Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the UPG?
The UPG (University Predicted Grade) is a combination of your weighted scores in the UPCAT subtests on language proficiency, reading comprehension, mathematics and science, and the weighted average of final grades in your first three years of high school. Every UP campus has its own cut-off UPG, which may vary from year to year.
UP Diliman and UP Manila are the campuses for which admission is extremely competitive because most applicants want to be admitted to either one. Their cut-off UPGs are usually among the highest among the campuses.
The only way, then, to qualify for admission to a campus is to rank within the quota and meet the required UPG of one of the two campuses you applied for.
What if you meet the UPG?
If you meet the cut-off UPG of a campus you chose, you qualify to be admitted to that campus. You will then receive a notice of admission.
How to qualify for a degree program or course?
Once you qualify for a campus, the next step is to be admitted to one of the degree programs you chose. A screening procedure for all programs is followed for this purpose.
Some programs have quotas and they are so marked in the General Information for Freshman Admission. These programs have their own predictors, such as the UPG and/or predicted grades in certain areas like mathematics or science. Campus qualifiers are ranked according to the degree program predictors. Those who fall within the quota are admitted to the degree program.
What if you don't qualify in any of the degree programs you chose?
If you don't qualify for your first choice of degree program, you will undergo the same process for your second choice. If you do not qualify for your second choice, you will still be listed for that campus but you must choose another degree program that can accommodate you. Since you are an UPCAT campus qualifier, you only need to find a program that will admit you.
The Office of the Registrar will help you find that program. And although it may not be your first preference, you may learn to appreciate it over time. Otherwise, you may try to shift to another degree program after your first year in the university.
Problems with Admission
What if you appear in the pending case list?
If you don't find your name in the list of qualifiers, check the list of Pending Cases. This is the list of applicants who failed to submit all the required documents/credentials when they filed their application to take the UPCAT. The UPCAT results of these applicants cannot be released until the required documents/credentials are completed and processed. If you find your name on this list, you should immediately contact the Office of Admissions to find out what document/s or other credential/s you need to submit so that your UPCAT results can be released.
It is important to note that inclusion in the list of Pending Cases does not guarantee admission to the University.
What to do if you score below the UPG?
If you don't qualify for admission to either campus of your choice, you will be so informed. Your notice will also indicate your UPG. You may then want to try to be admitted to any of the other seven UP campuses. To do this, you need to find out if: (a) your UPG meets the cut-off UPG of that campus, and (b) the campus still has available slots. The information you need is available from the Campus Registrars' offices.
If both conditions are met, you should then present your UPG to the Office of the Registrar of the campus to which you want to be admitted. There is no guarantee of admission, however, as each campus makes its own decision.
If no other campus can accommodate you, you have no choice but to enroll in another college or university. Subject to certain requirements, you may later apply to transfer to a UP campus. Bear in mind that each campus has its own requirements/rules on transfer students and has limited slots for them.
Results of the UPCAT will be announced in the newspapers and the UP website and will also be posted in designated areas in all UP campuses sometime in February.
