Doing mock exams is the practice that correlates most with passing a Spanish civil service exam. That's not opinion: it's something seen year after year in who makes the cut and who doesn't. The candidate who arrives at the real exam with 20-30 complete mocks behind them has a huge advantage over one who arrives with 2 or 3.
In this guide you'll see the 7 best mock exams you can do right now in 2026, how to choose the right one for your cuerpo, what mistakes to avoid and how to combine them with AI to maximise learning.
Why mock exams are the most undervalued tool#
The average candidate spends 80% of time reading and memorising syllabus, and only 20% practising tests and mocks. When they reach the exam they discover:
- They weren't used to time pressure.
- Real questions have nuances their routine tests didn't train.
- Their tired brain, under pressure, fails things they knew.
The right investment for a serious oposición is 40-50% of time on tests and mocks, especially in the last 3 months. And not loose tests: complete mocks in real conditions.
What makes a good mock exam#
Before listing the 7 best, the objective criteria:
- Real call format. Same number of questions, same options, same error penalty (if applicable).
- Timed. Visible timer, auto-lock at the end.
- No breaks or external help. If you pause, it's not a mock.
- Correction with explanation. "Wrong" isn't enough, you need to know why and where to learn it.
- Post-mortem analysis. Hits by topic block to identify weak areas.
- Comparison with previous mocks. To see real progress.
- Review integration. Mistakes should enter your spaced repetition queue, not stay isolated.
The 7 best mock exams for oposiciones in 2026#
1. Oposilab mock exams (recommended)#
Cuerpos covered: Auxiliar Administrativo, Administrativo del Estado, Hacienda (Agente and Técnico), Correos, Gestión Procesal, Auxilio Judicial and other general bodies.
Why it stands out:
- AI-generated with exact official format of each call.
- Timer, lock and auto-correction.
- Each mistake tells you where to study it in the syllabus and adds to your spaced repetition.
- Block analysis with evolution chart.
- Free plan with enough mocks to start.
Cost: Free with limits; Pro from 19€/month with unlimited mocks.
2. Official calls from INAP / ministries#
Real exams from past calls are pure gold. They tell you exactly what kind of questions your tribunal asks, which topics weigh more, what level of detail they demand.
Where to find them:
- INAP website for AGE.
- Website of each convening ministry (Hacienda, Justicia, etc.).
- Candidate forums like Forocoches Oposiciones section or OpositapApp.
Limitation: not auto-corrected, no integrated timer. You do them old-school: print, phone timer, self-correct. Even so, irreplaceable in the final weeks.
3. Adams - premium mock exams#
Cuerpos covered: practically all major ones.
Traditional academy with digital version. High quality in established cuerpos, mocks with detailed correction. Usually included in their annual packs.
Limitation: expensive (60-200€/month), no AI, static mocks (questions repeat between mocks).
4. CEF.- mocks and tests#
Similar to Adams in philosophy and price. Especially strong in Hacienda and Inspección. Good reputation but also traditional, no adaptive tests.
5. OposPlus#
Online platform with mocks and tests for Justice and administration oposiciones. Freemium model with plans from 15€/month.
Limitation: uneven coverage between cuerpos. Some are very complete, others poor.
6. Aristotest#
Test generator with community questions. Useful to complement but not a real mock — more a base of loose tests. Great for volume practice.
7. Quizizz / Kahoot (community use)#
For some oposiciones there are Telegram groups where candidates share Quizizz/Kahoot quizzes. Useful for light review and community, but not serious mocks because they lack official format and BOE-cited correction.
How to maximise a mock exam#
Doing mocks without method is wasting time. The protocol that works:
Before the mock#
- No phone, no open tabs. If you do it "like it's real", you train your concentration as for D-day.
- At the same time as the real exam. If your official exam is at 09:00, do mocks at 09:00. The brain performs differently at different hours.
- No extra coffee or tricks. On exam day you won't have a Red Bull in your system. Do mocks in your normal conditions.
During the mock#
- Read each statement twice, especially the first 5. That's where nerves cause most mistakes.
- Never quit a mock halfway even if you're doing badly. Learning to sustain an exam going wrong is part of training.
