How to prepare for this year’s UPCAT

If you are set to take the UPCAT on August this year, what should you be doing now?

Should you be reviewing grammar? Arithmetic? Algebra?

And where will you start? Go back to the text book or workbook and review concepts and theories?

Test preparation must be methodical, so you don’t waste time. It must be rigorous like a good workout in the gym or on the road. You can’t just hit the books aimlessly and re-read chapters you went through before – in your first, second, or third year high school.

Here is a suggestion.

Go and take practice tests. Now.  Take tests which are automatically graded.  Test booklets which have correct answers at the back are not good enough, because there is  always the temptation to peek. Not only that, but you will be taking tests which are not timed. UPCAT is a timed test ( it runs for 5 hours),  you must solve problems and answer test questions in the given time. You may finally solve a problem, but if it took you 15 minutes to solve one word problem in algebra, you won’t have time for the others.

So the tests you take must be graded (i.e., test scores should be immediately available), and you must take them under time pressure. In other words, you must take simulated tests, tests which will prepare you for the actual pressure you will face in the real UPCAT.

When you take simulated tests, your scores will identify your strengths and weaknesses.

You could be good in some fractions and percentages, but weak in word problems in algebra. Or you could be scoring well in chemistry but not in physics. By taking tests, you will know that topics to spend a lot of review time on.

There is one website where you can take simulated tests. Go to www.prep4college.net , register, and start taking tests for two weeks. It won’t cost you anything. There are tests in reading comprehension, tests in grammar, and in math and science subjects. Each test you take is timed, and will be scored. After two weeks, you will see your grade averages, and you will know what your state of preparation is right now.

Here’s the link to the best available online test preparation for UPCAT:  www.prep4college.net.