Anticipation and apprehension characterize the beginning of the latest PAU, as participants confess, "I assumed I'd allow for more time."
Bronnenstromin' on the jam-packed bus, the chatter amongst passengers mixed talk of PSG's football match with Saint Thomas Aquinas and semantic schtuff. It wasn't just another day – it was the start of the 2025 university entrance exams (PAU)!
For the very first time, around 270,000 high school students from 15 areas all came together at major universities to tackle the new exam format, now more uniform and focused on practical scenarios instead of cramming and rote memorization.
"I've had it with this noise. All I hear is exam talk. Tell me about your vacay," a girl muttered nervously.
At the doorway of the Complutense University's Law department, María, Claudia, and Penélope anxiously awaited their Spanish Language and Literature exam. "I'm pretending it's just another exam, and I'm actually more relaxed than I thought I'd be," María shared with our site.
They're not too worried about subjects like Language or History because they've got the gist of them, but subjects like Math, Chemistry, or Biology make 'em nervous. "There'll be a mandatory exercise with competency-based skills, and we don't know what to expect," they stated, fearing their grades might prevent them from achieving their professional dreams.
They aspire to study Medicine and Nursing, usually on top of the admission grade lists. The value is determined based on the lowest grade obtained by students who did manage to snag a spot in the degree.
The New Model – More Equal Grades
This new PAU model aims to unify the criteria across the country and lower the extremely high admission grades set in recent years. "I reckon general scores will tumble this year, except for old-school degrees like Medicine or Nursing," Ana de Castro, a Technology and Engineering II professor and PAU prep guru, stated.
However, the new applicants can't help but feel pressured when they see fellow students from previous years can use their old grades, obtained during the COVID model, to grab new spots.
That flexible system was used until last year and allowed students to skip certain topics or have more room to mess up. "You could rig the exam and pick the questions you wanted. Not anymore, now there're only multiple-choice questions," explained José Ángel, a History of Art professor who accompanied his students for their first exams of the day.
Ana also mentioned that the COVID model led to skyrocketing access grades, which is still impacting the vibes of students this year. "Kids are whipped because they feel it was easier last year, they see the cutoff grades are high, and they're feeling overwhelmed," Ana shared.
The New Model – 'Rewards the Good Student'
The competition to get into certain careers has been palpable in the tension inside the universities. As the clock struck 9 a.m., exam-goers responded to the first questions of the 2025 PAU.
"The only thing that messed me up was that I thought I'd have more time," revealed Alejandro as he left. This young man is satisfied with the new model, which he believes "rewards the good student," despite the longer exams being a challenge.
However, some students like Alicia left feeling dissatisfied and believing they didn't perform as well as they hoped. Her dream is Architecture, but "I might have to explore alternative options, like Civil Engineering," she said mournfully.
*Alternative Paths to the PAU: Going to university without exams and cutoff grades
While Alicia took the test, outside the UCM building there were only adults left, like some worried parents peering through windows at the exam instructions. "I think they're handling it better than we are," Mari Carmen said, chuckling nervously, asking her son Diego to do well.
Mari Carmen and Anna went to the university to support their two sons, who aspire to study Cybersecurity Engineering. When asked if the changes affected them in any way, they said they didn't. "They didn't know the old model either, so they had to adapt. It's as simple as that," they shared, also mentioning how their school "got serious" about preparing them.
However, they're anxious about the possible admission grades. "There's that pressure that they have to ace the exam to get into a public school because a private one is costly and not everyone can swing it," Anna stated, while also discussing students from other communities. "It's not fair that it's required here ... I believe they all should be on the same level," she maintained.
This is another goal of the new PAU – reducing regional disparities in university entrance exams. Although each region has control over the content and establishing a common selectivity may not be possible right away, the unification of grading standards and exam formats seeks to promote fairness for students from all regions.
"With the new PAU model, I'm hoping for a more equal education landscape. The uniform exam format should help decrease regional disparities in university admission," one aspiring student expresses.
"The average education quality should improve with the emphasis on practical scenarios and competency-based skills instead of rote memorization. This shift towards online education and self-development is encouraging," another student adds.