- Mark doubtful questions to review at the end if time allows.
After the mock (the key part)#
This is where 80% of the learning happens. But almost no one does it right.
- Look first at the total score and compare with previous mocks.
- Review each mistake one by one. Not just "ah, it was B". Read the explanation, go to the BOE article, understand the nuance.
- Note patterns. Do you always fail questions in the same block? Questions with double negatives? When there's an error penalty?
- Put each mistake in spaced repetition. If your platform doesn't do it automatically, do it by hand (Anki, Excel with next review date).
- Decide the next block to reinforce. The mock is shouting it at you.
How many mocks you need#
Depends on the cuerpo and how long you've been preparing:
- First month: 1 mock per week. You're still absorbing syllabus.
- Months 2-4: 2 mocks per week, one per topic block.
- Months 5-6 (intermediate prep): 3 mocks per week, alternating blocks.
- Last 2 months before exam: 1 complete mock every day.
Total estimated in a 9-month prep: 50-80 complete mocks. Sounds like a lot, but spread over time it's perfectly feasible.
Common mock-exam mistakes (and how to avoid them)#
1. Starting mocks too soon#
Doing complete mocks in week one demotivates. You don't know 90% yet and will score 1-2 out of 10. Wait at least 3-4 weeks studying syllabus before the first complete mock. Meanwhile, block-level tests yes.
2. Not timing#
"I'll do it relaxed to understand the format". That's not a mock, it's reviewing questions. The timer is half the value.
3. Doing them without real pressure#
Phone nearby, pausing to look things up, talking to someone. All that fakes the result and doesn't train what you must train: performing when under pressure and alone.
4. Not reviewing mistakes#
The biggest sin. Repeating mocks without understanding failures means you'll fail the same in the real exam.
5. Comparing yourself too much with others#
Forums and Telegram groups are full of people sharing scores. The only useful comparison is with yourself 2 weeks ago. If your score climbs, you're doing well, even if others score higher.
Optimised mock + AI plan#
Combine the best of mock exams with spaced repetition to reach the exam with maximum coverage:
- Monday: complete mock (~60-90 min depending on cuerpo).
- Tuesday: thorough error review (~60 min). Each mistake to review queue.
- Wednesday and Thursday: adaptive tests focused on the worst blocks of the mock.
- Friday: daily spaced-repetition queue (~30 min).
- Saturday: another complete mock + comparison with Monday's.
- Sunday: rest or light review (no more than 30 min).
With this cycle for 8-12 weeks before the exam, you arrive with 20-30 complete mocks, processed errors and weak blocks worked.
Frequently asked questions#
How long should I spend on the first mock?#
What your official call indicates. If the real exam is 100 questions in 90 minutes, the mock too. Don't shorten time even if it seems too little: the real exam will be that time.
Better paper or online mocks?#
Day-to-day, online (better correction and analysis). The final month, alternate: the official exam will be on paper (in most cuerpos), your brain also needs to train in that format.
Are AI mock exams reliable compared to real ones?#
Yes, as long as the AI is connected to the updated official syllabus. A good specialised platform (like Oposilab) generates questions based on format, difficulty and structure of previous calls. Generic AIs like ChatGPT carry hallucination risk — explained here.
How many free mocks can I do on Oposilab?#
The free plan allows several mocks per month, enough for the first 1-2 months. The Pro plan (19€/month) unlocks unlimited.
Are mocks from very old calls useful?#
Yes, if the regulation hasn't changed. For oposiciones with stable regulation (procedures, State organisation), 2015-2020 mocks are useful. For legal topics in constant change (taxation, data protection), use only after verifying the law is still in force.
Why do I score worse on mocks than on per-topic tests?#
It's normal. The per-topic test only assesses one block; the complete mock measures you under time pressure and with questions from the whole syllabus mixed. Don't be discouraged. That gap is exactly what you must close before the exam.
Start your first mock#
The difference between a candidate who passes and one who falls short isn't usually intelligence. It's accumulated mock hours. Start today, even if it's a short one.
To go deeper into how to organise your study with AI, read the complete guide to preparing oposiciones with AI or learn about adaptive tests.
