Region 1

Schools Division of Ilocos Norte

BAGBAG SOLSONA NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Senior High School
Solsona

Factors that Affect the College Entrance Test Scores of the Senior High
School Graduates of Bagbag Solsona National High School

A Research Study
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement of Practical Research II

Submitted to:
JOEMARK M. COLOBONG
Practical Research 2 Teacher

Submitted by:
Alabanza, Julie Anne M.
Dacanay, Elizer T.
Galiza, Emmanuel M.
Tomas, Miles Gabrielle
Researchers

February 2023
 APPROVAL SHEET

This research study entitled, FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE

COLLEGE ENTRANCE TEST SCORES OF THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
GRADUATES OF BAGBAG SOLSONA NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL,
prepared and submitted by the following student-researchers:

DACANAY, ELIZER T.

GALIZA, EMMANUEL M.

ALABANZA, JULIE ANNE M.

TOMAS, MILES GABRIELLE

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the subject PRACTICAL

RESEARCH 2 in Senior High School is recommended for acceptance and
approval.

Recommending Approval:

JOEMARK M. COLOBONG
Practical Research 2 Teacher

Approved by:

GREGORIO A. DUMLAO
Head Teacher III
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The researchers extend their profound gratitude to the following who in

one way or another contributed valuable support and assistance for the

completion of this research work:

Mr. Joemark M. Colobong, the researchers’ major adviser, for his

constant motivation, boundless guidance to the researcher and his genuine

and expert assistance from the proposal defense up to the finalization of the

paper;

Mr. Gregorio A. Dumlao, Head Teacher III of Bagbag Solsona National

High School for his generous and kind approval of the conduct of this study;

Ms. Jessalyn Idnay, English Teacher and Ms. Cherry Mae F. Retana,

the statistician of this study, for their candid and insightful comments on

earlier drafts during the research defense while supervising their classes;

Mrs. Joyvielyn Francisco, Mrs. Grezen B. Agustin, Mr. Peter A.

Guillermo, Mrs. Lorna Ballaco and Ms. Athena Shiela A. Vea for kindly

sharing their time and expertise on checking the grammars and validating the

questionnaire;

Mr. Alvin M. Peralta for unselfishly showing of related and reliable

sources related to this study and providing useful pieces during the

conceptualization of the study;

The 2022 Senior High School Graduates respondents of Bagbag

Solsona National High School, for the time they shared in responding to the

researchers’ survey questionnaire and interview;

Their classmates, batchmates and friends who devoted their efforts

and time in helping and supporting the researchers;

 Their parents and silbings for serving as their inspirations, for their

magnanimous support and love;

All the people, whose names are not mentioned but in a way or the

other have contributed to the success of this academic endeavor; and

Above all, the Lord Almighty for His graces, strength, sustenance and

faithfulness for the completion of this research work.

The Researchers
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE
Approval Sheet ii
Acknowledgement iii
Table of Contents v
Lists of Tables vi
Abstract vii

Chapter
I. THE PROBLEM

Introduction and Background of the Study 1

Statement of the Problem 3
Significance of the Study 5
Scope, Limitation and Delimitation 6
Definition of Terms 6

II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Review of Literature and Studies 8

Theoretical Framework 16
Conceptual Framework 17

III. METHODOLOGY

Research Design 19
Locale of the Study 20
Population and Sampling Procedure 20
Research Instruments 21
Data Gathering Procedure 22
Statistical Treatment of Data 23
Ethical Consideration 24

IV. PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

OF DATA 26

V. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary 44
Findings 44
Conclusions 46
Recommendations 47

Bibliography 50
Appendices 60
 LIST OF TABLES

PAGE
Population of the Respondents 21
MCAT Examinees according to each of the demographic variables 27
Subject’s Level of Difficulty 31
Personal Factors that Affect the College Entrance Test Scores 32
School-Related Factors that Affect the College Entrance Test Scores 39
Proposed Action Plan for the next Examinees 43
 ABSTRACT

DACANAY, ELIZER T., GALIZA, EMMANUEL M., ALABANZA,

JULIE ANNE M., TOMAS, MILES GABRIELLE., Bagbag Solsona National
High School. February 2023. FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE COLLEGE
ENTRANCE TEST SCORES OF THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
GRADUATES OF BAGBAG SOLSONA NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL.

Research Teacher: Joemark M. Colobong

This study focused on determining the factors on the entrance test

scores of the Senior High School graduates of Bagbag Solsona National High

School during the 2022 Mariano Marcos State University College Admission

Test (MCAT).The researchers described the information from their

respondents through descriptive approach and used research development

design to come up with an action plan that will benefit the next MCAT takers.

The respondents of this study are graduates of Bagbag Solsona National High

School for S.Y 2021-2022 that took the MCAT. A formulated questionnaire

was done through checklist and Likert Scale survey questionnaires that was

sent through Google forms. Frequency counts, percentages and mean were

used to analyze the data.

From the gathered data, the majority of the examinees are women,

from the ABM strand, taking Nursing as their college course and currently

studying at Mariano Marcos State University Batac and Laoag Campus.

Mathematics was the most difficult subject during the examination and

Abstract Reasoning was the easiest one.

The factors such as lack of time to review and unavailability of review

materials are the major concerns of the examiners in taking the examination.

School-related factors are described as a concern while Personal factors are

interpreted as somewhat a concern. An action plan was proposed at the end

of the study to reduce the effects of these factors that will be beneficial for the

next examinees.
 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

A College Entrance Examination is annually conducted in a collegiate

educational institution as a basic pre-requirement for entry into initial four-year

tertiary bachelor’s programs for aspiring incoming freshmen. Most tertiary

academe sets a standardized point system protocol examination method to

determine which programs are suited to eligible takers based on the total

correct marks scored on the exam. Each program corresponds with a range of

points which will be a deciding factor for the admission of the students on their

choice of fields. The exam mainly focuses on major subjects such as

Mathematics, Sciences, Literatures, Vocabulary, Abstract Reasoning and

Arithmetic Manipulation.

As a matter of fact, a department order which strictly enforces the

National College Entrance Examination was institutionalized law back in 1987

by the Department of Education as mandatory regulatory exam in all state and

private secondary institutions but later abolished and amended by the

Republic Act No. 7731 also known as An Act Abolishing the National College

Entrance Examination, repealing for the Purpose Presidential Decree No. 146

was approved last June 2, 1994.

The entrance exam score is expected to provide an indication of their

relative readiness for higher education at the point of entry. It aims to

scientifically analyze the candidates and grade them with marks based on

their performance in the test.

 However, in recent years passing rates have dramatically dropped low

among SHS graduates throughout the country. In the University of the

Philippines alone, statistics say that only around 10% -15% of examinees

passed the admission yearly. Up to this day, researchers predict that these

results will aggressively to drop which alarms educational sectors and

critiques the educational system of our country (Wikipedia, 2022).

Explicitly speaking, students always experienced being nervous before

and after taking exams. They tend to overthink the possible outcomes of their

entrance scores and that causes incident of vomiting to anxiety attack. These

exams contribute a high level of stress many students are already facing.

According to Harvard graduate Christina Simpson who had conducted

this study back in 2015, her research concluded that there are tons of

pressure put onto students to make a good impression to get accepted into

college, and that their transcript could end up being better than how their

Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).

Students want to graduate from university programs that will best

enable them to gain employment once they have completed their education.

Yet, undergraduate programs that promise a high rate of employment

opportunities are way more competitive.

There are various studies already conducted on determining the

causes of high scores in the college entrance test in United States and other

countries, but from the bibliographical research done by the researcher, there

were no studies focused on the factors that affect the college entrance test
scores of the examinees in the Philippines, particularly in Mariano Marcos

State University (MMSU).

With this, the researcher aimed to determine the different factors that

affect the entrance test scores of the SHS Graduates in Bagbag Solsona

National High School during the 2022 Mariano Marcos State University

College Admission Test (MCAT).

Statement of the Problem

This study focused on determining the factors that affect the entrance

test scores of the Senior High School (SHS) graduates of Bagbag Solsona

National High School (BSNHS) during the 2022 MMSU College Admission

Test (MCAT). Specifically, it answered the following questions:

1. What is the demographic profile of the graduates in terms of:

1.1. Sex;

1.2. Senior High School Strand;

1.3. Current School/University; and

1.4. Current College Course?

2. What are the factors that affect the entrance test scores of the SHS

graduates during the MCAT?

2.1. Personal Factors;

2.2. School-related Factors?

3. What subject area do the graduates considered as the most

difficult?

3.1. Mathematics;

3.2. Science;

3.3. English; and

3.4. Abstract Reasoning?

4. What subject area do the graduates considered as the easiest?

4.1. Mathematics;

4.2. Science;

4.3. English; and

4.4. Abstract Reasoning?

5. Based from the results of the study, what action plan can be

proposed?

6. How valid is the proposed action plan in terms of:

6.1. objectives;

6.2. activities;

6.3. persons involved;

6.4. time-frame; and

6.5. expected output?

Significance of the Study

This study determined the factors that affect the entrance test scores of

the SHS graduates of BSNHS and to provide awareness for the next takers of

the said entrance exam. Additionally, this study will help the following group of

people:

For the Senior High School Students. This study will help them to be

aware and prepared before taking the universities entrance exam. This will be

a big help for them to fill their weaknesses and to improve their qualities and

capabilities.

For the School Administrators. This study may help them to design

and implement policies and design such as providing reviewers that can

improve the students’ capabilities and qualities to boost their interest to the

courses they’re taking.

For the Parents. The outcomes of the study will help to solve their

children’s problems, especially financial problems and to support them to the

path their children take.

For the Graduates. The results can create awareness among students

about their weaknesses to achieve quality education.

