friends, teachers, family
members and upper batch ates who will be there to support you every step of the
way. Never ever hesitate to ask for help and do not be too hard on yourself as well.
The pressure that comes with CETs may let you doubt yourself and your
capabilities but do not let that deter you from your dreams and aspirations!

There is no doubt that each and everyone of you will do amazing, Green,
and we wish you the best of luck! God bless you always!

With love,
Pink 2018
 Preparing for the Exams:

General Tips:
● Start studying for CETs months before the test day, especially during the summer.
● If you can make flashcards (using index cards) it would be great since you can bring
it anywhere and study anywhere.
● Try to at least study a couple of concepts per day. In your fourth year in high school,
you would probably have a hard time finding free time in your schedule, so it would be
better to at least try and allot a few moments of your time to answer three to five
math problems everyday during your breaks.
● Related to the tip above, the library can and will be your best friend! Find a quiet place
to study during recess, lunch or dismissal. In my opinion, the individual tables in the
second floor of the library are the best seats if you are aiming for a focused review
session.
● I don’t know with the others but I wouldn’t recommend studying vocabulary. You can
study a little bit but it shouldn’t be your focus. None of the words in the CETs were in
the vocabulary lists that I had and if I do memorize a set of words, after a week, I’ve
already forgotten them.
● Start getting used to solving numerical problems without the help of your calculator
early on. Try learning shortcuts and computation hacks to help yourself save time
during the actual tests.
● To further support the point above, refrain from using your calculator at all! Do it
mentally or on paper. It took quite me a long time to adjust since I was so used to a
calculator as MC allows you to use one every time for any computational part of the
exam.
● Make it a habit to make notecards. Especially when it comes to memorizing formulas.
● Apart from notecards, if you have space on your room’s wall, don’t hesitate to go big!!
Writing formulas on manila papers and placing them somewhere you’ll be able to see
before sleeping and after waking up is REALLY helpful.
● If it’s within your budget, try to buy several review books and answer the practice
tests. In my opinion, the books you can find at National are also helpful but don’t just
stick to that! Try to get your hands on review books from other review centers such as
Mentors, LSC, MSA and Ahead. The more books you have, the more information and
practice you get.
● Go back to your papers from previous years, especially grade 10 and 11 tbh (i’m not
sure how drastically the curriculum has changed but for our batch, gr 10 and 11 papers
were very helpful) especially in algebra, geom, chem and physics! In my experience,
your respective subject teachers are also very willing to help you with cets, just ask
them :) (hi sir diaz, sir medina, miss delfin and sir bumatay)
● Math is about being able to master on solving certain problems and equations. The
more you practice, the easier solving will be.
● Plan a study schedule and don’t cram. Try to at least give an hour for studying for the
cets.
● Don’t be too complacent when reviewing. What are the chances that you have
remembered everything from first year to 3rd year?
● TAKE YOUR REVIEW CENTERS SERIOUSLY. It’s summer and not the best time to be
studying, but these review centers will help you in preparing for the cets, especially
because they provide you studying materials.
● Take review classes with a barkada for higher chances of discounts
● Take review classes with friends also to lessen the awkward atmosphere in the
classroom.
● Make sure you know where the venue of your exam is. It’s better to know early on
before actually getting lost on the day itself.
● As early as possible, try to fix your application requirements already. Don’t cram your
application because you might not get the date that you want. It’s best to submit
early so that you’ll have less worries.
● Related to the tip above, stock up on your 2x2’s and 1x1’s. You will be needing A LOT of
pictures, especially if you’re applying for more than two universities, so if you’ll be
having your picture taken buy the pics by bulk and save yourself from the hassle of
going back to the mall over and over again just to get ID pictures.
● Honestly, don’t go for batch processing. Submit your application early to the school
itself. This way, you actually get the chance to choose your own schedule to take the
exam.
● When school starts, you’ll have a hard time allotting time for review. For me (this
might not work for you though), start reviewing for cets first and then do your school
work.
● You’ll never feel prepared. Just do all that you can and give yourself credit for that.
And note that we all have our limitations, so don’t beat yourself up if ever you forget a
formula or a term.
● Something that is really hard is to keep the mindset that CETs are “real” and because
of that, you might not get to review. Find a way to remind and motivate yourself to
review and to practice (and get into that dream school ;) )
● Take every bit of knowledge you obtain from your classes seriously! As early as now,
don’t slack off. You will never stop learning, so keep on learning as much as you can
everyday while you still can. Don’t throw away the lessons you learn. This way, you
wouldn’t have to rely on review classes to cram information into your brain.
● Also, do not underestimate the power of self-review. Review centers are optional, and
are there to give you simulations. They will not be helpful if you do not take it upon
yourself to work hard and study on your own. If you want that college badly, you have
to work hard for it!
Review Centers:

