Education in Chile: school levels, PAES and the route into university

In short

Chile organises its schools through the Ministry of Education, known as Mineduc, and universities choose their students through a common national system. The tests of that system are called the PAES, and they are prepared by DEMRE, a unit of the Universidad de Chile. Marks earned in secondary school also count towards a place, so the four years of media school matter as much as the test days.

School levels

Early childhood education, called parvularia, comes first and covers the years before school. Basic education, called basica, is the main compulsory stage and has eight grades under the current structure, and media education, which is secondary school, has four more grades. In the final two years of media, students choose between a scientific-humanistic track and a technical-professional track, and the technical track includes specialities such as administration, mechanics and health. The school year starts in March and ends in December, and there is a winter break in July.

Schools are municipal or public service, subsidised private, or fully private. The state grants subsidies to many private schools, so a large part of families uses subsidised private schools.

University access

The Sistema de Acceso a la Educacion Superior brings together a group of universities that use common tests and rules. A student's application is built from several elements:

• NEM: the average marks of the four years of media school.
• Ranking: a measure of how well the student did compared with classmates of the same school in previous cohorts, which helps students from schools with fewer resources.
• PAES tests: the Prueba de Acceso a la Educacion Superior, which replaced the older PSU. Two tests are compulsory, reading competence and mathematics (called M1). Others are optional or required for particular careers, such as the second mathematics test (M2), history and social sciences, and science.

Each career chooses which tests it requires and how much each element is worth, and it publishes this in its admission rules. Students apply through an online platform and receive offers in order of their weighted results. A system of tuition gratuity covers many students from families with lower income who attend participating institutions.

National assessments and professional exams

• SIMCE: a national census-style assessment run by the Agencia de Calidad de la Educacion, giving schools information about learning in subjects such as language and mathematics.
• EUNACOM: the Examen Unico Nacional de Conocimientos de Medicina, which doctors take to work in the public health system. Foreign medical graduates also use it as part of the recognition of their degree.
• University exams: most professional degrees end with a degree thesis or a final exam set by each university.

Check the official site of DEMRE every year, since the dates and weighting rules for the tests are updated.

Studying in Chile

Spanish is the language of instruction, and Chilean Spanish includes many local words, so listening practice helps visiting students. Mapuzugun, the language of the Mapuche people, is taught in some schools within an intercultural programme. Chile has a long, narrow shape, so universities are spread from Arica in the north to Punta Arenas in the south, and students often move cities to study.

Study ideas for the Chilean route:

1. Build a profile of each target career. Compare the tests it asks for with your strengths and plan where extra hours will bring the largest gain.
2. Practise reading competence with unfamiliar texts, because the reading test rewards understanding of arguments and inference.
3. Do the mathematics M1 topics in a fixed order: numbers, algebra, geometry, then probability and statistics.
4. Keep marks high during media school, since the NEM is part of every application.
5. Use past DEMRE sample tests under timed conditions, and review each error by the cause: missing knowledge, wrong method or hurry.

English questions help with reading and vocabulary skills that also support studies abroad.

Preparing with GetMyMockTest

GetMyMockTest offers free practice for the exams below. The Chilean exams are written in Spanish and the international ones in English. Check the official format with each organiser.

• PAES Chile: practice questions in Spanish on Matemática M1, Historia y Ciencias Sociales and Competencia Lectora, with timed mock tests and flashcards.
• PAES Ciencias: practice questions in Spanish on Física, Química and Biología, with mock tests and flashcards.
• IELTS, TOEFL, SAT and IB Diploma: free English-language practice for students who plan to study abroad or follow an international curriculum.

Every question, explanation, mock test and flashcard deck is free.