Final secondary and high school exams are delayed and softened

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

1. The education reform calendar is changed: until the rules from the State Pact on Education take effect, the final exam at the end of compulsory secondary education will be a sample-based test with no academic effect, used only for diagnosis.
2. The high school (Bachillerato) final exam is no longer needed to get the high school diploma and will only be taken by students who want to go to university. It covers the general core subjects of the second year and, where applicable, the co-official language subject.
3. University admission requirements are set for the transition period: the score will be 40% from the test and 60% from the high school grade, and a result of at least five points is required.
4. The final primary education exam also becomes sample-based and diagnostic, taken only by selected sixth-grade students, and the previous rule setting its calendar is repealed.
5. Compulsory secondary education diplomas earned during the transition period will allow access to any post-compulsory studies, and their final grade will be the average of the subjects taken.
6. Final exams for adult learners, and the new direct tests for earning the secondary or high school diplomas, will not be implemented until the transition period ends.

Who it affects

• Fourth-year compulsory secondary education students: They only take the final exam if selected, and it does not count toward grades or the diploma.
• High school students who want to attend university: They must take a test similar to the old university entrance exam, but it is not needed to get the high school diploma.
• Sixth-grade primary students: They only take the final exam if selected, for diagnostic purposes.
• Education administrations and universities: They organize the tests and may increase the number of participating schools or make them universal.
• Adults seeking the secondary or high school diploma: The new direct tests to earn these diplomas are postponed until the transition period ends.

Words worth knowing

Evaluación muestral

A test taken only by selected students and schools, to get data representative of everyone.

Finalidad diagnóstica

It serves to assess and improve the education system, not to decide whether a student passes.

Materias troncales

Core common subjects of the curriculum, such as math or Spanish language.

Real decreto-ley

A rule with the force of law that the Government can pass on an urgent basis, without prior parliamentary approval.

Pacto de Estado Social y Político por la Educación

An agreement among the main political and social forces on education, which was being negotiated at the time.

It summarizes the law as published in the BOE. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries