THE UNIVERSITY is considering bringing back the UST Entrance Test (USTET) for the admission of new students in Academic Year (AY) 2023 to 2024, the Office for Admissions (OFAD) said.
OFAD Director Assoc. Prof. Imelda Dakis said the admission process for the next AY had yet to be finalized but among the considerations was reviving the USTET.
“Nothing is definite at the moment, but there is already a plan for the resumption of the USTET,” Dakis told the Varsitarian.
The University is targeting to open applications for the next AY by August 2022, Dakis said.
According to the OFAD website, the USTET provides an evaluation of applicants through a standard measure that would determine if their cognitive aptitude and academic competencies meet the expectation for an incoming college or senior high student of the University.
UST sidelined the USTET during the admission period for AY 2021-2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and replaced it with the UST Admission Rating (USTAR), a score-based evaluation system that mainly looks at the academic performance and record of an applicant.
The OFAD said UST did not resort to an online USTET as it would pose several challenges for applicants and the University.
“The USTET takes hours to administer. Maintaining [an] internet connection for that long would be difficult for many. Moreover, it disenfranchises many applicants who do not have continuous access to the internet,” the OFAD said on its website.
The University received 48,411 USTAR applications for AY 2021 to 2022, of which 7,772 college freshmen and 3,054 Grade 11 students were offered admission to the University. Christine Joyce A. Paras with reports from Jacqueline B. Martinez
