Once the tests are finished, when students who are currently taking the university entrance exams (PAU, also known as EBAU) receive their results, they will have to prepare a list with their preferences for choosing degrees and university centers.
Approximately 42,535 students are taking the entrance exams this week in 217 examination boards in Catalonia, who will receive their grades on June 19th. “I am confident in my abilities, good players don't get nervous on match day,” said one of the students before starting the first day of exams. Others acknowledged feeling nervous: “I don't know how the exams will turn out.”
There is fierce competition to secure a spot in some of the most sought-after degrees. In this regard, degrees in physical sciences, mathematics, and health sciences receive the highest recognition, as they were the ones with the highest cut-off grades in 2023, as is the case almost every year.
PAU 2023
The top 15 degrees with the highest cutoff grades
1. Physics and Mathematics - UAB - 13,436
2. Mathematics - UPC - 12,842
3. Computer Engineering/Mathematics - UB - 12,800
4. Physical Engineering - UPC - 12,689
5. Aerospace Technologies Engineering (Bachelor's + Master's) - UPC - 12,654
6. Medicine - UPF - 12,643
7. Data Science and Engineering - UPC - 12,632
8. International Business Economics (taught in English) - UPF - 12,620
9. Biomedical Engineering - UB - 12,536
10. Medicine (Campus Clínic) - UB - 12,528
11. Medicine (Campus Bellvitge) - UB - 12,523
12. Medicine - UAB - 12,475
13. Medicine - UdG - 12,474
14. Medicine - UdL - 12,467
15. Dentistry - UB - 12,455
Last year, five degrees from the University of Barcelona (UB) managed to achieve the highest grades, followed by the 4 from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), the two from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), and the other two from Pompeu Fabra University (UPF). The universities of Lleida and Girona also make it onto the list with their offering of the Medicine degree —the most requested of all—.