Calculate the Bachillerato–PAU access grade, check both minimum thresholds and understand weighted subjects, cut-offs and result validity.
In Spain, qualifying to apply to university and obtaining a place are separate stages. The first involves an access grade out of 10. Selection can use an admission score with weighted subject additions, on a scale that may reach 14.
This guide covers the usual Spanish Bachillerato plus PAU route. Overseas qualifications and special routes may follow different procedures; a simple grade conversion does not make this formula applicable to them.
Under Real Decreto 534/2024, consolidated in July 2026:
access grade = 0.60 × Bachillerato average + 0.40 × PAU grade
The Bachillerato average excludes the Religion subject grade. PAU means the officially defined average of the access-stage papers, not the best result in a single subject.
Both conditions must hold:
A candidate with Bachillerato 9 and PAU 3.90 obtains an arithmetic 9 × 0.60 + 3.90 × 0.40 = 6.96. Nevertheless, the PAU threshold is not met. A weighted sum alone cannot establish eligibility.
Take 8.25/10 in Bachillerato and 7.10/10 in PAU:
| Component | Grade | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachillerato excluding Religion | 8.25 | 60% | 4.95 |
| PAU access stage | 7.10 | 40% | 2.84 |
| Access grade | 7.790/10 |
Both thresholds are met. The Spain PAU calculator keeps this base result separate from the admission calculation.
The rules specify three decimal places for the overall PAU and access grades, rounding to the nearest thousandth and upwards on a tie. Use official transcript values rather than averages already simplified for display.
A university may weight eligible subjects to rank applicants for a particular degree. Subject choices and multipliers follow the programme and application year’s published rules.
Suppose two accepted subjects have marks of 9 and 8, both weighted at 0.2. From the previous access grade:
7.790 + 9 × 0.2 + 8 × 0.2 = 11.190
Two maximum contributions of two points can raise this scheme’s maximum to 14. The access grade remains 7.790/10; it has not become a new overall PAU grade.
If another programme weights the second subject at 0.1, the same applicant gets 7.790 + 1.8 + 0.8 = 10.390. The difference comes from programme rules, not changed examination marks.
Subjects must also meet the relevant validity and minimum-grade conditions. Do not add every mark on the transcript: verify which subjects and combination the programme accepts.
The nota de corte is generally the score of the last admitted candidate in a particular programme, cycle or round. It describes a completed ranking.
If last year’s cut-off was 11.050, the example score of 11.190 exceeds that historical reference. It does not guarantee a place: applicant numbers, results and available seats may change.
Compare the exact degree, university, access route or quota and application round. Cut-offs for different groups or years are not interchangeable.
The grade establishing university access has indefinite validity, subject to the rules on improving results.
Subject results used to improve admission have a different period: under the cited decree, they count for the academic year immediately following the examination and the next two academic years. Passing the access stage does not make every bonus result valid indefinitely.
For a later application, check examination dates against the intended entry year and current university rules.
First confirm that your route is the one described. Collect the official Bachillerato average excluding Religion, the PAU average and eligible subject marks. For each degree, apply its published multipliers and check minimums, validity and deadlines.
The result then belongs to a specific application rather than every university. Portugal’s application-grade guide explains a different Iberian scale and process.
Can a high Bachillerato average compensate for PAU below 4? No. PAU must meet its own threshold before the weighted grade can establish access.
Does PAU at 4/10 guarantee access? No. The combined grade must also reach at least 5/10.
Can the admission score differ between degrees? Yes. Accepted subjects and their weights may change even though your marks do not.
Can I apply this formula directly to a French bac? No. Establish the route for your qualification with the university or competent authority. The grade-conversion guide explains why proportional arithmetic is not administrative recognition.
Collection
9 / 10
Calculate a weighted average, distinguish assessment and subject weights, find the mark you need next and work out attendance separately.
Calculate the public 2026–2027 application grade out of 200 with secondary marks, entrance exams, prerequisites and official rounding.
Learn how to calculate actual working time, handle breaks, split shifts, midnight crossings and decimal hours.