La University Entrance Exam in the Valencian Community It enters a new phase with a regulatory framework that adjusts the timetable, redefines some procedures, and opens up more room for improve the grade required for university admissionIt's not a complete revolution, but rather a series of changes that high school students and other profiles should be very aware of.
With this update, the Generalitat seeks a more streamlined selection process orderly, homogeneous and predictable in all three provinces. At the same time, key aspects such as the publication of grades, exam review, and transparency of all the information related to the PAU 2026.
A more advanced and homogeneous university entrance exam schedule
One of the most visible changes is the general advance of the PAU dates and the establishment of a common calendar for all students, as is the case in other communities (see the University entrance exam dates in Madrid). The Compulsory core subjects will be examined in the morning, while the Optional subjects will be left for the afternoon, maintaining the usual structure but with slightly tighter deadlines.
- Ordinary callThe exams will be held on the following days: 2, 3 4 y de JunioThe regulations allow for the possibility of enabling the 5th in very specific cases, for example, if there are incidents that prevent any test from being carried out on the initial dates.
- Extraordinary CallIt will take place on the days June 30, July 1 and 2, with the option to add the July 3th if necessary to complete the exam schedule.
The Generalitat points out that with this new framework The exceptional measures related to the DANA storm are being left behind. from the previous year, such as the third extraordinary session. This returns to a model with two sessions (ordinary and extraordinary) but with clearer and more unified dates for the entire Valencian territory.
The process begins weeks earlier in high schools and universities, with a deadline of Registration for the university entrance exams (PAU) is scheduled between May 18th and 22nd.From there, the universities organize examination boards, venues, and student distribution to prepare for the three days of exams, which will maintain the duration of 90 minutes per test and 45 minutes of rest between one and another.
At the same time, the dates for the entrance exams for people over 25 and 45 years oldThese will be held on April 25, with a second session specifically for those over 25 years old May 9th, maintaining its own structure and criteria, different from the PAU aimed at high school students.
Detailed exam schedules and session structure
Beyond the general framework, the regulations specify a very precise time planning for the regular session, which also serves as a reference for the extraordinary session. Students will face five mandatory tests (common subjects and one modality subject) and you may add those of the voluntary phase according to your admission objectives.
El Tuesday June 2 will start at 9:30 with the exam of Spanish Language and LiteratureThat same morning, at 11:45, it will be their turn History of Philosophy, one of the common subjects in the compulsory block.
The afternoon of the first day will be reserved for the first elective courses. From then on 15:30 Tests are scheduled such as Biology, Business and Business Model Design, Technology and Engineering, History of Music and Dance, or Artistic Fundamentals. Later, at 17:45Exams will be held on subjects such as Physics, Art History, Choir and Vocal Technique or Design, among others.
El Wednesday June 3 It will follow a very similar pattern. 9:30 will be held the Foreign language (English, French, German or Italian, according to each student's choice) and the 11:45 will be examined History of SpainIn the afternoon slot, at 15:30Subjects such as Chemistry, Dramatic Literature, Geography, Cultural and Artistic Movements, or Technical Drawingwhile at 17:45 exams will be held Greek, Graphic and Plastic Expression Techniques, Geology and other optional subjects.
Finally, the Thursday June 4 It will also begin at 9:30 with the proof of Valencian: Language and Literature. A las 11:45, the students will face the mandatory optional subjectsas the Mathematics, Mathematics applied to Social Sciences, Latin, General Sciences, Artistic Drawing, Performing Arts or Musical Analysis. The afternoon of the last day is reserved as a margin to resolve possible exam overlapsso that anyone with more than one subject coinciding in time can take all the tests.
Posting grades, reviews, and viewing exams
Another aspect that is adjusted with this new framework is the grade publication scheduleThe results of the ordinary phase will be announced on June 12 from 13: 00 hoursThis represents an advance of one day compared to the previous year. In the extraordinary session, grades will be published on July 7th, afternoon, also with a slight advance.
Once the grades are available, a period opens for requests. exam reviewThroughout the Valencian Community, the deadline for requesting this review is set between June 15 and 17This gives students a few days to assess whether it is worthwhile to appeal any grades and to organize the necessary documentation.
The regulations also specify the steps for the visualization of corrected testsThis procedure varies slightly depending on the province but aims to be more uniform. The viewing request schedule is as follows:
- Castellón and Valencia: request on the days 22 23 and June.
- Alicante : requests on the days 25 26 and June.
