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The Evaluation for University Access (EVAU / EBAU, or PAU) is a national exam taken in Spain for university admission purposes.
For students from the Spanish education system, the EVAU has two phases:
Admission score
maximum 14 points
General stage
maximum 10 points
University Access Qualification (CAU).
Optional stage
maximum 4 points
Based on scores of additional tests called Pruebas de Competencias Especificas (PCE) qualifications.
The PCE tests are, however, only optional if admission to the chosen degree course does not require selection. If the course is competitive, such as Medicine and Engineering, and no PCE results are submitted, the candidate may not be admitted.
We refer to the Access Score as the number of points obtained in the general stage (max 10), which are necessary for access purposes. We then refer to the Admission Score as the total number of points (max 14), including the optional stage.
Students applying with non-Spanish qualifications will need to obtain accreditations that match the Spanish grade system. In particular, Cambridge International A levels will be accredited to obtain an Access Score (Calificación para admisión) with a maximum of 10 points. Additionally, the student may need to sit the PCE in order to increase their score by a maximum of 4 points, or if they apply to university through the homologation process. This is explained further below.
For applicants with non-Spanish qualifications, there is a choice of two main pathways when applying to Spanish state universities:
For both pathways, students can apply for accreditation through UNEDasiss. Taking either of the two routes will ultimately involve the calculation of a score for the selection purposes mentioned above. This score is calculated on a scale of maximum 14 points, as explained in this factsheet (PDF, 98KB).
In this factsheet (PDF, 101KB) you can find a brief comparison of the two pathways to help you decide which route to take.