The deadline for filing applications for the UPCAT is announced regularly, usually from late July to early August.
The exam is usually administered on a Saturday and Sunday in early August, with two batches of examinations per day: one in the morning and the other in the afternoon.
Because the campus is open and connected to major public roads, heavy traffic is expected at this time of year.
Food stalls and other tiangges set up shop everywhere around the Diliman campus, especially the Academic Oval, to provide the needs of parents and guardians who accompany and wait for the applicants taking the test.
In 2019, with RA 10931 enforced, institutionalizing free tuition across state universities and colleges (SUCs), a record-high 90,426 applicants took the test.
[5] Since 2018, the UPCAT results can be accessed via any WAP-enabled device (such as PDAs and mobile phones) at the university's official WAP site.
From 2019 onwards, in consideration of the country's Data Privacy Act,[6] the viewing of results shifted to a new system, ending the era of public viewing via a master list, with student applicants requested to log in using the email address and password used during the online application process.
The UPCAT was suspended from 2020 to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but reinstated in 2023, the first time the number of examinees breached the 100,000 mark.
Their scholarships, should they choose to enter UP, include a 100% discount on tuition fees, transportation and book allowances, and monthly stipends.
[10] Among the Oblation Scholars who decide to enrol in UP, several are chosen to give a welcome address during the freshman assembly at the UP Theater.