Official source · free to use

ICS past exam papers: question papers and answer keys

The ICS publishes the exam papers of its previous recruitment rounds together with their answer keys. Here they all are, by year, with the real format of each sitting and a direct link to the official document. Free, no sign-up.

7 official papers38 PDFs linkedNursing A2-129 and TCAI C2-159

We host none of these PDFs: every link points at ics.gencat.cat, which publishes them. That way you always open the current version and the source is visible in the address bar.

What you will find here

  1. 01What these papers are and why they matter
  2. 02Nursing (A2-129)
  3. 03TCAI / TCAE (C2-159)
  4. 04Which papers publish a criteria page
  5. 05Do wrong answers subtract?
  6. 06Four things to know before you start
  7. 07Frequently asked questions

01

What these papers are and why they matter

Every time the ICS opens a recruitment round, the examining board writes a paper and, some time later, publishes the paper itself and its answer key on its exam-preparation support page. These are the very sheets the people who passed sat in front of.

They are the best available indicator of what actually gets asked. The official syllabus tells you what the exam is about; the past papers tell you how it is asked: how much weight each block carries, how many questions are negative ("which one is FALSE"), which guidelines and laws are cited by name, and how much detail is expected.

They are also the only honest way to learn the format. The ICS does not fix the number of questions in the terms of the call: each board decides it in a formal minute, and the number ends up printed on the cover of the paper. That is why this page tells you, paper by paper, how many questions there were and how long candidates had.

How to use them

  1. Start with the most recent paper for your category: it is the closest thing to what you will sit.
  2. Do it against the clock, in one go, with no notes. Write down how long you actually needed.
  3. Mark it with the answer key and count your errors by topic, not just the total.
  4. Go back to the syllabus only for the topics you got wrong, and drill them with short tests.
  5. Keep a second model (B, C or D) to re-sit the paper a few weeks later: same questions, different order.

02

Nursing A2-129

Registered nurse (diplomat/ada sanitari/ària en infermeria). Four published papers: 2015, 2016, 2018 and the stabilisation round.

2018

Open round 2018

Sat on: 12.05.2019 · 4 models A–D

Format76 test + 24 practical 100 questions in total · 3 practical cases (7 + 7 + 10 questions) Time: 2 h
Criteria pageYes board minute of 12.04.2019
Wrong answers penalised?No: a wrong answer scores zero

This is the 100-question paper: 76 test questions plus 24 on the practical cases. It is where the belief that the ICS exam always has 100 questions comes from.

2016

Internal promotion 2016

Sat on: 11.06.2017 · Single model

Format50 test + 20 practical 70 questions in total · 1 practical case, chosen from 2 Time: not stated on the paper
Criteria pageNone published
Wrong answers penalised?Not stated anywhere on the paper
Official documents

The only paper in the set where the candidate had to choose between two practical cases. The PDF prints both cases (90 items), but only 70 were answered.

2015

Open round 2015

Sat on: 19.06.2016 · 4 models A–D

Format100 test 100 questions in total · no practical section in this PDF Time: not stated on the paper
Criteria pageNone published
Wrong answers penalised?Not stated anywhere on the paper

Careful: several questions ask you to "mark the 2 (or 3) correct answers". That format no longer exists; the current terms state four options with only one correct. Useful for the general format and block weights, not as a realistic mock.

03

TCAI / TCAE C2-159

Healthcare assistant (tècnic/a especialista en cures auxiliars d'infermeria). Three published papers: 2015, 2018 and the stabilisation round. The 2016 round did not include this category.

2022

Stabilisation · call code 100

Sat on: 2024 · 4 models A–D

Format60 test + 20 practical 80 questions in total · 2 practical cases of 10 questions Time: 1 h 40 min
Criteria pageYes board minute of 08.05.2024
Wrong answers penalised?No: a wrong answer scores zero

On the ICS page the labels for model C are swapped: the link that says "question paper" opens the answer key and vice versa. The links on this page point at each file by its real content, checked by opening them.

2018

Open round 2018

Sat on: 02.06.2019 · Single model

Format59 test + 21 practical 80 questions in total · 3 practical cases of 7 questions Time: 90 min
Criteria pageYes board minute of 07.05.2019
Wrong answers penalised?No: a wrong answer scores zero
Official documents
2015

Open round 2015

Sat on: 19.06.2016 · Single model

Format80 test 80 questions in total · no practical section in this PDF Time: not stated on the paper
Criteria pageNone published
Wrong answers penalised?Not stated anywhere on the paper
Official documents

The published PDF contains the test only. Its content reflects regulations and guidelines that have since changed.

04

Which papers publish a criteria page

The 2018 and stabilisation papers carry, on their last page, a "RECULL dels criteris de realització" reproducing the board's minute: how many questions in each exercise, what each question is worth, what happens to wrong answers, and how long candidates had. Every figure in the tables above comes from there.

The 2015 and 2016 papers carry none. About those, only what is printed on the covers and section dividers can be asserted: which question numbers each exercise runs from and to. They say nothing about scoring, time or penalties — and neither do we.

PaperCriteria pageRule on wrong answersEvidence
Nursing 2022YesNo: a wrong answer scores zero«Les preguntes no contestades i les contestades erròniament no descomptaran i, per tant, no tindran cap valor.» — board minute of 08.05.2024
Nursing 2018YesNo: a wrong answer scores zero«Les preguntes no contestades i les contestades erròniament no tindran cap valor.» — board minute of 12.04.2019
Nursing 2016None publishedNot stated anywhere on the paper
Nursing 2015None publishedNot stated anywhere on the paper
TCAI / TCAE 2022YesNo: a wrong answer scores zero«Les preguntes contestades erròniament no descomptaran i, per tant, no tindran cap valor.» — board minute of 08.05.2024
TCAI / TCAE 2018YesNo: a wrong answer scores zero«Les preguntes no contestades i les contestades erròniament no tindran cap valor.» — board minute of 07.05.2019
TCAI / TCAE 2015None publishedNot stated anywhere on the paper

The quotations are verbatim, in Catalan, exactly as printed on the paper.

05

Do wrong answers subtract?

In every published paper that says so, no. The criteria page states it flatly and always in the same direction: a wrong answer scores zero, exactly like a blank one.

So in those sittings, answering everything always beat leaving blanks. But it is a rule set per round and per category, not a law of the system.

Do wrong answers subtract?

For the round now under way (100-2025), the DOGC terms set no penalty and the nursing and TCAI boards have not yet published their criteria minute. In July 2026 eight boards from other categories published theirs, and five of them apply a ¼ deduction. Until your category's minute appears, nobody can tell you with certainty whether wrong answers will subtract.

06

Four things to know before you start

  • There is no paper for the 100-2025 round yet: these seven are all that exist.
  • The PDFs are scans, not text. They read fine, but you cannot search or copy text in them.
  • The answer keys are optical mark sheets: you mark your paper by hand, cell by cell.
  • The 2015 and 2016 content reflects guidelines and regulations that have changed. Use them for format and block weights, not to memorise the answers.
Free · official source

We have already counted them, question by question

We read all seven papers and classified every question against the syllabus: how much weight the shared block really carries, which topics always come up and which have never appeared. The report is free and cites the source of every figure.

Read the exam analysis

Exam analysis

Sit the official paper online, with instant marking

We have digitised, question by question, the most recent official paper for each category. You sit it against the clock in the paper's own format and it is marked instantly, with an explanation for every answer. Requires access to that category.

The remaining papers are PDF only for now: the links above.

Frequently asked questions

Where does the ICS publish its past papers?

On the "Informació de suport per preparar l'oposició" page of the ICS website, in the permanent-employment section. It lists, per category and per round, the question paper and the answer key for each sitting. The links on this page go straight there.

How many past papers are there for nursing and for TCAI/TCAE?

Four for nursing (open round 2015, internal promotion 2016, open round 2018 and the stabilisation paper of call 100) and three for TCAI (open round 2015, open round 2018 and the stabilisation paper). 38 PDFs in total, counting papers and answer keys.

What is the patró de correcció?

It is the answer key the board publishes: an optical mark sheet with the correct answer to every question, model by model. You use it to mark your own paper.

How many questions does the ICS exam have?

There is no fixed number. Across the published rounds the test has ranged from 50 to 100 questions depending on the year and the category: nursing sat 70 test questions plus 25 practical ones in the most recent round, TCAI 60 plus 20. Each board fixes the number in a minute published beforehand.

Are the 2015 papers still useful for studying?

For the format and the weight of each block, yes. For content, use them with care: they reflect regulations and guidelines that have since changed, and they include multiple-response questions, a format the current terms no longer allow.

Can these papers be downloaded for free?

Yes. They are public ICS documents, with no sign-up and no payment. We only link to them: every link opens the PDF on the ICS website.

See the questions →

Source and terms of use

Every document linked here belongs to the Institut Català de la Salut and is published on its website. This page only indexes and describes them; it hosts no copy and alters no content.

Reuse of public-sector information of the Generalitat is permitted provided the source and its update date are cited and its logos and emblems are not used. That is what we do here.

Papers downloaded on 27.07.2026 · Links checked on 31.07.2026 · 38 PDF

OposICS is an independent project, with no affiliation to the Institut Català de la Salut or the Generalitat de Catalunya.