Cristina Lladó (Palma, 2009) is the third best grade in the PAU in the Balearic Islands (9.706), the second best in Mallorca. After excellent results, she reflects on the preparation for the selectivity exam, defends the role of public education in Catalan, and argues why she does not share the model of the new Baccalaureate of Excellence that the Ministry of Education will implement.

596 out of 1,014 students who took the extraordinary call for the University Entrance Exams (PAU), the first week of July, have passed the exams. This represents a pass rate of 58.8%, a figure slightly higher than that recorded last year, when the percentage was 56.7%.

The Ministry of Education considers that the results of this year's University Entrance Exams (PAU) demonstrate the failure of the implementation of the LOMLOE and the curricula derived from the educational reform. The minister, Antoni Vera, admitted this Tuesday that the data "are not good" after the percentage of eligible students fell from 92.5% recorded in 2025 to 89.6% in 2026, while failures increased to 10.4%.

89.6% of the students who took the ordinary call for the University Entrance Exams (PAU) in June have obtained a passing grade. In total, 3,533 students out of the 3,942 who took them have passed the exams. The average access grade – which combines the Baccalaureate qualification with the exam phase – stands at 7.086, a figure very similar to that recorded last year, when it was 7.099, according to the data provided.

The PAU 2026 has started this Tuesday with 4,950 students from the Balearic Islands determined to achieve the grade that allows them to access their desired higher education studies. The usual nerves of the first day have been combined with the smiles of those facing the exams with confidence on a day marked by one of this year's main innovations: the implementation of radio frequency detectors to combat academic fraud. "For the moment, we have not detected any," explained the Vice-Rector for Students of the UIB, Cristina Moreno, who detailed that these devices will circulate in all classrooms at the different examination points, although not necessarily during all tests. "We must bear in mind that students know that mobile phones must remain switched off," she added.

The UIB has asked students taking the University Entrance Exams (PAU) this week to arrive on campus well in advance and to prioritize the use of public transport. Metro and bus frequencies can be consulted on the portals of the Transport of the Balearic Islands (TIB) and the Palma Municipal Transport Company (EMT).