For the Future Researchers. This study would enlighten their minds

and enrich their understanding of student's academic performance and will be

a great help for them in conducting researches on related issues.

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

This study is conducted to the Senior High School graduates of

Bagbag Solsona National High School of S.Y 2021-2022. Out of the Senior

High School Graduates, only the MMSU College Admission Test (MCAT)

takers were involved.

The survey questionnaire contains 3 sections; Section 1: Socio-

demographic profile, Section 2: Level of Difficulty of each Subjects Area, and

Section 3: Factors that Affect the Low Scores of the Examinees.

The researchers chose the Senior High School graduates as the

respondents of the study to prevent bias and to get objective perceptions.

Definition of Terms

Action Plan – The Researchers will propose an activity that will help the next

SHS graduates in enhancing their capabilities in taking the MMSU

College Admission Test (MCAT).

College Entrance Exam - MMSU College Admission Test (MCAT) is the

examination which is done by the former SHS graduates.

Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) - College school in the

Philippines where the aspiring students need to pass the entrance

admission test first to be officially admitted as a student of the

university.

SHS Graduates - Are those who took MCAT which is also a graduate of

Bagbag Solsona National High School in the S.Y. 2021-2022,

Subject Area – MCAT examinees took four (4) different subjects namely:

English, Mathematics, Science and Abstract Reasoning

Test Score – It is the indicators of the low performance of the graduates in

the entrance test, which made the researchers conducted the study.
 CHAPTER II
LITERATURE REVIEW

The following are discussed as components of theoretical framework:

(1) review of literature and studies; (2) theoretical framework; and (3)

conceptual framework.

Review of Literature and Studies

This section contains a discussion on the: 1) Origin of College

Admission Test, 2) College Entrance Examination, 3) Measures of College

Readiness, 4) Public VS. Private School Beneficiary, 5) Factors Influencing

the Entrance Exam Scores and (6) Disparity Between Male and Female

Students In Terms of Particular Subject Areas.

Following the discussions, the theoretical and conceptual frameworks

were presented, which comprised the research paradigm for this study.

Origin of College Admission Test

The earliest records of the word test came from around 1350. The word

―test‖ was derived from the Latin namely ―testum‖ meaning ―an earthen pot‖. It

was used to refer to a cupel, a container used to analyze ores. According to

Fazlina (2018), A test is a tool with a systematic process that comprises a set

of study objectives or tasks that measures the specific behavior of test takers

using a numerical scale or a certain category. The test is described as a

systematic process because the test needs to be created, run, and graded in

accordance with an established guideline. The exam results will show specific

behavior of the test-takers, and an evaluation will be based on this

knowledge. A test is also regarded as a tool in which the test-takers are

required to respond to all of the test's questions and that the outcomes can be

used to evaluate their level of knowledge or behavior.

The test was later repealed on June 2, 1994, by Republic Act No.

7731. No national entrance examination will be required for admission to

postsecondary degree programs after that date. Higher educational

institutions began to develop their own college admission examinations in lieu

of a national examination, such as the UP College Admission Test (UPCAT),

DLS College Entrance Test (DLSTCET), Ateneo College Entrance Test

(ACET), UST Entrance Test (USTEST), and PLM Admission Test (PLMAT),

to name a few, while other institutions must rely on foreign-made aptitude and

achievement tests to select their students.

According to Cecil et al. (2009) who said that the level of the test's

items determines the validity and reliability of test results. This means that a

test's validity and reliability, as well as its difficulty index, discrimination index,

and distractor efficacy, should all be taken into account when building it.

These five traits will allow for an accurate test to be given to test-takers. A test

is designed to assess a person's understanding of how well they all ready to

comprehend a subject. Testing is therefore one of the most effective

instruments for assessing students' abilities and improving their attitudes

toward learning.

Students in SHS will complete a core curriculum and subjects under a

chosen track. The curriculum of Senior High School is the preparatory of high
school students before entering college. Equipping them with the global skills,
competencies, and knowledge that the students needed to achieve successful
career paths in the future. With the additional of two more years, or two more
grade levels, grade 11 and 12, the students will be better prepared with the
abilities, information, and morals required for a prosperous career in their
chosen fields or courses.

College Entrance Examination

Every graduating high school student in the Philippines took the NCEE

(1973-1994) in order to be admitted to a degree course in higher education.

The goal was to determine whether graduating high school students were

qualified to attend college. The College Entrance Test (CET) was used in

1971 and 1972 for this purpose. A team from the Fund for Assistance to

Private Education developed this (FAPE). This test measured Verbal Ability,

Verbal Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning, and Numerical Ability and was used

as an admissions test for colleges and universities in the Philippines.

Measures of College Readiness

College readiness is a concept that is continually being measured in

different ways (Anderson & Fulton, 2015). The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)

is the standard admission test in western countries. These summative tests

are offered at the state level and are based on the Common Core State

Standards (Scott-Clayton, 2012). The questions require on both strategic

thinking abilities (such as logical reasoning, critical analysis, and plan

formulation) and extended thinking skills (investigating a problem and

synthesizing information). They also examine at how well the students'

academic knowledge aligns with the required state criteria.

The Grade Point Average (GPA) is another common measure which is

required as a criterion in most college applications (Bahr, 2009; Sanchez,

2013). Farrington et al. (2012) claimed that the GPA measurement goes
beyond academic knowledge and it also takes perseverance, compliance, and

time management into account. It also shows how well children can cooperate

with others, express their ideas, and even produce new products. Another

indicator of preparation for college is the completion of course requirements.

Prior to graduating, students must pass a certain number of courses (Barnett,

2013). This involves mathematics, science, social studies, arts, health,

physical education, and foreign language. In order to verify the readiness of

the students, districts may require students to complete these requirements to

receive a high school diploma.

In other countries, examinations are important assessment tools in

where graduation exit exams are used to determine a student's preparation

for college (Barnett et al., 2013). These tests determine the minimal standard

of academic proficiency required for graduation. Examinees who fail are not

eligible to get a high school diploma.

In the Philippines, the policy guidelines on the National Assessment of

Student Learning for the K–12 Basic Education Program are used to

determine the readiness of students in various grade levels (Department of

Education, 2016). As a result, an assessment test in Grade 12 is given to

SHS students to see if they meet the curriculum's learning standards. A

career evaluation is also given to students in Grade 9 before to their entry into

SHS to ascertain their aptitudes and professional interests for career advice. It

is uncertain, though, if these tests accurately assess the college preparation

of Filipino K–12 graduates. In order to ascertain if the entering first-year

college students are prepared for college, both public and private Higher

Education Institutions (HEI) administer their own admission tests and other
arbitrary measures. However, it is uncertain if each of these measures

accurately captures the Computerized Registration System (CRS) declared

competencies (Maruyama, 2012).

Public VS. Private School Beneficiary

Generally speaking, public schools are free and typically provide a

wide range of opportunities of options for students to prepare for college. On

the other hand, private schools typically have smaller student-teacher class

ratios than public ones, and teachers foster strong relationships with both

students and parents.

Several researchers have found conflicting findings regarding student

achievement in public and private schools. Some authors attempted to control

for school selection when modelling the treatment effect of private schools.

There are various outcomes. Researchers Evans and Schwab (1996) and

Neal (1997) discover strong evidence that private schools, particularly for low

achievers and minorities, boost student achievement, but Sander (1996) finds

little evidence of significant impact. The cross-sectional study revealed that

students in private schools performed better on standardized tests than

students in public schools, and that private education was better resourced

and more organized in delivering lessons to students more effectively.

In the Philippines particularly in Ilocos Norte, only few Higher Education

Institution facilitates the progression of College Admission Test. Several

private colleges and universities don’t undergo with the selection test for SHS

graduates. A part from that Ilocos Norte has only one public university

institution namely, Mariano Marcos State University or also referred by its

acronym MMSU. This university is typically offering lower price in terms of

tuition fees compared to other universities in the region but students here

need to pass the admission test for them to study in that college school.

Factors Influencing the Entrance Exam Scores

Most universities in Ethiopia use high school grade averages to

determine which students to accept, in an effort to find the brightest and most

dedicated students (Education Abstract, 2004-2005). In this progression, the

basal assumption is that a student with a high grade average can attain high

grades at university.

Predictive validity evidence implies how well an assessment can

predict scores obtained at a later day through the application of either the

same measure or a different measure. And according to American

Educational Association, American Psychological Association and National

Council on

Measurement in Education (1999), Predictive validity also determine as

how accurately the test data can predict criterion score that are derived at a

later time. It is also important when a test is used to predict the likelihood of

some future performance. It elaborates the extent to which an individuals'

future performance on the criterion is predicted from the prior test

performance (Messick, 1989; Crocker & Algina, 1986).

However, faculty members who are responsible for admission need

some standards to base their admission decisions. They usually relied on

cognitive predictors such as high school GPA and standardized test scores to

differentiate between applicants.

 The related literature studies indicates that, apart from demographic

factors such as gender and ethnicity, according to Fan, Li and Niess (1998) as

sited by Tang (1998)

studies in this field have concentrated on two broad categories: cognitive

predictors and non-cognitive predictors. High school academic performance

and college entrance test scores are cognitive predictors, whereas personality

traits (such as self-motivation, self-directedness, dedication to studies, and

social skills) and environmental factors (such as school size, location, parental

education, and socioeconomic status) are non-cognitive predictors (Wolfe &

Johnson, 1995; Johnson, 2002; Mulvenon, Stegman, Ganley & McKenzie,

2002; Barnett, Ritter, & Lucas, 2003).

Several researchers provide verifiable evidence to back up their claims.

support cognitive ability as a reliable predictor of college performance as an

example, according to Schmitt et al. (2009), standardized test scores

(SAT/ACT) and high school GPA are the best predictors of cumulative college

GPA, whereas non-cognitive measures best predict behaviors like class

absenteeism.

