Spanish Baccalaureate

Spanish top level of secondary education

This article contains translated text and the factual accuracy of the translation should be checked by someone fluent in Spanish and English. (December 2024)

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The Spanish Baccalaureate (Spanish: Bachillerato, pronounced [baʧiʎeˈɾato] ⓘ)[a] is the post-16 stage of education in Spain, comparable to the A Levels in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Highers in Scotland, the French Baccalaureate in France or the International Baccalaureate. It follows the ESO (compulsory stage of secondary education). After taking the Bachillerato, a student may enter vocational training (Higher-level Training Cycles, Ciclos Formativos de Grado Superior) or take the "PAU" (also commonly known as "PEvAU" or "Selectividad") exams in order to be admitted into a public university.

There are two parts, a core curriculum with the compulsory subjects ("fase de acceso") and a specialist part ("fase de admisión") with a number of pre-selected branches to choose from. The latter of these is technically optional, however reaching the necessary grade is significantly harder or impossible to achieve.

## History

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In Spanish (and Hispano-American) education from the 13th century up to the 17th or 18th century, the term Bachiller referred to the lower grade of university studies, enabling entry to a profession without reaching the higher grades of licenciado or doctorado.

Before 1953 in Spain, the term bachillerato covered all of secondary education, which was taken after passing an entrance examination by those students expected to go to university. It consisted of seven yearly stages, normally taken between the ages of 10 and 17. On completion, students took a State Examination (Examen de Estado). From 1949 there was also a vocational or technical version (Bachillerato Laboral).

In 1953 the bachillerato was divided into two parts: Bachillerato Elemental (elementary) and Bachillerato Superior (higher). The first was taken over four years, at ages 10-14, and the second over two years at 15 and 16; each stage terminated with a final examination (Reválida). Students who had remained in primary education up to the age of 14, on passing the first-stage Reválida, could still enter the Bachillerato Superior, in which there were two branches: Sciences and Arts. Following this, students could take a one-year stage of pre-university studies (Preuniversitario, or "Preu" for short).

Reforms during the 1970s absorbed the Bachillerato Elemental into the upper stages of the basic education system for 6- to 14-year-olds, and replaced the Bachillerato Superior with a three-year Bachillerato Unificado Polivalente (BUP). At the age of 14 a student could now opt to enter the BUP without having to pass a specific test, or could go into vocational training. The "Preu" was replaced by a Curso de Orientación Universitaria (COU).

The introduction under "LOGSE [es]" of compulsory secondary education up to age 16 (Educación Secundaria Obligatoria, ESO) took place during the 1990s.[1] The Bachillerato now became a two-year course following the completion of compulsory education, with middle-grade vocational training as an alternative. It had five branches: Arts, Technology, Social Sciences, Health Sciences, and Humanities. Further reforms were made under the "LOE [es]" of 2006, and under the "LOMCE [es]" of 2013.

## Present

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As established under LOE[2] (the Spanish Educational Law) of 2006, the Baccalaureate is studied over two years, usually upon the completion of compulsory secondary education (ESO). Following the enactment of LOMCE, there are four distinct branches: Arts (two paths), Sciences and Technology, Humanities and Social Sciences (with two "itineraries" for the Humanities and Social Sciences branch) and General.

Arts

Sciences and Technology
| | | | | Humanities

Humanities and Social Sciences| |
| | | | | Social Sciences

As in the compulsory primary and secondary stages of education, in the Baccalaureate there is a distinction between "core subjects", "specialist subjects" and "subjects chosen by the Autonomous Community" — this last category denotes the language and literature of the regional co-official language (Catalan, Valencian, Basque or Galician), if any. The national Government determines a set of core subjects, while the educational administrations of the autonomous communities may specify additional core subjects and will decide upon the list of non-core subjects.

Admission to the Baccalaureate is subject to a certificate of completion of compulsory secondary education (Graduado en Educación Secundaria Obligatoria), or certain technical qualifications.[3]

### First year

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In the first year, "general" core subjects (brown background in the table) are taught, together with "optional" core subjects (white background), of which two are chosen in each modality, and specified subjects (green background).