Ahead
● Ahead is a test-based review center. You’ll be having tons of diagnostic and simulated
exams for UPCAT, ACET, and DCAT throughout your review. With this, you’ll be able to
familiarize yourself with what to expect on your actual test day, as your practice tests
are also being timed. Mind mapping sessions may also help you to conceptualize
your ACET essay on the day itself. Make sure to listen attentively and take down notes,
since answer keys are not part of the review kit .They are all discussed during review
itself. Don’t be scared if you get a low diagnostic exam score before your review starts,
since this will likely improve if you keep on practicing. The survival kit provided
basically contains the essential information needed for your exams. Despite this, it
would still help to study other review materials that would help you remember other
relevant details.
● It’s a good review center in my opinion because the diagnostic tests they gave were
honestly way harder than the actual tests themselves. They also discuss the answers
extensively and answer any and all of your questions. It also really helps if you
approach your lecturer after class to clarify some topics if you aren’t familiar with
them and there are also science lecturers who give out powerpoints about biology,
chemistry, and general science so don’t hesitate to approach them and ask for the
powerpoints. Your RA might also save your life, especially if your concerns are about
the tests themselves so feel free to talk to them if you have any testing jitters so you
can ask for tips. You should also make sure to join the group page that your RA will be
creating for your class because that’s where they will be posting updates about the
tests and refresher courses if there are any. You should also answer the daily practice
tests they’ll be sending to your email, they literally only take like 5 minutes or less to
answer, I swear it really helps.

Experts Guides
● They’ll give you one whole module just for Math and another one with Science and
English combined
● They primarily focused on math and science only
● You’ll have lessons everyday and a quiz or two at the end of every session
● It’s not really focused on reviewing specifically for upcat or acet. It’s just a cets review
in general
● They were able to discuss topics under calculus and statistics which will be really
helpful for non-STEM students

LSC
● Taking LSC, they will assume you have taken up some of the lessons in the books
already. Coming from me, the issued books by LSC upon your enrollment will be used
a lot (especially the science bundle) and there are A LOT of lessons (especially for
science) that MC’s missed out on.
 ● There will be comprehensive quizzes at the end of every lecture (excluding math! You
have around 8-9 sessions of math, and the comprehensive quiz will be on the last
session.) so please do listen! Don’t come to class without scanning through the book,
especially on the lessons that weren’t taught in MC.
● Do raise questions during the lecture! The teacher will gladly answer them, and will
clarify these concerns if needed.
● The examples in both the Math and Science books are ​very helpful. They even have a
solution (in the math book) to guide you how to get to the final answer in the shortest
time possible, and at the same time familiarize with the type of questions for the CET.
● Take your mock exams seriously! Kahit na mock lang siya, it will give you the full on
experience on how the actual exams are going to be!
● Can I just say malamig yung review center ko. So bring a jacket!
(Especially if you’re in the Esteban Abada branch, homaygad beshie ang lamig tipong 17ºC siya, tapos when you ask the teacher to
make the temperature higher, gagawin lang niyang 19ºC)
● The CETR book will be your best friend post-review! Take the time allocated for each
portion seriously, because before you know it, you will get used to solving,
reading—skimming, rather—and analyzing faster
● Your refresher courses usually will be twice a month, on the months of the Big 4
exams. This year, there are 2 refresher courses in September, and 2 in October,
usually a week before the exam. Do listen because they will give you tips to answer,
and at the same time will have a simulated exam.

