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Key Facts: USAC Derecho Específica Exam

4 sittings

Testing opportunities per admissions cycle, all in modalidad virtual for the 2026 cycle

Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales, USAC — Prueba Específica

Q0.00

Fee charged for sitting the Prueba Específica; any charge is prohibited

Reglamento del SUN USAC, Artículo 55

Q70.00

Single fee in the whole admissions process, paid for the Prueba de Orientación Vocacional

Sección de Orientación Vocacional, USAC

2 years

Validity period of a Satisfactorio result on a Prueba Específica

Reglamento del SUN USAC, Artículo 43

1 PCB

Prerequisite basic test for this faculty: Satisfactorio in Lenguaje

Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales, USAC

61 / 100

USAC's general minimum passing mark for academic evaluations; the faculty publishes only Satisfactorio or Insatisfactorio

Reglamento de Evaluación y Promoción, USAC

Art. 82

Constitutional article establishing USAC as the autonomous sole state university

Constitución Política de la República de Guatemala

The USAC Derecho Prueba Específica is the faculty entrance examination for Guatemala's public law school at the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales). Candidates reach it after the Orientación Vocacional battery and a Satisfactorio result on the centralised SUN Prueba de Conocimientos Básicos in Lenguaje, the only basic test this faculty requires. The test is an objective multiple-choice evaluation of foundational legal notions and Guatemalan national reality, built on the faculty book 'Nociones Generales de las Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales' and the 1985 Constitution. Sittings are free of charge under Artículo 55 del Reglamento del SUN, are offered four times per admissions cycle in modalidad virtual, and a Satisfactorio result stays valid for two years under Artículo 43. The official examination is administered in Spanish; this 103-question practice bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation, not an official translation or a format simulation.

Sample USAC Derecho Específica Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the USAC Derecho Específica exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 103+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1What is the primary definition of objective law (Derecho Objetivo) as presented in foundational Guatemalan legal theory?

A.The system or collection of mandatory juridical norms, rules, and laws established by the State to regulate human conduct in society

B.The individual faculty or moral entitlement of a person to demand compliance with a legal obligation from another party

C.The innate universal set of moral truths and values derived directly from nature and human reason

D.The discretionary prerogative of judicial authorities to resolve disputes based solely on individual concepts of equity

Explanation: Objective law (Derecho Objetivo) refers to the formal body of legal norms, statutes, regulations, and constitutional provisions enacted or recognized by the State that govern human social behavior in a mandatory, binding manner. In Guatemalan jurisprudence and the USAC study syllabus, it is distinguished from subjective law (the prerogative of an individual).

2How is subjective law (Derecho Subjetivo) accurately distinguished from objective law in introductory legal science?

A.It constitutes the specific power, faculty, or entitlement granted by objective law to a legal subject to act, possess, or demand a prestation from another

B.It refers to the unwritten cultural customs and local habits observed within indigenous communities

C.It comprises the procedural deadlines established in judicial codes to submit evidence before trial judges

D.It represents the penal power of the sovereign state to punish convicted felons through custodial sentences

Explanation: Subjective law (Derecho Subjetivo) is the faculty, power, or authority that the objective legal system confers upon a subject to perform certain acts, enjoy certain goods, or demand from other subjects the fulfillment of a legal duty. For example, a creditor's right to demand payment is a subjective right born from objective civil norms.

3Which statement accurately describes the fundamental distinction between the Iusnaturalist (Derecho Natural) and Iuspositivist (Derecho Positivo) philosophical doctrines?

A.Iusnaturalism posits that law derives from universal moral principles inherent to human nature superior to state authority, while Iuspositivism holds that law consists exclusively of norms enacted and enforced by competent state organs

B.Iusnaturalism accepts only written statutory codes enacted by legislative congresses, while Iuspositivism relies solely on divine revelation and canonical texts

C.Iusnaturalism argues that the validity of law depends strictly on state coercive force, while Iuspositivism asserts that laws are valid only if approved by popular referendum

D.Iusnaturalism restricts legal application to international treaties, while Iuspositivism applies only to municipal administrative regulations

Explanation: In classical legal philosophy and the USAC preparatory outline, Iusnaturalism asserts the existence of objective moral principles and natural rights that precede and transcend human legislation, serving as the benchmark for justice. In contrast, Iuspositivism (legal positivism) holds that law is solely the product of human enactment by legitimate state authority, whose validity does not depend on moral conformity.

