UIC Barcelona Medicine Entrance Exam 2027: Complete Preparation Guide

Confirmed by UIC's own FAQ as a knowledge-test subject.

• Biomolecules and the chemistry of life (headings 1-5): bioelements and trace elements, water and its polarity and thermal properties, mineral salts, buffers and pH in biological systems, monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides, glycosidic bonds, condensation and hydrolysis, fatty acids, triglycerides, phospholipids, steroids and cholesterol, amphipathic behaviour and bilayer formation, amino acids and peptide bonds, the four levels of protein structure, denaturation, enzymes with their inhibitors and cofactors, nucleotide structure, DNA against RNA, base pairing and antiparallel strands, mRNA, tRNA and rRNA
• Cell structure and membranes (headings 6-8): cell theory, cell size and surface-area-to-volume ratio, prokaryotic against eukaryotic cells, animal against plant cells, cytoplasm, cytoskeleton, nucleus and ribosomes, levels of organisation from tissue to system, the fluid mosaic model, selective permeability, simple and facilitated diffusion, osmosis and active transport, endocytosis, exocytosis and vesicular transport, membrane receptors and basic signal transduction, mitochondria, rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, lysosomes, peroxisomes, vacuoles and chloroplasts
• Cell reproduction and development (headings 9 and 12): the cell cycle, interphase, mitosis and cytokinesis, checkpoints at conceptual level, the stages and purpose of mitosis and meiosis, recombination and genetic diversity, cell communication, adhesion and differentiation, sexual against asexual reproduction, human gametogenesis and fertilisation, cleavage, gastrulation and organogenesis, stem cells and developmental regulation
• Molecular genetics and biotechnology (headings 10, 11 and 14): semi-conservative replication and its key enzymes, transcription and RNA processing, translation with codons, anticodons and ribosomes, the central dogma and the consequences of errors, gene, allele, genotype and phenotype, coding and non-coding DNA, point mutations, insertions, deletions and chromosomal abnormalities, silent, missense, nonsense and frameshift effects, recombinant DNA, restriction enzymes, vectors, PCR and cloning, electrophoresis and sequencing, the molecular basis of heredity and disease, diagnostics and personalised medicine at concept level
• Metabolism (heading 13): anabolism and catabolism, ATP as energy currency and the coupling of reactions, enzyme regulation and metabolic pathways, feedback inhibition, cellular respiration through glycolysis, the Krebs cycle and oxidative phosphorylation at summary level, fermentation, photosynthesis basics and energy transfer in living systems
• Evolution and ecology (headings 15 and 16): natural selection, mutation, gene flow, genetic drift and non-random mating, adaptation, fitness and speciation, evidence for evolution, the Hardy-Weinberg principle at recognition and interpretation level, population genetics and antibiotic resistance as applied examples, ecosystems, populations, communities, habitats and niches, food chains, food webs, trophic levels and energy flow, the carbon, nitrogen and water cycles, ecological succession and biodiversity, human impact and conservation principles
• Microbiology and immunology (headings 17 and 18): structure, reproduction and differences of bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa, bacterial growth, conjugation and antibiotic resistance, viral capsid, genome, host specificity and the lytic and lysogenic cycles, pathogens, the microbiome, sterilisation, vaccines and antimicrobials, innate immunity through barriers, inflammation, phagocytes and complement, adaptive immunity with B cells, T cells, antibodies, antigens and immune memory, vaccination, primary and secondary responses and herd immunity, allergy, autoimmune disease and immunodeficiency at recognition level

Confirmed by UIC's own FAQ as a knowledge-test subject. Calculators are not permitted, so every calculation has to resolve by hand.