Disparity Between Male and Female Students

In Terms of Particular Subject Areas

Some of the standardized tests covered in the studies were the SAT,

the ACT, the National Longitudinal Study, and the High School and Beyond

Test. They discovered that females outperformed males on tests of verbal

aptitude and achievement while males outperformed female in mathematics

test. Although the study found a differences between males and females, it

also said that these gaps were diminishing slowly.

 In their exhaustive study of gender differences, Willingham and Cole

(1997) discovered that there are differences between the sexes in a variety of

test formats and content areas. Generally speaking, they found that females

did better academically, while males did better on standardized tests. Some

studies have shown the opposite, but in general, males tend to do better in

math and science-related subjects, while females tend to do better in verbal

subjects, when compared to standardized test results (Azen, Bronner, &

Gafni, 2002).

A meta-analysis study by Hyde, Fennema, and Lamon (1990)

illustrated that female tend to slightly outperformed in mathematics compared

to males in elementary and middle school. However, this disparity shifts in

high school and college, with males performing greatly better than females.

Theoretical Framework

The Attribution Theory by Bernard Weiner (1974) served as the

foundation for this current study. According to its definition, this theory is a

psychological idea regarding how people justify the reasons behind an action

or a behavior. The lotus of causality is a dimension that divides attributes into

internal and exterior categories (Marc, 2016).

If the action is linked to an internal locus of causality, one would

assume that internal or personal variables played a role in the outcome.

Knowing that you are the one in control of your motivation, actions, and

results are the key to success. In the context of this assessment, it may

denote that low examinees’ performance in Mariano Marcos State University

College Admission Test (MCAT), may be attributed to the intrinsic factors

such as their academic performance in high school and study habits. It also

involves the level of their effort, passion and perseverance they have on the

day of the examination.

The external locus is the second causal locus proposed by Walberg in

his theory of attribution. This concept assumes that a person attributes the

results to factors outside of himself, or due to situational factors. In this

context: peer influences, the school, home environment, absence of a review

center are the outer factors that the respondents may perceive as an element

of their performance in the MCAT.

In the research made by Balock and Verspour (1991), entitled as the

general institutional climates, it states that the degree to which students

interact and engage with faculty members, as well as the institutional policies,

punishments, and organizational structure turn affect students practice in the

school and their perception towards the school. According to the study, the

factors that have the biggest impact on students' academic achievement are

socially connected inputs including the curriculum, teaching methods,

instructional time, and educational management. It has long been recognized

that one significant predictors of social and intellectual growth is the bond

between students and their school. In this context, not effectiveness of

teachers’ strategies in teaching and the adjustments of the students from

virtual education going back to face-to-face classes may perceive as factors

that affect their test scores in the MCAT.

Conceptual Framework
INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT
 Collection and
 Socio-demographic
Interpretation of
profile of the
Data from the
graduates in terms  Proposal of
graduated SHS
of:, sex, senior high Action Plan that
Students to
school strand, will benefit the
determine the
current course and next takers of
factors that
current school. MCAT
affected their
 Entrance Test entrance test
Scores of the scores.
Graduates in the  Preparation of
MMSU College consent for the
Admission Test approval of
(MCAT) action plan.

This part of the research involves concepts that indicate all the

variables that also serve as the study’s foundation. It sought to determine the

factors that affect the college entrance test scores of the Senior High School

graduates and used as the basis for the development of an action plan.

The researchers include the Variables of the study which are the

Student’s Demographic Profile, Students’ Test Scores and the Factors that

affect the college entrance test scores of the Examinees for the inputs of this

study.

The process includes sending a consent letter to the school head and

respondents, requesting permission to collect data. Then the researchers

collected data from the respondents and the data gathered was statistically

treated, analyzed, and interpreted in order to create and implement an action

plan. The output of this study includes the creation of an action plan for the

Grade 12 students of Bagbag Solsona National High School which they are

expected to take the next examination.

 CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY

This chapter discusses the research design, locale of the study,

population and samples, research instruments, ethical considerations, data

gathering technique, and statistical tools that were used in the study.

Research Design

This study used the Descriptive Research and Development Design.

According to Sugiyono (2014), a research and development method is one

that is used to create a project and test its effectiveness. It is Descriptive the

way that it described the factors that affect the entrance test scores of the

Senior High School (SHS) graduates of Bagbag Solsona National High

School during the 2022 MMSU College Admission Test (MCAT). The

researchers described the information from their respondents through

descriptive approach.

At the end of the study, the researchers used research development

design to come up with an action plan that will benefit the next MCAT takers.

They will greatly get benefited with the action plan that results them to perform

better on their upcoming admission tests. The researchers will implement this

action plan for students who will take the MCAT in order to ensure that the

following batch can also benefit from it.

The overriding purpose of this research is to understand the factors

that affect the college entrance test scores of the Senior High School

graduates of Bagbag Solsona National High School. In order for the

researchers to asses more about the ideas and information from the
respondents, they have chosen quantitative style as the research approach.

In which, it is used to quantify the problem by way of generating data that can

be transformed into usable statistics.

Locale of the Study

The respondents on this study are currently studying on the

following universities: Mariano Marcos State University of Laoag and

Batac City Campus, Northern Christian College, Northwestern

University, DATA College of the Philippines Laoag, Divine College of

Laoag and University of Cordilleras.

Population and Sampling Procedure

Table 1
Population of the Respondents

NO. OF NO. OF TEST PERCENTAGE

STRAND GRADUATES TAKERS (%)

Humanities and Social

65 13 20
Science (HUMSS)

Science, Technology,
Engineering and 18 16 88.89
Mathematics (STEM)

Accountancy and
Business 21 17 80.95
Management (ABM)

Technical and
Vocational Livelihood 31 9 29.03
(TVL)

Total 135 55 40.74

 The respondents of this study are the graduates of Bagbag Solsona

National High School for S.Y 2021-2022 who took the MMSU College

Admission Test. The researchers used the total enumeration procedure to

determine the number of all takers of MCAT sample size.

As shown in the table above, the total population of graduates of

Bagbag Solsona National High School for S.Y 2021-2022 is one hundred

thirty-five (135) and fifty-five (55) of them took the 2022 MCAT which

considers them as the respondents of this study.

Research Instruments

The research instrument is a researcher-made research questionnaire

that consists of 3 sections; Section 1: Socio-demographic profile, Section 2:

Level of Difficulty of each Subjects Area, and Section 3: Factors that Affect

the College Entrance Test Scores of the Examinees.

The formulated questionnaire was done through checklist and Likert

Scale survey questionnaires and it is focused on determining the factors that

affect the college entrance test scores of SHS graduates.

The first part of the questionnaire requires the student’s profile such as

sex, Senior High School strand last school year, current college course, and

current school/university. The second part determines the level of difficulty of

the subjects taken at the MCAT. The rating scale was classified as (4) Most

Difficult, (3) Difficult, (2) Easy and (1) Very Easy as interpretation. The third

part requires the takers to rate the different factors that affect their college

entrance test scores during the examination. The rating scale was classified
as the following: (4) Strongly Agree, (3) Agree, (2) Disagree and (1) Strongly

Disagree as verbal description.

The questionnaire was validated through the responses of the selected

MCAT examinees in the S.Y 2020-2021, and tested its reliability by the use of

Chronbach Alpha. The first part of the third section of the questionnaire which

is focused on the personal factors that affect the college entrances entrance

test scores has a computed value of 0.74 and it is described as Acceptable.

On the other hand, the school-related factors part of the third section has a

computed value of 0.77, therefore, it is also described as Acceptable.

Chronbach’s a Internal Consistency

0.90 and above Excellent
0.80 – 0.89 Good
0.70 – 0.79 Acceptable
0.60 – 0.69 Questionable
0.50 – 0.59 Poor
Below 0.50 Unacceptable

Data Gathering Procedure

The researchers submitted the research proposal for ethical review and

considerations by the research adviser. Upon the issuance of the certificate of

approval, the researchers asked permission from the School Head Teacher of

Bagbag Solsona National High School to conduct the study. After which the

researchers got the consent letter, they asked consent from the graduates if

they are willing to be part of the study before distributing the questionnaires.

The researchers commenced with administering the survey through

google form application to the respondents. In order to fulfill the objective of

this study, the questionnaire contains checklist box and rating scale which

served as the instruments in determining the response of the respondents.

After collecting the data needed, the researchers analyzed the answers and

presented/summarized it in order to understand more the collected

information.

Statistical Treatment of Data

To analyze the data gathered, frequency counts, percentages and

means were used. These were used to describe the profile of respondents.

1. Simple Percentage. The demographic profile variables of the

respondents were analyzed using the simple percentage with the following

formula:
F
P= (100)
N

Where:

P = Percentage

F = Frequency for each category

N = Total Number of Respondents

100 = Constant Multiplier

2. Means. The level of difficulty of each subjects and the different

factors that affect the scores of the examinees were analyzed to determine

the arithmetic mean (average) of the distribution. The formula applied was:
∑x
x=
N
Where:

x = Mean

∑x = Sum of the gathered Data

N = Total Number of Respondents

 Meanwhile, the level of difficulty of the subjects taken during the MMSU

College Admission Test (MCAT) was determined using the mean and

described using the following range of means with their corresponding

descriptive interpretation.

Range of Mean Ratings Descriptive Interpretation

3.50 - 4.00 A Major Concern
2.50 - 3.49 A Concern
1.50 - 2.49 Somewhat a Concern
1.00 - 1.49 Not a Concern

On the other hand, the factors that affect the college entrance test

scores of the examinees were analyzed using the verbal interpretation below.

