Education reorganizes adult secondary education and free ESO exams

The Department of Education of the Regional Government of Castilla y León has approved Order EDU/1001/2026, dated September 29, which develops the organization of secondary education for adults and regulates the free exams for the direct attainment of the Compulsory Secondary Education (ESO) Graduate degree for persons over 18 years of age. The provision is published in the Official Gazette of Castilla y León (BOCYL) number 193, corresponding to Monday, October 5, 2026, within section I.A of general provisions, and enters into force twenty days after its publication. It was signed by the counselor María Pardo Álvarez, in Valladolid, on September 29, 2026.

The order develops the framework established by Organic Law 2/2006, of May 3, on Education, whose article 68.2 obliges educational administrations to periodically organize exams so that those over eighteen may directly obtain the ESO Graduate degree, and by Royal Decree 217/2022, of March 29, which in its third additional provision establishes the modular organization into three areas and two levels. At the regional level, it is based on Law 3/2002, of April 9, on Adult Education of Castilla y León, and on Decree 10/2025, of July 31, which established the organization and curriculum of these teachings. The processing included a prior public consultation, hearing and public information, and a report from the School Council of Castilla y León.

The regulation is structured into six chapters, one transitional provision, one repealing provision, and two final provisions. It repeals Order EDU/353/2018, of March 27, which until now regulated the free exams, and Order EDU/1032/2006, of June 20, regarding the authorization of optional modules and the modification of the duration of teaching periods. However, the 2026 free exam calls covered by the Resolution of March 20, 2026, of the Directorate General for Vocational Training and Special Regimes, will continue to be governed by the 2018 regulation.

Three areas, two levels and three modalities

Teaching is organized modularly into three areas of knowledge—communication, social, and scientific-technological—and two levels in each, with modules of type I to IV. Persons over 18 years of age, or those who reach that age in the year the course begins, may enroll, and exceptionally those over 16 who prove any of these circumstances:

• Having an employment contract that prevents attending centers under the ordinary regime.
• Being a high-performance athlete.
• Suffering from a serious illness or extraordinary circumstances that prevent continuing in ordinary centers.
• Not having been schooled in the Spanish educational system.

Students will not be subject to a time limit on their enrollment. The order regulates three modalities: in-person, with 18 weekly teaching periods per semester for type I and II modules and 22 for type III and IV; blended learning, with 9 and 11 in-person periods respectively; and distance learning, in which attendance at the center is only mandatory for in-person evaluation activities.

Free exams: annual call between May 15 and June 15

The general directorate competent in adult education will issue annual calls, guaranteeing at least one per year, with exams held between May 15 and June 15 on the same date in all provinces. The exam consists of three parts, one per area, and the communication part includes two exercises: Spanish Language and Literature and a Foreign Language, the language of which is chosen by the applicant upon registration.

Those over 18 years of age and those who reach that age within the calendar year of the exam may apply. Exemptions are provided for areas passed in previous calls or through validation, as well as universal accessibility measures and adaptations for those who prove a disability or specific educational support need. The boards, composed of a president and four members, will have a maximum of 200 registered persons each. Passing any of the areas is maintained in successive calls and is valid throughout the State.

Optional modules and authorizations with fixed deadlines

Centers will offer mandatory optional modules—Scientific Culture I and II, Technology and Digitalization I and II, and Artistic Education I and II—and may add center-specific modules linked to professional and vocational guidance, a second foreign language, or specific content, subject to prior authorization from the competent general directorate. The deadlines are:

• Application to the provincial education directorate: before April 30 of the previous academic year.
• Proposal from the provincial directorate: before May 30.
• Resolution and notification: before June 30; if no notification is received within the deadline, the application is considered approved.

The order affects all centers in Castilla y León that provide secondary education for adults and provides legal coverage for an offer designed for those who left the educational system without a qualification. In addition to establishing a stable exam calendar, it reinforces continuous evaluation and the students’ right to an objective evaluation and to appeal grading, promotion, and qualification decisions before the center and, ultimately, before the provincial education directorate.

Source: Official Gazette of Castilla y León, no. 193, of October 5, 2026, section I.A General Provisions, page 12 (official reference: BOCYL-D-05102026-193-1).