• Matter, moles and gases (headings 1 and 2): matter, elements, compounds and mixtures, physical against chemical change, atoms, molecules, ions and isotopes, atomic number, mass number and relative atomic mass, the mole, molar mass and Avogadro's number, units, significant figures and scientific notation, pressure, volume, temperature and amount of substance with their units, the Boyle, Charles and Gay-Lussac laws, the combined and ideal gas laws, partial pressure and gas mixtures, proportional reasoning on gas-law problems without a calculator
• Mixtures and solutions (heading 3): homogeneous and heterogeneous mixtures, solutions, suspensions and colloids, solute, solvent, solubility and saturation, factors affecting solubility, molarity and other expressions of concentration, dilution and solution-preparation logic, precipitation and separation techniques
• Atomic structure and the periodic table (heading 4): subatomic particles, electron shells and basic electron configuration, groups, periods and blocks, metals, nonmetals and metalloids, periodic trends in atomic radius, ionisation energy, electronegativity and reactivity, valence electrons and prediction of common ions
• Chemical bonding (heading 5): ionic, covalent and metallic bonding, bond formation by electron transfer or sharing, polarity, electronegativity difference and dipoles, intermolecular forces including London dispersion, dipole-dipole and hydrogen bonding, molecular geometry recognition and its relation to physical properties
• Formulas and chemical reactions (headings 6 and 7): empirical, molecular and structural formulas, formula mass and molecular mass, oxidation states and inorganic nomenclature, writing and balancing formulas for salts, acids, bases and oxides, molar ratios and composition from a formula, conservation of mass and balanced equations, limiting reagent and theoretical yield at basic level, synthesis, decomposition, displacement, combustion and redox recognition
• Reactions in solution (heading 8): aqueous ions, electrolytes, ionic equations and spectator ions, acids, bases, pH, neutralisation and salts, strong against weak at recognition level, precipitation reactions and solubility logic, oxidation, reduction and electron transfer in solution with basic balancing
• Reaction energy and rate (heading 9): exothermic against endothermic reactions, the enthalpy idea and energy diagrams, activation energy, catalysts and reaction pathways, reaction rate and the effect of concentration, temperature, surface area and catalysts, collision theory and qualitative kinetics
• Organic chemistry (headings 10 and 11): carbon valence and covalent bonding, chains, rings and isomerism, alkanes, alkenes, alkynes and aromatic compounds, basic organic nomenclature and structural representation, combustion, addition, substitution and oxidation at introductory level, recognition of alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, esters, ethers, amines and amides, the influence of a functional group on polarity, boiling point and solubility, connections with amino acids, lipids, carbohydrates and nucleic acids

Confirmed by UIC's own FAQ as a knowledge-test subject, and the widest-reaching mathematics syllabus of any medicine entrance test in IvyTest's catalogue. Calculators are not permitted, so every item has to be solvable by exact arithmetic and algebraic manipulation.

• Real numbers and algebra (heading 1): natural, integer, rational, irrational and real numbers, intervals, inequalities, absolute value and ordering on the real line, powers, roots, radicals, scientific notation and exponent rules, algebraic simplification, factorisation and accurate manipulation
• Equations and inequalities (heading 2): linear, quadratic, polynomial, rational and radical equations, systems of equations by substitution, elimination and graphical meaning, linear, quadratic, polynomial and rational inequalities with sign charts, absolute-value equations and inequalities, extraneous-solution checks
• Trigonometry (heading 3): sine, cosine, tangent and the reciprocal ratios, right-triangle applications, radians and degrees, unit-circle values for standard angles, basic identities and simple trigonometric equations, the laws of sines and cosines
• Complex numbers (heading 4): the imaginary unit and rectangular form a + bi, graphical representation, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, conjugate and modulus, solving simple equations with complex roots, the link between the quadratic discriminant and complex solutions
• Vectors (heading 5): scalar against vector quantities, components, magnitude and direction, vector addition, subtraction and scalar multiplication, dot product, angle between vectors and projections, geometric interpretation in plane problems
• Analytic geometry and conics (headings 6 and 7): Cartesian coordinates, distance formula, midpoint and slope, equations of lines in slope-intercept, point-slope and general form, parallel and perpendicular lines and intersections, circle, parabola, ellipse and hyperbola with their standard equations, centre, radius, vertex, focus, axis and directrix, completing the square, recognising a conic from its equation or its graph
• Functions and their graphs (headings 8, 9 and 12): function notation, domain, range and graph interpretation, composition, inverse functions and transformations, increasing and decreasing behaviour, symmetry, zeros and intercepts, polynomial, rational, power, exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric and absolute-value functions, graph shapes and asymptotes, critical points and local extrema, concavity and inflection points, full curve sketching
• Limits, derivatives and integrals (headings 10, 11 and 13): the limit concept and one-sided limits, algebraic limit calculation by substitution and factorisation, infinite limits, limits at infinity and asymptotes, continuity and removable, jump and infinite discontinuities, the derivative as rate of change and tangent slope, the power, sum, product, quotient and chain rules, derivatives of polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic and trigonometric functions, applications to tangent lines, velocity, maxima and minima and monotonicity, antiderivatives and indefinite integrals, definite integrals and area under a curve, the fundamental theorem at conceptual level
• Two-variable statistics (heading 14): two-variable datasets and scatter plots, qualitative association, covariance and the correlation coefficient with interpretation of strength and direction, the linear regression line and the limits of prediction, distinguishing correlation from causation
• Probability (heading 15): sample spaces and events, union, intersection and complement, the addition and multiplication rules, independent and mutually exclusive events, conditional probability and simple tree diagrams, permutations, combinations and organised enumeration

