We understand that university entrance exams can feel overwhelming, particularly if you’re moving to a new city or country to study. However, in Spain, they’re mandatory for public universities, which means they’re a necessary stepping stone to living your best student life.

To help you navigate the Spanish national entrance exams process with confidence, we’ve created this useful guide, which will cover the following:

Please note that exam requirements change regularly, so it’s always important to verify the latest details with your regional education authority or university admissions office directly.

The Spanish university entrance exam is officially known as the Prueba de Acceso a la Universidad (PAU), though you may hear it called different names depending on who you talk to or where you are in Spain:

The EBAU exam, is split into two phases, General, which is compulsory, and Specific, which is optional.

General Phase:

Everyone taking the EBAU must complete the General phase, which consists of four exams (some regions will have five exams, more on this in our ‘regional differences’ section):

Specific Phase:

The second phase is voluntary, but offers the opportunity to gain additional points, which can increase your chances of admission.

You will choose between 2-3 exam subjects, and the closer they relate to your degree programme, the higher the number of points they could be worth as they have a larger weighting during scoring.

The EBAU usually takes place over three days, and each exam takes 90 minutes, with a 30 minute break in-between consecutive exams. 

The EBAU is mandatory for Spanish students who have completed their Bachillerato and want to study at a public university. Some private universities may also require the EBAU, especially for highly competitive degrees (such as Medicine) or as part of their admission criteria.

In addition, many private universities in Spain have their own entrance exams or admission processes, although this varies depending on the university and the degree programme.

There are two exam sittings per year, known as ‘ordinary’ and ‘extraordinary’.

The ordinary sitting takes place first, usually between 2nd-11th June, depending on region. This is when the majority of students will sit the EBAU, and the results will typically be available at the end of June.

For students who weren’t able to sit the ordinary EBAU exam, or want to improve their results, they can sit the extraordinary exam. This sitting usually takes place at the end of June/start of July, with results available by the end of July. However, some regions, such as Catalonia, don’t hold the extraordinary exam until September.

Learn more about Selectividad exam dates for 2026.

Each exam in the General phase of the PAU has a maximum of 10 points available, with a pass score of 4/10. 

The General phase accounts for 40% of your overall university admission score, while your Baccalaureate accounts for 60%. On average, the final minimum score needs to be 5/10, although some competitive courses may have higher requirements.

You can boost your score by a maximum of 4 points, by taking part in the Specific phase of the PAU.

Every degree has a Nota de Corte, which is the grade achieved by the last student to secure a spot the previous year. It varies depending on the programme, university and region, but can help you understand the grade you’re aiming for.

Taken through UNEDasiss, the PCE exam differs from the EBAU, as there aren’t different phases for the PCE exam, and there are no mandatory subjects to take. Instead, you will choose which exams to take based on the relevance to your degree programme.

Your choices should be made up of core and specific tracks, for example if you want to study Engineering at university, you might choose Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry for Engineering.

It’s important to note that taking the PCE exam is only half of the process for international students. You’ll also need to apply for the official recognition of your high school diploma through the Spanish Ministry of Education.

The PCE exam is designed for international students who have studied outside the Spanish education system (this includes those taking the International Baccalaureate.

Like the EBAU, there are two exam sittings per year, known as ‘ordinary’ and ‘extraordinary’.

The first sitting for the PCE exam usually takes place in Spain at the end of May, and outside of Spain at the start of June. For anyone unable to sit the ordinary exam, or wanting to improve their final score, an extraordinary session is held at the beginning of September.

The scoring for the PCE exam is similar to the EBAU exam. Each exam has a maximum of 10 points available, with a pass grade of 5/10. Ideally, to maximise your final grade, you should be aiming for between 8-10 for each subject.

Your PCE exam results account for 40% of your overall university admission score, while your high school grades account for 60%.

With so many incredible cities, regions and universities in Spain, there are some differences in how national entrance exams are held, although, steps are being taken to standardise the PAU exam across regions.

We’ve put together our handy top tips for preparing for your national entrance exams in Spain:

Discover more top study tips for improving productivity and staying motivated in our blog.

As you prepare for your national entrance exams, remember that this is just the beginning of a huge adventure. Studying in Spain offers a treasure trove of opportunities, from incredible educational facilities to vibrant cultures and stunning architecture. 

If you’re moving to Valencia, Madrid or Seville to study and still haven’t found the accommodation that suits you perfectly, we’d love to welcome you to one of our residences:

With study spaces, social areas, year-round events and a community of like-minded students and young professionals, let your new chapter be the best one yet with Nido Living.

Take a look at our Spain residences and get in touch with any questions you have today.