The 2026 Selectivitat in Catalonia will incorporate random checks with frequency detectors to locate mobile phones and other prohibited electronic devices during exams. The university entrance exams will be held on June 9, 10, and 11 with updated instructions from the Department of Research and Universities.
The novelty arrives with a reinforcement of technological surveillance in tests in which students were already prohibited from using electronic devices. From now on, controls will be able to locate not only mobile phones, but also smartwatches, headphones, earbuds, smart glasses, and other sophisticated devices.
Detectors will search for mobile phones, watches, and smart glasses in random checks
The new protocol foresees random tests with frequency detectors within the PAU device. The objective is to identify non-permitted electronic devices that could be used during the exam.
In each classroom, the tribunal, usually made up of three teachers, will remind before the test that mobile phones, smartwatches, and any other electronic device must be turned off and stored inside bags or backpacks.
Furthermore, students must keep their ears uncovered during the exam. The check aims to verify that they are not carrying unauthorized auditory devices.
A student expelled from the classroom will receive a zero and may lose the entire PAU
If a proctor detects a student using a mobile phone, any other unauthorized device, or unauthorized notes, the exam will end at that moment for that student. The immediate penalty will be expulsion from the classroom and a grade of zero on that test.
Beyond that penalty, the Organizing Commission may agree on additional measures. Among them is the possible annulment of the entire university entrance exam, not just the exam in which the infraction was detected.
Those who need hearing aids, such as hearing aids or implants, must communicate it beforehand to the classroom proctor. The obligation to attend with uncovered ears does not affect these cases, as long as the court has been notified before the start of the exam.
The new instructions set that the Selectivitat 2026 will be held on June 9, 10, and 11.