Abstract:

The “Prueba de Acceso y Admisión a la Universidad” (PEvAU) is of great importance in the future of students, as it is a key milestone in the final decision to apply for the degree they will be able to apply for. Completion of the baccalaureate program offers students the opportunity to apply the theoretical knowledge and practical skills they have acquired throughout their studies to a unique test that serves as the basis for selection of the different degrees offered by the universities.

One of the main advantages of the PEVAU is that it allows students to demonstrate their ability to apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills to complex problems on an equal footing with other students from different schools. This experience allows for effective comparison of the methodologies employed by these schools and improves the fairness of the universities' evaluation of students.

The potential loss of opportunity resulting from eliminating the September call and moving it to July, which is very close to the June sessions, should be carefully considered. The closer alignment of the defence dates significantly reduces the time available for students to refine and improve their skills based on feedback received during the June session. It also restricts the opportunity for students with underprepared high school subjects to successfully enter college. Moreover, the condensed schedule can place added pressure on students, potentially compromising their performance due to time constraints and increased stress levels. Therefore, it is important to carefully assess the impact of this change on students' ability to maximize their potential and fully demonstrate their academic achievement through PEVAU.

This study analyses the academic results of PEVAU from 2016 to the current academic year, establishing two scenarios with September until the 2019-20 academic year and without September from then on. It was found that there were no significant differences in the percentage of passes between the courses where there was an extraordinary call in September compared to the courses where it was held in July. Nor did differences appear when gender was taken into account. The covid 19 pandemic, unlike other types of face-to-face tests, had no effect on the test scores or on the percentage of students who obtained university access.

Only an increase in the number of no-shows was detected when the timetable was compressed, which, on the other hand, seems consistent with less time available for test preparation.

The results can be used to analyse whether in this specific case it would be worthwhile to reintroduce a calendar of project defences in September.

Keywords:

September, Extraordinary Exam Period, Academic performance, university entrance, PEvAU.