#studybunny

1.     Aptitude/IQ 

The first part of the DCAT was an aptitude test which contained some items from abstract reasoning, numerical reasoning, logical reasoning, patterns, sequences, etc. Basically, it is designed to test your aptitude or IQ. It is not very difficult.

2.     Language Proficiency

I don’t remember much about this portion of the test, but I remember that it was also not very difficult. It just contained basic questions about proper usage and grammar. The usual “fill in the blanks” or “determine which part of the sentence is wrong” format.

3.     Math

The math portion was quite difficult. There were confusing word problems (particularly age and work), trigonometry questions, factoring, and a little geometry. I found it more difficult than the Math portion of the UPCAT.

4.     Science

The science portion was also very difficult. There were questions that required you to identify the chemical symbol of a compound given its chemical name and vise versa. In addition, I also needed to balance chemical equations and solve for the molar mass, molarity, etc. (stoichiometry). There were also difficult questions for Biology and Physics, but I don’t remember specific ones anymore. However, there weren’t much questions for Earth Science.

5.     Reading Comprehension

The Reading Comprehension portions of all the entrance exams I took were all the same to me. As long as you know how to read and understand, you can answer this.

6.     Analysis (I don’t know what to call this part)

I really struggled with this portion because I didn’t know what its purpose was. It was a mixture of graphs, figures, articles, or selections. The questions which accompanied these were very difficult, and it really tested your ability to analyze and determine the best answer out of the choices. I think what made it stressful to answer was the fact that it would shift from a graph or a figure that required you to compute for a certain value to a long news article with analytical questions. It was like a more difficult and complicated Reading Comprehension portion.

7.     “What would you do if…”

This was the easiest portion of the DCAT, hands down. It just contained situational questions (e.g. “You heard that classes were suspended. What would you do?”), and you choose your answer from four choices. I think its purpose is to determine the values/morals of the test taker. You don’t need to study for this one.

 How To Study for the DCAT

1.     Focus on STEM subjects

I think the subjects you should focus on are Math and Science, since these portions were the most difficult. To be safe, you should review even the difficult concepts/topics (e.g. Trigonometry, Stoichiometry, Cellular Respiration, etc.).

2.     Sharpen your analytical skills.

Train yourself to read and understand passages/graphs/figures, especially complicated ones. You’ll need this for Test 6 (see #6 above).

 Before taking this test, I heard rumors that it was more difficult than the UPCAT. These rumors are TRUE. However, DLSU has a much higher acceptance rate compared to UP and ADMU. I’ve heard some people say that they skipped many questions or just guessed some of their answers, yet they still passed. Some of my classmates who failed the DCAT applied for reconsideration, and it was granted. So don’t lose hope if you feel like you did not perform so well. Just wait patiently for the results.