By Billie Mercado

In an exclusive email to Hi-Lites, Director Mr. Jo-ed Tirol of the Ateneo de Manila University Office of Admission and Aid said that the university is indeed planning to bring back the Ateneo College Entrance Test for applicants of the school year 2023-2024. With other schools likely following suit, college entrance exams will be brought back for the first time after two years, should nationwide health conditions permit such plans push through. 

Despite still no official announcements from the Philippines’ top universities, many high school seniors have already begun preparing for the upcoming exams. Whether it be through enrolling in review centers, or simply studying individually, countless students are already gearing up for the very momentous tests, should they take place this year. 

All this begs the question: after two years of living through the COVID-19 pandemic and growing accustomed to an online learning environment, are aspiring college students ready to once again take these challenging entrance tests? Are the current learning processes of students enough to prepare them for such painstaking exams? In order to gain more accurate insights, Hi-Lites spoke with ASHS students across all four strands, asking about their thoughts and experiences with regard to such matters.

Switching Setups

The changes we each encounter in life are never easy, and switching to and from the online and face-to-face setups is certainly no exception. While most students clearly recall their struggle in adjusting to the online learning setup at the beginning of the pandemic, having to go back to classes physically after doing schooling online for a long time may be equally difficult. As Selene Basilad from STEM puts it, “I think that I’m going to have to adjust to [the face-to-face learning setup] as much as I have [had] to adjust to online school.” 

Others share that they are looking forward to onsite learning but are not sure if they are actually prepared to return to the standard setup fully. “I’m 100% excited, but not ready,” said Sam De Joya, also from STEM. Yssa Lim from ABM states safety concerns as one of the reasons for such worries, noting that “precautionary measures have to [be in place] as much as possible.” 

Yet, although most of the students expressed that they do not think a purely face-to-face setup is ideal at this point in time, they do think that the use of blended learning would provide students a smooth transition period for proper adjustment. One student, under the pseudonym Mother Joan Foggy, believes that “blended [learning] is the best of both worlds,” with Rapha Sarangaya from ABM agreeing with their point. “I don’t think I’m ready for a purely face-to-face setup yet, but I think I’m ready for blended learning. Personally, I think we need to consider the transition phase of students from a purely online setup to a purely face-to-face setup, in order to help not only the students but also the school admin and teachers adjust,” she said, in a mix of English and Filipino. 

Nevertheless, the interviewees saw eye to eye in believing that learning face-to-face is what’s natural for students, and is the environment that will truly allow them to grow and thrive. Many stated that students learn best when accompanied side-by-side with their classmates and friends, yet due to the fact that the pandemic has led to isolation both physically and socially, social anxiety has built up within them. 

The quality of learning has decreased significantly in online schooling as compared to the normal face-to-face setup where it was up to standard. Elise Molina from HumSS shared that she thinks she has been unable to absorb any lesson in the online setup, with her strandmate Carl De Guzman also noting, “I don’t think I learned anything in Grade 11. Maybe I learned some, pero hindi na na-retain in my head.” Students have also consequently become reliant on online processes that it may be more difficult to transition back to standard  onsite learning. From timed tests, to live recitations, all the way to extracurricular processes, many worried about their proficiency in carrying out tasks without the help of Internet applications or situationally specific considerations. Not only that, but distractions are also more prevalent in an online setup. 

Further, the interviewees also called upon schools to be more transparent with their plans for the upcoming school year, because a myriad of students and their families need to prepare their own courses of action. Whether it be a student’s location, financial situation, means of transportation, and the like, they all agreed that those who lack important resources may likely not have an adjustment process as easy as others. Based on his own experiences and observations, Zaq Ponce from STEM specifically named transportation, fatigue, and adjustments to the academic system as some hurdles to the effective transition to face-to-face learning.

“First and foremost is transportation; we all know what a big problem that would be, not just for students that are living outside of Metro Manila, but even students within Metro Manila… Tapos, the price… not all students [have] the luxury to have that different schedule where may driver sila, or they can walk, or they live near school, etcetera… Second is fatigue… That friction between the two setups is something that needs to be considered because not all students live near campus [and] not all students have the resources to have a smooth transportation from school and home… [With regard to] academics, baka mahirap mag-adjust in the middle of the school year kung kailangan baguhin yung grading system, yung grading rubrics, etcetera… It will all take time,” he shared his sentiments. 

As such, De Guzman also pointed out that the decision to return to face-to-face learning must consider factors that go beyond the education sector. “If we look at it in a more holistic sense, there are really people na yung homes nila are not conducive for learning… Fuel prices are astronomical… COVID is still not under control after two years… We have students from abroad… So, while ideal nga talaga yung face-to-face, we need to make the setup adaptable in the sense na: kung kaya mo mag face-to-face, go ahead; pero kung hindi mo kaya for whatever reason, kaya mo pa rin ipagpatuloy [ang iyong pag-aaral] in the current way.” 

The psychological state, socioeconomic status, and living circumstances of each student have all played a part in determining the outcomes of their online learning experience—whether it be a positive or negative one. As many students have not even stepped foot in their campuses for the past two years, it is quite difficult to say that the level of preparedness they have to take on the college entrance tests is enough to truly execute such a rigorous proceeding.

Ready, CETs, Go

Interviewees were able to identify both benefits and drawbacks of schools holding college entrance exams, especially after the two years students spent learning in their own homes. With this, points of debate seemed to arise, showing that, truly, ascertaining the proper course of action will require much time and deliberation on the part of universities.

