Frequently asked questions to study in Spain 2025
Sandra Sanchez
Coordinator and Orientator
Below we show you the questions that students most often ask us about studying in Spain. Thanks to this, you will be able to have an idea of what the processes are like and what is really important. On the other hand, You should know that each student, depending on their nationality, educational system and objectives, has different requirements, Therefore, it is highly recommended to personalize the strategy and know the steps to take at all times to avoid making mistakes and save time and money.
General questions
The first requirement is to have completed high school or secondary school (depending on the name). The idea is to finish pre-university studies.
Afterwards, each of the students will have a series of requirements to meet depending on:
- The country in which you completed your studies
- The destination university
- The degree you wish to access
In Spain, to be able to access a public university, you have to go through a series of processes. One of them is to take the PCE Selectivity exams. For him 93% of studies it is necessary to obtain a valid grade in the exams, which makes it practically necessary to prepare for the exams.
Doing such preparation with us helps you avoid problems and focus on getting the highest grade with the best resources. There are many academies, but only Escuela PCE is specific for the PCE test.
The Selectivity is the set of tests that must be taken in order to gain admission to a Spanish university.
If you have to do the Homologation you can do it with LegalSpain Agency. You will have to do the rest of the processes with UNEDasiss and the destination university.
The exams are carried out at UNED headquarters around the world. You can choose the one you want, since there is no preference for doing it in Spain or another country.
Every year there are 2 calls, one ordinary in May/June and another extraordinary one in September.
You can see the updated call for this year here
The PCE are the Specific Competence Tests, and are regulated and organized by the UNED, the National University of Distance Education in Spain. Specifically, the program they carry out is called UNEDasiss.
It is best to personalize the service, since each university is different and each degree or study requires a specific itinerary, as well as extra services. You can discuss this with our advisors and coordinators before booking the course. We will explain the best itinerary to meet your objective.
They are medium-level tests, where passing is relatively affordable, but obtaining a high score requires study and time. Think that the higher the qualification you have, the more options you will have.
They are the qualifications that must be passed to obtain access to that study at that university. They are estimates, as they change from year to year.
You can see more information in our post cut notes.
Questions about approval
It depends on your situation. If you have completed studies in the EU, China, Colombia or have an International Baccalaureate, it may not be possible, but for the rest of the countries it is essential.
It can be done at the Spanish consulates, but to speed up the process we recommend that you delegate this process to experts. In this case, LegalSpain Agency can help you, minimizing time and avoiding problems.
Between 3 and 9 months at the consulate. By LegalSpain Agency, the times may be cut in half.
For most universities, no, but for those in Catalonia, for example, it is a requirement to have completed it before applying for a place. It is recommended that you inform yourself in advance to schedule yourself and avoid problems.
Yeah. When you do the approval, they will provide you with a flyer that will be what you need to present when they ask for your high school diploma. That flyer is therefore all you need to be able to take the exams along with your country's high school grades.
Questions about universities
It can be studied in all public and private universities, that is, in the 89 that there are throughout the Spanish territory. Of course, each university has its criteria and requirements.
The price varies depending on the region in which the university is located. In our you can see how much does each Spanish university cost.
Each region of Spain and its universities have a special type of grade calculation configuration. The best thing is that you go to our article in which we explain How to calculate the university entrance grade.
As many times as you want. There is no maximum number of times you can take the exams, and you can improve your final grade year after year, since you will only be left with the one with the best grade of all those you have taken.
Yes, but it depends on the study, the university and the country of origin. We tell you this in our post about continue studies in Spain.
Yes, there are several alternatives:
- Access to those over 25 years of age. If you are at least that age and do not have your high school diploma approved, you can take an easier test. You can see more things related to this access on our page Information for People over 25 years old.
- Higher Degree. This type of studies in Spain They last two years. They have a professional and very practical profile. After finishing this study you can enter the university directly without having to take the Selectivity.