Range of Mean Ratings Descriptive Interpretation

3.26 – 4.00 A Major Concern
2.51 – 3.25 A Concern
1.76 – 2.50 Somewhat a Concern
1.00 – 1.75 Not a Concern

Lastly, to check the validity of the proposed action plan, the following

range of means with its respective representation.

Range of Mean Ratings Descriptive Interpretation

4.50 – 5.00 Highly Acceptable
3.50 – 4.49 Acceptable
2.50 – 3.49 Moderately Acceptable
1.50 – 2.49 Fairly Acceptable
1.00 – 1.49 Not Acceptable

Ethical Consideration

This study was conducted in full compliance with the Senior High

School graduates who took the 2022 Mariano Marcos State University

College Admission Test (MCAT).

Prior to the gathering of pertinent data and conduct of survey, the

researchers sent a letter of request to the Head Teacher of Bagbag Solsona

National High School for permission to conduct the study.

 The researchers provided the respondents the full disclosure of all

necessary information about the research in the form of written document and

explained the contents as needed to make an informed decision to participate

in the study. The confidentiality of their personal information was explained as

well as benefits of their participation.

Moreover, all respondents of this study were asked to respond during

their free time so not to disrupt their official function in classes. Participation in

the research will be voluntary, and the respondents have the right to withdraw

their participation at any phase of the study. Furthermore, the survey process

was conducted through google-form application to record the responses of the

respondents accurately without approaching them personally, and also in

compliance with the strict implementation of health and safety protocols set by

the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF).

 CHAPTER IV
PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

This chapter focuses on the presentation, analysis, and interpretation

of data that help provide answers to the queries forwarded in this study.

MCAT Examinees’ Socio-demographic

Characteristics

This section details the results of the 2022 MMSU College Admission

Test Examinees’ demographic profile along with sex, Senior High School

strand, current course and current school. The distribution of examinees

according to each of the socio-demographic variables is shown in Table 2.

Sex. Among the 55 MCAT Examinees, 37 (67.27%) are females and

18 (32.73%) are males. The findings mean that the group of MCAT

Examinees is dominated by females. It is visible that nowadays a lot of

women are now thriving in their own race. As shown in the demographic

profile of the respondents, it revealed a significant gap between female and

male students in terms of education attainment.

The outcome is consistent with the research conducted by Philippine

Statistics Authority, 22.7% of women finish college compared to only 18.4% of

men. For the last seven years, women have consistently outmatched men

three to one among UPCAT (University of the Philippines College Admission

Test) passers.

The fact that Mariano Marcos State University is one of the top

performing schools in professional licensure examinations and a consistent

producer of board topnotchers, it is publicly recognized that the university is

run or dominated by women, both officers-in-charge and enrolled students

(Tapaoan, 2022).
Table 2. MCAT Examinees according to each of the demographic variables.
Frequency
Variable Percentage (%)
(n=55)
Sex Female 37 67.27
Male 18 32.73
Total 55 100.00
Senior High School
ABM 17 30.91
Strand
STEM 16 29.09
HUMSS 13 23.64
TVL 9 16.36
Total 55 100.00
Current Course BS in Nursing 11 20
BSEd 9 16.36
BS in Information
8 14.55
Technology
Engineering
5 9.09
Courses
BS in Business
4 7.27
Administration
BS in Accountancy 3 5.45
BS in Economics 3 5.45
BS in Hospitality
3 5.45
Management
BS in
3 5.45
Entrepreneurship
BS in Tourism 2 3.64
BPEd 2 3.64
BCAE 1 1.82
BS in Criminology 1 1.82
Total 55 100.00
Current School
Mariano Marcos
State University 16 29.09
(Batac Campus)
Mariano Marcos
State University 16 29.09
(Laoag Campus)
Northwestern
11 20
University College
DATA College of
the Philippines 8 14.54
(Laoag)
Northern Christian
2 3.64
College
Others 2 3.64
Total 55 100.00
 There are still differences between women and men, especially when it

comes to the field of education, men are known to be smarter than women;

their level of thinking is higher than women's, but years later it was reversed

(Ehrenreich, 2007). Therefore, mostly women are superior to men in terms of

higher education participation maybe because they are more likely to be

diligent and patient in school activities.

Senior High School Strand. Data in the table shows that 17 (30.91 %)

out of 55 MCAT Examinees are from the ABM strand while 16 (29.09 %)

takers are from the STEM strand. In addition, 13 or 23.64 % takers are from

the HUMSS strand while 9 or 16.36 % examinees are from the TVL strand.

From the obtained data, it can be noted that the majority of the examinees are

from the strands that is more on advanced practical concepts and focus on

business management, engineering and medical-related topics.

According to the former HUMSS students who took part in the study, a

large portion of them chose not to take the MCAT because the university do

not offer most of their preferred courses for college such as Criminology and

Marine Navy. According to Xue and Fang (2021), in the hierarchical diversion,

middle school is the critical stage. After graduating from middle school, most

students enter courses related to mathematics, science and engineering

courses, some receive secondary vocational education, and a small number

directly enter society. This means that students who preferred to enter social

science-related courses like Criminology and Marine Navy, which are

technically under the HUMMS strand, would not be able to study in MMSU

due to the fact that the university does not offer these courses.
 Current Course. It can be gleaned from the table that most of the

examinees (12 or 21.82%) are currently studying Education-related courses;

11 (20%) enrolled Bachelor of Science in Nursing; and 8 (14.55%) enrolled

Bachelor of Science in Information Technology. Moreover, 18 (32.73 %)

examinees enrolled accountancy, business and management related courses;

5 (9.09%) have enrolled different Engineering courses; and 1 (1.82 %) is

currently studying Bachelor of Science in Criminology.

According to Wilkes (2014), most of the college enrollees’ reasons for

entering Nursing college course were both personal and career related, with

personal being more dominant. He also added that some of the reasons of the

students are being able to help and care for people, job security, and the

ability to enter tertiary.

The results also imply that most of the students’ current courses are

not proportional to the strand they took during Senior High School. This

corroborates with the study of Quintos (2021) who claimed that many students

consider their personal beliefs, sufficient justification for their opinions, and

pursues courses not related to their senior high school strand. One of the

reasons is that the students did not meet the required average rating for their

preferred course.

Current University. Base on the table above, 16 (29.09%) of the

respondents are currently studying in Mariano Marcos State University Batac

Campus; also 16 (29.09%) in Mariano Marcos State University Laoag

Campus; and 11 (20%) in Northwestern University College. Moreover, 8 or

14.54% of them is studying in DATA College of the Philippines (Laoag); 2 or

3.64% in Northern Christian College; and also 2 or 3.64% in other schools

outside of Ilocos Norte. Therefore, some of the examinees didn’t qualify and

also some of them chose to study in other university even though they

participate on the MCAT event.

According to Tesema (2014), despite the increase in number of

students completing secondary schools, the capacity of post-secondary

institution is still limited, and there is a need to decide which student is more

qualified and most likely to succeed in these institutions. It is also believed

that enrolling under-qualified students in a university leads to a misuse of

resources, and similarly, failing to recruit the most able candidates has

negative impacts on a discipline in long term. This is the qualification

implemented by MMSU to accept the deserving students only. Students who

failed to avail the cut-off scores are advice to enter other course that fit to their

examination score. Other students also chose to enter other private schools

for them to enter their preferred course.

The scores (MCAT, entrance examination scores) are used as the

basis for admission in MMSU. The cutting scores may vary from year to year

depending on the capacity of the university. These measures are used for

validity and for their predictive power of college performance but they are

used also to limit the number of applicants to match the capacity they can

handle. It is also assumed that by raising the admission criteria (cutting

scores), more qualified individuals will join the university.

According to Tesema (2014), candidates’ admission or placement into

Philippine universities irrespective of whether the university is federal, state or

private owned depends on meeting the cut-off mark set by Department of

Education. It is believed that these entry qualifications and entrance

examinations will positively predict candidates’ performance in the university.

Subjects’ Level of Difficulty

This part of the study refers to the difficulty of each subject that the

examinees took during the MCAT.

Table 3. Subject’s Level of Difficulty.

Weighted
Subjects SD DI
Mean
Somewhat a
English 1.87
Concern
A Major
Mathematics 3.47
Concern
Science 3.20 A Concern
Not a
Abstract Reasoning 1.45
Concern
Legend: Range Interval Descriptive Interpretation (DI)
3.26 – 4.00 A Major Concern
2.51 – 3.25 A Concern
1.76 – 2.50 Somewhat a Concern
1.00 – 1.75 Not a Concern

Based on the obtained mean rate for each subject, the takers consider

the Mathematics subject by the mean rating mean of 3.47 with a descriptive

interpretation as a Major Concern while Science with a rating mean of 3.20

with an interpretation as A Concern. On the other hand, English (1.87) is

labeled as Somewhat a Concern while Abstract Reasoning with a mean of

1.45 is considered as Not a Concern.

This is accordance with the study of Bernardo (2015) who claimed that

student’s low mathematics proficiency relates to the students’ capacity to

formulate, use and interpret mathematics in different contexts. Amelink (2012)

also states that mathematics has direct implications for student involvement in

areas that require a strong math background like admission tests. According

to Scarpello (2007) seventy-five percent of Americans states that major

reasons to fail in mathematics were related to difficulty in understanding the

subject matter, and teacher or instructional related factors.

The aforementioned findings above also support the conclusion of

Guinungco (2020) on his research where he states that the most frequent

scores of Americans denotes satisfactory in Abstract Reasoning. According to

Drager (2014), examinees seemed to have high intellectual knowledge in

Abstract Reasoning due to the fact that this subject is mostly connected with

practical life.

Personal Factors that Affect the College

Entrance Test Scores

This part of the study discusses the personal factors that affect the

college entrance test scores of the examinees.