1. The uncertainty and unpreparedness of students taking tests after two years VS. The need to get used to normal face-to-face procedures once again

Just like any abrupt shift we may encounter, aspiring college students may be left feeling uneasy, clueless, and even frozen upon having to suddenly take rather taxing exams after not having long exams at all for the past years. “Considering that none of us have taken a real test in two years—[unless] maybe some of the people who have face-to-face classes—I don’t think it’s the best way to measure a student’s capabilities and competence based on an entrance exam solely… We haven’t taken a test in two years, so what more this life-defining moment?” said Elise Molina, noting the very crucial role this single test has in a person’s life. 

Ponce also expressed his worries, stemming from the still ongoing pandemic. “I think that it would be best to stick first with the current application system that we had [in] the past two years during the pandemic; one, because there’s no certainty that COVID-19 will be fully resolved by then. Right now, there [are currently] mini surges throughout the country, and it’s difficult to say with certainty that by the CET application, everyone will be available to take [the exams] and have the resources to actually go to the testing center,” he said. 

However, some also emphasized the importance of gauging one’s test-taking abilities—for if they can survive an exam, ideally, they should also be able to set a firm footing on their dream schools or professions. As De Guzman put it, “if you want to be a lawyer, there’s no getting out of the bar exam; if you want to become a CPA…, hindi mo talaga maaalis ‘yung need for test-taking skills.”

2. Tests are standardized and objective, allowing students to be viewed equally with others VS. Tests alone may not be the best way to measure the aptitude of students

Lim mentioned that entrance exams may allow admissions offices to view their potential students through a “birds eye view”, giving everyone an equal chance to prove their skills and capabilities. As these exams aim to test the academic rigor of each student, one student, who opted to stay anonymous, said, “I think it’s a good opportunity for them to challenge their learning capabilities, since the CETs [encompass] a lot of topics ranging from mathematics, to sciences, and English…”

For one, having face-to-face exams would lessen the chances of cheating and dishonesty, according to the interviewees. Many also believe that these entrance tests are a way for students to do their best to make up for the standards their grades may have failed to meet in high school. 

However, Lee Gosuico, also from GA, noted the two very different paths that a student extremely stressed out by an entrance exam can go towards, saying that, “people might say that [CETs are] a double-edged sword, kasi you can use it to pull yourself up, pero if you don’t do well under pressure, it can pull you down.” Some point out that different schools have different grading systems, so tests would create a level ground for these types of circumstances, while some think that these records are already enough for schools to evaluate students. For instance, Josiah Corrales understands the opinion that tests may lead universities to “be more accurate on how they’re choosing [students],” while another student believes that “past records already say a lot [about students’] capabilities. 

Moreover, Dani Barbacena from ABM explained that, similar to how a student’s individual circumstances affect their schooling experiences, one’s degree of privilege makes an impact on their performance in college entrance exams—that something viewed by plenty as an equalizer may actually still create gaps and division. “The level of preparation for entrance exams or—any other standardized exams like SATs or ACTs—still differs or varies based on the privileges one has. For example, preparations for CETs require money if you would like to enroll in a review center, or a conducive learning environment if you would like to study on your own at home, or a flexible schedule if you would like to study months ahead and prepare for it months before the actual exam. I think these are some of the many factors or things that are not really accessible to many, so bringing back such exams also implies that there are still students going to be left behind,” she said. 

3. As the top universities have not yet announced their plans for CETs officially, students are afraid that their preparations are in vain. 

Jeric Nepomuceno from GA shared a recent conversation he had with some friends. “Our fear is that the big schools haven’t even [formally] announced if they’re going to bring back entrance exams. Families put their kids into review centers just in case entrance exams will occur again, [but] it’s like we don’t know what’s going to happen, so we don’t know what to prepare for,” he said, in a mix of English and Filipino.

This is a sentiment that countless students currently resonate and empathize with, with Gosuico also saying that, “baka sayang lang ‘yung finances that you spend in the review center if the face-to-face exam won’t push through.” 

As early as now, many have already begun spending much of their time, exerting their utmost effort, and utilizing every resource they have into studying for tests that they are not even sure will indeed occur later this year. This lack of preparation and transparency only adds more pressure on aspiring college students as they spend each day agonizing over such uncertainty.

For the Final Course of Action…

As students have to balance adjusting to onsite learning in their current high schools with gearing up in the hopes of being a part of their dream colleges, it is not surprising that worry continues to pile up within them everyday. Thus, the interviewees presented a few alternatives that universities may take into consideration in order to ease the pressure students already have building up.

Some expressed the need for schools to take holistic approaches in assessing their applicants. Everyone is skilled in their own ways, as Ponce said, “there’s the thing of multiple intelligence—not everyone shines through academics but also in other aspects of their school life.” Barbacena also hoped that admissions offices “consider many aspects—from personal essays, to recommendation letters, co-curricular and extracurricular activities…”

Others humbly requested that universities adjust the level of difficulty of their tests should the entrance exams really be brought back, in light of the fact that students haven’t taken a proper test in two years.

Yet, all in all, many students simply ask that universities, and other related institutions and agencies, think about the circumstances they are in—struck down by a pandemic, struggling to adjust to new changes, and stressed trying to find solutions to their problems brought on by systemic inadequacies. “I sincerely hope that [schools] choose the best options possible; … As a student myself, I don’t want to be a guinea pig; I don’t want my life and education to be put at risk because the authorities, or our government, or our school administration at least is still quote-unquote testing out things,” Barbacena remarked.

So, whatever the decision of each Philippine university may be, may it be one that properly caters and takes into consideration the state of Filipino students and their families.