Nearly 60 students get zero on Basque exam from same tribunal, sparking Bilbao protests

Surprising zero grades

When university entrance exam results were released on 10 June, dozens of students in Bilbao were shocked to see a score of zero for the Basque language and literature test. Ane Núñez, a student at Colegio Vizcaya, had expected an 8 but received 0.65.

I left the exam very happy, the text was easy to understand so the questions were too. I expected to get an 8 and the grade they gave me is a 0.65.

Other pupils with accredited B2 or C1 Basque proficiency also obtained the minimum mark, while their grades in other subjects requiring Basque comprehension, such as philosophy, were high.

Concentration in one tribunal

All of the controversial zero grades came from a single examining body, Tribunal 11, located at the Faculty of Economics and Business on the Sarriko campus. According to reports, around 60 examinees got a zero and another 40 scored below 2. The affected students belonged to six publicly funded private schools that use Spanish as the main teaching language, model A. Their surnames fell between I and S, placing them in two specific classrooms where the same correctors assessed the papers.

Student protests and demands

On Monday, over 100 pupils and parents gathered outside the Engineering School in Bilbao, near San Mamés, to demand explanations. "Tanto cero parece un matadero" (So many zeros looks like a slaughterhouse), they chanted. The students, backed by their schools, requested an extraordinary and complete review of the exam scripts. They fear the zeroes could block them from entering their chosen degree courses.

University process and political reaction

The University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) has not formally addressed the anomaly, instead reminding candidates that the standard review process remains open until midnight on 15 June. Under the rules, a second corrector re-evaluates the paper, and if the new score is higher the two marks are averaged. Basque education minister Begoña Pedrosa demanded "total transparency" from the university, while the opposition People's Party called for official explanations.

total transparency

What's next

The revised grades will be published on 22 June, and students who requested a review may then ask to see their marked scripts on 23–24 June. Those still dissatisfied can sit the extraordinary exam session on 30 June to 2 July.