Prueba de Selección Universitaria
Acronym | PSU |
---|---|
Type | Paper-based standardized test |
Administrator | CRUCH, Ministry of Education (Chile) |
Skills tested | Reading Comprehension, Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and History |
Purpose | Admission to Universities |
Year started | 2003 |
Year terminated | 2020 |
Duration | Spanish / History: 2:30 hours
Mathematics: 2:20 hours Science: 2:40 hours |
Score range | 150 - 850 |
Offered | Once a year |
Regions | Chile |
Languages | Spanish |
Prerequisites | Complete High School |
Used by | Universities and Students |
Website | demre |
The University Selection Test (Spanish: Prueba de Selección Universitaria or PSU) was a standardized test used for college admissions in Chile, made by the Department of Evaluation, Measurement and Educational Register (Departamento de Evaluación, Medición y Registro Educacional or DEMRE) by mandate of the Board of Chilean Universities' Headmasters (Consejo de Rectores de las Universidades Chilenas, or CRUCH). Since 2003, it had replaced the Prueba de Aptitud Académica (PAA) which had been in use since 1966, until its eventual termination in 2020. A temporary test (Prueba de Transición) was used while the Prueba de Admisión a la Educación Superior (PAES) was in development.
The PSU was given once a year, usually between November and December. It was necessary to take the test to apply to universities ascribed to the CRUCH, known as Traditional Universities. The only requirement to take this test was to have completed high school.
Format
The PSU itself was a set of four separate tests, which were taken in two days. Out of these four:
- Two were required (Reading Comprehension and Mathematics)
- Two were optional, yet it was required to choose one
- History and Social Studies
- Science: This test had a common module of Biology, Physics and Chemistry (referring to the curriculum of the first two years of secondary education) and three elective modules from which one is chosen (Biology, Physics or Chemistry - referring to the curriculum of the 3rd and 4th years of secondary education)
The maximum score was of 850 points, and the minimum, 150 points.
Stats
Admision Process (year) | Dates | Students | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Enrolled | Took | Applied | ||
2004 | December 15-16th | 159 249 | 153 383 | 66 947 |
2005 | December 9-10th | 176 680 | 169 376 | 76 292 |
2006 | December 5-6th (2005) | 182 761 | 176 314 | 77 765 |
2007 | December 18-19th (2006) | 242 155 | 211 261 | 87 617 |
2008 | December 3-4th (2007) | 240 851 | 216 892 | 81 909 |
2009 | December 1-2nd (2008) | 277 420 | 242 130 | 92 154 |
2010 | November 30th and December 1st (2009) | 285 325 | 251 634 | 87 875 |
2011 | December 13-14th (2010) | 289 244 | 250 758 | 84 512 |
2012 | December 12-13 (2011) | 271 862 | 231 172 | 106 719 |
2013 | December 3-4th (2012) | 272 666 | 233 302 | 118 208 |
2014 | December 2-3rd (2013) | 271 558 | 232 861 | 106 804 |
2015 | December 1-2nd (2015) | 283 080 | 247 291 | 125 588 |
2016 | November 30th and December 1st (2015) | 289 480 | 252 333 | 141 906 |
2017 | November 28-29th (2016) | 290 612 | 258 535 | 145 184 |
2018 | November 27-28th (2017) | 295 531 | 265 113 | 159 132 |
2019 | November 26-27th (2018) | 294 176 | 264 629 | 124 451 |
2020 | January 6-7th (2020)
January 27-28th (2020) February 4-5th (2020) |
297 437 |
References
- From aptitude to achievement: How's that going? for Symposium: University admission testing in Chile: Current controversies and future directions, (.pptx), 2018 International Test Commission Conference, Montréal
- PSU : El Desafío del Cambio, (.pptx), Centro de Investigación Avanzada en Educación, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, diciembre 2016