Carried so this guide describes the whole syllabus, but flagged: UIC's own FAQ names the knowledge-test subjects twice and Physics appears in neither list. Confirm with UIC that Physics applies to your cycle before committing revision time to it.

• Measurement and units (heading 1): SI base and derived units, prefixes and dimensional consistency, scalar and vector quantities, unit conversion and significant figures, measurement uncertainty, accuracy and precision, reading graphs and interpreting physical relationships
• Kinematics (headings 2 and 3): position, displacement, velocity and acceleration, uniform and uniformly accelerated motion equations, position-time, velocity-time and acceleration-time graphs, free fall and sign conventions, vector components and the independence of perpendicular motions, projectile motion, relative motion at introductory level
• Forces and Newton's laws (heading 4): the three laws, inertia, net force and action-reaction pairs, weight, normal force, friction and tension, free-body diagrams, equilibrium and acceleration problems using F = ma, the distinction between mass and weight
• Momentum and collisions (heading 5): momentum and impulse, the impulse-momentum theorem, conservation of momentum in isolated systems, elastic and inelastic collisions at qualitative and simple quantitative level, recoil examples
• Work, energy and power (headings 6 and 7): work, kinetic energy, gravitational potential energy and power, the work-energy theorem and positive and negative work, energy transfer and efficiency, force-displacement graphs, mechanical energy and its conservation in ideal systems, conservative against non-conservative forces, losses to friction, solving motion problems by energy rather than by forces
• Electric current and circuits (heading 8): electric charge, current, potential difference and resistance, Ohm's law, series and parallel circuits, electrical power and energy, circuit diagrams and measurement with ammeters and voltmeters
• Waves and optics (headings 9 and 10): amplitude, wavelength, frequency, period and wave speed, transverse and longitudinal waves and sound, reflection, refraction, diffraction and interference at recognition level, the wave equation, light propagation and Snell's law, mirrors and lenses with focal length and image formation, real against virtual images, magnification and ray diagrams, the human eye and basic optical instruments

UIC lists no syllabus headings for this component, so the five areas below are derived from a description of what it covers rather than from an official list. Expect situational judgment rather than knowledge recall.

