Andalusia PAU Technical Drawing Applied to Plastic Arts and Design II
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The Andalusia PAU Technical Drawing Applied to Plastic Arts and Design II is the university-access exam taken by students in the Dibujo Técnico Aplicado a las Artes Plásticas y al Diseño II pathway who want to raise their PAU admission score for art, design, and architecture-related degrees. It is a drawing exam in the strict sense: you construct, not just describe. Expect plane-geometry constructions (proportionality, similarity, transformations), tangencies and conic sections, dihedral-system work on points, lines, planes, intersections, perpendicularity, distances and true magnitudes, solids and surfaces of revolution, axonometric and cavalier perspective, and standardized drawing with scales, dimensioning and sketching. The paper is open-response, so precision, construction traces, and correct notation carry marks as much as the final figure. Preparation is best built around a routine: master compass-and-ruler constructions until they are automatic, draw every exercise to scale on paper with sharp pencils and clean auxiliary lines, and time yourself so a full block is finished rather than half-attempted. Work through past PAU Andalucía papers under exam conditions, then review errors against the underlying construction logic. The official body publishes the current structure, timing, and scoring each year; check its site before you plan. This page is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with the examining authority.
What you'll study
About Andalusia PAU Technical Drawing Applied to Plastic Arts and Design II preparation
What does the exam actually ask me to do?
You solve drawing problems: construct a figure to given conditions, resolve tangencies, cut solids with planes, or build a perspective. Answers are drawn, not written. Marks come from correct construction, visible auxiliary lines, accurate tangency points, and proper labeling, so a beautiful but logically unsupported figure loses points.
How is the paper structured and how long do I get?
The paper is open-response and typically offers alternative questions or blocks you choose between. The exact number of questions, the choice rules, and the duration are set by the official Andalusia PAU regulations and change between sessions, so confirm the current figures on the official body's site rather than relying on older papers.
How difficult is it compared with other PAU subjects?
It rewards practice more than talent. The constructions are finite and learnable, but they demand precision and speed under time pressure. Students who lose marks usually do so through careless auxiliary lines, wrong scale, or running out of time, not through not knowing the method. Steady weekly drawing practice moves the score reliably.
Can I retake it, and does the score stay valid?
Retake rules and how long a PAU score remains usable are governed by the current regulations and differ by call and cohort. The official body publishes the applicable rules each year. Check its site before assuming a previous result carries over or that a specific resit window exists.
In what order should I study the topics?
Start with plane geometry and tangencies, because they build the compass and construction habits everything else uses. Then move to dihedral-system fundamentals, followed by perpendicularity, distances, and true magnitudes. Add solids, then perspective, and keep standardized drawing running throughout as short weekly drills rather than a final block.
What are the most common ways candidates lose marks?
Missing or messy auxiliary lines that make a correct result unverifiable; tangency points not marked; wrong or unstated scale; dimensioning that contradicts the drawing; and unfinished figures because time ran out. Examiners mark the construction, so an incomplete but well-traced attempt often scores better than a bare correct outline.
Do I need special equipment?
Yes: a good compass with a locking hinge, sharp pencils in two grades, set squares, a ruler, an eraser that does not smear, and paper you have practiced on. Learn to keep your construction lines light and your final lines firm. Clean, readable line hierarchy is part of what is being assessed.
How should I use past papers?
Do them closed-book and timed, then mark your own work against the construction logic, not just the final shape. Keep an error log by topic. Redo the constructions you failed a week later. Past papers show the style and difficulty of the questions; they do not guarantee the current format, so verify structure officially.
Is this page official exam information?
No. This is an independent study resource written for candidates searching this exam. It is not affiliated with the examining authority or any university. For binding details on format, timing, scoring, and retakes, consult the official Andalusia PAU body's published regulations.