A total of 13,685 Andalusian students from High School and Higher Vocational Training will take the extraordinary entrance exam for University Access (PAU) on July 1, 2, and 3, according to data collected by the Ministry of University, Research, and Innovation. The number of applicants has increased by 5.07% compared to last year, when the exam had 13,025 participants. In terms of gender, out of the total count, 5,221 (38.15%) are males and 8,464 (61.85%) are females.
Seville is the province with the highest number of students, with 3,984 (3,429 from the University of Seville and 555 from Pablo de Olavide). They are followed by Malaga, where 2,232 people will take the exam, Granada (1,959), Cadiz (1,913), Cordoba (1,164), Almeria (984), Huelva (747), and Jaen (702).
This extraordinary edition will follow the same exam model as the regular exam, with changes such as a single exam model per subject, reduced optional subjects, and assessment of spelling, grammar, and vocabulary.
The duration of the exams remains the same as in previous years: 90 minutes for each exam, with a minimum rest period of 30 minutes between consecutive exams. The exams will start at 8:30 every day, although students must be present at their reference center by 8:00 for the appointment.
Following the guidelines set by the Ministries of Education and Science and approved by the Interuniversity Coordination Committee, the exams are structured in two phases following previous years’ criteria: the Access phase and the Admission phase.
The Access Phase, mandatory for university admission, consists of three mandatory subjects: Spanish Language and Literature II, a Foreign Language -German, French, English, Italian, or Portuguese- and History of Spain or History of Philosophy. Additionally, students must choose a fourth subject from Analytical Music II, Performing Arts II, General Sciences, Artistic Drawing II, Latin II, Mathematics II, or Applied Mathematics to Social Sciences II.
The maximum score for this phase is ten points, and the score obtained, along with the average grade from High School, determines the access score. This score is calculated by weighting 40% of the PAU grade and 60% of the final High School grade. Students are considered to meet access requirements when this weighted result is five points or higher.
On the other hand, the Admission Phase, voluntary for improving grades, allows students to take exams in up to four subjects, but only the scores of the two most favorable subjects will be considered for the chosen degree or degrees. Any of the 26 subjects in the evaluation can be chosen, except for Spanish Language and Literature and History of Spain or Philosophy. Students can also improve their score by taking a second language different from the Access Phase or using the score obtained in the subject of the modality of that phase, if it is five points or higher. Each subject is weighted between 0 and 0.2, depending on the degree for which admission is sought, and the maximum score to be obtained in this block is four points.
With the obtained score, students can apply for any of the degree positions offered in the Andalusian Unique District (DUA) for the next academic year.
In this extraordinary call, out of the 13,685 registered students, 5,890 Andalusian students are presented in both phases, 1,225 in the Access Phase and 6,570 in the Admission Phase.
Most demanded subjects
On the other hand, the most demanded non-common subjects and those with the highest number of students in this extraordinary call are Applied Mathematics to Social Sciences II (8,088), Spanish Language and Literature II (7,115), Foreign Language II English (6,772), Chemistry (3,823), Biology (3,693), History of Spain (3,668), History of Philosophy (3,488), Mathematics II (2,995), Business and Business Model Design (2,598), or Geography (2,072).
Given the structure of the PAU, some students have chosen to take exams in subjects that coincide with the initially scheduled timetable by the Andalusian Interuniversity Coordination Committee, so an alternative schedule has been established to resolve the 123 incompatibility situations recorded throughout the community.
Application for admission
The grades for this extraordinary PAU will be published on July 10 on the websites of each university. From July 11 to 15, the period for submitting applications to access the university is open. The calendar of relevant dates in the registration process to start university studies can be consulted on the Andalusian Unique District website.
In any case, the first allocation of positions will take place on July 25, with a period for appeals that will last until July 28. On this date, the period for registration, confirmation, or reservation will also begin and will last until July 28. The second allocation will take place on September 4 and will last until October 10.