Mentorsplus
● If you take Mentors, you will receive a pre-test and a post-test. The scores will be
ranked and written on the board. Don’t feel bad if you get a low score, it’s just that so
you can see if you’re improving or not. Make it a habit to check your standing at the
office, since they will also provide it for you. Basically, they rank you in everything.
● Pay attention to the discussion and when you get home make sure to at least practice
a little bit more.
● Final exams will be on the same day as the final lesson which means that you’ll be
taking a lot more for your brain so it’s better to practice and practice. Don’t cram the
day before.
● Refreshers are somewhat helpful. Make sure to pay attention and to answer the
practice questions. They will kind of just speed through topics.
● It’s basically up to you when it comes to refreshing your brain already.
● UPCAT Mock will be like a month before the actual UPCAT, and by then you would have
forgotten everything. So make sure you practice. Practice is key.
● You need to avail for the extended schedule to receive the ACET mock. Pay attention
during the discussions of the mock exams because these mock tests are actually
way harder compared to the exam itself.
● Don’t feel bad if you get low scores. PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE. Take review
seriously. Mentors will provide you handouts so you also have to do your part in
practicing everything that they will teach you.
 ● Honestly, if you’re looking for a review center that teaches you topics you didn’t tackle
or you didn’t get in the past, this review center is not for you. For four hours a day,
they squeeze in a lot of info in your head and it can become overwhelming. This review
center is helpful to refresh your mind, not very much for learning new topics.
● In contrast to the tip above, CETs is basically really more about the topics you’ve
studied in school so Mentors not teaching you new topics shouldn’t be a problem. The
handouts they give you are really helpful because the information is worded simply
and organized.
● I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH; attend the mock tests! Even if you literally studied
nothing for the test, it doesn’t matter, merely showing up to take the test WILL
become incredibly helpful for you to have a “feel” of what the CETS will be like.
● Mentors’ ranking system helps you to develop the sense of competition that you
might not be used to prior to CETs.

Brain Train
● If you are prioritizing UP, or if UP is your dream school, this review center might be for
you as they prioritize the UPCAT (all teachers are cumlaude’s from UP and also teach
in UP, so they know their business). They do teach lessons which are applicable to the
ACET, DCAT and USTET (they have ACET and DCAT refreshers) but they focus on the
UPCAT more.
● You’ll be having several periods in one day since it’s a whole day review (for 10 days),
so bring lunch and snacks. You won’t be starting the period with a lesson like most
review centers do, they make you answer a practice test and then that’s the only time
they will discuss - while giving you the answers. This is quite fast-paced so don’t
forget to take notes! The teachers are very nice and understanding though so if you
have any questions or concerns, they will not hesitate to stay in the classroom a bit
longer to clarify things with you.
● Listen to the teachers. It’s a very overrated statement but these people will tell you
what to prioritize when studying and which lessons you can breeze through. There are
several shortcuts they will also teach you during review which you will really need
since you’ll also be under time pressure.
● TAKE THE PRACTICE TESTS SERIOUSLY. As stated above, you’ll be taking a practice test
(provided in their very thick and informative module) before every period and these
questions are VERY similar to UPCAT questions since they are based off of the UPCAT
questions from previous years. The teachers here interview students who passed the
UPCAT and ask them which questions they had difficulties with, and they always
include these questions in their practice tests so TAKE NOTES!
● TAKE THE SIMULATIONS SERIOUSLY. I cannot stress this enough. As I mentioned,
almost ALL the teachers here graduated UP with latin honors and some of them
have/are teaching students at UP and some have also helped in making previous
UPCATs, they know their business. The simulation will not only help you know what to
expect but it will also give you an estimated UPG based on your score in the
simulations + your high school grades (which you include in the info sheet during
 enrollment). I know MC doesn’t give you your numerical grades but that’s what MTRs
and estimations are for, by doing this, you’ll know how well you’ll do in the UPCAT and
how much more you need to improve before the exam itself (there’s always room for
improvement guys! Don’t let the numbers discourage you!)
● You’ll have a lot of classmates coming from the science high schools but don’t let
them intimidate you! Don’t forget that you are capable of so much and that you are
smart in your own way. There are several lessons in math that MC did not teach so
listen to the math teachers attentively and ask questions when needed. In my
experience, we had a group work during that last day and since the science high
school students knew more in math than we did, we got to work with them and ask
them questions. DONT BE SHY!
● The module has several MOCK UPCAT tests at the back so don’t hesitate to practice on
those tests because, sis omg super nakakatuwa pag nasasagutan mo na yung
questions ng maayos at tama
● Also, the module has all the courses all the UP campuses offer (difficulty of passing
that course, description of that course and career options), as well as tips on how to
write your application (you need to be smart in choosing a campus and a course
because it’s a tough competition - is it the course or the school you are prioritizing?)