Based on the obtained data, lack of time to review before taking the

examination is describe as A Concern with its average mean of 2.98, followed

by having a low self confidence in passing the examination with its average

mean of 2.73 and also consider as A Concern.

According to Norman and Hyland (2003), most of the current crisis in

the educational system especially in admission examinations is due to much

time spends in the class. This leaded a number of students having lack of

enough concentration and extra time to review and unsatisfactory progress on

what they already know. This means that students do not just rely on their

current topics and lessons in terms of admission tests. Examinees need to

review and recall past topics because these are the particular contents of

admission examinations.
Table 4. Personal Factors that Affect the College Entrance Test Scores of the
Examinees
Weighted
Factors DI
Mean

1. Did not have enough time to thoughtfully complete the

2.64 A Concern
examination.
2. Did not have time to prepare mentally 2.69 A Concern
Somewhat
3. Suffer from anxiety or stereotyping 2.02
a Concern
4. Lack of time to review before taking the examination. 2.98 A Concern
Somewhat
5. Lack of pre-requisite knowledge and skills. 2.47
a Concern
Somewhat
6. Lose of interest in learning due to social isolation. 2.49
a Concern
Somewhat
7. Lack concentration during the examination. 2.38
a Concern
Somewhat
8. Have over self-confidence in passing the examination. 2.24
a Concern
9. Have low self-confidence in passing the examination. 2.73 A Concern
10. Get pressured by family members to pass the examination. 2.71 A Concern
Somewhat
11. Had a mental block while taking the examination. 2.33
a Concern
Somewhat
12. Had a low aspiration level. 2.18
a Concern
Somewhat
13. Pressured of too much household chores. 2.22
a Concern
Somewhat
14. Family has no educational background attainment. 1.85
Concern
Somewhat
Overall Mean 2.42
a Concern
Legend: Range Interval Descriptive Interpretation (DI)
3.26 – 4.00 A Major Concern
2.51 – 3.25 A Concern
1.76 – 2.50 Somewhat a Concern
1.00 – 1.75 Not a Concern

On the other hand, examinees also had a low level of self confidence

that technically affect them during the examination. As Verma (2016) stated

that self-confidence is defined as the belief or trust that a student has in

performing something successfully. According to Perkins (2018), low self

confidence is related to low possibility of success, achievements in education

and conciliation. Students’ vulnerability in learning is the lack of self

confidence which can adversely affect the learning of any students. It can

consequently be leading an individual being distracted during an examination.

This also results education to become compulsory for them and make

students show negative attitude toward learning.

As shown also on the table above, get pressured by family members to

pass the examination (2.71) is also consider as A Concern. This is

accordance to the study conducted by Yunzhu (2022), that the candidates for

the college entrance examination always attract enormous social attention.

Faced with the challenge of entering a higher school and the expectations of

their families and teachers, such candidates are often under great

psychological pressure. According to a large sample survey in China, the

main source of pressure for high school students is the good grades required

to enter a higher school. Under the effect of internal and external pressures,

these students often undergo negative emotions such as academic anxiety,

which refers to an emotional state in which the individual cannot overcome

difficulties or reach their goal.

Majority of the respondents also states that not having enough time to

prepare mentally also affects them during the examination. Due to its average

mean of 2.69, it is described as A Concern. Based on the data collected, the

majority did not also have enough time to thoughtfully complete the

examination; therefore it is also described as a concern (2.64).

According to Carnegie Mellon University (2018), having not enough

time prepare the mental health of a student often results not enough time to

thoughtfully complete an activity. This means that one should always prioritize

to prepare itself, specially its mental health before entering and joining a
particular educational activity. Disregarding this fact and abusively doing

instances that one’s body doesn’t want to could leads to failure and also

stress to the human mind. To prevent these instances in terms of admission

examinations, examinees should start preparing their selves for a while before

the exact date of the test for them to be more prepared that would results to

higher chances of passing.

As shown also in the table above, majority of the examinees lose

interest in learning due to social isolation. With an average mean of 2.49, it is

therefore described as Somewhat a Concern. According to Magson (2021),

the pandemic-related restrictions designed to contain the spread of the virus

seem to have been particularly challenging for adolescents, as at this

developmental stage rely heavily on their peer connections for emotional

support and social development. Prolonged school closures and social

distancing, increased family conflict, difficulties with on-line learning, preparing

for college entrance exams, are among factors that have been associated

with increased anxiety and depressive symptoms, and decreased life

satisfaction in adolescents and young adults (Guessoum et al., 2020; Korhan

et al., 2021; Loades et al., 2020; Magson et al., 2021). The students

technically feel the imbalancement on their study due to the changing of their

learning environment which made them yearn for more time to adjust

properly.

Also shown on the table above that the examinees lack pre-requisite

knowledge and skills during the examination, and it is described as Somewhat

a Concern due to its average mean of 2.47. According to Carnegie Mellon

University (2018), even when students have effectively learned the new
material being tested on an exam, they may perform poorly if relevant pre-

requisite knowledge is weak or lacking. For example, on a physics exam,

students may have difficulty solving a problem mainly because they lack

sufficient calculus skills. Indeed, even when students have pre-requisite skills

accurately learned, their exam performance may still suffer if those pre-

requisite skills are applied so laboriously that they take up too much time or

cognitive resources to allow successful exam completion.

It can be gleaned from the table above that the examinees lack of

concentration during the examination has an average mean of 2.38. Having a

mental block is also an issue for them during the said examination and

gathered a mean of 2.33. Therefore, these two factors that experienced by the

examinees are therefore described as Somewhat a Concern.

According to Foulds (2022), one of the biggest causes of mental blocks

is a lack of focus and feeling overwhelmed. Having a lack of structure in

studies can also negatively contribute to having a mental block, the same

goes with messy routines and timetables that can sometimes make things

seem chaotic, which can in turn make it harder to focus on the tasks you need

to get done.

Based on the table above, some of the examinees also experienced

over confidence on their selves to pass the examination. This factor is

considered as Somewhat a Concern for having its average mean of 2.24. This

is accordance to the conclusion made by Butterfield & Metcalfe (2001) that

overconfidence is particularly problematic for students when considering how

important it is to make relatively accurate estimates about how they are

progressing.

One of the main problems with overconfidence is that students can fail

to correct misconceptions or realize that they are wrong. Being wrong or

failing has been long seen as negative educational outcomes (Butterfield &

Metcalfe, 2001). This demonstrates that when learners are highly confident

but wrong, if the misconception can be corrected, they have a much more

effective learning experience. In other words, overconfident students who

realize that they are wrong about something tend to be surprised and that

surprise means they are more likely to learn from the experience.

Pressured by too much household chores, with an average mean of

2.22 is also considered as Somewhat a Concern factor - according to the

responses of the examinees. According to Rinzin (2020), more than one in

three students could not study at home as they were engaged in household

chores during the pandemic. The findings also state that almost an equal

number of youth feel they were given too much household works. No or

limited access to online learning truly worry about examinations because of

the difficulty to study in a home environment were there are other major

concerns.

Some of the examinees also had a low aspiration level which made a

big impact to their test performance. With its average mean of 2.18, it is

therefore described as Somewhat a Concern. According to Sam (1964),

maladjusted people tend to be unrealistic to set their aspirations either too

high or too low—leading to inevitable failure or to wasted opportunities and, in

either case, to unhappiness. Level of aspiration is a universal feature of

personality, but it appears to be particularly relevant in a society like our own

in which the pressure to achieve is so great and feelings of success and

failure so crucial. In taking examinations like admission tests, examinees need

to set their minds to stay positive and believe to their own selves to have a

high score. This will technically calm their mind for them to have more

concentration and focus on the test.

Moreover, some examinees also experienced anxiety and stereotyping

during the examination. It is also considered as Somewhat a Concern due to

its average mean of 2.02. As Richardson and Suinn (1972) states that

examinations anxiety and stereotyping refers to the negative reaction that

many students experience when placed in a situation during tests that require

them to have a deep thinking comprehension and understanding. This

reaction can range from seemingly minor frustration to overwhelming

emotional and physiological disruption. In these kinds of circumstances,

students tend to participate and join educational examinations with low level

of self esteem, which can greatly limit their choices and options for

universities and career paths.

With the lowest average mean among the personal factors (1.85),

family with no educational background is Somewhat a Concern factor that

affects the scores of the examinees. This finding is accordance to the study of

Li & Qui (2018). According to them, family socioeconomic status has an

important impact on the quality of the educational opportunities that children

have access to. The higher the family’s socioeconomic status, the higher the

qualities of children’s educational opportunities attend. Because of the

limitation of family resources, parents of poor families usually are not able to
invest sufficiently in their children’s education, which affects their children’s

academic achievement. Literally speaking, families with low educational

backgrounds tend to have lower level of learning capacity. This factor is

considered as a big deal in some point due to the fact that family is the very

start of learning. It involves relationship with family members and with the

expectations they set, and this pressures students to learn, that somehow

results them to fail.

School-Related Factors that Affect the College

Entrance Test Scores

The table below illustrates the school-related factors that affect the college

entrance test scores of the senior high school graduates.

Table 5. School-Related Factors that Affect the College Entrance Test Scores
Factors Weighted Mean DI
1. Imbalancement occurred because classes A Major
were conducted virtually but the examination 3.29
Concern
was done face-to-face.
2. Too much school works/requirements. 3.18 A Concern
3. The effectiveness of the teachers’ teaching 2.95 A Concern
strategies.
4. The items/questions were not aligned with 2.53 A Concern
the instructional activities.
5. Construction of the questions and Somewhat a
2.25
instructions are ambiguous or confusing. Concern
Somewhat a
6. Type of exam was unfamiliar. 2.36
Concern
A Major
7. Unavailable review materials. 3.36
Concern
Overall Mean 2.85 A Concern
Legend: Range Interval Descriptive Interpretation (DI)
3.26 – 4.00 A Major Concern
2.51 – 3.25 A Concern
1.76 – 2.50 Somewhat a Concern
1.00 – 1.75 Not a Concern
 From the given data above, it presents that the unavailability of review

materials has an average mean of 3.36 and therefore describe as A Major

Concern. It means that majority of the students struggled to find a reviewer for

them to practice test their selves and fully prepare their mind before taking the

said examination.

