Are you considering studying a university degree in Spain through a Baccalaureate qualification from another country? Then you should know that the Spanish Specific Competency Tests will help you with this. These exams allow access to any public or private university in Spain.

Do you want to know what they are and what the application requirements are? In this article, we explain everything you need to know.

What do the Specific Competency Tests (PCE) consist of? 

The PCE are exams that students who have completed a foreign Baccalaureate must take to access any university in Spain, as they are equivalent to the Spanish Selectividad EBAU.

They are organised by the UNED, the National University of Distance Education, at its accredited centres around the world and are held twice a year: an ordinary exam between May and June and an extraordinary exam in September.

Who are the PCE for? 

The PCE are for international students who meet the following requirements:

  • EU international students and Ibero-american students: they are international students coming from the EU and countries with some kind of agreement with Spain for higher education studies.
  • Non-EU international students: they are international students who don’t belong to any country of the EU, but have a Baccalaureate certificate that can be recognised as equivalent to the Spanish Bachillerato.

Structure of the PCE 

The PCE must be taken with a maximum of six subjects that can be chosen freely from all those offered by the UNED. Students who do not reside in the EU must take the exam with a minimum of four subjects.

Each Autonomous Community has a different exam structure. There are four different types: voluntary, Bachillerato modality, free, and Spanish EBAU. The most common one is the EBAU structure, which requires students to take three core subjects, one core subject depending on the modality, and two optional subjects to obtain a higher mark.

For those students who reside in the EU or countries with international agreements with Spain, it is advisable to take at least two subjects. If the student resides in a country that does not belong to the EU and does not have any agreement, they must take four subjects. In addition, if the university where you want to study requires you to adapt subjects to the Spanish one, you will have to take six subjects.

Subjects and format

The offered subjects by the UNED for the PCE in Spain are the following:

  • Core subjects: History of Spain, Spanish Language and Literature, and Foreign Language, from which students can choose Portuguese, French, English, Italian, and German.
  • Modality subjects: Fundamentals of Art, Mathematics applied to Social Sciences, Mathematics II, and Latin.
  • Optional subjects: Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, Design, History of Art, Philosophy, Economy, and Technical Drawing.

The subjects to be taken will depend on the university and the degree. Each university has different requirements that can be modified every year. Therefore, the choice is essential to obtain better grades and increase our chances of being accepted.

The format of the exams can be developmental, multiple-choice, or include a section of each modality. There may even be a third part with comments on works or drawings or short answers. The duration for each subject is 90 minutes.

PCE requirements 

The first thing you have to do to be able to take the PCE is to have the corresponding Baccalaureate certifications recognised. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country where the student resides will be in charge of certifying the official public document so that the homologation can be carried out. This can be done online or in person at the Spanish Consulate in the country of residence, at the Foreigners’ Office, or at the Ministry of Education in Spain.

Paperwork and eligibility requirements 

In order to apply for the PCE, the following documents are required:

  • Spanish National Identity Document (DNI), Tax Identification Number (NIE), or passport.
  • Original and copy of the academic record with the marks of the Baccalaureate, accompanied by a sworn translation if they are in a language other than Spanish.
  • Original and copy of the Baccalaureate qualification.
  • Payment of the fees, which are usually approximately €50.

In addition, you should bear in mind that some Spanish universities also require the Baccalaureate Modality, such as Madrid, León, Burgos, Salamanca, and Valladolid. This means that it is necessary to pass at least three subjects or have a mark of at least 5 out of four subjects. However, it is not enough to pass just any three subjects but they must be specific subjects.

Why are PCE important?

Even though PCE are not compulsory in 2023, it is essential in most cases in order to be admitted to Spanish universities, especially in degree courses that are in high demand or have a very high cut-off mark, as the qualification obtained improves the admission mark. However, it should also be borne in mind that some private universities require the PCE as an essential requirement for admission.

To sum up, the Specific Competency Tests are an almost indispensable requirement to study at a Spanish university. Although these tests require a minimum preparation to obtain good grades, they are not very complex and will allow you to considerably increase your chances of being admitted to the degree programme you want, with the advantage that you can take them from any UNED centre in your country. In this context, schools such as the British School of Valencia (BSV) prepare their students for the PCE, thus facilitating their access to universities both in Spain and abroad.