The European university reform defends an educational competence model in which decisions over curriculum are made based on the competencies that students should acquire after their training period (Holmes, 2001; Biggs, 2004; Chappell , Gonczi & Hager, 2000; Liesbeth & Bruijn, 2011; Ayonmike, Okwelle & Okeke, 2014; Yasinski, 2014). Thus as much in degrees and graduate studies titling guides as and their respective educational guides, competencies are a key element, so that improving those competencies means being able to meet the demands of a changing society in which professional success is determined by multiple indicators (Seibert, Kraimer & Crant, 2001; Mora, 2008).

Focusing on the teaching guide course, it has to be considered as an essential resource for students, since it provides information that will be useful to their learning process. According to Rue (2007), teaching guides are more than traditional programmes, since they not only keep students informed about certain aspects of the subject, but they guide them from the very first formation moment about the divergent possibilities to develop their work. First of all, teaching guides have to be useful; hence information contained should be complete, concise and understandable for students. Therefore, all elements of teaching guides, and especially those related to competencies, must be relevant to the subject and to the degree in which they are placed. Given the importance of student participation in the learning process (Leach & Zepke, 2011; Soria & Stebleton, 2012), it seems appropriate that, besides teachers, students should also determine the degree of suitability of competencies expound on teaching guides.

On the other hand, to promote metacognition in students, it is necessary that they are aware of what has become known as "perceived competence" (Boud & Falchikov, 1989; Van Dinther, Dochy & Segers, 2011; Baartman & Ruijs, 2011), since they must have a realistic appreciation of their strengths and weaknesses to guide and direct their own learning.

So, on the line appointed  by Braun et al (2012), and also considering the different perceptions that students who just entered university and those who are about to leave may have, the Faculty of Education of the University in Murcia carried out an investigation which started from the following investigation question : Depending on the university year, are there significant statistical differences between adequacy and level of achievement of the competencies expound by educational guides of the Degree in Education subjects?

 To answer such questions, three objectives were considered:

1. Observe the adequacy of competences from the perspective of students, considering their clarity, relevance, readability and exclusivity.

2. To analyse the level of achievement of competencies from the point of view of students.

3. Compare the different perception of students in first and fourth year about the amount of adequacy of competencies and their level of achievement.

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