- Wait for the universities to make calls for foreign students without a UNED Credential. This usually happens at the end of July and only university degree places are offered that have not been filled. It is very complicated and is only for certain studies.
Frequently asked questions about UNEDasiss
UNED is the Spanish Distance University. It is, therefore, a public university where you can study any university degree they offer remotely. The degree obtained by UNED is of the same value and validity as if it were obtained by an in-person university, and is above all focused on those people who cannot attend classes. Among its many advantages is that it is not necessary to have a minimum access grade, since it has no cut-off grades as there are no places, since no classrooms are occupied.
In addition, the UNED is in charge of carrying out university entrance tests (Selectivity – PAU) for foreign students who wish to study in Spain.. These tests to be carried out are called Specific Competence Tests (PCE) and are structured according to UNEDasiss, service in charge of the regulations and organization of access to the university for foreign high school graduates.
It is a service of the National University of Distance Education (UNED) created for the management of access and admission of students to Spanish universities, especially aimed at international students, facilitating their access through the issuance of accreditations and the carrying out, where appropriate, specific tests. You can see more at UNEDASISS information.
The PCEs are the Tests of Specific Competencies, That is, the exams that must be taken to enter a Spanish university. These PCE are organized and corrected by UNED and each test is for a specific subject. Among the PCE UNED subjects we have: Language, English, History of Spain, French. Mathematics II, CCSS Mathematics, Fundamentals of Art and Latin, Biology, Chemistry, Geography, Business and Business Model Design, Art History, Philosophy, Geology, Design, Physics, Technical Drawing….
You won't have to do all of them, obviously. You will only have to complete those that give you an optimal UNED credential for the university you want.
The UNEDasiss Accreditation is a digital certificate that allows the student to participate in the university admission processes in Spain and consists of the assessment of academic records obtained in international educational systems in a homogeneous and regulated manner and that also includes test scores. of specific competencies (PCE) carried out at UNED, as well as other services requested by the student.
With the current UNED regulations, the validity of the Credential is 2 years from when we have our first qualification. After this date we will have to take a new PCE again to be able to enter a Spanish university.
Registration for the PCE can be done individually or with Escuela PCE. Ask our services and advice if you want to do it with us.
It is a type of subject configuration to present the PCE. This requirement is requested in some universities. You can learn more about this in our post on High school modality.
Clear! You can apply and it is good that you do so since you can only apply in the same year to those subjects that you have failed in September, leaving those approved outside of it. That is, if in May or June you pass 2 and fail 3, and you only want to take the exams, you can do so. If you waited until next year you would have to apply for everything again.
It is a great way to raise your grade and achieve your goal in two calls. You can see more information at PCE UNED call for September.
Yes. In our post about PCE Review We tell you how to proceed and how to do it. Don't forget that it is only if you think they have made a mistake. Don't use it to try to raise the rating for no reason.
As many times as you want. There is no maximum number of times. The qualification can always be improved, since only the one with the best qualification of all those that have been presented will remain.
It depends on the UNEDasiss services you need (Modality, Qualification for admission, subjects, secretarial expenses...). It can vary between about 50 and 350 euros.
Frequently asked questions about pce school
We are an academy specific and specialized in preparing students who wish to access Spanish university studies.
Yes, we are a UNEDasiss collaborating center, so we can do all the procedures so that you can forget about them and only have your mind set on preparing for the exams and obtaining the highest grade.
There are many advantages, but we will summarize them for you:
- We are specialized academy in PCE preparation. Other academies prepare the PCE and other tests, so they are not 100% specialists like us.
- We are UNEDasiss collaborating center, so we have updated information about university admission processes.
- We are online, which makes preparation possible from anywhere at any time, avoiding saving time and money (trips to Spain, accommodation...).
- We offer a personalized training. That is, each student has a situation and requirements to meet, and each of our professionals will offer the highest level and quality of care.
- We offer services for all processes. That is, we do comprehensive preparation, both exam preparation and document management, registration, orientation, advice and much more.
Escuela PCE can help you in:
- Preparation for university entrance exams.
