Tarragona will introduce mobile phone detectors and random checks at its university entrance exams, known as the PAU, from Tuesday 9 June. The measures are designed to keep conditions fair for the 4,435 students taking the tests across the area.
The 2026 exam period includes a pilot scheme to detect mobile phones, smartwatches, digital pens and other electronic devices. These items are not allowed during the exams, according to officials.
The Universitat Rovira i Virgili, which organises the PAU in the area, will deploy around 15 detectors across the different examination centres. Checks will be carried out randomly throughout the exam days.
Students found using, or even carrying, unauthorised electronic devices, or attempting to copy, will be expelled from the exam room and given a zero mark for that paper. The PAU organising committee can also impose further sanctions, including cancelling all exams taken by the student.
The exams are scheduled for 9, 10 and 11 June in several municipalities in the Tarragona province. This year, 4,435 students are registered, up from 4,175 last year. Of these, 3,924 are from Bachillerato programmes and 511 from vocational training cycles.
In a separate organisational change, the Baix Penedès area will have four new examination centres, in El Vendrell and Coma-ruga. The expansion is intended to make the exams more accessible and improve logistics for students in the region. For more Catalonia-wide education coverage, see our news page and the latest updates.