#dcat

DCAT HAIR by AurumMusik

Made some cat women pride icons

Only if there are air holes!

[i. preparation]

1. Collect lots of materials or enroll in a review center. So many people have asked me if review centers are really necessary. For me, it honestly depends on what type of learner you are. If you think you do not have any self-discipline, join a study center as it forces you to make time for revision. Personally, I regret enrolling in a review center because I realized that I work better when I review by myself. If you do decide to review alone, make sure to study different materials.

2. Pool study materials together with friends. In my group of friends, we all went to different review centers. I was sad about it at first, but then I realized that it gave us a big advantage. It meant that more materials were accessible, as we exchanged copies of our own materials. It really helped a lot because while topics may be quite similar, the approach in which they were taught varied for each material. (the LSC and Experts review books REALLY helped me a lot btw)

3. Start studying early. Trust me, you’re going to need all the time that you can. There’s a loooooot you need to learn. I thought that I only needed to start studying by the end of summer so that my memory will be fresh. I also thought that I’d have a lot of time even when school season started because hey, there’s like 2 to 3 more months. Boy, I was so wrong. Grade 12, even in the first few months, was so busy that i didn’t have a lot of time to review. So, make use of your summer!

4. Practice, practice, practice! These practice tests will really help you A LOT. Make sure to time yourself as well because in most of these CETS, your main enemy is time.

5. Make flashcards. Write down all formulas in science and math, as well as vocabulary for english, and even other topics. Flashcards are really useful because you can just bring them everywhere and go through them whenever you’re not doing anything. Personally, I did this and really helped a lot.

6. Make sure to be productive. Don’t waste your study sessions. When I was studying for my CETS, there were times when I forced myself to read and read even when I knew that my brain was not absorbing this information. You have to work smart. Know the strategies the work for you. And most importantly, know the time of day when you are most productive. I learned that I was more productive after 1am, so I basically changed my whole sleeping schedule that summer. Pay attention to your environment as well! I really could not study in my room because it made me feel like sleeping in :( So, I made sure to go out as much as I can (to cafè’s and such) and utilize other spaces (aka my tita’s office hehe).

7. Start fixing your requirements early. During my CETS season, I crammed so bad for my reqs. Trust me, I really regret doing that. So, start with your reqs early. Know your testing dates. If you have to apply for certain reqs like birth certificate, etc., make sure to do it early! Time spent cramming with these reqs could have been time spent for reviewing.

[ii. testing]

I only took 4 tests (ACET, DCAT, BEE, AND UPCAT), and thankfully I passed all of them. Here are some tips and tricks specifically for each test.

1. ACET

•It has no science part.

•It has an essay writing part at the end.

•There are certain parts (Abstract/Logical Reasoning, Numerical ability) where you will only be given a short amount of time to answer (I think it was 20 items in 5 minutes??).

•This test is very time pressuring. Some people have even told me that the ACET is not meant to be finished. Don’t stress out and keep calm! Don’t spend too much time on a single item.

•Study problem solving as well as basic english grammar. The vocabulary part in this test wasn’t too hard i think. Know your math formulas!!!!!!!

2. DCAT

•tbh, i found it very easy

•basic math and english, focus more on science and stats

•STUDY!!!!! STATISTICS!!!!! I found the test super easy until I reached the statistics part. Trust me, study beyond just the basics. I encountered questions with concepts and topics I’ve never encountered before. Don’t just watch a stats crash course video 2 hours before the test (bc that’s what I did), try to actually study this.

•there were some items about research

3. BEE

•very easy

•basic math (basic trigo and geometry, easy formulas)

•the abstract reasoning was really challenging for me huhu, this portion is def not something to underestimate

•it was very cold in the benilde classrooms. they also give a break time so bring snacks!

4. UPCAT

•this was the test i dreaded the most. blacked out after taking the test so i don’t remember a lot of things huhue

•i found the math part easier than the science part. practice problem solving! master the basics!

•prepare for science!!!!!!! bio, esci, chem, physics, study them all istg. there were some topics that i’ve never even encountered before. def not basic science!!

•the reading comprehension was hard. the stories (both in english and filipino) were long and hard to understand. and by this point you’re going to be sooooo tired. if you are not fluent in Filipino, then I suggest studying it more, as this part could make or break you.