​Nervousness gripped the University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT) takers as they faced the second day of the exam on Sunday, with some resorting to superstitious practices in a bid to secure a spot in the country's premier state university.

Nerves, superstition mark 2nd day of UPCAT 2024

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1723348434906UPCAT.jfif" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Applicants and their parents arrive at the University of the Philippines-Diliman campus in Quezon City for the second day of the UPCAT, August 11, 2024. <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:center;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Jessie Cruzat, ABS-CBN NewsMANILA — Nervousness gripped the University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT) takers as they faced the second day of the exam on Sunday, with some betting on superstitious practices to help them secure a spot in the country&#x27;s premier state university.</div>Roselle Hermoso, mother of an examinee, shared that she and her son left their home in Muntinlupa City at 2:30 a.m. to guarantee they would arrive on time for the test at the Diliman campus in Quezon City.&quot;Nabalitaan namin mahaba daw kasi ang pila kaya kailangan talaga na nauuna para sure talaga na makapasok siya,&quot; Roselle told ABS-CBN News.(We heard the lines are long so we really needed to come first to make sure he could get in.)&quot;Kinakabahan [ako] kasi short lang &#x27;yong preparation ko since sumabay pa &#x27;yong pasukan and nagkasakit din po ako last few weeks,&quot; Kurt Cedrick, Roselle&#x27;s son, said.(I feel nervous but I only had a short preparation period, which coincided with the start of the school year. I was also sick for the past few weeks.)Some applicants resorted to &quot;pamahiin&quot; or superstitious practices, which they found on social media, in hopes of acing the test.&quot;I prepared some ‘yong mga paniniwala po na nakikita ko po... ‘yong maglalagay po ng barya sa talampakan. Ginawa ko rin po ‘yong pagpapatasa [ng lapis] sa UPCAT passer. Later on po after exam, gagawin ko rin po ‘yong babaliin po ‘yong pencil,&quot; said Devine Grace Dequito from Rodriguez, Rizal.(I prepared some of those beliefs... like putting a coin on the sole of my foot. I also asked an UPCAT passer to sharpen my pencil. Later on, after the exam, I will also break the pencil.)Another exam-taker, Francesca Nicole Tan from Bulacan, said: &quot;Ang sinunod ko po talaga ‘yong lagi pong ginagawa, ‘yong nagpapatasa po ng passer ng exam. Nagpatasa ako sa kakilala kong UPCAT passer and nagpa-bless din po ako [sa church].&quot;(I really followed what people usually do, like having my pencil sharpened by someone who passed the exam. I also asked went to church to ask for blessings)More than a hundred thousand applicants are expected to take the UPCAT across 114 testing centers across the country.<div>— Report from Jessie Cruzat, ABS-CBN News</div>

Nervousness gripped the University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT) takers as they faced the second day of the exam on Sunday, with some resorting to superstitious practices in a bid to secure a spot in the country's premier state university.

Nervousness gripped the University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT) takers as they faced the second day of the exam on Sunday, with some resorting to superstitious practices in a bid to secure a spot in the country's premier state university.

Nerves, superstition mark 2nd day of UPCAT 2024 | ABS-CBN

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Nerves, superstition mark 2nd day of UPCAT 2024

Nerves, superstition mark 2nd day of UPCAT 2024

ABS-CBN News,

Jessie Cruzat

Published Aug 11, 2024 01:32 PM PHT

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Updated Aug 11, 2024 02:27 PM PHT

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