#### Core subjects

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FIRST YEAR OF BACCALAUREATE

Fine Arts, Image and Design | Music and Performing Arts | Sciences | Humanities  | Social sciences  | General
Spanish Language and Literature I and, if any, Co-official Language and Literature I  | Spanish Language and Literature I and, if any, Co-official Language and Literature I  | Spanish Language and Literature I and, if any, Co-official Language and Literature I  | Spanish Language and Literature I and, if any, Co-official Language and Literature I  | Spanish Language and Literature I and, if any, Co-official Language and Literature I  | Spanish Language and Literature I and, if any, Co-official Language and Literature I
Philosophy  | Philosophy  | Philosophy  | Philosophy  | Philosophy  | Philosophy
First Foreign Language I  | First Foreign Language I  | First Foreign Language I  | First Foreign Language I  | First Foreign Language I  | First Foreign Language I
Physical Education  | Physical Education  | Physical Education  | Physical Education  | Physical Education  | Physical Education
Religion or Transversal Projects of Education in Values  | Religion or Transversal Projects of Education in Values  | Religion or Transversal Projects of Education in Values  | Religion or Transversal Projects of Education in Values  | Religion or Transversal Projects of Education in Values  | Religion or Transversal Projects of Education in Values
Artistic Drawing I  | Musical Analysis I or Performing Arts I  | Mathematics I  | Latin I  | Maths for Social Sciences I  | General Maths
Technical Drawing for Fine Arts and Design I  | Musical Analysis I or Performing Arts I (the one not chosen above)  | Biology, Geology and Environmental Sciences  | Ancient Greek I  | History of the Contemporary World  | Economy, Entrepreneurship and Business
Volume  | Music Language and Practice  | Physics and Chemistry  | World Literature  | Economics  | Another first-year subject of any modality
Audiovisual Culture  | Choir and Vocal Technique I  | Technical Drawing I  | History of the Contemporary World  | World Literature  |
Artistic Projects  | Audiovisual Culture  | Technology and Engineering I  | Economics  | Ancient Greek I  |
Specialist subjects of the Autonomous Communities  | Specialist subjects of the Autonomous Communities  | Specialist subjects of the Autonomous Communities  | Specialist subjects of the Autonomous Communities  | Specialist subjects of the Autonomous Communities  | Specialist subjects of the Autonomous Communities

#### Specialist subjects

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Specialist subjects, of which either two or three are to be chosen, depending on provision at the education centre:

1. Anthropology and Sociology
2. Applied Anatomy
3. Artificial Intelligence
4. Biomedicine
5. Computer Science I
6. Contemporary Artistic Languages
7. Digital Creation and Computational Thinking
8. Education for Democratic Coexistence I
9. Energy Resources and Sustainability
10. Entrepreneurial and Business Culture
11. European Union
12. Human Biology and Health
13. Information and Communication Technologies I
14. Legal and Democratic Culture
15. Music Production
16. Oratory
17. Personal and Vocational Training and Guidance
18. Photographic Creation and Film
19. Psycology
20. Scientific Culture
21. Second Foreign Language I
22. Society, Environment and Sustainable Territories
23. The Classical Legacy
24. Another first-year subject not taken by the student

### Second year

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#### Core subjects

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In the second year, "general" core subjects (brown background in the table) are taught, together with "optional" core subjects (white background), of which two are chosen in each modality.

SECOND YEAR OF BACCALAUREATE

Art | Sciences | Humanities | Social sciences
Spanish Language and Literature II and, if any, Co-official Language and Literature II  | Spanish Language and Literature II and, if any, Co-official Language and Literature II  | Spanish Language and Literature II and, if any, Co-official Language and Literature II  | Spanish Language and Literature II and, if any, Co-official Language and Literature II
History of Spain  | History of Spain  | History of Spain  | History of Spain
First Foreign Language II  | First Foreign Language II  | First Foreign Language II  | First Foreign Language II
History of Philosophy  | History of Philosophy  | History of Philosophy  | History of Philosophy
Art Foundation II  | Mathematics II  | Latin II  | Maths for Social Sciences II
Scenic Arts  | Biology  | Business Economics  | Business Economics
Design  | Technical drawing II  | Geography  | Geography
Audiovisual culture II  | Physics  | History of Art  | History of Art
| Geology  | Greek II  | Greek II
| Chemistry  |  |
| Technology and Engineering II

#### Specialist subjects

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Specialist subjects, of which between two and four are to be chosen, depending on provision at the education centre:

1. Musical analysis II
2. Earth Sciences and Environmental Sciences
3. Artistic Drawing II
4. Technical Drawing II
5. Foundations of Administration and Management
6. History of Music and Dance
7. Image and Sound
8. Psychology
9. Religion
10. Second Foreign Language II
11. Techniques of Graphic-Plastic Expression
12. Industrial Technology II
13. ICT II
14. Material from the block of core subjects not taken by the student

### Provision for adults

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Other means of study are especially designed for adults who wish to re-take their studies. These form part of the standard educational provision of some institutes, and are also offered in separate adult education centres.

The "nocturnal" version is provided on a timetable of evening classes. The details may vary according to location, but normally there are four teaching periods of 50 minutes with a 30-minute break in the middle, between 4pm and 10pm. To cater for working adults with less time to study, individual subjects are assessed annually; thus a pass in a subject, once obtained, remains valid in following years. The course content, however, is identical with what is taught at a daytime school.

## Notes

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1. ^
* Catalan: Batxillerat
* Basque: Batxilergo
* Galician: Bacharelato
* Occitan: Bachillerat

## References

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1. ^ Introduction of LOGSE
2. ^ "Complete text of the LOE" (PDF) (in Spanish).
3. ^ Spanish Ministry of Education. "Información general de Bachillerato" [General information on the Baccalaureate] (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 October 2017.