• Self-awareness: recognising your own emotional state and its effect on judgment, accurate self-appraisal of strengths and limits, awareness of stress and fatigue, knowing when to ask for help
• Integrity and consistency: honesty under pressure, consistency between stated values and action, admitting and correcting a mistake, discretion and confidentiality, reliability over time
• Empathy: reading another person's emotional state, responding to distress, respect for people who are vulnerable or unwell, distinguishing empathy from over-identification
• Teamwork and collaboration: contributing to a group outcome, handling disagreement without escalation, sharing workload and credit, receiving feedback from peers, dependability in a shared task
• Everyday situational judgment: choosing an appropriate response to ordinary interpersonal situations at school, at work or in a group, prioritising between competing obligations, proportionate reaction to provocation or unfairness

The only part of the sitting that is not multiple choice, and it is written rather than spoken. UIC publishes no headings and no fixed percentage for it; the framework below is a preparation structure, not an official syllabus.

• Motivation for medicine: specific experiences, observations and values behind choosing medicine rather than science generally, a realistic understanding of long training, service orientation, teamwork and patient contact
• Ethical reasoning: a structured method identifying stakeholders, principles, facts, options and consequences, balancing autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice and confidentiality, stating uncertainty honestly and naming what further information you would seek
• Communication and empathy: active listening, clarity and respect, adapting to vulnerable patients or families, maintaining professionalism while showing empathy, drawing on examples from teamwork, volunteering, sport, school or work
• Resilience and self-awareness: managing pressure, feedback and mistakes, concrete habits of planning, reflection, help-seeking and recovery, knowing your limits and learning from difficult situations
• Teamwork and professional fit: examples of leadership, conflict management and reliability, contribution to group outcomes and handling disagreement, disciplined study, service and humility as markers of fit for the profession

It's the admission assessment Universitat Internacional de Catalunya sets for its Bachelor's Degree in Medicine in Barcelona. It is not a single paper: three components are sat together in one session of four to five hours, running roughly 09:00 to 13:00: an emotional-aptitude test, a knowledge test in Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics, and a structured written interview.

No. There is no shared national admission test among Spain's private medical schools: each writes and grades its own. UIC's process is distinctive even within that group, because half the admission mark comes from your prior academic record and the other half from three components sat in a single morning rather than from one written science paper.

The three admission-test components together are worth 50% of the admission mark, with your prior academic record making up the other 50%; that is confirmed in UIC's own words. UIC's Medicine page splits that 50% into 25% for the knowledge test and 25% for the emotional-intelligence test; the written interview has no percentage but can raise, lower or keep the mark, and is only marked for the top 220 candidates.

For 2026 it depended where you lived: UIC's FAQ and Medicine page say candidates living in Catalonia sat the tests in person at Campus Sant Cugat, and everyone else online. For the next exam, on 13 February 2027, UIC's entrance-exams page lists Medicine as in person and leaves it out of the online dates; ask admissions if you live outside Catalonia. Either way it is a single morning sitting of four to five hours.

UIC's FAQ names the knowledge-test subjects twice, both times as biología, química y matemáticas (Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics) at first-year Bachillerato level. Physics headings do appear in the entrance-exam syllabus an unofficial study aid attributes to UIC, but UIC never names Physics among the subjects. Exclusion from the current cycle is likely rather than certain, so ask admissions directly before planning Physics revision.

Wrong answers are not penalised: UIC's Medicine page says so directly. It does not publish the mark for a correct answer or the option count, so IvyTest records one mark per correct answer as a neutral working assumption. With no penalty, a guess can never cost you, and if the paper runs four options a blind guess is worth +0.25 marks on average against 0 for a blank: answer everything.

UIC publishes none, and no pass mark for the tests or the admission mark. Its Ranking 26-27 for the 9 May 2026 tests lists 474 candidates by code, without marks: 130 admitted, 169 on the waiting list and 175 not admitted, for 100 places. A cut-off quoted elsewhere is an estimate, not a UIC figure.

No. UIC states this outright in its own FAQ: 'No disponemos de modelos de examen' (no sample exams are available), and its Medicine page adds that it does not hand out past years' tests. That is why preparation here has to be built from the syllabus headings and from genuine Bachillerato-level command of the subjects, rather than from pattern-matching against a known paper format.

