At least two top Philippine universities said they suspended college entrance exams for the second year in a row as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on.
The Ateneo de Manila University and the University of Santo Tomas have both announced the suspension of their respective college entrance exams for academic year 2022-2023.
According to Ateneo, applicants will be assessed based on their academic and non-academic performance from Grades 9 to 11; batch ranking at the end of Grade 11; personal admission essays; recommendation letters; extracurriculars; and disciplinary records.
For UST, applicants will be assessed through a rating system known as the University of Santo Tomas Admission Rating or USTAR. The USTAR, according to UST, is "a composite score derived from several data points largely from the academic performance and record of the applicant."