Everything you need to know about the university entrance exam:

 

¿What is it?

EBAU stands for University Baccalaureate Evaluation for University Access and refers to the current entrance test that students who want to enter the university must take. It was previously called PAU.

For whom?

Students with a baccalaureate passed
Students who did not pass the EBAU in previous courses
Students who passed the EBAU in previous courses but want to upload a note Higher-level vocational students
Students from foreign education systems

What is it?

This is a series of exams of different subjects treated in high school and related to the career to be studied. The average among all the exams is the grade that, together with that of the baccalaureate, establishes the university entrance note.

The EBAU is organized into two sections: the mandatory phase and the voluntary phase .

The mandatory phase is scored from 0 to 10 points and is based on the average between the following subjects:

  • Spanish Language and Literature
  • Catalan Language and Literature
  • Foreign Language
  • History of Spain
  • A common subject to choose between:
    • Latin
    • Mathematics
    • Mathematics applied to social sciences
    • Foundations of the Arts

All students must examine the subjects of the compulsory phase.

The voluntary phase is an optional phase. With it you can add up to 4 more points in the final grade of selectivity. Therefore, it is highly recommended to obtain the highest possible qualification.

In this phase you must choose a maximum of 3 complementary subjects, which will weigh more or less depending on the career you have signed up for. The subjects to which you can present yourself are the following:

  • Biology
  • Earth Sciences
  • Technical Drawing
  • Business economics
  • Electrical engineering
  • Physics
  • Foundations of the Arts
  • Geography – Art History
  • Catalan Literature
  • Latin
  • Mathematics
  • Applied Mathematics of Social Sciences
  • Chemistry
  • Industrial Technology

Common subjects of choice may also be examined in the specific phase, provided they have not been chosen in the general phase.

Regarding the weights, the matter examined in the general phase will also be taken into account for the calculation of the admission note, provided that the grade is equal to or greater than 5. You can check the weights for the next course here.

As until now, the subjects examined do not necessarily have to be taken in high school.

 

The exam

The duration of each test is 90 minutes, with a 30-minute break between exam and exam.

The exam schedule is established by the Generalitat de Catalunya so that you can have several tests in the same morning or day, or even days when there are none. You can check the days and times of the next EBAU here.