UPLINK
● UPLINK has been around for over a decade, all of their teachers are graduates from UP
itself! So don’t you worry when it comes to their teaching methods. They give helpful
tips and tricks when taking the exam and also great advice on how they themselves
have tackled their UPCAT exam.
● They offer packages for both ACET and UPCAT, but given by the name they mostly
specialize for UPCAT review. If you are planning to take the DLSU and or the USTET they
have a free session that is a week before the exam date that they offer for FREE if you
have enrolled there.
● It is nine hours per session with one break and one lunch break, make sure you bring
some money or your baon.

NEWTON STUDY CENTER

● The topics that are covered in this center are a bit more advanced. This is very
beneficial because it even helps you have a head start on your G12 subjects, which
you do not need to study as much for.
● The teachers and lecturers of Newton are PISAY graduates and are Cum Laudes in
their respective courses.
● You are given 4 simulation exams: 1 Diagnostic Exam, 1 “Mid-term” Exam, 1 ACET
Simulation and 1 UPCAT Simulation.
○ After every exam the answers are being discussed one by one, including
shortcut formulas needed to solve in Math and Science :)
● The best feature abt Newton is the fact that they give you REVIEW BOOKS., and I mean
BOUND BOOKS! You’ll receive a set of 3 (Math, Science, English+Abstract Reasoning)
 along with a drawstring bag. These books include challenging simulation exams for
ACET and UPCAT, with a Simulation Test per topic for every subject.
● MATH: HOMAY THE SHORTCUTS ARE SO BENEFICIAL GUYS YOU CAN ANSWER LONG
PROBLEMS IN SECONDS.
● SCIENCE: The focus is normally on Chemistry, especially in word problems such as
Stoichiometry,etc. This is great because Chem problems are very intimidating due to
their length.
● ENGLISH: Aside from the usual grammar and reading comprehension, the English
program includes General Knowledge and advanced Spelling, which are very useful in
the CETS!
● ABSTRACT REASONING: Yes, whole days are dedicated to this!
● This review center is overflowing with science high school students, as the review
center is owned by a family of them. But this is honestly a good thing, because your
review mates are always around to help you in Science and Math!
● I have to say that the topics and simulations being tackled by Newton are advanced.
This is a good thing however because you will have an easier time answering the CETs
knowing that you’ve tackled harder and more complicated problems.
 On the Week/Day of the Exams:

