UP's university councils deliberate on possible suspension of UPCAT 2023-24

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 13) — The university councils of the University of the Philippines are currently discussing the possible suspension of the UP College Admission Test (UPCAT) for academic year 2023-2024 due to the ongoing pandemic.

In a statement released on Friday, the state university said that members of the President’s Advisory Council – which include the chancellors of UP’s eight constituent universities – held a meeting on Aug. 3 and “agreed to discuss” in their respective university council meetings the proposal of suspending the UPCAT.

“According to Office of Admissions Director Francisco De Los Reyes, the proposal to suspend UPCAT for this year is in light of concerns about the public health situation,” it said. “In addition, the University is facing the logistical challenges of ensuring the safety and well-being of the more than 100,000 applicants and around 1,600 personnel who will administer the test nationwide.”

The country's premier university said that deliberations are ongoing in its eight constituent campuses: Baguio, Cebu, Diliman, Los Baños, Manila, Mindanao, Open University, and the Visayas.

UPCAT was not administered since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, admission was based on the high school grades of applicants and other additional requirements depending on the chosen degree program.

UP remains to be the top university in the country based on world university rankings.

Other premier schools, including the Ateneo de Manila University, will return their admission test for the next academic year.

Meanwhile, the University of Santo Tomas is also considering reviving its entrance test soon.