We’re living in times when the internet is already an essential part of our everyday lives.

That’s why your UPCAT and CETs preparation should be available online as well. Gone are the times wherein your preparation is limited to books and a physical classroom setting.

Plus, with the current issue of safety and health, preparing for the UPCAT using the internet has become essential.

A lot of physical review centers have started offering online reviews to catch up with the changing times. Furthermore, they were forced to offer online reviews because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But is their program enough?

We at Review Masters have been offering the online UPCAT review program for 12 long years already. Because of this experience, we found out what an online program should have for it to be fully effective. (Just look at the thousands of passers we have year after year).

1. Must have an Online Review Portal

A winning online review program should have a review portal where you can log in and access reviewers. This gives you a hub where you can access all your preparation needs.

If a review center does not have one, you could hardly call it an online review program.

(The Review Masters Online Review Portal is a members-only site wherein you can access reviewers, video lectures quizzes and a whole lot more. You can create your free account here.)

2. Live Online Classes

Just like a physical classroom review, live classes are important for digital learners to have an opportunity to consult with teachers and interact with other students in real-time. A personal touch goes a long way, especially in learning and motivation and live online classes do the job well in the absence of physical interaction.

Look for review centers that also offer refresher courses on auxiliary topics like math techniques, test-taking tips, career guidance, essay writing, and abstract reasoning. Reviewing for the major subjects is important but the supporting topics should not be overlooked.

(The Review Masters Virtual Classes are live online classes conducted by Big 4 subject matter experts. These classes are highly interactive and very engaging.)

3. Recordings of the Live Classes

It would also be best if the live classes were recorded and can be viewed at a later time. With this feature, students who missed a class or would want to go back to a certain topic can watch the recording.

It would also be nice if the chat conversations of instructors and students are available in the recording so that the student who watches can follow the discourse and relate more to the topic being discussed.

(You can watch some of our Jumpstart Virtual Classes recording on our YouTube channel.)

4. Reliable Reviewers

For an online review program to be effective, materials and reviewers should be reliable. That means they should be created by competent authors and updated regularly. You do not want to use materials that are already old and stale for your preparation.

5. Mentors and Instructors who are experts in their fields

Instructors are an essential part of the review program. Their competency and expertise will dictate the quality of the review class.

It is very important that an online review center has instructors who are experts in their respective fields so that they can address the questions of students fully and the information they provide is reliable.

Be wary of some centers who get undergraduates as instructors. Yes they may be able to teach but they are not yet experts on the field. In my opinion, instructors should be at least college graduates before they teach in review classes.

6. Community and support group

Self-study is ok. But being surrounded by individuals who are also preparing for their entrance exams is better. A peer study group can ease a reviewing student from a lot of stress.

Having peer-to-peer support offers a sense of belongingness which can be very helpful when dealing with something as serious as an admissions test. Word of encouragement from friends, even just online, can help boost your morale and keep you going.

Moreover, reviewing is always more fun if you have your friends doing it with you!

7. Easily accessible across devices

Your online UPCAT review should be available across devices. With today’s flexibility of students to use different devices, a good online review program should not be limited by what screen size he or she has. The online review program should be able to adapt to the learner, whether he or she is using a smartphone, a tablet or a laptop.

8. Available 24/7

Because the learning setting is not limited to the classroom lectures where a strict schedule is set and followed, online review portals give students better access to their materials any time of the day, wherever they want to review.

This is a big advantage for those who prefer to learn in their own time, so enrollees can freely tweak their schedule depending on when they are most productive. They can answer practice tests, watch video lectures and access live class recordings

9. Start-to-finish review program

Aside from being available 24/7, a successful online review program should be end-to-end. The online review should not stop after the live classes. It should be able to support the student in his/her assessment, self-study, peer-to-peer interaction, live review classes, pre-exam conditioning, college entrance application and even up to wait listing and reconsideration.

10. Value for Money

The benefits that you get from an online review should be proportional to the fee you pay. You should be able to get a full stack review program at a reasonable price.

