A court in A Coruña is investigating suspected cheating in a major civil service exam. Thirty-four top scores came from one test center, raising concerns about fairness. The Ministry has not suspended appointments.
Suspicions of large-scale cheating have triggered a judicial investigation into the administrative exams for Spain’s Social Security, held in A Coruña last September. The probe, now in the hands of a local judge, follows complaints from candidates, the public prosecutor, and the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration. The controversy centers on the fact that, among 23,000 candidates nationwide, the 34 highest theoretical scores were all achieved at the A Coruña test site.
Despite the ongoing investigation, the selection process has not been halted. At least thirty candidates named in formal complaints have already been appointed as civil servants, a move that has angered other applicants. Some argue that individuals suspected of irregularities should not be allowed to manage sensitive matters like pensions or retirements. Others, who narrowly missed out on a position, criticize what they see as a lack of responsibility from authorities for not suspending the process.
The court case, opened in May, remains in its early stages. According to the Tribunal Superior de Xustiza de Galicia (TSXG), the judge has not yet summoned anyone as a suspect, and the proceedings are classified as secret. The Ministry maintains that, under current regulations, it cannot suspend or exclude candidates without concrete evidence of fraud. Officials argue that administrative law does not allow for the exclusion or provisional suspension of appointments without a minimum evidentiary basis.
One of the complaints alleges that around thirty successful candidates used electronic devices—such as earpieces or digital glasses—to receive answers during the exam. The group of twenty complainants points to not only the extraordinary scores but also personal and professional connections among those who achieved them. For example, two siblings reportedly received identical scores and made the same mistakes, while two bar employees from Pontevedra and a friend all matched each other's results in both test sections. In A Coruña, seven candidates achieved perfect scores on the 70-question theory section, and half of the top 50 overall scores came from this location.
The Ministry itself acknowledges the irregularity of the results. The department led by Elma Saiz launched an internal investigation and referred the matter to the prosecutor’s office, citing the unusual statistical deviation in A Coruña. While the Ministry found no evidence of wrongdoing by its own staff, it could not explain the anomaly beyond the data itself. Ministry officials reportedly expressed surprise at the results, admitting they were the first to notice the irregularity.
In addition to the criminal investigation, at least four administrative lawsuits have been filed. The Ministry has since announced stricter controls for future exams. According to candidates, this year’s Social Security exams featured tighter security, with mobile phones and headphones banned—unlike the contested session. The Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE) recently published the list of successful candidates. Notably, some who achieved perfect scores in A Coruña have not submitted the required documents to take up their posts, which complainants see as further evidence of irregularities. Some believe those under suspicion should be temporarily removed from their new roles, describing the situation as blatant and noting the uncomfortable atmosphere in affected offices.
Spain’s civil service exams are highly competitive, with thousands vying for stable public sector jobs. The integrity of these processes is crucial for public trust. While allegations of cheating are rare, cases like this highlight the challenges of ensuring fairness in large-scale testing. The outcome of the investigation in A Coruña may set important precedents for how suspected irregularities are handled in future public sector recruitment across Spain.