This is accordance to the study of Abubakar (2020) where he states

that the use of instructional materials can significantly improve student’s

interest in the academic excellence by improving their cognitive levels. The

absence of these materials would degrade the full potentials of the students in

terms of learning and will have a negative impact on their academic

performances on examinations like admission tests (Abubakar, 2020). As a

result, frustration steps in and students begin to think less about themselves

and their abilities. Lack of studying often leads to a sense of anxiousness to

students that results constant comparison among them.

Also shown in the table above is the students’ imbalancement

experience in taking the MCAT examination that was done through face-to-

face. It has an average mean of 3.29 and also described as A Major Concern.

According to Selvara, et al (2021), the online class was introduced in

the most countries to continue the education process, as a coping mechanism

of the coronavirus outbreak. Both teaching and learning take place in this

mode using electronic devices that are relatively new to the teaching-learning

community. The students were starting to settle from the new-normal learning

system yet again, they need to adjust due to the admission test. Furthermore,

it affects their cognitive thinking to set a starter non-virtual instruction and the

lack of time to fully adjust to be back to normal classes.

 Based on the obtained data shown above, most students agreed that it

also affected them to become anxious before taking the MCAT examination

because of too much school works/requirements which has a mean of 3.18

indicating that it is A Concern when they took the said examination.

According to GradePower Learning (2008), much school activities can

be very unhealthy, making students feel stressed and burnt out. In fact, more

than 56% of students say that school activities are a major reason they

become anxious about school stuff. After spending hours in front of a screen

at home, students log off for the day only to face more homework when they

return. Due to this, the students' preparation for examinations are exhausting

as they undergo to certain stress and anxiety. Students then had a problem in

balancing their review session for the MCAT examination and their school

activities given by their teachers.

The table above shows the statistics of the respondents about the

effectiveness of the teacher’s teaching strategies. It states that it is A Concern

due to its mean of 2.95. According to the previous takers that the strategies of

teacher’s way of teaching is somehow affected their scores in the said

examination.

Brock (1976), Cashin (1979) and Lucas (1990), states that it is

necessary for teachers to work from students' strengths and interests by

knowing to take into consideration to focus instruction that is applicable to

different groups of students with different levels.

Researches which are also made by Lucas (1990) and Weinert and

Kluwe (1987) show that several styles could be employed by the teachers to

encourage students to become self-motivated independent learners. If there is

a lack teaching styles it may affect a set of students who do not prefer the

presently followed style. Teachers, being the focal figure in education, must

be competent and knowledgeable in order to impart the knowledge they could

give to their students. They must recognize individual differences among their

students and adjust instructions that best suit to their learners.

As presented by the table above, it clearly illustrated how the previous

takers describes that the items/questions were not aligned with the

instructional activities. It has a weighted mean of 2.53, which means that

questions in the test booklet are not most likely aligned with the instructional

activities that the MCAT examinees reviewed, which is described as A

Concern for them.

This was consistent with the research of Lyness (2016) which states

that teachers should tell students ahead of time what the format of an exam

will be. This can help the students tailor how and what they will study. If

students’ practice has focused on one set of knowledge and skills and then

the instructor gives an exam that goes well beyond the scope of what

students have only known, they will have difficulty and will likely perform

poorly.

The table also shows the responses of the previous takers that the type

of exam during the MCAT was unfamiliar to them which became A Concern to

the students, having an average mean of 2.36. This means that the said

examination is new to them and that they are not exposed to it yet.

According to Carnegie Mellon University, an unfamiliar exam format

may weaken students’ confidence and hence lower their performance

indirectly. Even if students had learned the new material and had sufficient
essay-writing skills in some abstract sense, they still might be inexperienced

enough that they are unable to apply the necessary knowledge and skills

under exam conditions (Fanshawe College).

It implies in the table that the construction of the questions and

instructions are ambiguous or confusing to the previous MCAT takers. It has a

mean of 2.25, which means that this factor is Somewhat a Concern to the

pass takers.

When students have difficulty interpreting the questions or instructions

due to ambiguity or bias, it can result in assessing students’ abilities to

decode questions or examples or ―guess‖ intentions, instead of assessing

their knowledge and skills regarding the course material (Carnegie Mellon

University). Questions that seem clear can also be vague, ambiguous or

misleading to other students. It may also be confusing because it contains

phrases and concepts or examples are unfamiliar to particular groups of

students due to their religion, gender, etc.

Proposed Action Plan for the Upcoming

MCAT Examinees

Based on the results of the study, an action plan was proposed by the

researchers. The table below illustrates the results of validation with its

descriptive interpretation.

The proposed action plan, entitled ―Drive to the Future‖ was

constructed to help the next takers of the MCAT by having a review program

before the said examination. It has an average mean of 4.88, therefore it is

described as Highly Acceptable. The action plan involves not just the next

examinees but also the school head, PTA officers, teachers and also the
researchers. The review program fist composed of a pre-test, or an activity

that identify the knowledge of the students on their past lessons. After that, it

is followed by having the actual review that will be facilitate by the English,

Science and Mathematics teachers. And finally, there will be a simulation and

self-assessment test that will assess the knowledge of the students for the

whole coverage of the review. Through this post assessment, it will also

measure the effectivity of the implemented review program.

Table 6: Proposed Action Plan for the next MCAT Examinees

Weighted
Criteria DI
Mean
1. Clarity and Directions 5.00 Highly Acceptable
2. Presentation and Organization 5.00 Highly Acceptable
3. Suitability of Activities 5.00 Highly Acceptable
4. Time-Frame 4.33 Acceptable

5. Persons Involved 5.00 Highly Acceptable

6. Expected Output 4.67 Highly Acceptable
7. Adequateness of the Content 5.00 Highly Acceptable

8. Evaluation Rating 5.00 Highly Acceptable

Overall Mean 4.88 Highly Acceptable

Legend: Range Interval Descriptive Interpretation (DI)
4.50 – 5.00 Highly Acceptable
3.50 – 4.49 Acceptable
2.50 – 3.49 Moderately Acceptable
1.50 – 2.49 Fairly Acceptable
1.00 – 1.49 Not Acceptable
 CHAPTER V
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter presents the summary and findings of the study

and draws the conclusions from them. Based on the conclusions drawn,

recommendations for actions are presented.

SUMMARY

The study used the descriptive research and development design to

determine the factors that affect the college entrance test scores of the Senior

High School graduates. It included a description of the examinees’ socio-

demographic profiles and the level of difficulty of each subject they took

during the Mariano Marcos State University College Admission Test (MCAT).

A total of fifty-five (55) MCAT examinees from 2022 senior high school

graduates of Bagbag Solsona National High School were chosen via total

enumeration, and all of them responded.

A researcher made questionnaire was used in the study to determine

the examinees’ socio-demograpic characteristics, level of difficulty of each

subject and the different factors that affect the college entrance test scores of

the graduates which was sent to the respondents via google form. Frequency

counts, percentages and mean were used to analyze the data.

Findings

Through a careful analysis of the data gathered in this study, the

following findings were drawn.

 In terms of the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents,

findings revealed that in terms of sex, examinees are not equally divided (37

or 67.27% females) and (18 or 32.73% males). On the other hand, 17 or

30.91% are from the ABM strand; 16 (29.09%) are from the STEM strand; 13

or 23.64% are from the HUMSS strand: and 9 or 16.36% examinees are from

the TVL strand. Majority of them (12 or 21.82%) are currently studying

Education-related courses; 11 (20%) enrolled Bachelor of Science in Nursing;

8 or (14.55%) enrolled Bachelor of Science in Information Technology; 18 or

(32.73%) enrolled accountancy, business and management related courses; 5

(9.09%) have enrolled different Engineering courses; and 1 (1.82%) is

currently studying Bachelor of Science in Criminology. Majority of the

examinees (32 or 58.18%) are now currently studying in Mariano Marcos

State University (Laoag and Batac Campus)

As regards to the subjects’ level of difficulty, it was found out that

Mathematics is claimed as the most difficult subject and have a major concern

interpretation with a mean of 3.47. On the other hand, Abstract Reasoning is

considered as the easiest subject and described as not a concern with its

mean of 1.45.

Findings also revealed that lack of time to review before the

examination is the top personal factor that affects the examinees, having an

average mean of 2.98 and it is described as a concern. Moreover, it was

revealed in the study that Personal Factors garnered an overall mean of 2.42

with a descriptive interpretation of somewhat a concern. This implies that

personal factors slightly affect their entrance test scores and it is not a big

problem to them.
 The fifty-five (55) examinees who answered the survey in this study

reported an overall mean favorable response of 3.36 that described

unavailability of review materials as a major concern. The said mean implies

that lack of reviewers before the examination had a great impact on their

college entrance test scores. The data gathered about the school-related

factors that affect the entrance test scores of the examinees showed a mean

of 2.85 with descriptive interpretation of a concern was accounted. This

means that school-related factors had a greater effect to the examinees

compared to the personal factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the findings of this study, the following conclusions are

drawn:

Majority of the MCAT Examinees of Bagbag Solsona National High

School are females, ABM strand graduates, currently pursuing Education-

related courses and studying at Mariano Marcos State University (Laoag and

Batac Campus).

