The PSU measures knowledge learned throughout high school and replaces the older SIES and PAA which measured only aptitude or abilities. To achieve a good score the applicants need to study and learn throughout high school and cannot practice mechanical exercises only. The PSU is more comprehensive than the previous tests and there may be plans to change the PSU again in the future.

The current rankings can be found on the La Tercera Chile website in the education section. It is called “Los 100 Mejores Colegios de la PSU 2010” and can be downloaded as a PDF file. The top schools are almost always in Santiago as you would expect for a city the size of Santiago. There are several columns starting with Region, Dependencia (type of school), nombre (name), comuna (area), rinden (how many took the test) and promedio (average)

The test is given as a multiple choice test and graded on a sliding scale. The point range is from 150 to 850. Each college major has different requirements and uses the PSU along with the personal averages of students in their selection process. The PSU is four tests given over a two day period. The two obligatory tests are in Language and Communication and Mathematics. The other two with options are History and Social Studies and Science. The science choices are biology, Physics and Chemistry and are chosen according to career path. Any time a student changes their major the PSU must be repeated or if a student transfers to another school. In chile it is not common to take your time choosing a major. The paths are very precise and can take much longer to complete than a similar career choice in another country.

There are three types of schools in Chile. (Privado) Private schools are schools with tuition paid by the students. (Municipal) The public schools are funded by tax money and (Subvencionado) the subsidized schools are paid by both taxes and tuition. The schools are ranked all together regardless of the number of students or type of school. Some would say this is not fair and as the results show year after year the odds are clearly stacked against public schools.

In more than half of all public schools and one third of subsidized schools more than half of those students scored less than 450 points. The government claims that the strikes do not affect student scores and puts the blame back onto the parents stating that students from private schools have better access to books, culture and internet and that their parents have a higher level of culture. There is much controversy surrounding the subject and hopefully things will get better in the public schools to close this huge gap. It would be a safe bet to put your child in a private school if you are considering relocating to Chile especially if they will be attending college in Chile.