How the Disability Quota Works in Spanish Oposiciones

Under the TREBEP, the Estatuto Básico del Empleado Público, at least 7% of the vacancies in every oferta de empleo público must be reserved for people with disabilities, with at least 2% of the total reserved specifically for people who accredit an intellectual disability, and the remainder, up to a maximum of 5%, for people with other types of disability. A person with disability is defined for these purposes as someone recognised with a degree of disability equal to or greater than 33%. This quota is not a separate, easier process; it is a reserved block of places within the same convocatoria, and candidates who apply under it still have to pass the same exercises as everyone else.

How the quota shows up in a convocatoria

Each convocatoria states, in its bases, the number of plazas reserved under the disability quota for that specific call, broken down by the intellectual disability sub-quota and the general disability sub-quota. Candidates applying under this quota compete for a separate, smaller pool of vacancies than the general turno libre pool, ranked among themselves, which can produce a different nota de corte from the general list, sometimes lower and sometimes not, depending entirely on how many candidates apply within that specific quota that year.

What the quota does not change

The quota affects how plazas are allocated, not the content or difficulty of the exam itself. Candidates applying under the disability quota sit the same temario and the same exercises as general candidates, with the same negative marking rules where applicable. What can be adapted is the exam format’s accessibility, such as extra time or adapted materials, when the candidate has formally requested and justified an adaptation ahead of the exam, as provided for in the specific convocatoria.

Applying for reserved plazas without accrediting disability status is not an option

To apply under the quota, a candidate must formally accredit the required degree of disability, typically through the official certificate issued by the competent body, submitted within the application process alongside the general instancia. Missing this accreditation, or submitting it after the stated deadline, generally means the application is processed under the general turno instead, not the reserved quota.

Does this interact with promoción interna?

The disability quota operates as its own reserved block primarily within turno libre. It is a separate mechanism from promoción interna, which is restricted to existing funcionarios moving up a group or across corps; the two systems address different situations and can both apply within the same overall convocatoria without overlapping.

Where does this quota apply across the exams on this site?

The general framework applies across national civil service corps, including Auxiliar Administrativo del Estado, Administrativo del Estado C1 and the Cuerpo de Maestros, since the TREBEP’s quota rule applies to public employment offers across administrations, though the specific number of reserved plazas for a given call is always set out in that call’s own bases, not by a fixed nationwide figure.

Frequently asked questions

Is the disability quota exam easier than the general exam? No, the exercises and syllabus are the same; the quota changes the allocation of vacancies, not the exam content, though reasonable adaptations to exam conditions can apply when requested and justified.

What degree of disability qualifies for the quota? A recognised degree equal to or greater than 33%, accredited through the official certificate required by the specific convocatoria.

Can I apply under both the general turno and the disability quota? Generally you choose which quota to apply under when submitting your instancia; check the specific convocatoria’s bases for how it handles this.

Does the disability quota’s nota de corte tend to be lower than the general one? Not necessarily; it depends on how many candidates apply within that specific quota relative to the reserved plazas that year, which varies by convocatoria.

Is the 7% quota the same figure for every Spanish public administration? The TREBEP sets this as a general minimum floor applying across public employment offers, though the specific number of reserved plazas in a given convocatoria always comes from that call’s own bases.