What are Specific Competence Tests or PCE?
The Specific Competency Tests (PCE) are the exams that foreign high school graduates must take to gain admission to a Spanish university . These tests are administered by the UNED, the Spanish National Distance Education University, through its access system, UNEDasiss.
Throughout the year there are two opportunities to take these exams; a regular one in May/June, and an extraordinary one in September.
These tests are equivalent to the EBAU university entrance exams for Spanish high school graduates, without being an injustice to foreign high school graduates, since they compete on equal terms and without assigned quotas.
What are the subjects I have to do in the PCE?
The subjects you'll have to take in the PCE exams depend on the university and the degree you plan to study. If you're clear on these two things, great! You're already halfway there. If not, we recommend taking a career aptitude test to find out what's best for you.
Subjects of Specific Competence Tests
The subjects required for these PCE exams depend on two things: the university and the program of study you wish to enter. Each university has different criteria and may modify the requirements. Similarly, it will not be the same to want to enter Medicine, taking science exams, as it is to want to enter Business and Business Model Design, taking social science subjects.
As you can see, among the subjects to choose from are:
- General trunks: Spanish Language and Text Commentary, Philosophy, History of Spain and Foreign Languages.
- Trunk modality: Mathematics II, CCSS Mathematics, Fundamentals of Art, Latin, Art History and Artistic Drawing.
- Option trunks: Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Art History, Business and business model design, Geography, Physics, Technical Drawing and Design.
Therefore, the choice of doing one or the other will be a key factor in our access. A bad configuration can ruin excellent grades if we do not meet the required requirements. In some regions of Spain, 2 subjects are necessary (Galicia), in others 4 (Madrid, Valencia...) and in others 6 (Basque Country, Catalonia, Andalusia...). If you have questions about what you should do, ask us and we will advise you.
What are the PCE exams like?
Each subject in the PCE exam has its own characteristics. All tests last 90 minutes, but with a different structure, ranging from essay questions and multiple-choice questions to text analysis and drawing exercises.
If you'd like to learn more about each subject, you can visit our collection of solved UNED PCE exams to see what they cover and what content is assessed in each subject's Study Guide. And remember, if you need UNED PCE preparation for these exams, we're here to help.
Are PCE exams difficult?
The difficulty of the exams is medium. Each test is organized to evaluate the student's knowledge based on criteria. The higher the grade, the more options there will be to gain university access. There are subjects with high passing rates (English, Art History) and others with low percentages (Mathematics, History of Spain).
How long do I have to study the PCE?
From Escuela PCE We recommend a study of at least 5 months, with 9 months being optimal to gradually assimilate concepts.
What are the quotas for foreign students?
There are no places reserved for Spaniards or foreigners. They are all part of the same system, governed by cut-off marks and admission marks. There is a certain number of places that are organized in order according to admission grades (highest first).
What is the Baccalaureate Modality requirement?
The Baccalaureate track is a requirement for admission to some universities in Spain. This requirement, for example, is requested by the universities of Madrid and Castile and León (Salamanca, Burgos, León, and Valladolid). It consists of passing (with a grade higher than 5) at least 3 subjects or having a grade of 5 or higher across 4 subjects. However, it's important to note that passing any 3 subjects is not sufficient; they must be specific subjects. You can also find more information about this in our post on PCE Subjects.
