Important
The PSU is no longer held. It was Chile's university entrance test from 2003 to 2020. It was replaced first by the Prueba de Transición (PDT), first applied in January 2021, and then by the Prueba de Acceso a la Educación Superior (PAES), first applied on 28 to 30 November 2022 for the 2023 admission process. Students applying now take the PAES.
Overview
The Prueba de Selección Universitaria (PSU, University Selection Test) was Chile's national university entrance test. It was built by the DEMRE (Departamento de Evaluación, Medición y Registro Educacional) of the Universidad de Chile and overseen by the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH). It was first applied in 2003, replacing the Prueba de Aptitud Académica (PAA), and stayed in use for 17 years.
Unlike the aptitude-based PAA, the PSU measured content from the academic (científico-humanista) secondary curriculum. It drew sustained criticism for widening gaps between students from different types of school, and external reviews found the mathematics test too hard for many of the students who took it. In 2020 a transition began that phased the PSU out.
The DEMRE's comparison pages are in Spanish; the details below are translated and summarised.
Exam pattern
The PSU had two compulsory tests and two electives. The compulsory tests were Lenguaje y Comunicación and Matemática (mathematics), and candidates had to take both plus at least one elective.
| Test | Type | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lenguaje y Comunicación (language and communication) | Compulsory | 80 (5 of them pilot items) | 2 hours 30 minutes |
| Ciencias (biology, physics and chemistry) | Elective | 80 | 2 hours 40 minutes |
| Historia, Geografía y Ciencias Sociales (history, geography and social sciences) | Elective | 80 (5 of them pilot items) | 2 hours 30 minutes |
Questions in these three tests had five answer options. The PSU was given once a year, in the regular (summer) sitting.
Marking and results
Scores were reported on a scale from 150 to 850 points.
To apply, candidates needed valid scores in both compulsory tests and at least one elective, with an average of at least 450 points across language and mathematics.
Candidates applied with "score blocks": the best set of scores from two consecutive admission processes.
Applicants could list up to 10 degree choices.
What replaced it
PDT (Prueba de Transición): first applied in January 2021 for the 2021 admission process, delayed from the usual November or December by Covid-19. It added a share of new-style questions that measure skills and competencies. The last PDT was the first winter sitting, on 4 and 5 July 2022, which also introduced a new 100 to 1,000 point scale.
PAES (Prueba de Acceso a la Educación Superior): first applied on 28 to 30 November 2022 for the 2023 admission process. It is offered twice a year (winter and regular), uses the 100 to 1,000 scale, splits mathematics into a compulsory M1 and an M2 required by some degrees, and lets applicants list up to 20 degree choices.
FAQs
Is the PSU still held?
No. DEMRE lists the PSU as the test for admission processes from 2003 to 2020. It was replaced by the PDT in 2021 and by the PAES from November 2022, which DEMRE describes as the definitive end of the PSU.
Can I compare an old PSU score with a PAES score?
Not directly. The PSU used a 150 to 850 scale, while the PAES uses a 100 to 1,000 scale with a different scoring method.