4In Guatemalan legal doctrine, which category of legal sources includes economic factors, historical crises, social conflicts, and political demands that induce the creation of legal norms?

A.Real or material sources (Fuentes reales o materiales)

B.Formal sources (Fuentes formales)

C.Historical sources (Fuentes históricas)

D.Secondary procedural sources (Fuentes procesales supletorias)

Explanation: Real or material sources (Fuentes reales o materiales) are the factual social, political, economic, geographical, and cultural realities of a society that determine the substantive content and necessity of legal rules. Formal sources, by contrast, are the technical processes of law enactment (legislation, jurisprudence, custom).

5What are historical sources of law (Fuentes históricas) according to Guatemalan legal science?

A.Documents, papyri, inscriptions, and ancient legal collections from the past that contain the text of expired laws and inspire modern legislation

B.Binding statutory decrees approved by the current sitting Congress of the Republic

C.Executive decrees issued during declared states of siege under the Ley de Orden Público

D.International commercial arbitration awards enforced within the domestic jurisdiction

Explanation: Historical sources (Fuentes históricas) are the historical documents, legislative compilations, and legal texts of former eras (such as the Código de Hammurabi, Las Siete Partidas, or the 1879 Constitution of Guatemala) that allow jurists to study how legal systems evolved and serve as inspiration for current statutes.

6Under Article 2 of the Ley del Organismo Judicial (Decreto 2-89), what is the primary source of the Guatemalan legal system, and what status is given to custom (costumbre)?

A.The statute (la ley) is the primary source; custom will only govern in the absence of applicable statutory law or by statutory delegation, provided it is not contrary to morality or public order and is proven

B.Custom is the supreme source and prevails unconditionally over any written ordinary statute enacted by Congress

C.Judicial doctrine is the primary source; statutory law only applies if verified by three concurrent rulings of local courts of peace

D.Executive circulars are the primary source; statutory codes serve only as non-binding technical guidelines

Explanation: Article 2 of the Ley del Organismo Judicial (Decreto 2-89 del Congreso de la República) expressly states: 'La ley es la fuente del ordenamiento jurídico. La jurisprudencia, establecida conforme a la ley, la complementará. La costumbre sólo regirá en defecto de ley aplicable o por delegación de ésta, siempre que no sea contraria a la moral o al orden público y resulte probada.'

7Under Article 174 of the Political Constitution of Guatemala, which of the following institutions exclusively possesses legislative initiative (iniciativa de ley)?

A.Deputies of Congress, the Executive Organ, the Supreme Court of Justice, the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, and the Supreme Electoral Tribunal

B.The Attorney General of the Republic, the Human Rights Ombudsman, and registered labor unions

C.Mayors of municipal capitals, the Guatemalan Bar Association (CANG), and commercial chambers of commerce

D.The Comptroller General of Accounts, the Ministry of Public Health, and the national police directorate

Explanation: Article 174 of the Constitution (Iniciativa de ley) restricts the constitutional initiative to propose bills exclusively to five entities: 1) Los diputados al Congreso de la República, 2) El Organismo Ejecutivo, 3) La Corte Suprema de Justicia, 4) La Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (USAC), and 5) El Tribunal Supremo Electoral (TSE).

8During the formal legislative process in the Guatemalan Congress, how many plenary readings (debates) are generally required to discuss and approve a bill before article-by-article voting?

A.Three readings conducted in separate sessions on different days, unless Congress declares national emergency by a two-thirds majority

B.A single public reading followed immediately by an irrevocable secret ballot

C.Five sequential readings interspersed with mandatory public consultations in each department

D.Two readings before the Executive Cabinet followed by an advisory review by the Bar Association

Explanation: Under Article 176 of the Constitution of Guatemala, once a bill has received a favorable committee report, it is put to discussion in three distinct plenary sessions held on different days. Only after being sufficiently debated across three readings does Congress proceed to article-by-article voting, except when Congress declares the matter an emergency (urgencia nacional) by a qualified two-thirds vote.

9Under Article 178 of the Constitution of Guatemala, within what timeframe may the President of the Republic exercise the power of veto against a decree approved by Congress?

