UIB Education degree entrance exams 2025: record number of applicants (and failures)

PalmThe Faculty of Education at the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) became a national benchmark in Spain by implementing specific entrance exams in 2021 for Early Childhood and Primary Education degrees. These exams, in addition to the university entrance exam score, include oral assessments that all students must pass to gain admission to public universities. The goal was to identify candidates with the greatest potential aptitude and characteristics suited to teaching, while simultaneously discouraging students from enrolling simply to "study something," rather than out of genuine vocation or desire. The results, at least in terms of filtering, have been achieved. This is evident from data provided by the Department of Education. While 12.67% of the 560 applicants failed the first exam, this figure rose to 33.28% in the 2025-2026 academic year, a year that saw a record number of applicants (733). It's worth remembering that before the exams were administered, there was an average of 1,200 pre-registration applications for teacher training degrees.

As explained by ARA Baleares, an exam assessing communicative competence, critical reasoning, and reading comprehension opens the evaluation process. The mathematical logic test, in which students must demonstrate their knowledge of geometry, algebra, statistics, and measurement, completes the first phase. Those who pass then undergo two further tests: they must present a video, offer their perspective on the current world, and describe their teaching skills. This test is followed by a debate among six students on a current affairs topic, while two examiners evaluate skills such as leadership and the ability to offer a different point of view.

The Impact of AI

Starting with the next edition, the video test will be discontinued and replaced by an individual interview of no more than five minutes. The reason for the change is the impact of artificial intelligence (AI). "Last year we determined that many applicants had used AI to answer the questions we had asked them and then sent us recordings. They were all very similar. It was no longer a useful or valid test for us," says Dr. Rosa Rosselló, coordinator of the entrance exams. From this year onward, applicants will not know the questions until the moment they have to answer them. However, these questions will focus on the content of the group exam.

How did we reach both a record number of participants and a record number of failures? In the first case, it's because the Faculty decided to move the exams (which were usually held in May) to February. "We were afraid that the students wouldn't notice the change, so we launched a very strong publicity campaign," explains Rosselló. The reasons for the record number of failures don't seem so clear at the moment. "We're conducting a study of this year's exam as well as the two previous ones to see what mistakes people are making and which questions are the most difficult," he adds.

Alongside the record number of applicants for university entrance exams, the lowest cut-off scores in recent years have also been recorded. In other words, more students took the exams (733), with a record number of failures. However, those who did gain admission had performed worse on the university entrance exams: they had weaker academic records. This year, the last student admitted to the double degree in Primary and Early Childhood Education in Mallorca achieved a 9.27; for the Early Childhood Education degree, a 5.560; and for Primary Education, a 6.380. In the 2022-2023 academic year, the first in which all three degrees were offered as double degrees, the cut-off scores were 10.044, 6.830, and 7.032, respectively.

In the 2023-2024 academic year, the entry grade for the double degree program was 8.85, while the following year (2024-2025) it rose to 10.030, before falling again this year (9.270). In Early Childhood Education, this year saw the lowest cut-off scores in the last three years: 6.192, 6.400, and 5.560, respectively. The same occurred in Primary Education, where the cut-off scores were 6.920, 7.290, and 6.380. "It's true there's been a decrease, but this is also happening at other universities, and it's related to the new university entrance exam. Even so, our scores have increased compared to before the entrance exam was implemented," the doctor points out. She also focuses on the current state of teaching and the image it projects, "that it's a difficult, stressful, complex profession..." she lists, while acknowledging that this is indeed the case.

New times, new teachers

The Faculty has noticed generational changes among new applicants. "We came from generations where education was highly valued and work was an end in itself. Now, we see that education is valued less and that students value other aspects of their lives, beyond academics. Work is seen as a means to live," she explains. In this context, and given these new characteristics, are the tests effective in identifying potential good teachers? The doctor answers firmly. "We administer tests that are based on what we would like to do and achieve, and the reality we face, both in terms of budget and time. Of course, we should have the individual interview take 15 minutes, but we don't have enough budget to pay the interviewers. Our aim when we administer the tests is to observe certain minimum traits in the applicants, to see if they are capable."