Hey everyone! Lately, I’ve seen a lot of questions on the forums about applying to undergraduate programs in Spain, especially about the confusing ‘admission score,’ known as the Nota de Corte. I was also completely lost with this concept when I first started, so today I’m starting this thread to share what I’ve learned about Spain’s university grading system, and I hope it can help those of you who are currently preparing your applications!
What Exactly is the Nota de Corte?
Simply put, the Nota de Corte is not a fixed pass mark set by the university; it’s the score of the last student admitted to a specific degree program at a specific university in a given year. This means it changes every year! For example, if the Nota de Corte for Medicine at the Complutense University of Madrid was 13.4 last year, it means the last student admitted had a score of 13.4. Whether this year’s score goes up or down depends entirely on the number of applicants and their overall academic performance. Therefore, previous years’ scores are just an important reference. To be safe, your target score should always be higher than the previous year’s cut-off
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How is the Score Calculated?
The Spanish university access scoring system is out of a maximum of 14 points. For international students, their home country’s high school qualifications are converted to fit into this system. The score is mainly composed of two parts:
- General Phase (Fase de Acceso)
: Maximum of 10 points. This is your basic admission score, determined by your core subjects or high school qualifications. For many international students, this is the score obtained after their high school diploma and grades are officially recognized and converted.
- Specific Phase (Fase de Admisión): Maximum of 4 points. You can earn these points by taking optional exams in Spain, known as the PCE (Pruebas de Competencias Específicas). You choose subjects related to your desired degree, and each can add up to 2 points to your final score. This is the key to getting into top universities and competitive programs! To aim for a top-tier school, taking these specific exams is almost mandatory.
Reference Scores for Popular Degrees
Here’s a clear example to give you an idea of how competitive popular degrees can be. Below are the 2023 cut-off scores for some high-demand programs at various universities. Please note these are just for reference; you should always check the latest official data for the standardized scores required for Spanish universities.
| University | Degree | 2023 Admission Score (Nota de Corte) |
|---|
| Complutense University of Madrid | Medicine | 13.476 |
| University of Barcelona | Double Degree in Physics and Mathematics | 13.450 |
| Carlos III University of Madrid | Double Degree in International Studies and Economics | 13.361 |
| Polytechnic University of Valencia | Aerospace Engineering | 13.250 |
Seeing these ‘god-tier’ scores above 13, feeling the pressure? Don’t worry, with good planning, anything is possible. In reality, apart from these top-tier programs, there are many other great degrees where the admission scores are not as intimidatingly high. You should research these alongside other requirements, such as the IELTS scores for Spanish universities.
A final reminder: The most reliable sources for checking admission scores are the official websites of each university or official portals from the Spanish Ministry of Education. When choosing your university and degree, it’s crucial to compare your estimated score with the previous years’ admission scores. Make sure to choose several ‘safety’ options as well.
Alright, that’s all for today. What schools and programs are you all applying to? How’s your score preparation going? Feel free to leave a comment below to discuss. Let’s cheer each other on!
