Tarragona is among the areas most affected by this year’s university entrance exams, with 4,431 students in the province registered for the Proves d’Accés a la Universitat, or PAU. Across Catalonia, 45,821 students have signed up for the tests, the highest figure recorded so far.
The exams will take place on 9, 10 and 11 June, across 223 tribunals in more than 30 Catalan municipalities. The Catalan government said the total is up from 44,238 registrations last year.
Of the students registered across Catalonia, 35,052 come from Bachillerato, 5,965 from advanced vocational training cycles, and 4,804 are free registrations, mainly from students trying to improve previous marks. The PAU are the main route into university for many students in Catalonia. More Catalonia news
New controls will be used to detect electronic devices during the exams. According to Núria Montserrat, the Generalitat’s Minister for Research and Universities, radiofrequency detectors will be used to find mobile phones, smartwatches and digital pens.
The government said students must keep all electronic devices switched off and away from their desks. If a device is found in use, the student will be expelled immediately and receive a zero for that exam, with the risk of their full PAU results being annulled.
The exam format will stay the same as in 2025, with a compulsory access phase of five exams and a voluntary phase for improving scores. Students can choose to be examined in up to 35 subjects. Linguistic subjects will still carry a maximum penalty of two points for grammar, vocabulary and spelling errors, while other written subjects may lose up to 10% of the mark.
About 3,000 Catalan students, around 7% of the total, have asked for adaptation measures. Students with specific educational support needs linked to learning and communication disorders will get an extra 30 minutes. The Generalitat also said this will be the last PAU year with a September resit, as from 2027 it will move to early July. Generalitat Department of Research and Universities
