Due to the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the University of the Philippines (UP) decided to forego its college admission test for academic year 2021 to 2022. UP said that the university councils (UCs) of the eight constituent universities 'unanimously voted not to administer UPCAT (UP College Admission Test) in light of logistical issues in the paper-and-pencil testing of about 100,000 17-year old applicants'. " Taking into account the uncertain trajectory and uneven spread of COVID-19 in different parts of the Philippines, majority of the UC members did not deem it feasible to administer the usual UPCAT involving around 1,600 testing personnel deployed to 94 testing centers throughout the archipelago," UP said in its website. Majority of the UC members also did not consider holding an online UPCAT 'due to the length of the exam and variety of items that would require a consistently strong Internet connection to download within the time allotted for examinees to answer'. The UP Board of Regents has already instructed the Office of Admissions to come up with a modified freshmen admissions system for academic year 2021-2022 by February next year. Following the decision to cancel the UPCAT, the Office of Admissions move the start of the application period to December 2020, with an exact date yet to be announced.