The Mathematics subject is concluded as the most difficult subject took

during the examination and has a description as the major concern. Majority

of the examinees also states that Abstract Reasoning subject was the easiest

one and therefore described as not a concern.

Lack of time to review before the examination is the top personal factor

that affects the entrance test scores of the examinees and described as a

concern factor. Moreover, unavailability of review materials is the most

responded factor among the school-related factors and it is described as a

major concern. Lastly, school-related factors are described as more concern

factors compared to personal reasons which only has interpretation as

somewhat a concern. A book review was the proposed action plan to help the

next MCAT examinees, and to avoid the factors that was experienced by the

last takers.

RECOMMENDATIONS

In view of the findings and conclusions, the researcher highly

recommends that teachers should utilize and normalize the recalling part of

classes for students to remember the past lessons. They should not just focus

on teaching their current lessons but they should also come up with an activity

that let the students remember the past lessons that have been discussed.

Students should not just focus on the current lessons they are taking

and normalize taking notes of their lessons for them to recall it for future

purposes.

It is also recommended that MCAT Examination Material developers

provide the coverage of the examination in order for examinees prepare their

selves by recalling the points to review.

Administrators should provide assistance to teachers in implementing

review materials to prepare the next batch of takers for the examination. More

seminars, trainings and workshops related to the examination should also be

conducted. Curriculum support materials must also be provided to help

students in recalling all the lessons effectively.

Finally, similar or related studies should be done to investigate further

the other factors that could affect the next examinees. It is also recommended
to test the effectiveness of the review program that has been implemented by

the researchers. The same study on next takers’ concerns and factors that

affect their college entrance test scores must involve a greater number of

students as respondents and looking at more programs related to the

examination could also be done.

 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Abubakar, (2020). Impact of instructional materials on students’ academic

performance in Physics, in SokotoNigeria. Retrieved on January 17,
2023 from https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-
1315/476/1/012071.

Amelink, C. T. (2012). Female Interest in Mathematics. Apply Research to

Practice. Retrieved on January 11, 2023 from
http://aweonline.org/arp_femaleinterestmathematics_overview.pdf.

American Educational Research Association, American Psychological

Association, & National Council on Measurement in Education (Joint
Committee), (1999). Standards for Educational and Psychological
Testing. Retrieved on October 31, 2022 from
https://www.apa.org/science/programs/testing/standards.

Anderson, L., & Fulton, M. (2015). Multiple measures for college readiness.
Education Commission of the States. Retrieved on November 12, 2022
from https://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/01/17/37/11737.pdf.

Armstrong, W. B., & Carty, H. M., (2003). Reconsidering the SAT I for college
admissions: Analysis of alternate predictors of college success. Paper
Presented at the Annual Meeting of American Educational Research
Association, Chicago, IL. Retrieved on October 31, 2022 from
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED478832.

Azen, R., Bronner, S., & Gafni, N., (2002). Examination of Gender Bias in
University admissions. Applied Measurement in Education, 15(1), 75–
94. Retrieved on October 31, 2022 from
https://doi.org/10.1207/S15324818AME1501_05

Bahr, P. R., (2009). Revisiting the efficacy of postsecondary remediation: The

moderating effects of depth/breadth of deficiency. Review of Higher
Education, 33(2), 177–205. Retrieved on November 12, 2022.

Balock, R., & Verspour D., (1991). General Institutional Climates. Retrieved
on October 31, 2022 from
https://www.academia.edu/37244341/Factors_Affecting_Stude
nts_Academic_Performance.
Barnett, E., Fay, M., Bork, R. H., & Weiss, M. J. (2013). Reshaping the
college transition: States that offer early college readiness
assessments and transition curricula. Retrieved from Community
College Research Center, Teachers College Columbia University
Retrieved on November 12, 2022 from
https://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/publications/reshaping-the-college-
transition-state-scan.html.

Barnett J., Ritter G., & Lucas, (2003). Professor, Endowed Chair in Education
Policy: Department of Education Reform University of Arkansas.
Retrieved on October 31, 2022 from
http://edre.uark.edu/profile.php?uId=garyr.

Bernardo, Allan B. I. 2021. Socioeconomic status moderates the relationship

between growth mindset and learning in mathematics and science:
Evidence from PISA 2018 Philippine data. International Journal of
School & Educational Psychology 9: 208–22. Retrieved on January 17,
2023 from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1303486

Brocks, S. C. (1976). Practitioner's Views on Teaching the Large Introductory

College Course. Retrieved on January 15, 2023 from
https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/departments/teaching-
andlearning/research/practitione r-action-research/effect-teachers-
teaching.

Butterfield, B., Metcalfe, J. (2001). Errors committed with high confidence are
hypercorrected. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning,
Memory, and Cognition, 27(6), 1491–1494. Retrieved on January 18,
2023 from https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-7393.27.6.1491.

Camara, Wayne J., Echternacht, Gary., (2000). The SAT I and High School
Grades: Utility in Predicting Success in College. Retrieved on October
31, 2022 from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED446592.

Carnegie Mellon University, (2022). Students performed poorly on an exam.

Retrieved on January 15, 2023 from
https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/solveproblem/strat-
poorexam/poorexam-06.html.

Cashin, W. E. (1979). "Motivating Students>" Idea Paper, no. 1. Retrieved on

January 15, 2023 from
https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/departments/teaching-and-
learning/research/practitioner-action-research/effect-teachers-teaching.
Cecil R., Reynolds Ronald B. L., & Victor W., (2009). Measurement and
assessment in education. Retrieved on October 27, 2022 from
https://www.academia.edu/resource/work/66550069

Crocker, L., and Algina, J. (1986). 1st Edition, Introduction to Classical and
Modern Test Theory. New York: CBS College Publishing. Retrieved on
October 31, 2022.

Department of Education. (2016). DO 55, S. 2016 – policy guidelines on the

national assessment of student learning for the K To 12 basic
education program. Retrieved on November 12, 2022 from
https://www.deped.gov.ph/2016/06/30/do-55-s-2016-policy-guidelines-
on-the-national-assessment-of-student-learning-for-the-k-to-12-basic-
education-program/.

Drager, K. W. (2014). The relationship between abstract reasoning and

performance in high school algebra (Doctoral dissertation, University of
Kansas). Retrieved on January 09, 2023 from
https://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/handle/1808/15165.

Ehrenreich, N. (2007). Outline Thesis: Males and Females. Retrieved on

January 01, 2023 from
https://www.academia.edu/resource/work/5301619.

Evans, William N., and Schwab R. M., (1996) ―Who Benefits from a Catholic
School Education?‖ Mimeo, University of Maryland.

Fan T., Li Y., & Niess M., (1988). Predicting Academic Achievement of
College Computer Science Majors. Journal of Research on Computing
in Education, 31(2), 155-172.

Farrington, C., Roderick, M., Allensworth, E., Nagaoka, J., Keyes, T.,
Johnson, D., & Beechum, N. (2012). Teaching adolescents to become
learners. The role of non-cognitive factors in shaping school
performance: A critical review. Chicago: University of Chicago
Consortium on Chicago School Research. Retrieved on November 12,
2022.

Fazlina, A. (2018). An Analysis of College Entrance Test. Retrieved on

October 27, 2022 from
https://www.academia.edu/66550069/An_Analysis_of_College_Entranc
e_Test.
Foulds E., (2022). How to deal with mental blocks when studying. Retrieved
on January 17, 2023 from
https://www.whatuni.com/advice/wellbeing/dealing-with-mental-blocks-
when-studying/82568/.

Friedman B. A., & Mandel R. G., (2009). The Prediction of College Students
Academic Performance and Retention: Application of Expectancy and
Goal Setting Theories. Retrieved on October 21, 2022 from
https://doi.org/10.2190/CS.11.2.d.

GradePower Learning. (2018). Do Students Have Too Much Homework?

Retrieved on January 15, 2023 from
https://gradepowerlearning.com/do-students-have-too-much-
homework/#:~:text=And%20since%20it's%20important%20for,feel%20
stressed%20and%20burnt%20out.

Guessoum, S.B., Lachal, J., Radjack, R., Carretier, E., Minassian, S., Benoit,
L., Moro, M. R., 2020. Adolescent psychiatric disorders during the
COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. Psychiatry Res. 291, 113264.
Retrieved on January 18, 2023 from
https://doi.10.1016/j.psychres.2020.11 3264.

Guinongco (2020). Abstract Reasoning and Problem-Solving Skills of First

Year College Students Retrieved on January 14, 2023 from
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/AdrielRoman/publication/3426236
32_Abstract_Reasoning_and_ProblemSolving_Skills_of_First_Year_C
ollege_Students/links/5efd637392851c52d6109655/Abstract-
Reasoning-and-Problem-Solving-Skills-of-First-Year-College-
Students.pdf.

Hans J., Luyten, & Veldkamp I., (2011). Assessing Effects of Schooling With
Cross-Sectional Data: Between-Grades Differences Addressed as a
Selection-Bias Problem Retrieved on October 31, 2022 from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233208501

Himler, J., (2020). The Effect of College Entrance Exams. Retrieved on

October 23, 2022 from https://phspenndulum.org/2036/editorials/the-
effects-of-college-entrance-exams/

Hyde J., Fennema E., & Lamon S., (1990). Gender differences in
mathematics performance: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin,
107(2), 139–155. Retrieved on October 31, 2022 from
https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.107.2.139
Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (2002). Learning Together and Alone:
Overview and Meta-Analysis. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 22,
995-1005. Retrieved on October 31, 2022 from
https://doi.org/10.1080/0218879020220110.

