The difference between the baccalaureate grade and the PAU grade doubles in 10 years

Barcelona"I have an average of 9 throughout high school and this has been the worst exam of my life," one of the students assured last week after leaving the exam – which some described as "terrible" – in mathematics of this year's PAU. Next to her, her teacher assured that this year's test "was affordable, but it asked things differently than how it had been done in class" and also said that nerves had to be taken into account. While waiting to see what happens with the grades of this exam, this scene can be a sample of how the difference between the average high school grade and that of the general phase of the PAU is further away each year.

According to the data collected by the Department of Research and Universities, the difference between these two grades has doubled in a decade: in the 2014-2015 academic year, the difference between the average high school grade (7.3) and that of the general phase of the PAU (6.7) was 0.58 points, whereas last year this difference rose to 1.23 points, going from 7.67 in the high school average to a reduction to 6.4 in the PAU.

However, as stated by the professor of economics and statistics at the University of Barcelona (UB), Ernest Pons, "behind this data there are many gray areas because in the end both the PAU grade and the baccalaureate grade depend on many things". The director of the Institut Antoni Martí i Franquès in Tarragona, Jordi Satorra, also agrees. Both agree in pointing out that one of the factors that can explain that the PAU grades are slightly lower than the baccalaureate grades is the fact that in recent years there have been changes in the structure of the selectivity statements to make them more competence-based, moving away from the way of teaching in the baccalaureate. "It is neither the same nor is it evaluated in the same way," says Pons.

On the other hand, Satorra also indicates that, until now, 10% of the baccalaureate grade depends on the Research Project, which is a very different way of evaluating than a one-day exam. "It is a type of evaluation that has a percentage of 10 that does not fit the exams you have in ordinary education," warns the also president of the directors' association Axia.

differences between the number of excellent grades registered in high school – especially in private schools – and those subsequently achieved in the PAUInflated grades?

Another of the recurring themes year after year is the suspicion of whether there are high schools that inflate grades. In this regard, Pons recalls that the now-defunct Observatory of the University System (OSU) produced a report in 2023 which pointed to differences between the number of excellent grades registered in high school – especially in private centers – and those achieved later in the PAU. In fact, the UB expert assures that this trend, in which it is observed that the curve of excellent grades is wider in high school than in the selectivity exams, continues to be maintained currently.

"It is true that 10s in high school are more frequent than would be expected and this is an anomaly, but I do not dare to link it to anything," explains Pons, who insists on saying that "there is no data that demonstrates inflation." "Beyond the ownership of the center, the student's situation must be taken into account. Not all are the same nor do they have the same support or level of pressure at home and this also influences the results," he justifies.

Satorra does suggest that perhaps in some high schools there may be a tendency to "not want to harm the student" and a certain overprotection. Among the reasons, he points to the fact that there is a different yardstick between the selectivity exams of each autonomous community. For example, in Catalonia there is an extra subject because Catalan and Spanish are taken in the PAU and class hours in high school must be divided between the two languages. "This harms students when facing the single district [the formula that allows access to any university in the State, regardless of the community where they studied]," he warns. And he admits: "All of this makes you think: why be so demanding if other students have more flexibility?". Despite this situation, Pons points out that there is no data showing a generalized problem of inequality due to the single district except for very specific studies such as those in medicine'very specific studies such as medicine.

Despite these differences between high school and the PAU, the system does offer high schools statistics to compare the results of their students in the selectivity exams with those of other centers and with the general average. However, Satorra details, these reports do not make a comparison between high school grades and PAU grades. "You have to do that yourself as a director, cross-reference the data and, if you see many differences, try to talk to the corresponding department to try to correct it for the following academic year," he concludes.