TL;DR: USTET, the University of Santo Tomas Entrance Test, covers English, Mathematics, Science, and a Mental Ability subtest for college applicants, with your final rating based 80 percent on your test score and 20 percent on your English, Math, and Science grades. To prepare, apply online early during the application window (roughly August to January for the current cycle), review your high school English, Math, and Science fundamentals, practice Mental Ability questions since that subject is not taught in a regular classroom, and confirm all dates, fees, and cutoffs with the official USTET portal or the UST Office for Admissions before test day. Two things catch applicants out: your test date is system-generated from when you finish your application, not chosen; and some programmes screen you again after USTET with an interview, audition, or drawing test.
Introduction
If you are a Grade 12 student eyeing a spot at the University of Santo Tomas, USTET is the exam standing between you and your dream course. Unlike UPCAT or other entrance tests you may have heard about, USTET has its own format, its own scoring formula, and its own set of things to prepare for, which is why searching "USTET reviewer" months before your test date is a smart move.
This guide walks you through what USTET actually covers, how the application process works, where to find reviewers (free and paid), and how to build a study plan that fits your timeline. We will not throw out invented cutoff scores or item counts, since UST does not publish a single official passing score and old reviewer PDFs online often show outdated formats. Instead, you will get what is actually confirmed by UST's own admission site, plus practical prep advice you can act on this week.
What does USTET cover?
USTET for college applicants covers three major subject areas, English, Mathematics, and Science, plus a separate Mental Ability subtest. This is confirmed directly on the official USTET admissions site.
Applicants to the Learning Enhancement for Aspiring Physicians program, known as LEAPMed, take an additional afternoon exam that covers Anatomy, Botany, Chemistry, Physics, Physiology, and Zoology, on top of the standard USTET.
Here is a general breakdown of what each area typically tests, based on the subject descriptions UST itself uses:
| Test area | What it generally assesses |
|---|---|
| English | Reading comprehension, grammar, vocabulary in context |
| Mathematics | Core high school math: algebra, word problems, quantitative reasoning |
| Science | General science concepts from your high school Science subjects |
| Mental Ability | Logical reasoning, pattern recognition, analogies, non-verbal reasoning |
| LEAPMed add-on (LEAPMed applicants only) | Anatomy, Botany, Chemistry, Physics, Physiology, Zoology |
Mental Ability tends to surprise reviewees the most because it is not a subject taught in a regular classroom. It leans on logic puzzles, sequences, and reasoning rather than memorized content, so it rewards practice with sample logic questions more than cramming notes.
UST has not published a fixed, universal passing score or exact item count for the current cycle on its official site, and specifics can change between admission cycles. Treat any number you see quoting an exact cutoff or item count on a third-party blog as unverified unless it links back to an official UST source, and confirm current details with the UST admissions office before you rely on it.
How is the USTET score computed?
Your final rating for USTET is a weighted combination of two components. According to the official USTET site, the entrance test score carries 80 percent of the weight, and your computed average grades in English, Mathematics, and Science, taken from your USTET Application Grades Form, carry the remaining 20 percent.
This means your high school grades in those three subjects do matter, not just your performance on test day. If your grades in English, Math, and Science are strong, that gives you a cushion even if one section of the actual test does not go perfectly.
How do I apply for USTET?
Applying for USTET is done entirely online through the official USTET portal. Here is the flow as UST's own site describes it:
- Register an account on the USTET portal and choose your applicant level, whether college, senior high school, or junior and education high school.
- Answer the previous-taker verification. Say yes if you have sat USTET before and supply the details, no if this is your first time.
- Complete UST Manila student verification if you are or were a UST Manila student. Entering your student number carries your academic record across, so you do not re-encode grades taken at UST.
- Accept the application guidelines and the privacy information for applicants.
- Fill out the online registration form to get your Reference Number.
- Upload a 2x2 ID picture with a name tag, update your current school information, and set your program preference.
- Encode your grades using the USTET Application Grades Form. UST asks you to send this form to your school registrar or principal to complete, then return it to you for upload. UST warns that a grades form with incomplete information will not be processed.
- Upload the rest of your documents. For a graduating Filipino applicant in a local school that means the ID picture, the Application Grades Form, and a PSA or NSO birth certificate or valid passport. Other applicant categories add a registrar clearance and a certified true copy of grades or temporary transcript.
- Submit for verification and wait for the UST Office for Admissions (OFAD) to check your requirements and encoded grades. You get a text or email notice once verified.
- Select a testing center and pay the non-refundable application fee online.
- Download your Test Permit, which is issued only after the application is complete, documents are submitted, and the fee is paid.
- Sit the test, then wait for results, which UST announces in the second quarter of the following year.
One thing to plan around: you do not pick your test date. UST states that the testing date is system-generated based on when you completed your application and your application type, and that the testing time is also system-generated and cannot be changed. You choose the testing center, not the slot. That makes finishing your application early a scheduling decision, not just a safety margin — the later you complete it, the later your date falls.