A.Within fifteen (15) days of receiving the decree, returning it to Congress with formal objections

B.Within thirty (30) calendar days following mandatory review by the Supreme Court

C.Within forty-eight (48) hours of congressional approval during an ordinary sitting

D.At any time prior to the annual opening session of the subsequent legislative year

Explanation: Article 178 of the CPRG (Veto) establishes that the President of the Republic, in Council of Ministers, may return the decree to Congress within 15 days of its receipt, accompanied by the observations deemed pertinent. If the Executive fails to return the decree within these 15 days, the law is considered sanctioned and must be promulgated.

10What is 'Primacía Legislativa' under Article 179 of the Political Constitution of Guatemala?

A.The constitutional power of Congress to reject a presidential veto by a two-thirds majority of its total members and mandate the law's immediate publication

B.The priority given to international commercial treaties over ordinary municipal ordinances

C.The privilege of deputies to introduce budget amendments without executive consent

D.The permanent authority of the Congressional Directorate to overrule Supreme Court verdicts

Explanation: Under Article 179 of the CPRG (Primacía legislativa), if the Executive vetoes a decree, Congress reconsiders the bill. If Congress rejects the presidential veto by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the total number of deputies (mayoría calificada), the Executive Organ is obligated to sanction and promulgate the law. If the President still fails to do so within 8 days, the Congressional Directorate promulgates it directly.

About the USAC Derecho Específica Exam

The Prueba Específica of the Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales at the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala is the mandatory faculty entrance examination for admission into the Licenciatura en Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales, Abogado y Notario degree program.

Exam sponsor: Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (USAC). The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

Objective multiple-choice examination sat in Spanish, covering the two areas the university lists for this faculty — Conceptos Básicos de Derecho (legal definitions, sources, classification of law, legal norms and personality) and Realidad Nacional (the Guatemalan State, the 1985 Constitution, the separation of powers, the constitutional control organs, socio-historical context and USAC autonomy) — drawn from the faculty book 'Nociones Generales de las Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales'. All four sittings of the 2026 cycle were delivered in modalidad virtual.

Time Limit

Not published; the sitting date and window appear on each candidate's constancia de asignación

Passing Score

Reported as Satisfactorio or Insatisfactorio; USAC's general Reglamento de Evaluación y Promoción sets 61/100 as the minimum passing mark, and the faculty publishes no separate cut score for this test

Exam / Certification Fees

Q0.00 (Free of charge under Artículo 55 del Reglamento del SUN; only the central USAC Orientación Vocacional fee of Q70.00 applies at the start of admissions)

Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Official sources

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

Practice-bank coverage: 4 of 103 questions (4%)

Lectura e Inferencias Lógicas (Reading & Logical Inference)

Chapter 1 of the official faculty guide: significant reading and prior knowledge; inference and intellectual connection; the phases and levels of reading (interpretación, argumentación, propuesta); and the classical logical principles (identity, non-contradiction, excluded middle, sufficient reason) applied to inference and problem solving in legal texts.

Practice-bank coverage: 25 of 103 questions (24%)

Nociones Generales del Derecho y Fuentes Jurídicas (General Notions of Law & Legal Sources)

Foundational legal definitions and concepts: definition of law; objective vs. subjective law; natural law vs. positive law; substantive vs. adjective/procedural law; branches of law (public, private, social); sources of law (material/real, formal and historical) and the primacy of statute over custom under Article 2 of the Ley del Organismo Judicial; the legislative process in Guatemala (iniciativa, discusión, aprobación, sanción, veto, promulgación, publicación and vacatio legis); the Kelsenian hierarchy of norms (constitutional, ordinary, regulatory and individualised); characteristics of legal norms (heteronomy, bilaterality, exteriority and coercibility) against moral, religious and conventional rules; legal personality and capacity (goce vs. ejercicio).

