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The university admission score in Spain, traditionally known as Selectividad and officially referred to as EBAU or EvAU, is a crucial metric for students finishing high school. This grade determines whether a student can access their preferred university degree and campus, based on competitive cutoff marks (notas de corte). The calculation combines the high school record with exams taken in the general and specific phases of the test.
In 2026, according to the regulatory framework of RD 534/2024, the maximum possible admission score is 14.00 points. If you are planning your academic path, we recommend using the School GPA Calculator to compute your high school GPA, or the University Weighted GPA Calculator once you enroll in your official degree studies.
⚙️ Exam Structure and Weightings
The admission score calculation is split into two distinct academic components:
- General Phase (Compulsory): Consists of 4 exams (5 in regions with a co-official language). It evaluates common core high school subjects. The average grade of this phase represents 40% of the access score, provided the average is at least 4.00 points.
- Access Note (Max. 10): Calculated by weighting your Bachillerato record at 60% and the general phase average at 40%. To pass and qualify for university admission, this access note must be at least 5.00 points.
- Specific Phase (Optional): Allows you to add up to 4 extra points. Students can take exams in specific subjects that carry a weighting coefficient of 0.1 or 0.2, depending on the tables published by each university for the chosen degree. Points only count if the exam grade is at least 5.00 (pass).
🧮 The Admission Formula
The official formulas used by Spanish university admission districts are:
Access Note = (0.6 × Bachillerato GPA) + (0.4 × General Phase Average)
Admission Score = Access Note + (a × M1) + (b × M2)
Where:
M1andM2are the two highest-scoring passing grades from the specific phase.aandbare the weighting coefficients (0.1 or 0.2) for these subjects in the target degree.
📊 Practical Examples of Selectividad Calculations
Here are two scenarios illustrating how the specific phase boosts the final score:
- Bachillerato GPA: **8.00**
- General Phase exam scores: Language (7.5), English (8.0), History (7.0), Mathematics (7.5). Average = **7.50**
- Specific Phase: Physics (8.0 with 0.2 weighting), Chemistry (7.0 with 0.2 weighting)
- Bachillerato GPA: **9.50**
- General Phase exam scores: Language (9.0), English (9.5), Philosophy (9.0), Biology (9.5). Average = **9.25**
- Specific Phase: Chemistry (9.0 with 0.2 weighting), Mathematics II (8.5 with 0.2 weighting)
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Adding failed specific subjects: If you score below a 5.0 in a voluntary subject, its weight is not applied, resulting in 0 extra points, even if it carries a high weighting for your degree.
- Ignoring regional weighting tables: The same modal exam (such as Geography) may weight 0.2 for a Humanities degree but 0.0 or 0.1 for a technical Science degree at the same university.
- Failing to meet the general phase minimum: If the arithmetic average of your compulsory exams is below 4.00 points, the EBAU is considered failed, and it cannot be averaged with your Bachillerato GPA, regardless of how high your high school grade was.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The compulsory Access Note (out of 10 points) has indefinite validity. However, the grades obtained in the voluntary Specific Phase subjects (the extra 4 points) are only valid for the 2 academic years following the exam session.
Yes, you can sit the EBAU as many times as you like to improve your score, either retaking the entire general phase or just specific subjects. The system will always use your highest active admission score.
No, there are no subjects that weight 0.2 universally by law. Each university decides and publishes its own weightings table every year, mapping specific subjects to relevant degree programs.
In regions with co-official languages (such as Catalonia, Galicia, the Basque Country, or Valencia), students take a 5th compulsory exam. The general phase average is then divided by 5, but its total weight in the access note remains 40%.