General Tips:
● LAST MINUTE STUDYING HELPS​ don’t believe others who say it doesn’t.
○ It’s a case-to-case basis; if you believe it will help you, then do it; If it just
makes you feel more nervous, then don’t .
○ However, a day before the exam, don’t cram study chapters’ worth of
information because it can make you feel even more nervous and
scatterbrained on the actual day of the exam.
● If you feel like you’re doubting yourself pray to God and ask guidance from him!
● Calm down, and be confident that you’ve prepared yourself enough.
● Know when to schedule your trips to the bathroom! This is very helpful especially if
the exam is continuous—no breaks, unlike ACET—so from your experiences in the
mock exams, know when is the best time to go to the bathroom.
● Don’t stress or compare answers with others after the exams, what’s done is done.
● Having a full-on simulation of the exam at least the week before it can also be helpful.
● If you are going to shotgun the items you weren’t given time to answer, stick to
shading one letter. There’s a higher chance of getting a number right.
● During the day of the exam, expect heavy traffic especially during UPCAT.
● PLEASE STOCK UP ON PENCILS, ERASERS, SHARPENERS! You can never be too prepared
when it comes to these things :)
● General lang toh but before the start of CETs, fold your scratch paper into 3 columns
and solve equations by the number. If folding is not allowed, section them with your
pencil. This will save you precious time and paper space.
● Try to put yourself in a calm down/don’t panic state while on the way to your exam!
Don’t forget to breathe and don’t spaz out too much! Everything will be fine
● If it helps you, I was praying the rosary outside my UPCAT building HAHAH and tbh it
really helped me calm down!! If you aren’t religious, find a way of meditating and
clearing your mind before your test!!
● In general, skip items and come back to it later! You’ll save time and some points if
you skim pages and look for something you can answer confidently, especially for
reading comp.
● Please be strategic with the food you bring. I’m not even joking about this. Get food
that won’t make a mess and won’t make loud noises. More importantly, choose food
that you know will help you calm down and make you feel better about life.
● FOR MATH: It is important that you know how to manipulate your equations. Do not
stick to the traditional methods but instead train yourself to shorten your equations
to save on time. Ratio and proportion as well as Systems of Linear Equations are very
important in these cases.
● FOR ENGLISH: PLEASE READ THOROUGHLY. You only have to read a passage once (and
properly at that) in order to answer all the questions given. Do not waste your time
 going back and forth between pages to answer your reading comprehension
questions.

Specific Exam Tips:

Ateneo:
● If you can’t afford to go to a review center, purchasing SAT review materials and books
would help you out a LOT, since the ACET is pretty much based on recent SAT’s.
● When you get the papers from the proctor, find out what your essay topic is first
(indicated on the separate sheet for the essay) before you start the English portion so
you can start organizing your ideas while answering. Bring a pen as well. I personally
recommend using a friction pen in case you make lots of mistakes. There are a couple
of others who use that, too and the proctor won’t mind.
● For answering the essay: Do not underestimate neatness. They don't even read essays
that have bad handwritings or have too many erasures. Upon reading the question,
spend around 5 minutes to think about how to outline your main idea. Follow your
basic intro (grabber, thesis statement), body (around 3 supporting details to back up
your thesis statement), and conclusion (short summary and restating of the thesis
statement but prettier lmao). Remember to bring pencils AND black ballpens!!
● Educated guesses and unsure answers are better than no answer. ACET is all about
time pressure, and what matters is how many points you can get right. You have a
25% chance of getting the answer right if you shotgun it, 50% if you’re able to
eliminate two choices.
● Don’t even stress about the English portion, considering we’ve tackled and made
countless research papers, answering this part is honestly a breeze. Focus on
studying Math, especially word problems as the ACET has one part just for that.
● I’ll let you in a little secret for Abstract Reasoning; answer the last parts first, those
are typically the easiest. It’s usually the hardest items that in the middle, so I suggest
you shotgun that section since you are only given 5 minutes.
● Don’t be afraid of the math proficiency portion! It’s really designed for you to not
finish it (if you answer the questions seriously) This is because the school just wants
to know how well you work under pressure so answer what you’re confident in and
shotgun the rest.
● You’re only allowed a 10 minute break for the whole testing period.
● The ACET was personally the most tiring exam due to the time pressure and short
breaks. So please, rest and relax before the exam! Don’t give up midway. Always know
that you can do this!