There are review centers who charge exorbitant fees for a subpar service. After the live classes, you get no further assistance from them in terms of self-study support, college application assistance and other auxiliary services.

(Review Masters offers the Online Review Platinum package. It includes live online classes, review books, review portal access and a lot of other exclusive content to fully prepare you for your UPCAT and other CETs at a fraction of the cost of other available programs out there. Check it out here.)

11. Designed for digital learners

The youth of today have grown up with the internet and devices. Thus, it doesn’t come as surprising that many of you learn better when presented with digital materials like practice tests, modules, and videos.

Online review materials should be specifically designed to cater to those who find themselves more productive in tinkering with digital options, so they don’t find the process of reviewing dull and boring.

In conclusion, be sure to choose an online review center that would fully help you prepare for the CETs, available wherever, whenever you need it at a fraction of the cost.

The post 11 Essential Elements of a Winning Online UPCAT Review Program appeared first on Review Masters.

We hope this finds you well and safe amid the COVID-19 outbreak. This  pandemic has affected all our lives in unexpected ways. 

Review Masters is one with the government in putting everyone’s health and safety of utmost importance. Hence, we have decided to postpone all classroom review schedules that are supposed to be held from May to July.

However, we believe preparing for the future should not take a step back despite the circumstances. It is our mission to help students prepare for their dream university, with or without pandemic.

Here are the steps that we’re taking to continue on this mission:

• Classroom Reviews. We are looking at the possibility of opening weekend classes this August. This is inline with the opening of classes on August 24 as advised by the Department of Education. Rest assured that we will observe proper health safety measures in our classroom reviews to ensure the safety of our students and mentors. We shall be sending an FAQ to our enrolled students in the following days. 

• 37 Tips Workshop. Plenty of our current and former students are also looking forward to the 37 Tips Workshop for its 15th year run. Sadly, we will not be holding the workshop at the SMX Convention Center and provincial venues this year. We will instead hold the first-ever 37 Tips Workshop Online. We’d love for you to be part of this milestone!

• FREE Online UPCAT Review. For the past 12 years, our Online UPCAT Review Programs have helped  thousands of students prepare for their CETs. We hope to extend this help to as many students especially during this time. Our FREE Access is still available to everyone and on top of this, we will also hold  FREE Virtual Classes starting this Saturday, May 9, 2020. Watch out for our announcements and share with your friends.

• PREMIUM & PLATINUM Online UPCAT Review.  You can already access our Review Portal and start your RM review journey. The first round of Virtual Classes will begin on May 18. See you then and join the new normal of review classes.

Should you have any questions, feel free to comment or send us a message anytime. We would love to hear from you.

The post Review Masters’ Official Statement on the COVID-19 Situation appeared first on Review Masters.

The COVID-19 crisis has affected our day-to-day lives and disrupted the way we do things dramatically. Staying at home for the moment is the safest way to avoid getting infected.

However, we will eventually recover and move on with our lives. And one thing is certain – there will be college entrance tests (CETs) in a few months from now. The UPCAT, ACET, DCAT and USTET are just around the corner.

The question is, “Are you prepared for them?”

At this moment you should have already started your preparation and review for CETs. Starting early is the key to your CET success. However, due to the current situation, the traditional way of preparation such as classroom reviews is not possible.

Here are 11 ways on how you can prepare for the UPCAT and other CETs without the need to leave the comfort and safety of your home.

Going Online

The internet is probably the best thing that happened to us humans, especially in these times that we need to stay at home. It has enabled us to do a lot of things such as shop, socialize, talk to friends and get updated with current events without leaving our spot. Being online enabled us to learn and study without going to a physical school of learning center. Thus we can use the internet to review and study for our CETs.

The first set of tips uses the internet to aid your CET preparation.

1. Download reviewers and use them

There are tons of reviewers available in the internet nowadays. Just one Google search and you’ll stumble on a plethora of online reviewers which you can download.

Aside from search, you can also get reviewers from the following sources:

• Facebook groups
• Reddit discussions
• Online friends

Review Masters has a set of free UPCAT reviewers available for download. You may get them here.

