1.2 Scoring, Admission, and Attempt Policy

The official 80/20 final-rating formula

OFAD states that the overall final rating combines two sources:

This formula means the USTET score is the larger component, while the named school grades remain material. It does not mean each of the four USTET subtests has an equal 25% weight; OFAD does not publish those internal weights in the current public guidance. Keep the overall admission formula separate from assumptions about the internal test blueprint.

Program-specific cutoffs, not one universal pass mark

The USTET Results portal explains that the relevant Academic Unit—Faculty, College, Institute, or School—sets the cutoff scores for each program based on its required level of competency. Cutoffs therefore vary by program. A result may be shown as Qualified, For Second Screening, On Waiting List, or Did Not Meet Cut-Off Scores, among other portal terms.

Some programs require a second screening even after the applicant meets the academic unit’s cutoff. OFAD gives examples such as an interview, talent test, audition, drawing test, or similar activity. Passing a cutoff for second screening is not itself a guarantee of admission; the applicant must complete that additional process and follow the instructions shown in the results portal.

The practical implication is straightforward: do not study toward a rumor such as a universal “70% pass.” No current official source supports one fixed score that guarantees entry to every UST program. Aim to maximize performance and verify the requirements for both the priority and alternative programs selected in the application.

Once-only statement and missed-exam rescheduling

The UST 2023–2027 program specification states that applicants can take USTET only once. Current public material does not provide a numeric day-based retake or reapplication interval for a person who has completed the examination. The application portal also asks whether someone has previously taken USTET, and previous-year graduates may apply with Registrar clearance. Because those materials do not fully explain every prior-taker scenario, applicants with a completed previous attempt should ask OFAD for a case-specific decision instead of relying on an invented waiting period.

Separately, OFAD allows an applicant who missed the assigned examination to request an available new schedule through the portal and pay the published rescheduling fee. That is a reschedule of a missed sitting, not a retake after completing and failing an exam. Keeping these concepts separate prevents two opposite errors: telling a no-show that the cycle is automatically lost, or telling someone who completed USTET that an immediate retest is available.

When policies affect eligibility, use the current portal, the applicable UST program specification, and written OFAD guidance. Do not convert “once only” into a made-up 365-day retake rule, and do not encode the missed-sitting process as a normal retake.