The Debate on Misinformation and Texts of the First Spanish Republic on the Second Day of University Entrance Exams in Alicante

Yesterday was dedicated to Spanish Language and Literature and History of Philosophy, while today focused on Foreign Language and Spanish History. The university entrance exams continued this Wednesday with the second of three days, starting with mandatory subjects in the morning and optional ones in the afternoon.

Following the changes implemented in this edition of the exam, students have had to apply themselves more than in previous years. For History, until this session, preparing for either the 19th or 20th century was sufficient to aim for the highest score. However, this year, questions could cover any period or focus solely on one, with the 19th century dominating the exam.

Among the two texts for the historical source commentary exercise, students had to choose one, describe the type of source, analyze its content, and context. Regarding the two topics to develop, one pertained to the First Spanish Republic and the other to the Bourbon Restoration. In this section, which requires linking aspects of both centuries, students had to explain the processes of political crisis and the establishment of the First and Second Republics in Spain.

Regarding the English exam (the majority choice for the foreign language test), it was based on an adaptation of an article published in The Guardian, prompting candidates to reflect on the advisability of introducing media literacy in schools, or in other words, tools to detect fake news or misinformation.

The comprehension section included various types of exercises: statements to mark as true or false, short-answer questions based on the text, an activity to match synonyms indicated in the statement with four underlined words from the article, and three multiple-choice questions with four options each.

In the writing section, students were required to compose a personal text choosing between two topics: expressing their opinion on teaching media skills in educational centers or recounting their experience or perspective on fake news and misinformation.