Practice-bank coverage: 30 of 103 questions (29%)

Estado, Constitución y Organización del Poder Público (State, Constitution & State Organs)

The State and its constitutive elements (population, territory, government, sovereignty and juridical order); the supreme purpose of the State under Articles 1 and 2 of the Constitution; the structure of the 1985 Constitution (dogmatic, organic and practical parts); popular sovereignty and the prohibition of subordination between the three Organos under Article 141; Organismo Legislativo (Congress, deputies, interpelación and antejuicio); Organismo Ejecutivo (President, Vice-President, Council of Ministers, refrendo and veto); Organismo Judicial (Corte Suprema de Justicia and the exclusivity of the jurisdictional function under Article 203); control and extra-power organs (Corte de Constitucionalidad, Ministerio Público, Procuraduría General de la Nación, Procurador de los Derechos Humanos, Contraloría General de Cuentas); amparo and exhibición personal; and the non-amendable articles under Article 281.

Practice-bank coverage: 20 of 103 questions (19%)

Fundamentos de Derecho Civil, Familia y Ramas Jurídicas (Civil, Family & Substantive Legal Foundations)

Family and civil concepts under the Código Civil (Decreto Ley 106): marriage as a social institution (Article 78), the absolute impediments of Article 88 and the 18-year minimum age set by Decretos 8-2015 and 13-2017; unión de hecho (Article 173); the default régimen de comunidad de gananciales (Article 126); kinship by consanguinity to the fourth degree and affinity to the second (Articles 190–192); patria potestad, tutela and alimentos; obligations, contracts, property and intestate succession; the tutelar principle of the Código de Trabajo (Decreto 1441) and the non-waivable labour rights of Article 106 of the Constitution; and criminal law basics under the Código Penal (Decreto 17-73) including legality, dolo, culpa and tentativa.

Practice-bank coverage: 24 of 103 questions (23%)

Realidad Nacional, Historia Jurídica y Autonomía de la USAC (Guatemalan National Reality & Legal History)

Guatemalan national reality and legal-political history: the October Revolution of 1944 and the institutional transformations that followed (IGSS, the first Código de Trabajo, the Banco de Guatemala and university autonomy by Decreto 12 of the Junta Revolucionaria de Gobierno); the social constitutionalism of the 1945 Constitution; the National Constituent Assembly and the 1985 Constitution; the 1996 Peace Accords and the Agreement on Identity and Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which frames Guatemala as a multiethnic, pluricultural and multilingual nation of Maya, Garífuna, Xinka and Ladino peoples, alongside the protection of ethnic groups under Article 66 of the Constitution and the 22 Mayan languages recognised through the Ley de Idiomas Nacionales; the productive apparatus (primary, secondary and tertiary sectors), remittances, labour informality and the latifundio-minifundio structure; the constitutional autonomy of USAC under Article 82, its governance under Article 83, its 5% budget allocation under Article 84 and its seats in legislative initiative and the Corte de Constitucionalidad; and scientific research method applied to the legal sciences.

Preparing for the USAC Derecho Específica Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: Reported as Satisfactorio or Insatisfactorio; USAC's general Reglamento de Evaluación y Promoción sets 61/100 as the minimum passing mark, and the faculty publishes no separate cut score for this test
Assessment: Objective multiple-choice examination sat in Spanish, covering the two areas the university lists for this faculty — Conceptos Básicos de Derecho (legal definitions, sources, classification of law, legal norms and personality) and Realidad Nacional (the Guatemalan State, the 1985 Constitution, the separation of powers, the constitutional control organs, socio-historical context and USAC autonomy) — drawn from the faculty book 'Nociones Generales de las Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales'. All four sittings of the 2026 cycle were delivered in modalidad virtual.
Time limit: Not published; the sitting date and window appear on each candidate's constancia de asignación
Exam / certification fees: Q0.00 (Free of charge under Artículo 55 del Reglamento del SUN; only the central USAC Orientación Vocacional fee of Q70.00 applies at the start of admissions) Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

Work through all 103 available questions
Review every answer and explanation
Track weak areas and revisit them
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

USAC Derecho Específica: Suggested Study Strategy

1Master the Kelsenian hierarchy of norms in Guatemala: constitutional norms (the CPRG and the leyes constitucionales — Amparo, Emisión del Pensamiento, Electoral y de Partidos Políticos, Orden Público) prevail over ordinary laws, which prevail over reglamentos and acuerdos gubernativos, which prevail over individualised acts.

2Understand the three parts of the 1985 Constitution: the Dogmatic part (Arts. 1–139, human rights), the Organic part (Arts. 140–262, state organisation and powers), and the Practical or Pragmatic part (Arts. 263–281, amparo, exhibición personal, inconstitucionalidad and constitutional reform).