Korhan, M., Engin, E., Gülo˘glu, B., 2021. University entrance exam anxiety of
adolescents during COVID-19 pandemic: cognitive flexibility and self-
regulation. Eur. Psychiatry 64. S667-S667. Retrieved on January 18,
2023 from https://doi.10.1192/j.eurpsy.2021.1771.

Li, Z., & Qiu, Z., (2018). How does family background affect children’s
educational achievement? Evidence from Contemporary China. J.
Chin. Sociol. 5, 13. Retrieved on January 17, 2023 from
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40711-018-0083-8.

Loades, M.E., Chatburn, E., Higson-Sweeney, N., Reynolds, S., Shafran, R.,
Brigden, A., Linney, C., McManus, M.N., Borwick, C., Crawley, E.,
2020. Rapid systematic review: the impact of social isolation and
loneliness on the mental health of children and adolescents in the
context of COVID-19. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry 59,
1218–1239. .e1213. Retrieved on January 18, 2023 from
https://doi.10.1016/j.jaac.2020.05.009.

Lucas, A. F. (1990). The Changing Face of College Teaching, New Directions

for Teaching and Learning, no. 42. Retrieved on January 15, 2023 from
https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/departments/teaching-and-
learning/research/practition er-action-research/effect-teachers-
teaching.

Lyness, D. (2016). Studying for Tests. Retrieved on January 17, 2023 from
https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/test-terror.html.

Magno C., Gonzales R., (2011). Measurement and Evaluation in the

Philippine Higher Education: Trends and Development. Retrieved on
October 31, 2022 from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232244206_Measurement_a
nd_Evaluation_in_the_Philippine_Higher_Education_Trends_and_Dev
elopment.

Magson, N.R (2021). Risk and Protective Factors for Prospective Changes in
Adolescent Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Retrieved
on January 15, 2023 from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33108542/.
Marc. (2016). Applying Attribution Theory to the Classroom. Retrieved on
OOctober 31, 2022 from Psych(ed) website:
https://psychologyineducation.wordpress.com/2016/09/11/applying
attribution-theory-to-the-classroom/

Maruyama, G. (2012). Assessing college readiness: Should we be satisfied

with ACT or other threshold scores? Educational Researcher, 41(7),
252-261. Retrieved on November 12, 2022 from
https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X12455095.

Messick S., (1989). Validity of Psychological Assessment: Validation of

Inferences from Persons' Responses and Performances as Scientific
Inquiry into Score Meaning. Retrieved on October 31, 2022 from
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://files.er
ic.ed.gov/fulltext/ED380496.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjrmpL7Y37AhWHxzgG
HU5ID1kQFnoECDkQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0OJ2op6RKDyJL88pMFo8Vz

Mulvenon S., Stegman C., Ganley B., & McKenzie S., (2002). Little Rock
School District: Is Desegregation Working? Retrieved on October 31,
2022 from http://www.sedl.org/pubs/policyresearch/policydocs/IES-
Policy.pdf.

Norman, M., & Hyland, T. (2003). The role of confidence in lifelong learning.
Educational studies, 29(2-3), 261-272. Retrieved on January 17, 2023
from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233661460_The_Role_of_Co
nfidence_in_Lifelong_Learning.

Perkins, K. E. (2018). The Integrated Model of Self-Confidence: Defining and

Operationalizing Self-Confidence in Organizational Settings (Doctoral
dissertation). College of Psychology and Liberal Arts: Florida Institute
of Technology, Melbourne, Florida. Retrieved on January 15, 2023
from https://repository.lib.fit.edu/handle/11141/2534.

Philippine Statistics Authority Republic of the Philippines. (2018).Effect of

Self-Confidence on Academic Achievement of Children At Elementary
Stage. Retrieved on January 02, 2023 from https://psa.gov.ph/.

Philippine Transparency Seal, (1994). DO 28, S. 1994 ― ABOLITION OF

THE NATIONAL COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION (NCEE).
Retrieved on October 14, 2022 from
https://www.deped.gov.ph/1994/06/03/do-28-s-1994-abolition-of-the-
national-college-entrance-examination-ncee/.
Quintos (2021). Exploring Between SHS Strand and College Course
Mismatch: Bridging the Gap Through School Policy on Intensified
Career Guidance Program. Retrieved on January 14, 2023 from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361081476_Exploring_Betwe
en_SHS_Strand_and_College_Course_Mismatch_Bridging_the_Gap_
Through_School_Policy_on_Intensified_Career_Guidance_Program.

Richardson, F. C., & Suinn, R. M. (1972). The Mathematics Anxiety Rating

Scale: Psychometric data. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 19(6),
551–554. Retrieved on January 14, 2023 from
https://doi.org/10.1037/h0033456.

Rinzin Y. C., (2020). Students say household chores impede study. Retrieved
on January 17, 2023 from https://kuenselonline.com/students-say-
household-chores-impede-study/.

Sam, M. S., (1964). Level of Aspiration. Retrieved on January 19, 2023 from
https://psychologydictionary.org/level-of-aspiration/

Sanchez, E. (2013). Differential effects of using ACT® college readiness

assessment scores and high school GPA to predict first-year college
GPA among racial/ethnic, gender, and income groups. Retrieved on
November 12, 2022 from
https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/ACT_RR20
13-4.pdf.

Scarpello, G. (2007). Helping Students Get Past Math Anxiety. Techniques:

Connecting Education and Careers (J1), 82(6), 34-35. Retrieved on
January 15, 2023 from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ775465.

Schmitt, N., Keeney, J., Oswald, F., Pleskac, T., Billington, A., Sinha, R., &
Zorzie, M., (2009). Prediction of 4-year College Student Performance
Using Cognitive and Noncognitive Predictors and the Impact on
Demographic Status of Admitted Students. Retrieved on October 31,
2022 from
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://pubme
d.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19916657/&ved=2ahUKEwjTos7T9o37AhWF7TgG
HQ9wA9wQFnoECA0QAQ&usg=AOvVaw3Ob4lPAm8Hf2y2ILSXnNPP

Scott-Clayton, J. (2012). Do high-stakes placement exams predict college

success? New York: Columbia University, Teachers College,
Community College Research Center. Retrieved on November 12,
2022.
Selvaraj, A., Radhin., Vishnu., KA, N., Benson, N., & Mathew, A. J., (2021).
Effect of pandemic based online education on teaching and learning
system. Retrieved on January 15, 2023 from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S073805
9321000973.

SEMEO Secretariat (1998). Examination Systems at the Secondary Level of

Countries in the SEAMEO Region. Retrieved on October 31, 2022 from
http://www.seameo.org/vl/.

Simpson, C. (2016). Effects of Standardized Testing on Students’ Well-Being.

Retrieved on October 23, 2022 from
https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/files/eap/files/c._simpson_effects_of_tes
ting_on_well_being_5_16.pdf.

Tapaoan, D. Jr. (2022). What numbers speak about women in MMSU.

Retrieved on January 04, 2023 from
https://www.mmsu.edu.ph/news/what-numbers-speak-about-women-in-
mmsu.

Tesema M., (2014). The Validity of University Entrance Examination and High
School Grade point average for predicting first year university students’
academic performance. Retrieved on January 11, 2023 from
https://essay.utwente.nl/66652/1/Tesema%20M.%20-
%20S1397257%20-%20masterscriptie.pdf.

Thinking Machines Data Science. (2018). Mind the gap: A gender parity
analysis of UPCAT passers. Retrieved on January 02, 2023 from
https://stories.thinkingmachin.es/upcat-passers-gender-gap/.

Ting S., (1998). Predicting First-Year Grades and Academic Progress of First-
Generation and Low Income Families. Retrieved on October 31, 2022
from https://www.appstate.edu/~jacksonay/rcoe/ting.pdf.

Verma, R. K., & Kumari, S., (2016). Effect of Self-Confidence on Academic

Achievement of Children at Elementary Stage. Indian Journal of
Reseach, 5(1) 81-83.World Wide Journals. Retrieved on January 09,
2023 from https://www.worldwidejournals.com.

Weinert, F. E. and Kluwe, R. H. (1987). Metacognition, Motivation and

Understanding. Retrieved on January 15, 2023 from
https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/departments/teaching-and-
learning/research/practition er-action-research/effect-teachers-
teaching.
Wikipedia, (2022). University of the Philippines College Admission Test.
Retrieved on October 14, 2022 from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_the_Philippines_College_Ad
mission_Test.

Wilkes (2014)A montage of the qualities of the registered nurse. Retrieved on

January 15, 2023 from
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/inr.12134.

Willingham, W. W., (1985). Success in College: The Role of Personal

Qualities and Academic Ability. New York: College Entrance
Examination Board.

Wolfe, R., & Johnson, S. (1995). Personality as a Predictor of College

Performance. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 55, 177-
185. Retrieved on October 31, 2020 from
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0013164495055002002.

Xie H., and Fang C., (2021). The Impact of High School Entrance
Examination Competition on Students’ Participation in Extracurricular
Tutoring in the Compulsory Education Period: An Empirical Analysis
Based on the Data of China Family Panel Studies. Retrieved on
January 15, 2023 from
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://bonoi.
org/index.php/bece/article/view/487&ved=2ahUKEwjQgzkipD9AhVspV
YBHWZSAwIQFnoECAsQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1tGoXFdwOIcLJ1SzuBcw
YS.

Young J. W., (2001). Differential Validity, Differential Prediction, and College

Admission Testing: A Comprehensive Review and Analysis (College
Board Rep. No. 01-6) Retrieved on October 31, 2022 from
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED562661.pdf.

Yunzhu W., Fei X., Ruichen J., (2022)., Academic Anxiety, Self-Regulated
Learning Ability, and Self-Esteem in Chinese Candidates for College
Entrance Examination During the COVID-19 Outbreak: A Survey
Study. Retrieved on January 11, 2023 from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9438794/.