Regarding the dates on which students will be able to view your examsThe scheme also differs by province: in Castellón and Valencia The viewing will take place on 26 JuneWhereas in Alicante will 29 JuneThese steps are part of the Ministry's commitment to a system more transparent and with greater guarantees for the students.
The global calendar is completed with the allocation of university places, which is ahead of the July 10th This is for those participating in either of the two application processes. This allows time to prepare for registration, resolve doubts with university centers, and, if necessary, consider other academic alternatives.
Greater emphasis on written expression and common correction criteria
In addition to the dates, the 2026 University Entrance Exams (PAU) come with a clear message: Paying attention to spelling and grammar will be more crucial than ever.The universities and the Regional Ministry have strengthened the homogeneous correction criteriaso that the weight of written expression is similar in all venues and courts.
In subjects such as Spanish Language and Literature and ValencianSpelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and a lack of coherence in the text may result in penalties of up to two points Regarding the exam grade. Deductions begin to be counted from the second errorThis forces students to monitor not only the content, but also the form.
In the remaining subjects that include open-ended questions or lengthy essaysLinguistic errors may result in a deduction of up to a 10% of the total gradeThe only clear exception is MathsIn these cases, where detailed answers are not required, these criteria are not applied in the same way. Even so, the importance of presenting the exercises in an organized and understandable manner is emphasized.
With these changes, the education administration intends for students to demonstrate not only specific knowledge of each subject, but also a adequate written expression skills, something that universities consider key to successfully undertaking higher education in any field of knowledge.
Options to improve your grade: mandatory phase and voluntary phase
One of the new developments that generates the most interest among students is the one that affects the possibilities of raising the entrance gradeThe new regulations make it clear that those who have already passed the university entrance exams in previous years will be able to retake the entire compulsory phase exam with the aim of improving their grade.
This option allows those who did not achieve the grade they need for certain university degrees restructure your strategy and retake the core subjects, instead of just participating in the optional phase. The resulting grade will be used to recalculate the access notealways taking into consideration the best possible combination for the student.
Meanwhile, the operation of the voluntary phasewhich remains a key tool for those aspiring to degrees with high cut-off scoresStudents can take exams on up to three additional subjects, or of four if it incorporates a second foreign language among the chosen electives.
The subjects in this optional phase are weighted with specific coefficients depending on the university degree program you wish to enter. Therefore, universities recommend plan well which subjects to chooseTaking into account the weight they will have on the admission grade for each degree and their affinity with the studies you wish to pursue.
Taken together, the mandatory phase and voluntary phase system provides considerable leeway for adjust the final gradeBetween repeating the common part, taking new electives, or combining both paths, students have several strategies to approach the admission requirements of the different degrees.
Transparency, centralized information and legal certainty
The regulations also include a specific section dedicated to the publicity and transparency of the university entrance exam processAll relevant information—updated schedules, official instructions, exam models, and current regulations—is centralized on the official website of the PAU of the Generalitat, accessible through the portal universitats.gva.es.
The aim is to ensure that students, families, and management teams at secondary schools have a single point of referenceavoiding contradictory versions or outdated documents that could generate confusion at a key moment in the academic career.
The regulatory text also specifies in more detail the exam review and viewing procedure, including the specific deadlines for each public university. This clarification seeks to reinforce the legal security for studentswho will know in advance when and how they can exercise their right to review their evidence and complain if they detect any possible errors in the correction.
Access routes for vocational training, older students and students from other regions or countries
Finally, the new regulation reserves a large section for the access conditions for different student profiles who want to enroll at the University of Valencia. Among other things, the options for those with a degree in Higher level vocational training, the students coming from other autonomous communities or foreign educational systems and people over 25, 40 and 45 years old.
In the case of higher-level vocational training, the scheme is maintained in which the average grade for the training cycle It serves as a reference for access, but the possibility of applying to the voluntary phase of the PAU to improve that grade when required by the cut-off score for the desired degree.
For students arriving from other regions or from educational systems outside of Spain, the regulations clarify how they previous studies acknowledge, what documentation needs to be provided and under what conditions it is necessary to take the Valencian PAU or certain parts of the test.
People over 25, 40 and 45 years old they have specific pathways adapted to your situationwith tests and requirements designed to assess their skills and experience, beyond their recent academic record. This is a way to ensure that access to university is not restricted solely to students coming directly from high school.
Taken together, this new framework for the PAU in the Valencian Community establishes a system of access to university clearer on dates, more demanding in written expression, and with more tools to improve the gradeThose who face these tests in 2026 should pay close attention to the schedule, plan the voluntary phase carefully, and be well aware of their rights regarding review and transparency, because a good part of their academic future will depend on that combination.
