UP Opens 118 Testing Centers for UPCAT, Boosting Access for Provincial Applicants

MANILA, Philippines — The University of the Philippines (UP) said it opened 118 testing centers nationwide, as the two-day UP College Admissions Test or UPCAT begins today. “The University of the Philippines is bringing the UPCAT closer to applicants across the country through 118 testing centers nationwide. The university continues to make the UPCAT more accessible to aspiring Iskolar ng Bayan,” UP said. The UPCAT 2027 testing centers will be available in Regions 1 to 13, including the Cordillera Administrative Region, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, National Capital Region, Mimaropa, Negros Island Region and UP constituent universities. Examinations will be held today and tomorrow. In the 2026 UPCAT, 18,350 applicants or 12.44 percent of the 147,437 examinees passed. UP said that this year, qualifiers from public schools increased to 57.1 percent from 55 percent. Around 21.45 percent of the qualifiers came from households with annual incomes of P200,000 or below. This initiative reflects the university's ongoing efforts to equalize educational opportunities within the Philippines. It represents a significant step in opening pathways to higher education, particularly for students from provincial areas and less privileged backgrounds. Access to higher education in the Philippines continues to face geographical and economic barriers, and the expansion of UPCAT testing centers is one attempt to address these challenges.