3Memorise the legislative process under Articles 174–180: the five holders of legislative initiative, discussion in three sessions on different days (Art. 176), the 15-day presidential veto (Art. 178), the two-thirds override known as primacía legislativa (Art. 179), and the eight-day vacatio legis (Art. 180).

4Distinguish legal capacity: capacidad de goce runs with legal personality, which Article 1 of the Código Civil ties to birth while treating the unborn as born for whatever favours it; capacidad de ejercicio arrives with majority at 18 under Article 8, with limited capacity for some acts from 14.

5Review kinship under the Código Civil: Article 190 recognises consanguinity within the fourth degree, affinity within the second, and civil kinship arising from adoption, and adds that spouses are relatives but form no degree.

6Understand the constitutional position of USAC: Article 82 makes it an autonomous juridical person and the sole state university, Article 83 vests its government in the Consejo Superior Universitario, and Article 84 guarantees it not less than 5% of the State's ordinary revenue.

7Tie the historical milestones to their legal consequences: the October Revolution of 1944 produced university autonomy by Decreto 12 of the Junta Revolucionaria de Gobierno, the IGSS, the first Código de Trabajo and the social guarantees of the 1945 Constitution; the 1996 Peace Accords and the Agreement on Identity and Rights of Indigenous Peoples frame Guatemala as a nation of Maya, Garífuna, Xinka and Ladino peoples.

8Do not skip Chapter 1 of the guide: the específica also tests reading and logical inference — the phases of reading (interpretación, argumentación, propuesta) and the classical logical principles applied to legal passages.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the USAC Derecho Prueba Específica?

It is the faculty admission examination administered by the Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales of the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (USAC). The university lists its content as Conceptos Básicos de Derecho and Realidad Nacional, and the faculty states that the evaluation is based on the book 'Nociones Generales de las Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales'. It is the last admissions step for the Licenciatura en Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales, Abogacía y Notariado.

Which basic tests (PCB) are required before taking this específica?

Only one. The faculty states that the Prueba de Conocimientos Básicos it requires is Lenguaje, so applicants need a Satisfactorio result in that subject from the Sistema de Ubicación y Nivelación (SUN), plus a valid Tarjeta de Orientación Vocacional issued by USAC.

How many questions are on the real exam and how long does it last?

The faculty does not publish an item count or a time limit for the Prueba Específica. What it does publish is the calendar — four sittings per admissions cycle, each with its own single-day assignment window — and the date and window assigned to you appear on your constancia de asignación. This 103-question practice bank is an independent study tool, not a replica of the official test length.

Is the exam taken online or in person?

Online. The faculty ran all four sittings of the 2026 cycle in modalidad virtual, and both assignment and results consultation are handled through its admissions site. Confirm the modality for your cycle with the faculty, and note that regional centres of USAC may organise the test differently.

What is the passing score for the USAC Derecho Prueba Específica?

Results are published as Satisfactorio or Insatisfactorio rather than as a mark out of 100. USAC's general Reglamento de Evaluación y Promoción sets 61 points on a 100-point scale as the minimum passing mark for academic evaluations, and 61 is the figure widely cited for this específica, but the faculty does not publish a separate cut score for the test.

How much does the Prueba Específica cost?

There is no fee. Artículo 55 del Reglamento del SUN prohibits any charge for the Pruebas de Conocimientos Básicos and the Pruebas Específicas, including materials. The only payment in the admissions process is the one-time Q70.00 order for the Prueba de Orientación Vocacional, paid at Banrural, G&T Continental or Bantrab.

How long is a satisfactory result valid and how many attempts are allowed?

Under Artículo 43 del Reglamento del Sistema de Ubicación y Nivelación (SUN), a Satisfactorio result on a Prueba Específica is valid for two (2) years from its publication date. A candidate who receives Insatisfactorio may register for one of the remaining testing opportunities in the cycle; the faculty scheduled four for the 2027 intake.

Is this practice question bank an official USAC examination?

No. The official examination is administered in Spanish by the Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales. This bank is an original English-language MCQ study adaptation developed by OpenExamPrep to help students master Guatemalan legal theory, constitutional law and national reality. It preserves the authentic legal terminology, statutory citations and institutional names, but it is not an official translation and does not simulate the official test format or length.