Important. Before reading this post, we would like to inform you that the Royal Decree that regulates the change has not yet been approved. We offer this information as a preview of what the future change could be, in order to make known the criteria and requirements that could affect thousands of students and families. We will update the information as soon as it is officially published. Escuela PCE is not responsible for any future changes that the Ministry of Education may make.
PCE tests and their characteristics
If you are not familiar with the process of access to Spanish university studies, perhaps the first thing to do is to find out what the PCE is and how to access the university. We explain this in detail in several posts and videos:
In summary, for many years university access in Spain through exams was "optional" for some students. This was because for a few degrees (very few), no entrance grade was required, and for some private universities, it wasn't a requirement either. In both cases, having a recognized high school diploma or the UNEDasiss Credential was sufficient. However, for the vast majority of students with foreign high school diplomas, this option was not truly optional, since to access public universities and their degree programs (more than 95% of them), a high entrance grade was necessary, and students had to compete with others to meet the cut-off score.
In case of taking the exams, called PCE, the first thing was to get to know the university, since each Spanish region had a different access system. That is, the requirements to enter a university in Madrid were different from those in Barcelona. This meant that many students had to choose before studying the subjects of the tests, since they were different in quantity and choice. Likewise, the type of exam was different depending on the subject, but all had a multiple choice part that could account for between 30 and 50% of the exam.
Finally, it should be noted that the PCE are tests that, compared to the PAU taken by Spanish high school graduates, are more accessible for the most part. Perhaps for this reason and for the aforementioned difference between regions and private/public universities, the Ministry of Education has decided to opt for a change that simplifies the process and unifies criteria in subjects to be taken by national and foreign high school graduates.
Changes with the new university entrance exam
Everything described above, with some minor changes, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, covered the period from 2017 to 2025. For 2026, some changes are planned, which we will mention below, as outlined in Royal Decree 534/2024 of June 11. These changes promote the principles of equality and non-discrimination, since until now there were differences based on the origin of the study (Spanish/non-Spanish) and the Autonomous Community.
PCE 2026 exam type
The Ministry of Education and Vocational Training has decided that the PCE format will be a face-to-face test composed of two blocks:
- Linguistic competence block. Students must take two language proficiency tests (level B2) to choose from Spanish, German, French, English, Italian and Portuguese.
- Block of specific competencies (specific subjects). Students will take at least 2 PCE subjects (up to 4) from the 2nd year of Baccalaureate in Spain. These subjects must be from the same itinerary as the degree they wish to access.
Calculation of the admission grade
The entrance grade (out of 10 points) is calculated as follows:
Access Grade: (0,6 x Average Baccalaureate Grade) + (0,4 x Average Test Grade)
That is, 60% of the grade out of 10 points will be the grade from the approved high school (or not approved, depending on the country) and the remaining 40% from the exams taken. For the sum to be made, the average of the 4 PCE exams must be 4 or higher.
In order to improve the grade and qualify for an admission grade (out of 14 points), the weighted grades of the 2 specific tests will be added together.
Admission grade: Access grade + (Weighting x Grade of Specific Competencies exam 1) + (Weighting x Grade of Specific Competencies exam 2)
Here is a complete example:
- Approved Baccalaureate: 9
- PCE grades: 8 / 5 / 7 / 10 (these last 2 are from the specific phase)
- Final admission grade assuming a weighting of 0,2
Final admission grade = (9 x 0,6) + [(8+5+7+10/4) x 0,4] + (7 x 0,2) + (10 x 0,2) = 5,4 + 3 + 1,4 + 2 = 11,8
* This calculation is just an example for a student who does not belong to a country listed in Annex I and who needs to score out of 14 points. For individual cases, we recommend personalized guidance and establishing an initial strategy with our team of advisors.
Other changes
- Private universities, which were previously exempt from requiring entrance exams, will now require PCE for admission.
- The subject of Language and Literature will be called Competence in Spanish. This subject will assess written comprehension and expression in Spanish, with a reference level of B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
- For the specific phase exams, answers can be given in Spanish or English. Until now, the statements could be requested in English, but the answer had to be in Spanish.
- As we have mentioned, the characteristics of the tests will be common to all universities in Spain, whether public or private, meaning there will be no differences between regions.
FAQ
- Is the law regulating the change already applied? No, not yet, but it will most likely be approved under the terms and conditions we have stated. There may be some changes. If there are, we will update you as soon as possible.
- If I want to access a private university, do I have to take the tests? Yes, according to the new Royal Decree, they must request the new test from their new students.
- Will the exams be called PCE? The specific phase will most likely be called PCE or PAU for foreigners, although it is still unknown (the PAU is the university entrance exam for Spaniards, colloquially called Selectividad).
- Do I only have to take 4 exams? In principle, yes, although it is possible that several universities may require 2 additional subjects. This has not yet been confirmed and we do not believe that they will be able to do so, but it remains to be seen until publication.
- What specific subjects can I choose? There are more than 20 possibilities. The idea is to choose subjects that give you more points by choosing higher weightings. To make your choice, you have to look at the university's weighting documents and evaluate them. We do this with all the students at the academy before the course starts.
- Does this change affect students from the EU, Colombia and those with a reciprocity agreement? In theory, no. There is a change in terms of presenting the tests as if they were under the Spanish system if the study is done in Spain, but it does not affect anything else.
- Is the subject of Spanish Language Competence compulsory? Yes, it will be requested from all students.
- What happens if I already have the PCE grades from previous years? For university admissions, there is no change; your previous grades will be accepted. If you want to improve your grade, you will have to take the tests using the new system.
- Does this affect students with International Baccalaureate? It affects exactly the same as point 6. Not in terms of configuration and requirements, but when taking exams if you study at a center located in Spain.
- How many times can I take the exam in a year? As until now, 2 calls are planned; the ordinary one in May and the extraordinary one in September. You can see more information here about the current PCE call.
