USTET Exam Flashcards

Q: What broad areas does UST publicly name for the college USTET?

UST OFAD names English, Mathematics, and Science as the three major subject disciplines, with a Mental Ability subtest completing the entrance test. This set is organized around those four published areas.

Q: Does UST publish an official topic-by-topic USTET blueprint?

Not published by University of Santo Tomas Office for Admissions (OFAD). OFAD names the four broad areas and advises college applicants to prepare from Grade 11 and earlier work, but it does not publish current internal weights, item counts, timings, or a detailed topic list.

Q: Is there one USTET passing score for every college program?

No. UST states that the final rating combines 80% entrance-test score with 20% computed English, Mathematics, and Science grades. Academic units set program-specific cutoff scores, and some programs can require further screening.

Q: How many questions and how much time are on the current college USTET?

Not published by University of Santo Tomas Office for Admissions (OFAD). Use the current USTET portal and your test permit for application and schedule details rather than an unofficial fixed format.

Q: Can a student retake the USTET after a completed attempt?

The University Program Specification states that applicants can take USTET only once. It does not publish a standard day-based retake interval. A missed scheduled examination has a separate portal rescheduling process; that is not the same as retaking a completed test.

Question 1

Pattern recognition: find the rule before predicting the next term

Accepted Answer

Check consecutive differences, ratios, alternating positions, and repeating operations. A sound prediction explains every transition already shown; it is not just a guess that fits the last pair.

Question 2

Analogy: identify the relationship, then transfer it

Accepted Answer

First state the relationship in the given pair—for example, tool to function, cause to effect, or part to whole. Choose the option with the same precise relationship, not merely a related word.

Question 3

Necessary versus sufficient condition

Accepted Answer

A necessary condition must be present, but may not be enough by itself. A sufficient condition guarantees the result. For example, being a square is sufficient for being a rectangle; being a rectangle is necessary for being a square.

Question 4

Conditional statement and contrapositive

Accepted Answer

For “If P, then Q,” the contrapositive is “If not Q, then not P,” and it is logically equivalent. The converse, “If Q, then P,” does not automatically follow.

Question 5

What does a Venn diagram intersection represent?

Accepted Answer

The overlap represents members that belong to both sets. A value in only one circle belongs to that set but not the other; a value outside both belongs to neither set.

Question 6

Ordering clues: convert statements into a chain

Accepted Answer

Translate comparisons into one consistent order. If A is before B and B is before C, then A is before C. Keep only conclusions forced by the clues; do not invent a relation between items with no connecting evidence.

Question 7

Elimination in a logic problem

Accepted Answer

Record constraints, remove impossible choices, and update the remaining possibilities after each deduction. A conclusion is secure only when every other option has been ruled out.

Question 8

Coding rule: test it across the whole example

Accepted Answer

A letter or symbol code may shift positions, reverse order, or substitute by a fixed rule. Verify the proposed rule against every part of the given example before applying it to a new item.

Question 9

Deductive reasoning

Accepted Answer

Deduction moves from stated general rules to a conclusion that must follow. If all members of a group have a trait and one person is in that group, that person has the trait. Do not reverse the rule.

Question 10

Inductive reasoning

Accepted Answer

Induction uses observations to propose a likely general rule. Its conclusion can be well supported but is not logically certain, because a future observation can be different.

Question 11

Correlation does not prove causation

Accepted Answer

When two variables change together, a third factor may explain both, or the direction may be reversed. A causal claim needs stronger evidence than an observed association.

Question 12

What makes a category classification valid?

Accepted Answer

Members should share the defining feature of the category. In an odd-one-out task, identify the rule uniting most items, then select the item that lacks that defining feature.

Question 13

Rate reasoning: keep units consistent

Accepted Answer

A rate compares quantities with units, such as kilometers per hour. Convert time or distance before calculating, then check whether the final unit matches what the question asks for.

Question 14

Solving a linear equation

Accepted Answer

Use inverse operations to isolate the variable while doing the same operation to both sides. Check the result by substituting it into the original equation.

Question 15

Difference of squares

Accepted Answer

a² − b² factors as (a − b)(a + b). This pattern applies only to a subtraction of two perfect squares, not to a sum such as a² + b² over the real numbers.

Question 16

Domain of a rational expression

Accepted Answer

A rational expression is undefined when its denominator is zero. Find excluded inputs by setting the denominator equal to zero; those values are not in the domain.

Question 17

Slope of a line through two points

Accepted Answer

Slope is change in y divided by change in x: (y₂ − y₁)/(x₂ − x₁). Use the same point order in both differences. A horizontal line has slope 0; a vertical line has undefined slope.

Question 18

Product rule for exponents with the same base

Accepted Answer

When multiplying powers with the same nonzero base, add exponents: a^m × a^n = a^(m+n). When dividing, subtract exponents: a^m ÷ a^n = a^(m−n).

Question 19

Ratio and proportion

Accepted Answer

A ratio compares quantities; a proportion states that two ratios are equal. Cross-multiplication can solve a proportion after units and corresponding quantities are aligned.

Question 20

Percent increase

Accepted Answer

Percent increase = (new value − original value) ÷ original value × 100%. The original value is the reference base, so increasing by 20% and then decreasing by 20% does not return to the starting value.

Question 21

Arithmetic sequence

Accepted Answer

An arithmetic sequence has a constant difference between consecutive terms. Its nth term can be written aₙ = a₁ + (n − 1)d, where d is the common difference.

Question 22

Geometric sequence

Accepted Answer

A geometric sequence has a constant nonzero ratio between consecutive terms. Its nth term is aₙ = a₁r^(n − 1), where r is the common ratio.

