This year’s Catalan university entrance exams have sparked widespread concern after the average score in scientific Mathematics fell to 4.18, nearly two points below last year’s result and the lowest in a decade. The decline was substantially smaller in Mathematics Applied to Social Sciences, where the average fell from 5.64 to 5.06. Students and educators have criticized the scientific Mathematics paper as unusually long and demanding for the allotted 90 minutes, a view shared by families.
The exams form part of Catalonia’s Proves d’Accés a la Universitat (PAU), Spain’s university entrance assessment, traditionally known as selectividad. Officials from the Conselleria de Investigación y Universidades say the examination methodology was unchanged from previous years. Raúl Fernández, identified as a University of Girona professor and president of the Federación de Entidades de Profesores de Matemáticas de Cataluña (FEEMCAT), attributes the poor results primarily to the paper’s length and complexity. He says many candidates could not finish, and some left the exam room in tears, overwhelmed by time pressure rather than a lack of mathematical knowledge.
The controversy reached the Catalan Parliament last week, where the Partido Popular (PP) joined Junts and Comuns in demanding explanations from the regional government. They questioned whether the exam design had disadvantaged candidates and called for a review of grading criteria and exam structure, arguing that the level of complexity should not obstruct access to university or undermine equal chance.
The contrasting results in the two mathematics subjects have sharpened questions about the scientific paper’s difficulty. Fernández says the preparation process involves several coordinators and teachers from secondary schools and universities, while a single specialist approves the final version. He argues that this arrangement may contribute to year-to-year variations and says last year’s exam was considered much easier, leaving students unprepared for this year’s more demanding format.
At the official presentation of the results, Consellera Núria Montserrat acknowledged that the mathematics scores were disappointing and below the administration’s expectations. She nevertheless defended the exams’ academic rigor and praised the specialist team responsible for their preparation and review. The results are under review, with final scores due to be published on July 6. Students can request exam reviews from Thursday until Monday at 14:00, while university pre-enrollment closes this Friday.
Despite the controversy over Mathematics, 95.68% of students passed the overall university entrance phase, with a global average of 6.403, almost identical to last year’s. This year’s PAU also drew a record number of participants. The dispute has focused attention on how exam difficulty and time limits can affect candidates’ results and university access. Related coverage of high-profile conflicts in Catalonia has appeared in coverage of high-profile conflicts in Catalonia.
The PAU is a gateway to higher education in Spain. Exam content and standards are set at the autonomous-community level, a system that can produce regional differences. In Catalonia, the debate has renewed calls to balance academic rigor with equal chance in assessment.
