In Spain, as in other European kingdoms, military officers learnt their duties mostly following the advice, instructions, and example of senior colleagues until 18th century. To be a nobleman and some experience was enough to become an officer. The qualities expected for the post were assumed to have been acquired by their noble origins.

The situation was slightly different for the artillery. At the beginning, when gunmen were needed the king looked for new gunners among craftsmen such as carpenters, or blacksmiths. Gunmen had some characteristics of a guild with an admission test, a patron saint (Santa Barbara), and ranks with different names of those of the infantry or cavalry. Officers had also to be nobleman in Spanish Royal Artillery, but the rule was not as strict as in others branches of the army.

A growing need for mathematical expertise prompted the appearance of technical academies and a break in the traditional monopoly of nobility during the 18th century. Besides the proof of nobility an admission test or entrance exam was established in France and other countries for the admission in military academies.

This development was different in Spain. Some military academies were opened during the 17th century. But, the first lasting institution was the Academia de Matemáticas Militares de Barcelona opened around 1720, mostly for military engineering. For artillery the attempts failed until the opening of the Royal Military College of Gentleman Cadets of Artillery in 1764. The admission in that College went in the sense of reinforcing the mobility and not the mathematical formation of the candidates. To be admitted a cadet had to prove the noble birth of all four grandparents with certified documents. It was not established an admission test.

The success of the College of Artillery brought as result a great demand of places. But no entrance exam was created. Instead of an exam, a recommendation, if possible of the king, was of common usage among successful aspirants at the end of the 18th century. The lack of knowledge of the majority of the accepted boys was a problem for teaching in the Royal College of Artillery. However, pupils were very young, from twelve to fifteen years, and the inconvenient was overcome with support courses and accepting school failure to a certain extent.