RELATED: How to ace the UPCAT and other college entrance tests (CETs) in the Philippines: An introduction
By all counts, UPCAT can be very stressful, but only if you allow it to. The key here is learning to take control of your nerves while keeping your composure and exercising mental discipline to allow you to finish the entire thing. After all, this is where all your hard work and sacrifices in the past come into play. You wouldn't want all that to go to waste, right?
PREVIOUSLY: Preparing for the UPCAT: How to get a competitive edge in UPCAT
All the extraneous factors aside, the ball is up to you on how you can make the most out of UPCAT on the exam day itself. Here are some tips to get you sorted out.
1. Get enough sleep and wake up early.
Start the day right by waking up early after a restful night. Avoid sleeping in late or grabbing alcoholic drinks the night before to ensure your brain is in tiptop condition in time for UPCAT.
On that note, be at the venue on time. UPCAT proctors are notorious in enforcing the "no late examinees allowed in the venue" policy. In addition, since there are literally hundreds of thousands taking the UPCAT the same time as you are, you'll find that even as early as an hour before the exam, long queues have already formed leading to the room assignments. The time you spend standing at the end of the line enduring the chatter and buzz of the people around dealing with butterflies in your stomach is better spent relaxing inside the venue before the exam, so don't risk running late.
2. Grab breakfast.
The only worst thing to taking the UPCAT unprepared is taking the UPCAT on an empty stomach. No matter how much you've prepared for the UPCAT, it's going to be pointless if you'll have a hard time concentrating on account of your pressing hunger and grumbling tummy.
If you're low on time to have a decent breakfast, then at least have a banana or two. Bananas are rich in potassium that helps in keeping your concentration up and in keeping you awake.
3. Wear comfortable clothes.
UPCAT venues can be a little cold, so don't forget to bring a jacket or sweater to keep you warm. Otherwise, wear something comfortable that allows for better movement. Don't allow unpleasant fabrics and inconvenient garments get in the way between you and UPCAT.
4. Bring light munchies.
UPCAT takers are advised to bring snacks which they can munch on during the 4-hour exam. But some examinees choose to go overboard and bring food items that make their presence felt the instant you unpack them. Don't be these kind of people. In bringing snacks, opt for easy to open and easy to eat kind of food that leave little to no trace of smell or sound.
In this regard, major no-no's include items that punch a strong aroma such as rice with any sort of viand or ulam, burger, cup noodles, siomai, balut, or durian. Food items that produce loud noise when eaten such as chicharon, crispy wafers, and chips are probably better left at home, too.
Opt instead for safe choices such as cookies, peanut butter sandwiches, sliced fruits, and chocolate bars. You'd want to be as inconspicuous and least distracting as possible when eating, if only as a sign of respect to your co-examinees.
5. Manage your time wisely.
While some of the questions in the UPCAT can be answered in under 30 seconds, there are many others that require more than that. For many examinees, managing time in answering questions can be a little tough, especially when faced with a "stumbling block," which is basically a question that requires analysis, calculation, or multiple reading.
The tendency for many examinees is to keep going at the same question even if they have already spent 3 or 5 minutes trying to decipher the answer. Is this advisable?
The answer, of course, is it depends. If the unusually long time is because of the fact that, say, the reading selection is way too long or that the calculation required is really tedious, but you are certain you are on track to getting the right answer, then go for it. But if the unusually long time is due to sheer lack of understanding or confusion of the what the question meant, then it's not worth it to linger any more than you should have.
6. If unsure, choose the most logical answer.
This is called an intelligent guess. Many examinees opt to take an educated guess rather than skip a question unanswered, with the intention of returning to it should they still have time remaining after answering the rest of the questions.
The problem with leaving some items blank is that if the examinee is not careful, he or she may end up confusing the rest of the items. For instance, an examinee decides to skip number 35 because he or she is confused as to which is the correct answer betweent the two choices, then proceeds to number 36 to which he or she knows the answer but inadvertently put it in number 35 instead of 36. This would result in the rest of her numbering to be wrong. By the time he or she realizes his or her mistake, it's going to be time-consuming to correct everything.
7. In case of mental blocks, stick to what you know.
If midway through the exam you suddenly do not remember anything about a particular subject, do not panic. This is entirely normal, especially with the sheer amount of knowledge you put in your head leading up to the UPCAT.
Instead, take a moment to lean back and drink water. Do some breathing exercises for 30 seconds or so in order to calm your nerves. Sometimes all it takes is a brief pause to get you back going again.
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