No UPCAT for 2021-2022 due to pandemic

MANILA, Philippines — The University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT) for academic year 2021-2022 is officially cancelled in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was announced yesterday.

The UP Board of Regents (BOR) decided to call off the UPCAT and instead instructed the Office of Admissions (OAdms) to come up with a modified freshmen admissions system specific to AY 2021-2022 by February 2021.

“This includes the use of big data analytics to arrive at a UP admission score model, which the OAdms, together with other concerned offices, is currently developing, as well as the determination by academic units of an additional layer of screening for particular programs, if deemed necessary,” the university said on its website.

In a memorandum issued by the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs last Oct. 30, the University Councils (UCs) of the eight constituent universities of the UP System unanimously decided to cancel the UPCAT in light of logistical issues in the paper-and-pencil testing of about 100,000 17-year-old applicants.

“Taking into account the uncertain trajectory and uneven spread of COVID-19 in different parts of the Philippines, majority of the UC members did not deem it feasible to administer the usual UPCAT involving around 1,600 testing personnel deployed to 94 testing centers throughout the archipelago,” the state university said.

The same memorandum said majority of the UC members did not consider an online UPCAT examination feasible.

“This is primarily due to the length of the exam and variety of items that would require a consistently strong internet connection to download within the time allotted for examinees to answer,” UP said.

The OAdms has set the start of the application period in December 2020.

Had there been no pandemic, UPCAT 2021 was supposed to be administered last Oct. 10-11.

UP urged those interested in applying for admission to the UP for AY 2021-2022 to look out for further announcements from the OAdms.