Question 23

Quadratic discriminant

Accepted Answer

For ax² + bx + c = 0, the discriminant is b² − 4ac. A positive result gives two distinct real roots, zero gives one repeated real root, and a negative result gives no real roots.

Question 24

Probability of a complement

Accepted Answer

For an event A, P(not A) = 1 − P(A). This is especially useful when “at least one” is easier to calculate as 1 minus the probability that none occur.

Question 25

Mean versus median

Accepted Answer

The mean is the sum of values divided by their number. The median is the middle ordered value. Extreme values can pull the mean strongly while leaving the median unchanged.

Question 26

Area of a circle

Accepted Answer

The area of a circle is A = πr², where r is the radius. Do not use the diameter directly; if given diameter d, first calculate r = d/2.

Question 27

Cell membrane: selective permeability

Accepted Answer

The cell membrane regulates movement into and out of a cell. Its phospholipid bilayer and transport proteins allow some substances to pass more readily than others, helping maintain internal conditions.

Question 28

DNA, transcription, and translation

Accepted Answer

DNA stores genetic information. Transcription makes an RNA copy of a gene; translation uses messenger RNA at ribosomes to assemble a protein from amino acids.

Question 29

Natural selection

Accepted Answer

Individuals with heritable traits that improve survival or reproduction tend to leave more offspring. Across generations, those advantageous traits can become more common in the population.

Question 30

Conservation of mass in a chemical reaction

Accepted Answer

In a closed system, matter is not created or destroyed during an ordinary chemical reaction. Atoms are rearranged into new substances, so the total mass of reactants equals the total mass of products.

Question 31

Acids, bases, and pH

Accepted Answer

At 25°C, a pH below 7 is acidic, 7 is neutral, and above 7 is basic. The pH scale is logarithmic: a one-unit change represents a tenfold change in hydrogen-ion concentration.

Question 32

Periodic-table trend: atomic radius

Accepted Answer

Atomic radius generally decreases from left to right across a period because nuclear attraction increases, and generally increases down a group because additional electron shells are added.

Question 33

Newton’s third law

Accepted Answer

For every force exerted by one object on another, there is an equal-magnitude force in the opposite direction exerted back on the first object. The forces act on different objects, so they do not cancel on one object.

Question 34

Kinetic energy

Accepted Answer

Kinetic energy is energy of motion: KE = ½mv². Because velocity is squared, doubling an object’s speed makes its kinetic energy four times as large when mass stays constant.

Question 35

Wave speed relationship

Accepted Answer

Wave speed equals frequency times wavelength: v = fλ. If wave speed stays constant, increasing frequency means wavelength decreases.

Question 36

Weather versus climate

Accepted Answer

Weather is the short-term state of the atmosphere at a place and time. Climate is the long-term pattern of weather in a region, usually described using observations over many years.

Question 37

Convergent plate boundary

Accepted Answer

At a convergent boundary, plates move toward each other. Collision or subduction can produce mountain ranges, trenches, volcanoes, and strong earthquakes, depending on the plate types involved.

Question 38

Energy transformation

Accepted Answer

Energy can change form but is conserved in a closed system. For example, a falling object changes gravitational potential energy into kinetic energy; some may also become thermal energy through air resistance.

Question 39

Thesis statement

Accepted Answer

A thesis states the central claim or controlling idea of an essay. A strong thesis is specific enough to guide the discussion and can be supported with reasons, evidence, or analysis.

Question 40

Topic sentence

Accepted Answer

A topic sentence states the main point of a paragraph and connects it to the larger argument. The rest of the paragraph should explain, support, or illustrate that point.

Question 41

Main idea versus supporting detail

Accepted Answer

The main idea is the passage’s central message; supporting details supply examples, facts, explanations, or evidence. Ask what all major details have in common to identify the main idea.

Question 42

Inference in reading

Accepted Answer

An inference is a conclusion drawn from textual evidence plus reasoning. It must be supported by clues in the passage, even when the exact conclusion is not stated word for word.

Question 43

Denotation and connotation

Accepted Answer

Denotation is a word’s direct dictionary meaning. Connotation is the emotional or cultural association it carries; words with similar denotations can create very different tones.

Question 44

Parallel structure

Accepted Answer

Items that have the same grammatical role should use the same form. For example: “to read, to write, and to revise” is parallel; mixing infinitives, nouns, and clauses weakens clarity.

Question 45

Subject–verb agreement

Accepted Answer

A verb agrees with its grammatical subject, not with a nearby noun. Find the main subject first, then choose singular or plural verb form; phrases between them do not change the agreement.

Question 46

Pronoun–antecedent agreement

Accepted Answer

A pronoun should clearly refer to a specific antecedent and agree with it in number. Replace vague references such as “this” or “it” when the reader cannot tell what noun is meant.

Question 47

Comma after an introductory element

Accepted Answer

Use a comma after an introductory word, phrase, or dependent clause when it helps mark the boundary before the main clause: “After the lecture, the students compared notes.”

Question 48

Transitions show logical relationships

Accepted Answer

Choose a transition that matches the relationship: “however” signals contrast, “therefore” signals result, and “for example” introduces illustration. A polished transition makes the connection explicit.

Question 49

Using context clues

Accepted Answer

Use definitions, examples, contrasts, tone, and surrounding events to infer an unfamiliar word’s meaning. Then test the inferred meaning by replacing the word and checking whether the sentence still makes sense.

Question 50

Concise revision

Accepted Answer

Prefer precise words and remove repetition without changing the meaning. “Because” is usually clearer than “due to the fact that,” and an active verb often makes a sentence shorter and more direct.

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