Nervous students take UP entrance test

Thousands of nervous high school seniors on Saturday took the yearly University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT) for a shot to study at the country's premier state university. Security was tight at the UP Diliman campus in Quezon City, where the first day of the exam was held, according to the GMA News' noontime newscast Balitanghali. Many of the students, accompanied by their parents, showed up early at the exam venue, the report said. Traffic was also tight at the area around the UP Diliman campus. According to the report, an average of 60,000 students take the UPCAT but less than half pass it. In 2009, only 10,000 passed the UPCAT while in 2010, only 13,000 passed. A second batch of students is to take the test on Sunday, the report said. — LBG, GMA News