There are many ways to enter into University in Spain. Attending University opens up the world of opportunities and once you graduate the saying ‘The world is your oyster’ is in fact very true!

Requirements to access the University

When we think about what requirements must be met to access the university, we always think of the best-known access route, which is to have a bachelor's degree and pass the university entrance exam (EvAU), but you can also access college without a high school diploma.

 

Let's see in a generic way what are those requirements to access a university:

Have completed Bachillerato and pass the Assessment for University Access.

Have a title of Higher Technical Professional Training.

Have passed the university entrance test for over 25 years.

Be over 40 years old and have professional experience related to the university degree you want to study.

Have passed the university entrance exam for over 45s.

If you are a foreign student and have studies approved or equivalent to Bachillerato.

As you can see, there are a variety of ways to access university. Do you meet any of these requirements?  Does it seem a lot more accessible now to study the degree you always wanted to study?

In the next section we will take a closer look at the different access routes to the university, the criteria you must meet and the specific tests you have to take depending on your age or itinerary.

 

Access routes to university

Below, we explain all the access routes that exist to enter a university:

 

EBAU or EvAU

The EBAU or EvAU is the test that has replaced the old PAU, University Access Tests, always known as ‘La Selectividad’. This test aims to evaluate high school students, with the aim of verifying if they have the necessary knowledge and skills to successfully complete their undergraduate studies at university.

 

La Selectividad is usually carried out at the university associated with the center where the student has completed their Bachillerato studies. Passing this entrance test you can study at any Spanish university.

 

Who can take the EBAU or EvAU? In order to apply to the EBAU you must meet one of these requirements:

 

1. Have the Baccalaureate degree.
2. Have passed the EvAU or selectivity and want to improve their admission grade to the university.
3. Have the title of Higher Technician in Vocational Training and want to improve their admission grade to the university 
4. Foreign students with an approved degree or equivalent to the Baccalaureate degree.

 

Higher technician Vocational Training

The need to take the EvAU or university entrance exam for students who have a higher vocational training degree and who would like to enter the University has been eliminated.

 

There are some higher-level Vocational Training qualifications that have a certain priority when accessing a university degree by affinity for the content being studied.

 

You must bear in mind that in this access route to the university there may also be a cut-off point that depends on the number of places offered and the demand for it. Those who want to update/increase their college admission grade will be able to take some exams of the optional part of the EvAU. We explain these concrete assumptions to you in our article: How to access the University from a Higher Degree Vocational Training.

 

University entrance test for over 25 years.

You can also access the university by passing the entrance test for over 25s, without having to have a Bachelor's degree.

You will be able to take this test if you have reached 25 years of age or you have completed them during the same calendar year in which the test is held. In addition, you should not have any degree that gives you access to the university through other means.

You can take the university entrance test for over 25 years at the university of your choice and it will be valid for all Spanish universities. In any case, whenever possible, it is advisable to take the entrance test at the same university where you later go to study, since universities can establish admission criteria that benefit those who have taken the test at the same university.

 

University entrance test for over 45 years.

If you are 45 years old or older, you can study at the university by passing the university entrance test for those over 45 years old, even if you do not have any previous qualification that gives you access to the university, such as the Baccalaureate, or professional experience.

 

To access the university you will have to pass an entrance test that will assess some knowledge and different skills such as maturity, reasoning or written expression.

 

The university entrance test is a simpler test than the entrance test for over 25 years. The entrance test consists of 2 or 3 exercises (depending on whether there is a co-official language in your Autonomous Community) and a personal interview.

 

University access for over 40s with professional experience

If you are 40 years old and have some professional experience related to the university degree you want to study, you can access the university even if you do not have the required qualification for it (Selectivity, University Entrance Exam for over 25 or 45 years old, the title of Higher Technician in Vocational Training, etc.).

 

Public universities are responsible for reserving places for those who meet these requirements. All of this is subject to overcoming a personal interview.

 

Access from another university career

There is a possibility that you cannot study the university degree that you wanted because you do not reach the required grade cut and that you choose to study another degree and then be able to choose again to study the degree that you initially wanted.

 

In this case, the requirements for this career change are different in each university, but the vast majority make it a condition that you had to have passed at least 30 credits in the degree you are studying.

 

You will have to pre-register for the new university degree, and the chances of getting your place will depend on the number of places that the university reserves for these cases.

 

Access for foreigners

Foreign students can also access the university as long as they have a certified Bachillerato or equivalent degree.

 

Access to the university will be different depending on the educational system of origin, there are two situations:

 

Students from member states of the European Union and with international agreements.

These students can participate in the admission processes of Spanish universities and for this they will need the University Access Qualification. They will be able to improve their admission grade to the university by taking the specific competency tests (PCE) or the voluntary part of the EvAU - EBAU.

 

Students from countries of the European Union and with international agreements, which do not meet the university access requirements, and students from countries outside the European Union or with which no agreements have been signed.

These students must homologate their studies to the Bachelor's degree and, subsequently, pass the EvAU - EBAU or the specific competency tests (PCE).

 

Admission process to the university

Once you meet the university entrance requirements, whatever the access route you have taken, you must request your access to the university you have chosen. So let's see what the college admission process is like.

 

The admission process is usually carried out in June or July, depending on the university you choose.

 

When the time comes, you will have to submit the admission application along with the necessary documentation, in which you will have to specify the university degrees you want to study in order of priority.

 

For those degrees in which there are more requests for access than the number of places offered, the admission criterion used is the student's admission grade, ordering all applications in order from highest to lowest grade until all the places offered. The admission grade of the last student admitted will be the cut grade. The higher the demand for places in the university degree

The greater the demand for places in the university degree, the higher the cut mark will be.

Universities reserve places for their degrees for the different access routes. The percentage of places reserved for each access road depends on each university, but the estimates are as follows:

 

Between 1 and 3% are reserved for university students already certified.

A minimum of 2% for students who have passed the university entrance test for over 25 years.

Between 1 and 3% for students over 40 with professional experience and students who have passed the university entrance test for over 45 years.

5% for disabled students.

A minimum of 3% for high performance athletes.

The rest of the places would be destined for the students who enter the university through the EvAU (former selectividad) and for the students with a Higher Technical Degree in Vocational Training.

 

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