Selectividad 2025: Complete guide to the University Entrance Exams (PAU) in Catalonia

BarcelonaThe university entrance exams (PAU) are mandatory for all high school students who wish to pursue a university degree. Students who have completed a higher level of vocational training (FP) and want to improve their grades to gain access to university studies can also take the exam. In 2025, the university entrance exams will be held on June 11, 12, and 13, and for those taking the exam in September, the exams will be held on the 3, 4, and 5 of that month. We explain everything you need to know in this complete guide to the PAU in Catalonia.

2025 PAU Calendar and Schedule

The entrance exams begin on June 11th. On the first day, in the morning, the Spanish language and literature and foreign language (English or French) exams will be held. In the afternoon, students who have chosen the elective subjects of core and vocal technique, physics, artistic foundations, geography, geology and environmental sciences, and dramatic literature will be examined. On Thursday, the 12th, in the morning, the exams will be held for history, history of philosophy, musical analysis, technical drawing applied to the visual arts and design, general sciences, Latin language and culture, and mathematics. Starting at 3:00 p.m., the exams will be held for technical drawing, art history, history of music and dance, Spanish literature, chemistry, and graphic and visual expression techniques.

On the last day of the University Entrance Exams (PAU), in the morning of June 13th, students will take exams in Catalan language and literature, performing arts, artistic drawing, Greek language and culture, mathematics applied to social sciences, and cultural and artistic movements. In the afternoon, exams will be held in biology, design, business operation and business model design, Catalan literature, and technology and engineering.

Previous year exams by topic

The best way to prepare for university entrance exams is to take exams from previous sessions. The structure and content of the university entrance exams are usually very similar each year, so students can get a good idea of what they will face on June 11, 12, and 13. To do this, the best way to do this is to test yourself. using PDFs of exams from previous years' calls and try to answer all the questions in less than an hour and a half (which is the time given on the day of the PAU).

How do the PAU work?

The university entrance exam is divided into two phases: general and specific. The first phase consists of the common subjects in which all high school students must take the exam:

• Catalan Language and Literature
• Spanish language and literature
• Foreign language
• History or philosophy

They must also choose a common subject to take the exam from:

• Mathematics
• Mathematics applied to social sciences
• Latin
• Musical analysis
• Performing arts
• General sciences
• Artistic drawing

It should be remembered that this year there will be a single exam model, unlike previous years when students could choose between two different exams for each subject. However, the option to choose between two activities in each block of the exams remains.

The specific phase is more extensive, and students from vocational training may also participate voluntarily to raise their final grade by up to 4 points. In this phase, students can take exams in a maximum of three subjects from the following:

• Musical analysis, performing arts, biology, general sciences, heart and vocal technique, artistic drawing, technical drawing, technical drawing applied to the visual arts and design, design, physics, artistic fundamentals, history of music, dramatic literature, Greek language and culture, business operations and business model design, geography, Latin language and culture, mathematics, mathematics applied to the social sciences, cultural and artistic movements, chemistry, graphic and plastic expression techniques, technology and engineering, and geology and environmental sciences.

Additionally, you can also choose from the common subjects provided they were not chosen in the general phase.

All about the cut-off marks

The cut-off marks are used to determine how places are allocated for all undergraduate degrees at each of the Catalan universities. To do this, the place is awarded first to the student with the highest grade and then descends in grade order until the places offered for that degree are filled. Therefore, what we know as the "cut-off mark" is the score obtained by the last student to enter that particular institution. This mark serves as a reference for the following academic years to provide guidance on whether you will be able to access the desired courses before the places are allocated. To get an approximate idea of whether or not a grade will allow you to enter a course, you can consult the cut-off marks for the 2024 university entrance exams and also those of the last five years.