Spanish: UIC's Medicine page says the entrance exams are in Spanish, though the written interview can be answered in Catalan, Spanish or English. The degree itself is taught in Catalan and Spanish, with some subjects in English, so prepare the syllabus with its Spanish terminology.

It's the one part of the admission session that is not multiple choice, and it is written rather than spoken, which is why there is no separate interview stage in the process. It is sat in the same four-to-five-hour session as the aptitude and knowledge tests, and UIC's Medicine page says it carries no percentage of its own but can raise, lower or keep the mark, and is only marked for the candidates ranked in the top 220.

UIC's Medicine page says the degree is accredited by AQU Catalunya, an agency accredited by the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME), which it says opens professional opportunities in the US and in other countries that recognise those standards. The rest is general guidance, not a UIC statement: within the EU the degree follows the EU's rules for recognising doctors' qualifications, and practising as a specialist in Spain additionally requires the MIR (Médico Interno Residente), the national exam that governs entry to residency training there; that sits alongside, not instead of, EU recognition. Outside the EU recognition isn't automatic as a rule, but the UK is an exception. Under the Medical Act 1983 (section 21B, as in force on 12 October 2026), a Spanish medical degree is a 'relevant European qualification', so a graduate who applies to the GMC with one, whatever their nationality, is not asked to show the knowledge and skills other international graduates prove through PLAB/UKMLA; evidence of English is still required, and the rule is UK policy that can change. US-bound graduates need ECFMG certification via USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK, the same requirement every international medical graduate faces.

Yes, with one honest caveat. The IvyTest simulator runs practice across UIC's three confirmed knowledge-test subjects (Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics), mapped to the syllabus headings, in timed, tutor and review modes, with a free diagnostic available without payment. Because UIC publishes no question count or option count, and no sample exams exist, that practice is built to the syllabus and to the confirmed no-penalty rule rather than to a confirmed paper format.

UIC's Medicine page gives Saturday 13 February 2027 as the next entrance exam, and its entrance-exams page lists it as in person. No separate deadline is published: you apply online, upload your documents in the admissions portal and pay the exam fee once they are validated, and the list of candidates closes one week before the exam (6 February 2027 for this sitting, by IvyTest's count).

You apply through UIC's admission form, choose your access route and upload that route's documents, then sit the tests. UIC counts the average of your last completed year: first-year Bachillerato if you are in second year. Candidates from the social, humanities or arts Bachillerato may sit, but the tests are Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics at first-year level. No B2 English is needed; 15 places go to students with university studies.

UIC's Medicine page gives €310 per ECTS credit, €18,600 for the 60 credits of the first year in 2026-2027, subject to review each year. The entrance exam costs €110 on the Spanish and Catalan pages (€100 on the English one), and an admitted candidate reserves the place with 20% of the first year's price, refunded only if they fail Bachillerato or the PAU (UIC's admission steps call it non-refundable; its FAQ gives this exception). UIC's Becas Nemesio cover 100% of the first year and up to 80% after that.

Twelve semesters and 360 ECTS: 60 of basic training, 232 compulsory, 8 optional, 52 of external placements and an 8-credit final project. The first-year subjects (asignaturas) in the 2026-2027 plan are Biochemistry, the Musculoskeletal System, Introduction to Medical Practice (IMM1), Introduction to Medical Genetics, Imaging Techniques, Anthropology, the Nervous and Endocrine Systems, Molecular Biology, and Skin and Sensory Organs.

IvyTest publishes no student reviews of its own. What UIC itself states: a 99% pass rate in the MIR on its Medicine page (its FAQ gives an average of 98.4% over the last five years), the first private medical degree in Spain accredited to WFME standards, more than 2,200 hours of clinical placements, and two students quoted on the page praising its medical ethics and hospital placements from the first year.

The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut) teaches Medicine at Campus Sant Cugat, in the Hospital Universitari General de Catalunya building, Josep Trueta s/n, 08195 Sant Cugat del Vallès, near Barcelona. Classes usually run in the afternoon, between 14:00 and 20:00, with laboratory practicals and clinical placements in the morning.