The entrance examinations to the University for the subject of History of Spain in Andalusia (2008-2021). Analysis and evolution

The History of Spain is one of the subjects of the second year of Baccalaureate, so its contents are subject to evaluation in the University entrance examinations. In this context, aware of how these tests can condition the teaching and learning processes and the development of historical thinking in students, in this research, these tests are analysed in the Andalusian context, in order to know their nature and characteristics. The tests carried out before the pandemic context were compared against those carried out during that period, to detect possible changes. The total number of exams analysed amounts to 150 (n=150) corresponding to the period 2008-2021. An exploratory-descriptive research design has been used that combines qualitative and quantitative methodological approaches. The prominence of tests of a conceptual nature over those of a procedural and attitudinal nature, together with the presence of exercises that do not require superior cognitive abilities in the students, are the most outstanding results. There is also a trend towards rote and short-answer exams, a circumstance that has been accentuated in the context of the pandemic, and the elimination of exercises such as text commentary and the use of sources and evidence. The principal conclusions that arise from the discussion are the following: it is necessary to replace these University entrance examinations with other types of tests focused on competencies, which really evaluate the historical thinking of students and not only their ability to reproduce content.