- Personalized guidance to know the steps to take to achieve your goal.
- Registration at the exam location of your choice.
- Registration at the universities you have thought of accessing.
- Homologation of your studies (and translation if necessary).
- Advice on studies and universities.
- Scholarship advice.
- Location of accommodation and residences.
- Study visa management.
- Spanish courses for non-Spanish speaking students.
Throughout the year we offer different courses and programs to prepare and present the PCE with guarantees. You can see what is currently available at courses.
Yes of course. At home preparation you can request a demo or free trial.
Course spaces are limited, so it is highly recommended to reserve a place so as not to miss the opportunity. Furthermore, the sooner you start, the more time you will have to assimilate and learn the concepts.
There are scheduled and asynchronous courses. Ask us and we will advise you to indicate the best one for you.
Yes. Ask the secretariat about the options depending on the preparation you hire.
It depends on whether you have booked in advance or if you have a promotion code, you can get a discount.
Indeed. You will have access to syllabi, videos, tutorials, forums, chats... Without a doubt, the best preparation to guarantee your access to a Spanish university.
From Escuela PCE We recommend that you study with updated syllabuses for the current call. Every year there are changes, both in content and in the formulation of the exam, so it is very important that you have everything up to date, without fearing that there are resources that you do not have or explanations that have nothing to do with what you have to take.
The time to prepare for the exams will depend on the number of subjects you will have to take, your availability to dedicate yourself to studying and your prior knowledge. That said, the time that we consider optimal to carry out a good preparation ranges from 5 months to 9 months at least, being up to a year if the level we have is not adequate to begin a university degree in Spain.
221 comments on “Frequently asked questions about studying in Spain”
What happens if I want to study medicine, but my average grade is maximum 7.5 (being a foreigner)?
Depending on the host university, you may be able to raise your grade to gain admission. Write to us at [email protected] and we guide you.
Hi~
May I know if scientific calculator is allowed in Math 2?
Best regards~
Hello. What subjects do you need to take to be accepted into the field of psychology? Is it different for the universities in Barcelona and Madrid?
Yes, it is different depending on the university and the educational system of origin. If you want, write to us at [email protected] and we explain to you. All the best.
Good afternoon, I would like to apply for the Electronic Engineering degree. I saw the subjects that weigh 0,2 and among them are Technical Drawing 2 and Technology and Engineering 2, however I do not see those subjects in your past exams. What should I do?
The Zaragoza faculty requires the disciplines Spanish Language and Literature II, and General Sciences, I did not find previous tests for them, where did you find them?
what if the date of the PCE exam meets the date of my Alevel exam, does this happen before? is there any solution for it?
The exam dates have not yet been published. If they are on the same day, there is an opportunity to take them on reserve days. To do so, you must notify UNEDasiss of your situation. Best regards.
I took four specific pce to enter Valencia, of which I failed chemistry. If I take the same four to improve my grade and pass chemistry but I don't improve the grade of the other three or I even fail them, I still have that fail or I will be taken. qualification from the previous year (this year) since it says they last two years
All subjects will be taken in total and it will be seen if the result is better one year or another. The idea is that the highest grade in each subject cannot be replaced individually. They are taken together.
If I took two pce this year (biology and chemistry), I got an 8 in one and failed the other. If next year I take those two again to raise the grade I failed, but I get worse or fail the other one, I would keep that fail or the grade from the previous year since it says it lasts two years.
Hello good! I took the ordinary pce this year for Galicia so I only took biology and chemistry, I failed chemistry but I passed biology with 10, next year can I do only chemistry to raise my grade and use the 10 for biology this year? Or will I have to submit both again?
Hello Andre. Well, in your case, for them to count both, you must present both again, since the specific phase "closes" each year. That is to say, next year they will only count the subjects you take.
And if my biology grade worsens or I fail, would they still credit me with a 10?
They will take the grade that contributes the most to you, taking into account your grades from last year and those from this year, without mixing them.