DCAT:
● Review A LOT on statistics. A whole part (around 45-50 items) is solely based off
statistics lessons from grade 11 (Pearson’s correlation, standard deviation, etc).
 ● Bring light snacks! You’re only allowed a 15 minute break for the whole testing period
(in my experience, we had to stand up outside our room so it was hard to eat).
● ^^ You should really go use the restroom while you have your break because you won’t
be able to go any time during the exam.
● Don’t forget to bring a jacket!!! All the testing rooms are air-conditioned and are
REALLY cold.
● You can arrive earlier than the testing time on your test permit and proceed to the
room that they lead you to (unlike ACET, there are no pre-assigned rooms btw!). Once
your room is filled up, you can already start with your test even before your indicated
time and finish earlier!
● For reading comprehension, the passages ranged from half a page to two full pages,
each having less than 10 questions only. I suggest that you read and analyze the
questions first and then look for the answers in the passages, since most of the
answers are found (like legit copy paste) in the passage.
● Time pressure isn’t much of a big deal here but nevertheless, answer each question
as quickly and accurately as you can.

UPCAT:
● Bring sugary snacks that are easy to plop in your mouth (Hello Panda!!!, Pillows,
M&Ms grapes etc) so you can still focus without worrying about making a mess and
getting tired!
● Don’t give up. Legit I felt like breaking down and giving up halfway through. Just
convince yourself that that is not an option. The UPCAT is deadly but it’s not
impossible. It’s also a test to see your composure and your determination to finish it.
● Score is right - ¼ wrong, with blank answers not given any points. A good strategy is
to (intelligently) guess in confusing questions I can eliminate 2 choices from so you
have a 50% chance of getting that point!! And if you ​really don’t get the question, skip
and leave it blank. Remember, easy or difficult, each question is worth the same
point!
● You seriously will need to get used in taking the exam for five hours straight without
any breaks. Take a mock test in advance, and time yourself so you won’t become
overwhelmed when you actually take the UPCAT. This is incredibly helpful as I literally
gave up halfway through since I felt so drained.
● Science mostly focuses more on analysis; so they’d give you graphs/situations and
it’s your job to assess them. Take note however, the graphs are confusing and the
situations are complex so you may find this part really difficult.
● If Filipino isn’t your first language, I suggest you review as early as possible for this
portion as it comprises more than 50 points of the UPCAT. Read novels translated in
Filipino, skim through Filipino-English dictionaries, and study your grammar really
well.
● If you’re going to shotgun, my review center teachers (who are UP students)
recommend B or C. ;) A almost always looks like the right answer at first glance, but
don’t be fooled.
 ● The UPCAT is a highly competitive entrance exam. Do not let this bring you down, guys
:) Just always give your best and be confident in yourself. You gat dis!

UST:
● The mental ability portion is simple, but the given time is limited. You are not
required to finish it, but still try your best to do so. This was given first and I think it
was meant to overwhelm students for all the other remaining subjects. Again, do not
panic and remain calm.
● The math section was very simple. Just brush up on your basic algebra and
trigonometry. If you still have difficulties with factoring or solving the various types of
functions, review these skills.
● The science portion is equally balanced in all areas- biology, physics, chemistry, and
general science. Know the basics of each branch.
● The language portion was really simple but touch up on the different types of
communication and speeches.
● Don’t study for the USTET with the mindset of having UST as a “back-up” school
since you’d end up not taking the exam seriously.
● For those taking up a design-related course from the College of Fine Arts and Design
(Fine Arts, Interior Design, Advertising) course, prepare to draw certain figures or
objects in the last part of your exam.
● If you are taking up a course in architecture (as well as CFAD) prepare to take an
abstract reasoning portion that may test your spatial reasoning abilities.
● DON'T TAKE THIS EXAM FOR GRANTED, yes some may say this is the easiest exam but
still do your best especially if the course you took is a quota course!
● Just because the entrance exam is easy doesn’t mean it will be any easier in UST.
● IT’S COLD BRING A JACKET AND PEE BEFORE THE EXAM. UST is huge and usually there’s
only one male and one female bathroom per floor, and it might also be at the other
end of the hallway from your testing room.
● Don’t be intimidated as you will be roomed with people who have the same first
choice course as you!