NARIC guide on Higher Education Systems in the European Union

The Curso de Orientación Universitaria (COU)
Before beginning higher education, students have to take what is called the Curso de Orientación Universitaria — COU
(orientation course
for institutions of higher education) which is a sine qua non for entering higher education.
The COU is a one-year academic course taught in public secondary schools (Institutos de Bachillerato) and in recognised
private schools.
When this course was first organised it was placed under university supervision; experts are of the opinion that it has, in
effect, become a fourth year of Bachillerato for those who wish to enter university. Moreover, the vast majority of university
students have completed this type of education; very few come from the Formación Profesional.
There are four options in the COU, namely:
(i) Science and technology;
(ii) Biology and medicine;
(iii) Social sciences;
(iv) Arts and languages.
The selection of the desired option implies a preference for subsequent university entry. In this way, the student will study a
core curriculum of three subjects (Spanish language, a foreign language and the history of philosophy) and an optional group
of subjects consisting of two compulsory ones and another two chosen from a list of four. Students may also take a second
foreign language as an option.
On completion of the COU, students who have passed in all subjects taken receive the overall pass certificate, giving them, in
principle, access to university studies.
The pruebas de acceso a la universidad
Students wishing to study at Facultades, Colegios Universitarios and Escuelas Superiores Técnicas (see I.1) also have to pass
a general entrance examination, the so-called pruebas de acceso.
University entrance examinations are held twice a year, in June and September, and are organised by the university concerned,
with the participation of the teachers conducting the COU.
Students have to sit these examinations at the university with which their secondary school (Bachillerato) is registered; this is
usually the one nearest to the school. In Madrid and Barcelona, where there are several universities, a number of schools are
allocated to each university. Sitting the examination at a particular university does not give the right to subsequent entry to
that university; this is governed by the arrangements for allocating vacant places at the various institutions as provided by
existing legislation.
The format of the entrance examinations is established by ministerial order and consists of two papers:
first paper: this relates to the COU core subjects and is divided into three parts:
1. textual analysis and Spanish language and, if appropriate, the official language of the autonomous
community concerned (Euskera, Catalan, Galician and the language of Valencia);
2. foreign language;
3. philosophy;
second paper: this relates to the subjects of the option selected in the COU. It is divided into two parts:
1. compulsory subjects;