Who may apply. UST limits college applications to students currently enrolled in Grade 12, and senior high school applications to students currently enrolled in Grade 10. Passers of the Philippine Educational Placement Test and the Alternative Learning System Accreditation and Equivalency, graduates of previous school years, applicants from foreign schools, and foreigners graduating from local schools may also apply, but must first secure a clearance from the UST Manila Office of the Registrar before paying the fee.
On timing. The pattern UST follows is a registration and payment window opening in August for college applicants and in September for senior high and junior high, closing in early January, with testing dates spread from October through January and a dedicated date for UST's own high school students. LEAPMed closes earlier than the rest. Exact dates move every cycle, so read them off the live USTET portal rather than any blog, including this one.
How much does USTET cost?
Application fees vary depending on your applicant category. Based on the official USTET site:
| Applicant category | Application fee (PHP) |
|---|---|
| Filipino applicants attending local schools, including Philippine schools overseas | PHP 600 |
| Filipino graduates of previous school years | PHP 600 |
| Passers of PEPT, ALS, and A&E | PHP 600 |
| Graduating Filipino applicants from foreign schools | PHP 1,000 |
| Graduating non-Filipino applicants enrolled in Philippine schools | PHP 1,000 |
| International students (non-Filipino applicants from schools abroad) | PHP 1,000 |
| Applicants with international credentials (college only) | PHP 3,000 |
| LEAPMed applicants (testing in the Philippines) | PHP 3,600 |
| Applicants taking the USTET at international testing centers | PHP 6,000 |
| LEAPMed applicants (testing abroad) | PHP 9,000 |
Fees are waived in three cases, per the official site: senior high school or college applicants from Philippine public schools awarded the Highest Honors based on their academic performance in Grade 9 and Grade 11 respectively; college applicants eligible under the Free College Entrance Examinations Act, Republic Act No. 12006; and children of UST Manila support staff. All fees are non-refundable once paid, so make sure your documents are complete and verified before you pay. Confirm current fees with the official USTET portal or UST OFAD, since fee schedules can be adjusted between admission cycles.
Programme-specific requirements: what USTET alone does not get you
This is the part applicants most often miss. USTET is one gate, not the only one, and several of UST's requirements attach to the programme rather than to the exam.
You choose two programmes, and the order matters
College applicants select a Priority Program and an Alternative Program. UST processes the priority first; the alternative is only considered if you do not meet the criteria for your priority, and it stops being processed the moment you qualify for your first choice. Senior high school applicants select only one programme. Choose the pair deliberately — an alternative that is just as competitive as your priority is not really a fallback.
Some programmes screen you again after USTET
UST states plainly that passing the USTET is not the sole basis for admission to some academic programmes, and that some require an additional entry assessment in the form of an interview, a talent test such as an audition or drawing, or a similar activity. UST publishes the list of programmes with additional screening requirements for freshman applicants on the application portal, and the schedules for required interviews are posted after USTET results are released. Check that list against your priority programme before you apply, so an audition or portfolio requirement is not a surprise in the second quarter.
We are deliberately not reproducing the programme list here. It is maintained by UST and changes; read it at the source.
LEAPMed has its own eligibility floor, its own extra test, and a hard cap
LEAPMed, the Learning-Enhanced Accelerated Program for Medicine, is a six-year track: two years of BS Basic Human Studies followed by the four-year medical programme, for two degrees in six years. It is the most tightly gated route in the university.
| LEAPMed requirement | What UST publishes |
|---|---|
| Who may apply | Graduating Grade 12 students only, from the STEM strand (Thomasian or not), the GAS-Health Allied strand (Thomasians only), or an International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme with Biology Higher Level |
| Grade floor | Grade 11 general average of 90.00 or higher; for IB applicants, a Grade 11 predictive grade of at least 28 points excluding the Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge |
| Graduates of previous school years | Not qualified |
| Tests | USTET in the morning, LEAPMed Entrance Test in the afternoon, on the same day |
| LEAPMed Entrance Test coverage | Anatomy, Botany, Chemistry, Physics, Physiology, Zoology |
| Selection | The top 220 qualifiers across both tests are interviewed; 90 students are accepted |
| If you do not qualify | Your Priority and Alternative Programs are processed instead |
You indicate interest by answering yes to the LEAPMed question in the Program Preference section of the portal, then still nominate a priority and alternative programme underneath it. Note the funnel: 220 interviewed, 90 admitted. Even applicants who clear every published requirement are competing for a fixed, small number of seats, which is a different kind of odds than a normal course quota.
One more thing worth knowing early: getting into LEAPMed does not exempt you from the NMAT. CEM lists second-year students in UST's BS Basic Human Studies programme among those eligible to sit the National Medical Admission Test, so the exam still sits between the two halves of the six-year track. Our NMAT guide covers what that involves.
International credentials can shortcut the process
UST maintains a separate category for college applicants with international credentials, who may qualify for automatic admission if the published criteria for their credential are met. The criteria list sits on the portal. If you are studying under a foreign curriculum, read that list before assuming you need to sit USTET on the standard track.
