The last September university entrance exams: from 2027, the second sitting moves to July

This week, from 2 to 4 September, I am a member of a PAU examination board in Barcelona. And it is not just any session: it is the last one to be held in September.

Catalonia's Interuniversity Council has agreed that, from 2027, the second sitting of the university entrance exams will take place in July, in line with the rest of Spain. Around 9,000 students are sitting the exams this September, and they will be the last to do so at this time of year.

Why it matters if you are the one being examined. Until now, students who failed in June and sat the exams again in September got their marks when everyone else already had a place, and started the year playing catch-up. With the resit in July, results arrive before August and you can start university at the same time as everyone else.

It also changes how you prepare: September used to give you a whole summer to recover from a bad June. From 2027 there will be only a few weeks between the two sittings, which means arriving in June with the work done rather than counting on a second chance.

I sit on both sides of the desk: I prepare students for the exam and I also invigilate and mark the official papers. So when I explain what earns marks and what loses them, I am not giving you a theory: I am telling you what I see in the exams.

And something I had not planned: I took the chance to sign a copy of my book for Dr Núria Montserrat Guitián Sánchez, a philosophy teacher and a marker of the philosophy papers. Having one of your books end up in the hands of the person who marks the exams is a lovely way to close the circle.

Good luck to everyone sitting the exams this week. And to those taking them in 2027: start counting in weeks, not months.

A while ago I explained on video how a PAU Catalan paper is actually marked and what the commonest mistake is. Here it is again, since it fits: