The oposición for the Cuerpo de Ayudantes de Instituciones Penitenciarias runs its first exercise in two separately scored parts, and mixing up the two is an easy way to prepare for the wrong pass mark. Here is exactly what the primer ejercicio looks like under the current convocatoria.
How many questions are on the Ayudante de Instituciones Penitenciarias exam?
The primer ejercicio has 160 scored questions across two parts. The primera parte carries 120 multiple-choice questions in 105 minutes, covering the full syllabus: Organización del Estado, Personal Penitenciario, Derecho Administrativo, Voluntariado y Políticas Sociales, Gobierno Abierto and Gestión Financiera. The segunda parte is built from 8 supuestos prácticos, case-based scenarios of 5 linked questions each, for 40 questions total, in a maximum of 80 minutes. Together that is 185 minutes of exam time. All of this comes from the current convocatoria, the Resolución de 14 de junio de 2026 (BOE-A-2026-13226) issued by the Subsecretaría del Ministerio del Interior, offering 1050 plazas.
The primera parte also carries up to 3 reserve questions on top of its 120. These are not scored unless the órgano de selección later annuls one of the main questions, in which case a reserve question steps in to replace it.
What is the pass mark?
You need 10 of 20 points in each part, and both parts are eliminatory. The primera parte and the segunda parte are each scored on a 0 to 20 scale, and clearing 10 in one part does not offset falling short in the other. There is an important sequencing rule too: the segunda parte is only corrected for candidates who already passed the primera parte, so a weak primera parte score can knock out your segunda parte answers before anyone reads them.
Is there negative marking?
Yes. Every wrong answer deducts one third of the value of a correct answer, while a blank answer costs nothing. That makes leaving a question unanswered the safer choice whenever you cannot eliminate at least one of the four options, since guessing among all four carries a real chance of a net loss.
What happens in the second exercise?
The selection process’s second exercise is not a written test at all. It is a medical fitness examination, marked only Apto or No Apto, with no questions to answer or study. It sits outside the primer ejercicio described above, and it is not something a practice app can meaningfully prepare you for, so this app focuses entirely on the written test.
Ayudante de Instituciones Penitenciarias exam format at a glance
| Primera parte | Segunda parte | |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 120 (+3 reserva) | 40 (8 supuestos x 5 questions) |
| Time limit | 105 minutes | 80 minutes |
| Format | Multiple-choice, full syllabus | Case-based supuestos prácticos |
| Scale | 0 to 20 points | 0 to 20 points |
| Pass mark | 10 of 20 points | 10 of 20 points, only corrected if primera parte is passed |
| Wrong-answer penalty | -1/3 of a correct answer’s value | -1/3 of a correct answer’s value |
| Blank answers | Not penalised | Not penalised |
| Convocatoria | BOE-A-2026-13226 | BOE-A-2026-13226 |
Because the segunda parte is only marked once you clear the primera parte, and because the two case-study bloques (supuestos prácticos and the underlying legal categories) reward a different kind of practice than straight recall questions, the most useful preparation covers both formats rather than drilling only multiple-choice. This app runs timed mocks that follow the primera and segunda parte question counts and time limits from the current convocatoria, scored with the real one-third penalty and the two eliminatory 0-to-20 scales, alongside a full bank of supuesto prácticos for the case-study format.