Concern has been expressed throughout Europe about the significant deficiencies in the basic mathematical skills of many engineering undergraduates. Mathematics diagnostic tests in the UK, Ireland and Portugal have shown these shortcomings, which provide a challenge to those striving to introduce more innovative educational practices into engineering education, such as projects or real-world problems. Every year, in the Dublin Institute of Technology (Ireland) and the Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Coimbra (Portugal), a diagnostic test is given to incoming first-year students. A comparison showed some potentially interesting differences between these students. In September 2013, a project was undertaken to compare mathematical competencies of incoming engineering students in both countries. A modified diagnostic test was devised and the results were then compared to ascertain if there are common areas of difficulty between students in Ireland and Portugal, or evidence of one group significantly outperforming the other in a particular area.

Issues related to the failure of mathematics in the teaching of engineering and the negative impact that these difficulties have in various courses in engineering degrees is a problem to which we have devoted our attention and investigation. Most students when entering higher education have insufficient preparation in mathematics. It is further aggravated because of the different areas of knowledge from their background when entering degrees in Engineering. The Mathematics in Engineering Support Center (CeAMatE) is a space intended to monitor students who attend the course of “Differential and Integral Calculus”. It allows the construction of an academic course that promotes the development of students' independent study skills, with the joint responsibility of building their own educational paths. It also facilitates the construction of learning and acquisition of new knowledge through the availability of various activities and resources aimed at overcoming students' difficulties. It also incorporates an e-learning component, adapting to the learning styles and cognitive levels of students. The understanding of the educational pathways made by students who attended CeAMatE and the corresponding academic achievement in “Differential and Integral Calculus” course is a goal of this study. This analysis will permit a better development of a set of suitable mathematical strategies/activities.