IMPORTANT: Did you notice the second part of the title of this tip? It says, “USE THEM”. Yes, you have to use the reviewers (obvious ba?).

I have seen students who just downloaded reviewers here and there and not use them for review and practice. They just collected and downloaded and kept it in their devices.   Sayang.

So I urge you to answer the reviewers you have downloaded. Please.

A word of caution about reviewers: Be sure to obtain your reviewers from legitimate sources. Most of these materials are still copyrighted. Authors can go after you for unauthorized distribution and reproduction.

2. Sign up to an online review portal/e-learning site

An online review portal or e-learning platform will greatly help you prepare for the test. E-learning sites such as these will provide you with the following:

• review questions and explanations
• video tutorials
• tips & strategies
• guides, cheat sheets, notes and other resource materials

The great thing about review portals is that the things you need on college entrance test preparation is all in one place. It’s a one-stop-shop for your preparation.

One example of this is the Review Masters Online Review Portal. You may sign up for a free account and you may also upgrade to unlock exclusive features.

3. Watch CET-related videos

Video is a great tool to refresh what you have learned in school and learn new things about the UPCAT and other CETs. Multiple studies have shown that video, specifically, can be a highly effective educational tool for learning.

There are tons of content about your high school lessons on YouTube. You may search for the specific topic you want to learn about and view it on-demand.

Review Masters has a YouTube channel with videos on CET tips and strategies. I invite you to subscribe to our YouTube channel here.

4. Attend live online classes

Videos are great. But what’s better for your CET preparation are live online classes.

With a live class, you can interact with your online instructor and classmates. You can ask a question and receive a reply right away.

Live online classes lets you experience hands-on teaching at the comfort of your home. You have your instructor, classmates and the lesson at hand. It’s just like your regular review classes: without physical contact (and with the given situation, you don’t want anyway, right?).

The Review Masters Online Review Platinum Program has the Virtual Classes. These are live online classes which let teachers and students learn and interact together through a virtual classroom. Read more about the Platinum program on this page.

5. Join online groups and communities

Wouldn’t it be great to prepare for your entrance exams with friends and other test-takers? Online groups and communities are great avenues for these.

By joining online group discussions, you can ask your peers about their course choices, review methods, application issues and whole lot of other concerns.

Also in these groups, some professors and experts chime in to assist students. Take advantage of these opportunities.

I invite you to join the Ka-TOURs (Tropang Online UPCAT Review) community on Facebook. Get to talk about CETs and learn with your peers and friends.

6. Consult with tutors, professors and experts

Being at home should not stop you from getting expert help on your CETs. You should use this time to catch up with your high school teachers and probably consult them about your college entrance plans.

If you have a personal tutor, it would be great to contact them, too. Ask them for tips and about their CET experience.

Aside from your high school teachers and tutors, you can also get help from experts specifically on college entrance exams. This is probably the best source of info that you should look for if you want to increase your chance of passing your CETs. These are professors and instructors who have experience directly with college entrance exams.

The Review Masters team is one such group of experts. We have been helping students prepare for CETs for the past 18 years. Personally, I have spoken to thousands of test takers and given them tips and gotten feedback from them.

Get to connect with the Review Masters through our online review program.

No internet? No problem!

Yes, we have the internet and all but that is not just the way to prepare for CETs at home. You can also go with the traditional offline review methods.

7. Review your high school notes

The UPCAT and other CETs are, of course, based on your high school topics and lessons. What better resource to use are your good ol’ high school notes.

According to scientific research, writing notes improves your memory recall. Since you are the ones who wrote the notes of your lessons, it would be easier for you to recall the things you studied in school and apply them in your CET preparation.

You can read your notes, answer again the given examples by your teachers and organize these notes into bitesize pieces by using index cards (we will discuss this in the tip #10).

8. Answer review books

There are books and reviewers available for sale in bookstores and online sellers. It would be best if you can secure your copies of these reviewers and use them for your practice.

You can buy the books from bookstores if you want a fresh copy of the reviewer. You can also order online.  I know of some groups who sell online and ship their reviewers to students.

