Around 500 High School Students Participate in IQS's "Get Ready for University Entrance Exams" Workshops

A total of 479 high school students from Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and Andorra participated in one or more sessions of the “Get Ready for University Entrance Exams” workshops, organized by IQS this year for the seventh consecutive year. The activity, highly rated by schools in previous editions, consolidates IQS as a benchmark in pre-university academic support in the field of Chemistry.

The workshops aim to help students face the Chemistry section of the 2025 PAU (University Entrance Exams) with greater confidence — an assessment that, according to official guidelines, seeks to verify the acquisition of competencies from the high school curriculum through exercises that may include problem-solving, description of experimental procedures, and interpretation of laboratory practices.

To offer practical and useful preparation, IQS selected five especially relevant experimental practices for the syllabus and the type of exercises that may appear on the exam. The workshops, delivered in an online format, were:

1. Experimental determination of the heat of a reaction
2. Experimental observation of equilibrium displacement by varying concentration, pressure, or temperature
3. Obtaining and interpreting the titration curve of a strong acid or strong base
4. Observation of solubility equilibria of sparingly soluble ionic compounds
5. Experimental determination of the EMF of a galvanic cell

Under the coordination of Dr. M. Victòria Codera, professor in the Department of Analytical and Applied Chemistry at IQS, and with the support of doctoral student Karina Dueñas, the workshops were held throughout February in ten virtual sessions. With free but mandatory registration, participants received supporting documentation in advance to better follow the practice.

Each session began with an introductory explanation of how the laboratory works. Dr. Codera then carried out the experiment live, combining pre-recorded footage with explanations and questions to the attendees to encourage participation. At the end, students were required to produce a conclusions report — useful material for their subsequent study.

The possibility of registering for more than one workshop meant that, despite there being 479 unique participants, a total of 1,937 registrations were recorded among students — predominantly high school students — and science teachers.

Specifically, students enrolled from the following schools in Barcelona: Canigó, Col·legi Closa, Col·legi Montserrat, Col·legi SIL, Escola Claret, Escola Pàlcam, Escola Pèrez Iborra, Escola Pia Balmes, Escola Pia de Sarrià-Calassanç, ETP Xavier, FEDAC Xarxa, Granés, IES Flos i Calcat, IES Jaume Balmes, IES LA Vall del Tenes, IES Moisès Broggi, IES Montserrat Roig, IES Narcís Monturiol, Jesuïtes de Casp, Jesuïtes Gràcia, Jesús Maria Sant Andreu, Jesús Maria Sant Gervasi, La Salle Bonanova, Loreto Abat-Oliba, Oak House, Padre Damián Sagrados Corazones, Pare Manyanet – Les Corts, Pare Manyanet – Sant Andreu, Sagrado Corazón – Corazonistas, Sagrat Cor Sarrià, Saint Nicholas School, Salessians de Sarrià, Santa Maria dels Apòstols, Stucom, and Vedruna Gràcia.

From the rest of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, students enrolled from the following schools: Agora International School (Sant Cugat del Vallès), CE Dolmen (L’Hospitalet de Llobregat), Col.legi Natzaret (Esplugues de Llobregat), Col·legi Sant Josep Obrer (L’Hospitalet de Llobregat), Colegio Alemán de Barcelona (Esplugues de Llobregat), El Pinar de Nuestra Señora (Sant Cugat del Vallès), Escola Joan XXIII (Tarragona), Escola Pia de Granollers, Escola Pia de Terrassa, Escola Pia de Sitges, Escola Pia d’Igualada, Escola Sant Nicolau (Sabadell), Escola Xarxa (Berga), Freta (Mataró), Gresol International School (Terrassa), Hamelin-Laie (Montgat), IES Alexandre Satorras (Mataró), IES Arraona (Sabadell), IES Baix Penedès (El Vendrell), IES Banús (Cerdanyola del Vallès), IES Bisbe Berenguer (L’Hospitalet de Llobregat), IES Bosc de la Coma (Olot), IES Camps Blancs (Sant Boi de Llobregat), IES Can Peixauet (Santa Coloma de Gramanet), IES Caparrella (Lleida), IES Cirvianum (Torelló), IES d’Alcarràs, IES de Mollet del Vallès, IES de Terrassa, IES de Tremp, IES de Vic, IES Duc de Montblanc (Rubí), IES El Castell (Esparraguera), IES Ermengol IV (Bellcaire d’Urgell), IES Ermenessenda de Girona (Girona), IES Escola Intermunicipal del Penedès (Sant Sadurní d’Anoia), IES Esteve Albert (Sant Vicenç de Montalt), IES Esteve Terrades i Illa (Cornellà de Llobregat), IES Fonts de la Glorieta (Alcover), IES Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia (Sant Joan Despí), IES Frances Xavier Lluch i Rafecas (Vilanova i la Geltrú), IES Frederic Mompou (Sant Vicenç dels Horts), IES Jaume Huguet (Valls), IES Jaume Mimó (Cerdanyola del Vallès), IES Josep Lladonosa (Lleida), IES Josep Mestres i Busquets (Viladecans), IES La Ferreria (Montcada i Reixach), IES La Girada de Vilafranca (Vilafranca del Penedès), IES La Serra (Sabadell), IES Les Vinyes (Sant Coloma de Gramanet), IES Lluís Companys (Tordera), IES Manuel Vázquez Montalbán (Sant Adrià del Besós), IES Marianao (Sant Boi de Llobregat), IES Mediterrània (Castelldefels), IES Montpedrós (Sant Coloma de Cervelló), IES Montsacopa (Olot), IES Nou de Vilafranca (Vilafranca del Penedés), IES Olorda (Sant Feliu de Llobregat), IES Pere Vives i Vich (Igualada), IES Pompeu Fabra (Martorell), IES Pons d’Icart (Tarragona), IES Puig de la Creu (Castellar del Vallès), IES Ribera Baixa (El Prat del Llobregat), IES Ribera de Sió (Agramunt), IES Ronda (Lleida), IES Salvador Vilaseca (Reus), IES Santiago Sobrequés i Vidal (Girona), IES Sarrià de Ter, IES Ses Estacions (Palma de Mallorca), IES Sunsi Mora (Canet de Mar), IES Ticeris (Sarrià de Ter), IES Torrent de les Bruixes (Santa Coloma de Gramanet), IES Vallès (Sabadell), IES Vidreres, IES Vallvera (Salt), IES Vinyes Velles (Montornés del Vallès), IES Vinyet (Sitges), Immaculada Concepció (Lloret de Mar), Jesuïtes Lleida (Raimat), La Pineda (L’Hospitalet de Llobregat), Les Alzines (Girona), Maristes Rubí, Mestral (Sant Feliu de Llobregat), Mireia (Montgat), Montjuïc Girona International School (Girona), San Cayetano (Palma de Mallorca), Santo Ángel (Gavá), SEK International School (La Garriga), St. George School (Fornells de la Selva), and Tecla Sala (L’Hospitalet del Llobregat).