EBAU Mathematics in the Valencia Region: Format, Criteria and Cut-off Scores

What the exam board sets, what the marker rewards, and where the cut-off scores for STEM degrees at UV and UPV stand.

Before planning the second year of Bachillerato, it's worth knowing exactly what you're up against. The EBAU Mathematics II exam in the Valencia region has a specific format and well-established marking criteria, and STEM degree cut-off scores largely set the real level a student needs to reach. This article brings all three together in one place.

Structure of the Mathematics II exam

The official EBAU exam in the Valencia region runs for 90 minutes and consists of:

• Block I: two problems; the student chooses one.
• Block II: two problems; the student chooses one.
• A third, freely chosen problem from the two remaining (one from each block).

In total, the student hands in three worked problems, each worth roughly 2.5 points, with a fourth problem left unanswered. Each problem usually has two or three parts with uneven weighting (0.5–1.25 points per part).

The four content blocks the problems can be drawn from are:

1. Linear algebra (matrices, systems, determinants).
2. Calculus (limits, continuity, derivatives, integrals, optimisation).
3. Geometry in space (lines, planes, distances, angles).
4. Probability and statistics (conditional probability, distributions, confidence intervals).

The exact distribution between the two blocks varies each session, but at least one problem from each of the four content areas usually appears.

Calculator and permitted materials

A non-programmable, non-graphing scientific calculator is allowed. Calculators with a CAS (computer algebra system) and models with wireless connectivity are excluded. A non-erasable ink pen, a ruler, and nothing else. The exam centre usually provides the paper.

How the exam board marks

After years of marking mock exams against the official criteria and reviewing already-graded papers, some fairly clear patterns emerge:

What's penalised more than students expect

• Conceptual errors. A derivative wrongly applied because the product rule is confused with the quotient rule can cost the whole part, not just the final number.
• Missing justification. Skipping steps without explanation. "If the working isn't shown, it isn't marked."
• No written conclusion. Calculating the maximum of a function without explicitly writing "attained at x=2, with value f(2)=5."
• Inverted conditional probability. P(A|B) confused with P(B|A). A very common and very costly mistake.

What's penalised less than students fear

• Isolated arithmetic slips if the approach is correct. Usually costs 0.1-0.25, not the whole part.
• Informal notation if the reasoning is clear.
• Crossed-out or rewritten work if clearly marked.

"A student who justifies every step scores better than one who writes only the final answer, even when both reach the same number."

How the university admission score is calculated

The university admission score combines two elements:

• 60% Bachillerato average grade.
• 40% EBAU compulsory phase.

On top of that 10-point base, up to 4 extra points come from the voluntary phase, where each passed subject is multiplied by a coefficient (0.1 or 0.2) depending on the weighting each university assigns to the target degree. Mathematics II usually weighs 0.2 across all STEM degrees at UV and UPV, making it a particularly valuable subject.

Indicative cut-off scores (2025 reference)

The figures below are indicative ranges from recent years for high-demand degrees in Valencia. It's essential to check the official figures on the UV and UPV websites every year, since scores vary with supply and demand.

Indicative ranges based on recent years. Check the official scores every year on the Universitat de València (uv.es) and Universitat Politècnica de València (upv.es) websites.

What score you need in Mathematics II

It helps to work backwards. If your target degree has a 12.3 cut-off and your Bachillerato average is 8.5, the EBAU exam needs to contribute ~3.8 points between the compulsory phase (×40%) and the voluntary phase (×0.2). In practice, that means aiming for around 8.5–9 in Mathematics II and completing the voluntary phase with two other highly-weighted subjects (Physics or Chemistry).

It's not an unreachable target, but it isn't a casual one either: it requires focused preparation and mock exams starting in February or March. That's why it's also worth reading how to manage the 90 minutes of the exam, which covers time strategy and answer order in detail.

Ordinary and resit sessions

The ordinary session is held in June (usually the first week of the month); the resit session, in July. The score used for university admission is the better of the two. That means the resit is a real second chance, not a fallback: many students score higher in July because they arrive with an extra month of preparation.

A reasonable work plan

To reach 8.5+ in Mathematics II starting from an average level in the second year of Bachillerato, you need:

1. Solid command of the school syllabus throughout the year (October to March).
2. A bank of EBAU-style problems from the last 4-5 years (February to May).
3. Timed mock exams marked against the official template (April to June).
4. A final review of common mistakes (the week before).

In our dedicated EBAU programme we work through exactly this sequence.