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Studies & Degrees in Exam Preparation

Exam preparation courses train students for one specific examination: a university entrance exam, an official language certificate, an entrance test for vocational training or a public-service selection process. The school does not award the qualification. It teaches the syllabus, explains the format and marking of the exam and makes students practise with past papers under exam conditions. The exam itself is set and marked by an official body, such as a university, a ministry or an examination board.

This makes exam preparation different from most subjects in the directory. Two questions matter more than the name of the school: which exam the course prepares for, and who runs that exam.

Exams that students prepare for

University entrance in Spain. Students with the Spanish Bachillerato sit the university entrance exam (PAU). Under Royal Decree 534/2024 it consists of four exercises, or five in regions with a co-official language, and it is held twice a year, in an ordinary and an extraordinary session. The exam mark must be at least four points to count, and access requires a weighted mark of five points or more, combined with the Bachillerato average. Students from foreign school systems apply through UNEDasiss, a service of the UNED that evaluates the academic records of international students and holds the tests they need to enter bachelor's degrees at Spanish universities; these are known as specific competence tests (PCE). There is also a separate entrance exam for people who are 25 or older and hold no qualification that gives access to university.

Language certificates. Levels follow the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), a six-point scale from A1 to C2.

  • Spanish: the DELE diplomas are official qualifications awarded by the Instituto Cervantes on behalf of the Spanish Ministry of Education. They cover all CEFR levels and do not expire. SIELE is an electronic service that assesses and certifies the level of Spanish.
  • English: the Cambridge English Qualifications (B2 First, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency) and IELTS, whose Academic version is aimed at people who plan to study in an English-speaking country.
  • German: the Austrian ÖSD exams, which the ÖSD describes as accepted worldwide by universities, employers, professional bodies and governments.

Vocational and public-service exams. In Spain, academies prepare candidates for the entrance tests to vocational training (FP) and for oposiciones, the competitive exams for public-sector jobs. In Austria, institutes prepare apprentices for the final apprenticeship examination (Lehrabschlussprüfung).

How the courses work

Courses are organised around the exam calendar. University entrance courses usually run for a full academic year, with shorter intensive courses in the weeks before the exam. Language exam courses last from a few weeks to a term and assume that the student already has roughly the level of the exam; a preparation course teaches exam technique, and it does not replace a general language course. Many schools offer classroom and online versions, and several publish past papers with worked answers. Prices and timetables vary by school and are not regulated.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 14 active schools for exam preparation: nine in Spain, two in Ireland and one each in the United Kingdom, Austria and Ukraine.

In Spain, Academia Guiu in Barcelona and the Centro de Estudios Luis Vives in Madrid prepare for university entrance; Luis Vives offers courses for both the PAU and the PCE and has classroom and online options. Tenidiomas in Jerez de la Frontera teaches Spanish and English and handles the DELE and CCSE exams. McGinty School of English in Almería prepares for the Cambridge exams, and Formas Almería covers official FP qualifications, oposiciones and entrance tests.

Outside Spain, Delfin English School in Dublin and Atlas Clare in Ennis are English language schools in Ireland. The Edinburgh School of Language prepares for the Cambridge exams and IELTS. The abc Bildungszentrum in Vienna, an education institute active since 1988, offers German courses, ÖSD exams, Latin and preparation for the apprenticeship examination. ECHO Eastern Europe Language School in Kyiv teaches Ukrainian as a foreign language.

How to choose

  • Check that the course matches the current format of the exam. The Spanish PAU, for example, changed with the 2024 decree.
  • Ask whether the school is also an official examination centre or whether the exam is taken elsewhere, and whether the exam fee is included.
  • For language exams, take a level test first and choose the exam that the university or employer actually asks for.
  • International students heading for a Spanish university should start early: UNEDasiss warns that documents must be legalised and translated, which takes time.

Frequently asked questions

Does a preparation course guarantee that I pass?

No. The exam is set and marked by an independent body, and no school can guarantee the result. A course gives structure, practice and feedback.

I finished school outside Spain. Which exam do I need for a Spanish university?

Most international students go through UNEDasiss, which evaluates their school record and holds the tests required. Each university sets its own admission criteria, so ask the university first which tests it requires for your country and degree.

How long are language certificates valid?

It depends on the exam. The DELE diplomas have no expiry date. For other exams, check the rules of the examining body and of the institution that asks for the certificate.

How often is the Spanish university entrance exam held?

Twice a year: an ordinary session and an extraordinary session.