If you want to save some cash though, you can just borrow available copies from your friends and upper classmen. Advantage and disadvantage though is that most probably, it has already been answered and there are already marks on the reviewer.

The Review Masters Platinum membership include physical review books aside from the online review. You can go to this page to see all the details.

9. Print and answer downloaded reviewers

Remember the reviewers you downloaded from the internet in tip #1? Now is the time to print them and answer them the traditional way.

Yes, you can answer these reviewer on-screen, however, you will get better practice if you answer them on paper. The act of writing down the answers and doing computations by hand will improve your performance during the test.  In the actual exam, you will use a scratch sheet and shade the answer sheet by hand anyway so it would be best to use your time at home to practice writing on paper.

10. Create cheat sheets, flash cards and index cards

Organizing your notes is a great way to improve your study habit and use of review time. Creating index cards helps you locate lessons more efficiently thus helping you maximize your review time. Plus writing your notes on index cards will help you recall those lessons, as we have discussed in the previous tip.

In tip #7, I told to review your high school notes. Writing them down on index cards will help you organize those notes and help you recall your high school lessons easier. Hitting two birds with one stone, right?

11. Pray, reflect and meditate

Your time at home is the best opportunity to get to know yourself more and think about your plans for CETs and college life in general.

Spend a few minutes each day meditating and reflecting on the choices you’ll make and the preparation that you will do.

Asking the Almighty for enlightenment and guidance will surely work wonders on your test results and life in general.

As we help flatten the curve while staying at home, I hope you do these tips for your UPCAT and CETs preparation. Yes, we can’t go outside like before, but we can still improve ourselves and do something positive for our college entrance test readiness.

The post 11 Ways to Prepare for the UPCAT and other College Entrance Tests Without Leaving Your Home appeared first on Review Masters.

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So you go to YouTube and watch a video, trying to learn on your own what your teacher taught you in class.

Surprise! You learned the lesson in only a few minutes.

Or how about this: Have you watched a makeup tutorial on YouTube?

You watch it, follow as instructed and… TADA! You get great blending and highlights on your face.

Of course the latter question is directed to girls and maybe the results of your makeup is not as expected.  But you get the idea.

Just by watching a video or reading an e-book or listening to a podcast, you learn something. And it’s very practical, effective and accessible.

Online Learning: An Alternative Way to Learn.

It’s undeniable that we already live in a connected and hi-tech world. And online learning has slowly crept in our education system.

Traditional learning centers and institutions started to implement and share their online class and review programs.

Online learning allows the traditional learning institutions the ability to expand their curriculum as well as their programs. It is critical to consider this new kind of learning so one can be better prepared and embrace this kind of learning setting. This new method of learning can be a highly effective alternative to traditional education.

There are varieties of online learning though. Students should look after the identifiable factors which are common to all types before enrolling in any program or course. The students should assess each program; what is the most interesting and that fits their lives or future careers.

Online learning is a is a great alternative learning to the conventional learning, especially for those students who do not have time and enough funds to take learning center-based programs.

Students of today’s society possesses technological skills needed to fully function in their lives in the academe because there is an array of mobile applications, web applications and online platforms to consider in order to harness their best in digital technology to improve learning.

Creating a digital framework is very important as this is to build a digital space and capacity for both students and educators. This is an effective tool for the depth of skills needed for digital proficiency. Also, this will serve as a good starting point to plan and organize on how to advance the skills of a student and professional development for educators.

In spite of that, online learning is still related to conventional. There are still people think that students learning online are not smart enough and they maybe lazy and so these claims to discourage some students from learning online. But some studies speaks that online education is totally worth the effort. There are online programs and even courses that are convenient and quite cheaper than in a habitual education. Many conventional learning centers, colleges and universities were a bit skeptical of of this method of learning most especially when it was infancy days. But today, more than 80% believe that online learning programs are equal to those of the conventional.

Online learning is a is a great alternative learning to the conventional learning, especially for those students who do not have time and enough funds to take learning center-based programs.

Why Online Learning?