Requirements attached to specific UST schools
Some UST units add their own conditions unrelated to USTET performance. UST Education High School, a laboratory school of the UST College of Education serving marginalised members of the community, requires a Grade 6 first-quarter general average of at least 85.00 with no grade below 80, plus both parents' Income Tax Returns, and gives priority to families with a combined annual income at or below PHP 450,000. Applicants above that ceiling may still apply. This is a good illustration of the general rule: read the requirements for the exact programme and campus you want, not the generic USTET page.
Where can I find a USTET reviewer?
You have two general paths: free self-review materials, or a paid, structured review program.
Free options include:
- Old USTET-style mock tests and Mental Ability practice sets shared on platforms like Scribd, Studocu, and Course Hero
- Flashcard sets on Quizlet built around common USTET topics
- YouTube channels focused on Philippine college entrance test review, which often post walkthroughs of sample Mental Ability, English, Math, and Science questions
- Your own high school textbooks and notes in English, Math, and Science, which remain the most reliable free review material since USTET draws heavily from the standard high school curriculum
Keep in mind that free reviewer PDFs circulating online are often old copies from previous years and are not official UST materials. They are useful for getting a feel for question style and pacing, not as a guaranteed preview of the current exam's exact content or difficulty.
Paid options include commercial review centers that offer USTET-specific or general college entrance test review packages, usually with timed mock exams, topic drills, and instructors who can explain Mental Ability strategies in more depth. These can be worth it if you want structure and accountability, or if you are also reviewing for other entrance exams like UPCAT at the same time. If you are also prepping for UP's exam, our UPCAT reviewer guide walks through a similar free-vs-paid decision that applies here too.
How should I build a USTET study plan?
A workable study plan usually breaks down into three phases:
- Diagnose (Week 1-2): Take one full mock test cold, without reviewing first, to see which of the four areas, English, Math, Science, or Mental Ability, needs the most work. This tells you where to spend your limited study hours.
- Build (the bulk of your timeline): Spend most sessions on your weakest areas first. For Mental Ability specifically, drill logic and pattern questions daily in short bursts rather than long cram sessions, since the skill builds through repetition. For English, Math, and Science, revisit your Grade 10 to Grade 12 notes and textbooks, since USTET draws from that range.
- Simulate (final 2-3 weeks): Take full-length timed mock tests under exam-like conditions at least once a week. This builds pacing and stamina, since running out of time is one of the most common reasons reviewees underperform relative to their actual knowledge.
Because your final rating also includes your English, Math, and Science grades at 20 percent weight, keep those grades as strong as possible through your remaining school terms rather than treating grades and test prep as separate tracks.
Tips to pass USTET
- Start two to three months out. Cramming a week before test day rarely covers Mental Ability adequately, since it is an unfamiliar skill for most reviewees.
- Do not neglect your school grades. Since grades make up 20 percent of your final rating, consistent classroom performance in English, Math, and Science pays off directly on USTET day.
- Practice pacing, not just content. Full mock tests under time pressure reveal whether you actually know the material fast enough, which is different from knowing it untimed.
- Verify every number before you rely on it. Cutoff scores, exact item counts, and fee amounts you see on old blog posts or forum threads may be outdated. Cross-check with the official USTET portal or UST OFAD directly.
- Prepare your documents early. Verification delays from incomplete uploads (PSA birth certificate, grades form, ID photo) are a common reason applicants miss their preferred testing date.
- Have a backup plan. Apply to more than one school if your course of choice is competitive. Review our guide on how to choose a school in the Philippines if you are still weighing UST against other options.
Figures, fees, and dates in this guide reflect what is published on the official USTET admissions site as of this writing. Admission requirements, fees, and schedules can change between cycles, so confirm current details with the UST admissions office (UST OFAD) or the official USTET portal before you finalize any decision.
Sources
- USTET Official Admission Portal - test coverage, scoring formula, application guidelines, fee categories, eligibility, programme preference rules, LEAPMed, testing centres and schedules
- UST Admission - Choose Levels - applicant categories (college, SHS, JHS)
- UST Office for Admissions - announcements, interview schedules, and updates between cycles
- UST Faculty of Medicine and Surgery Admission - NMAT and academic requirements for the MD programme, for context on the post-LEAPMed route
- How to Apply to UST: A Step-by-Step Guide - AHEAD Tutorial and Review - application process steps and required documents
Explore more on SchoolFinderPH
If UST is one of several schools you are considering, check our guide to college admission requirements in the Philippines for a broader view of what different schools ask for, and our UST tuition fee guide to plan your budget alongside your entrance exam prep. Still deciding on a course? Our guide on what course to take in college can help you narrow it down before you fill out your USTET application grades form. Eyeing UST for pre-med or LEAPMed? See our roundup of the best medical schools in the Philippines for context on where UST stands.
Ready to compare schools beyond UST? Search and browse verified school profiles on SchoolFinderPH to find the right fit for your course and budget.
