The Selectividad 2026 will arrive with new measures to try to curb technological cheating during exams. Several autonomous communities will incorporate frequency detection systems to locate invisible earpieces and hidden devices used for cheating, in a context marked by the growing concern of universities and teachers about the use of tools connected to artificial intelligence.
According to El País, Galicia, Murcia, Catalonia and Aragon will use detectors capable of tracking radio frequency emissions during university entrance exams. The objective is to locate hidden devices such as tiny headphones, smartwatches, connected glasses, or wireless systems used to receive answers from outside.
The newspaper also explains that several universities and educational authorities are reinforcing surveillance protocols due to the increase in cases related to AI tools and practically invisible devices. The penalties for those caught cheating include the complete annulment of the exam, with a grade of zero.
How the new systems will work
Frequency detectors allow locating wireless emissions from hidden electronic devices. These systems can detect communications used by earpieces, invisible headphones, smartwatches, hidden microphones, and other connected devices.
The concern of universities has increased especially due to the combined use of these devices with artificial intelligence applications capable of generating responses in real time.
Many universities already maintained strict restrictions on mobile phones and electronic devices, but the development of increasingly small and difficult-to-detect devices has led to reinforced surveillance controls.
What the official PAU regulations say
The new University Entrance Exam will be regulated by Royal Decree 534/2024, approved by the Government to establish the basic characteristics of the PAU in the coming academic years.
The regulation seeks greater homogenization between autonomous communities and proposes changes in the examination model, with more weight for competency and reasoning questions versus purely memoristic exercises.
The Ministry of Education and universities have also insisted on the need to adapt the tests to the new technological context and the impact of generative artificial intelligence tools.
Dates and figures of the Selectivity 2026
The university entrance exams will be held again between the end of May and June, depending on each autonomous community.
Each year, more than 300,000 students take the PAU throughout Spain, according to official data from the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE).
Universities also maintain specific protocols for student identification, control of electronic devices, classroom surveillance, and review of incidents during exams.
What worries universities
In addition to the use of AI, universities continue to monitor hidden messaging applications, invisible wireless earbuds, devices integrated into pens or watches, and remote communication tools.
The CRUE and various university officials have indicated in recent months that the advancement of these technologies is forcing a continuous review of control and supervision systems during entrance exams.