8 Online Courses to Prep You for College Entrance Tests

Five months. A lot can still happen, but incoming high school seniors are already starting to feel the pressure of the College Entrance Tests (CETs) season. 

Different students prepare for the CETs differently. Some might take a year’s worth of preparation while others would just study a month or even weeks before the scheduled testing date. Others enroll at review centers (we have a list here) while others just opt to study on their own and even rely on their stock knowledge only.

So don’t fret! There is no sure-fire way to pass the CETs! In fact, you don’t even need to go to any review center if you cannot afford it. There’s a lot that you can do on your own, as can be seen in this article.

So take advantage of your free time during this quarantine, especially if you don’t have online classes right now! Prepare for your CETs with these eight online courses which cover different subjects and examination types. 

These courses are sourced from Coursera, FutureLearn, and Udemy–some of the leading online education providers that offer thousands of different short courses. And most of them can be taken for FREE! How great is that?

1. Language Proficiency

Language Proficiency is a typical subject in CETs. Some exams only cover the English language, but others like the University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT) also cover Filipino. 

For English, this online course can help you with your intermediate grammar skills: coursera.org/specializations/intermediate-grammar. For Filipino, this link can help those who are not that proficient in speaking it: https://learningtagalog.com/grammar/. 

2. Reading Comprehension

Reading Comprehension can be improved by reading. A lot of reading. And even if you may not be the reading type, but you’ll need to start working on that because you’ll be doing a lot of reading in college.

To boost your English reading comprehension and even your listening skills, you can try this online course: https://www.udemy.com/course/reading-comprehension-tests-program/. 

3. Science

Science covers multiple topics such as Biology, Physics, and Chemistry. CETs will either have a section on mixed science topics or separate them in categories. With a subject as comprehensive as this, you will really need to study it more efficiently.

Fortunately, there is an online course that tackles General Science: https://www.udemy.com/course/5435-general-science-study-guide-help/. This can help students remember all the necessary science concepts they have learned in high school. 

4. Mathematics (Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Arithmetic, Problem Solving)

A lot of students struggle with math. So if you’ve had a hard time with it throughout high school, how are you supposed to review it for the CETs, right?

Don’t worry! There are two online courses that you can take to make your reviewing easier and more efficient. One focuses on Algebra, while another delves into Geometry, Trigonometry, and exponentials.

5. Essay

Some CETs like the Ateneo College Entrance Test will require you to write an essay. This will entail using not only your grammar skills but also your critical and systematic thinking skills. You’ll need to write a readable and well-structured write-up to show how well you can construct ideas into words that can be understood by everyone.

To know how to start writing an essay, you can take this course.

6. Logical and Abstract Reasoning

You can find different types of questions involving the use of your logical and abstract reasoning online. But answering them can be tricky, and you might just end up feeling helpless and overwhelmed by how complicated some questions can be. These types of questions are not really taught in schools and just involve the test of your IQ.

Luckily, there is an online course that can help develop both of your logical and critical thinking. This may not help in answering exact logical and abstract reasoning questions, but it can definitely help you identify common obstacles to effective thinking.

7. General Information

There is no specific online course that can teach general information, but we can always rely on our ever-reliable HEKASI, Makabayan, or Araling Panlipunan books to supplement our knowledge. We can also read newspapers or articles from reputable websites every day. 

Studying on our own can be tough, especially when we cannot afford to enroll in a review center. But thanks to the internet, online courses can help augment our knowledge on the different exam topics. And one month before your exam, you can refer to this guide for a final round of preparation.

Good luck! You got this!