In Review Masters, our experience is that the online review is an essential part of the review program due to several reasons:

1. The online review serves as a support platform to the face to face classroom review. A student who need to study again a lesson may just go online and review that particular lesson.
2. The online review is accessible 24/7 anywhere. As long as you have a device connected to the internet, whether is a desktop, tablet or smartphone, you may access the review materials anytime, anywhere.
3. With the live online classes, students may ask teachers questions in real time and interact with other students from different parts of the country.
4. The online review is a separate review program in itself that is complete and effective. We had students before who were not able to attend the physical classroom but were still able to review effectively and pass their examinations.
5. The online review matches the learning style of the current generation of students. Students today are now known as “digital learners”. They learn through the use of multimedia, websites and other digital technology aside from the traditional and conventional medium of instruction. The online review fills in this gap in the college entrance test preparation program.
6. Taking online reviews is cheaper than traditional reviews. With an online review program, students don’t have to spend for transportation, food and allowance as they take the review.
7. Students may study at their own pace. The online review allows students to review at the convenience of their own time. Students may watch the videos lessons whenever they want, and take the practice tests during their spare time.

Truly, online learning is the next wave in education in these modern times. It will continue to evolve and will be integral in every education system in the future.

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It is the information age. Almost every information is now accessible through the internet. Almost everyone uses the internet. And using the internet as a tool to prepare for exams can really give you the advantage.

What is the Online UPCAT Review?

The Online UPCAT Review is the latest UPCAT Review course developed by UP professors. It is conducted via the internet and optimizes the use of e-learning software, Facebook, YouTube and SlideShare to deliver the review.

How is the Online UPCAT Review different from the traditional classroom reviews?

If you ask in terms of the lessons and the coverage of the review course, then there is very little difference between the Online Review and classroom review. They are both diagnostic test based, the lecture is still discussed by UP Professors and a simulation of the UPCAT will also be taken.

However, the method of delivery sets the Online UPCAT Review apart. In the traditional classroom review, the students will be attending class sessions where they will answer diagnostic exams and then the lecturer would discuss each item of the diagnostic test. If the student has questions, then the teacher will answer the quuestion and have a short clarification of the topic. This method has been proven effective over the past and is being used by all review centers.

The Online UPCAT review is unique in the delivery because; instead of a regular classroom, the review is delivered right at your homes via the internet. The student will answer the diagnostic test using our e-learning program. Then each item of the diagnostic test will be discussed, but this time, the discussion will be done either through text, YouTUBE or SlideShare. We will even include links to other materials that would make the topic even easier to understand. And, if the student still needs clarifications then he or she may post it in the forum for further discussion.

But maybe one of the best advantage of the Online UPCAT Review is the UNLIMITED ACCESS until September 30 unlike traditional classroom reviews that usually last only 2-3 weeks, giving more time for the student to truly understand the lessons being taught.

How much is the Online UPCAT Review?

The Online UPCAT Review has two access levels: the FREE access level and the PREMIUM access level. The Free access has a complete set of reviewers for math, science, language and reading. Aside from these, you also get access to the free Review Masters newsletter and other downloadable materials. The Premium access, on the other hand, is only Php 1500 for the entire program (click here for the different packages). The reason it is priced so low is because we no longer need to pay the rent for venues and no longer need to pay the teachers each time they repeat their lessons unlike the traditional classroom type reviews. It contains the materials in the Free version plus an expansive set of reviewers. Each subject is broken down into subtopics for a more comprehensive approach to the review.

Should I still enroll in a classroom type review center?

It is up to you. The classroom review has the benefit of actual physical contact with the teacher and other students; some students still need this interaction. However, there are students who will take only the Online UPCAT Review because of reasons such as: travelling out of the country during summer, classroom review schedule conflicts with their family schedule and, of course, classroom reviews are expensive.

Note: Plenty of students enroll in the Online UPCAT Review while still enrolled in traditional classroom reviews. This is simply because the classroom review is too short. The students will then discuss, in our forum and FB groups, any questions that they weren’t able to understand from their classroom review.

Review Masters has the UPCAT Success System which combines the classroom review with the online review plus a whole lot more. Click on the link to know more about the whole program.

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