Andalusia PAU Technical Drawing Applied to Plastic Arts and Design II exam-day guide
Andalusia PAU Technical Drawing Applied to Plastic Arts and Design II · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Official photo ID
Bring the identity document required for access to the PAU (DNI, passport, or equivalent). Confirm with the provider which documents are accepted and whether the exam-day sheet must be presented alongside it.
Exam admission/registration document
Print or download whatever proof of registration or exam-session assignment your center or the university issues. Confirm with the provider the exact format and whether a printed copy is mandatory.
Drawing instruments you actually use
Bring your own compass, set squares (45° and 30-60°), graduated ruler, protractor, sharp pencils (HB/2B and a hard lead for construction lines), eraser, and sharpener. Test each instrument beforehand so nothing wobbles or slips.
Inking and colour tools if permitted
Fine-liners, technical pens, markers, or coloured pencils may be allowed depending on the exercise. Confirm with the provider which media are permitted for this subject before relying on them.
Approved calculator
Check with the provider whether a calculator is allowed in Technical Drawing Applied to Plastic Arts and Design II and which models are banned. If allowed, bring one you have used for scale and proportion calculations.
Spare materials
Extra pencils, a second eraser, spare compass leads, and spare sheets of the paper type you practise on. Running out mid-exercise is avoidable.
Watch or simple timer
A non-smart watch lets you pace the sections. Confirm with the provider whether smartwatches and phones are prohibited at the desk.
Clear water bottle and small snack
Bring these for the break between papers if your session has one. Confirm with the provider the rules on food and drink inside the exam room.
Know the venue and arrival time
Confirm with the provider the exact building, room, and reporting time. Visit or map the route in advance and plan to arrive with margin for ID checks.
Review the official instructions and scoring criteria
Reread the published structure of the exercise (number of options, compulsory parts, weighting). Confirm with the provider any details you cannot verify from official sources.
Practise a timed full exercise
Complete at least one full past-format exercise under the real time limit using only the instruments and media you will bring.
Sleep and logistics plan
Arrange transport, alarm, and a light breakfast. Fatigue costs more marks in a precision drawing task than in a text exam.
Plan the day
Do one full timed mock under exam conditions. Mark it yourself against the published criteria, note where you lost time (construction, inking, lettering), and list the three weaknesses to fix.
Check every instrument: compass holds its radius, set squares are not chipped, pens are not dry. Replace anything unreliable now, not on the morning.
Drill only the weak points identified in the mock: geometric constructions, tangencies, scales, or perspective. Keep sessions short and precise rather than long and sloppy.
Confirm with the provider the venue, room, reporting time, permitted materials, and calculator policy. Write the details on paper and keep them with your ID.
Pack the checklist items into one bag. Lay out instruments, ID, admission document, and spares together so nothing is hunted for in the morning.
Do a light review of formulas, standard constructions, and layout conventions. No new topics and no all-nighters; stop early and sleep.
Eat a normal breakfast, leave with generous travel margin, and arrive early enough to find the room and settle your materials before the start.
Read the whole paper, identify compulsory parts and any choice, and allocate minutes per section. Note the final deadline for stopping drawing and starting checks.
Work in the planned order. Keep construction lines light and clean, label and dimension as required, and monitor the clock at each section boundary.
Stop adding new content in time to check: title block and identification, units and scales, line quality, erased construction marks, and that every required part is answered.
Rules to check
Carry the required photo ID and any admission document at all times in the exam area; candidates without valid identification may be refused entry. Confirm with the provider the exact ID and documentation requirements.
Follow the invigilators' instructions on seating, start and stop signals, and what may be placed on the desk. Stop drawing immediately when time is called.
Electronic devices, including phones and smartwatches, are normally kept switched off and out of reach. Confirm with the provider the exact device policy before the exam.
Use only the drawing media and instruments the provider permits for this subject; unauthorised materials may be removed or the exercise invalidated.
If you need to leave the room (toilet, illness), raise your hand and wait for an invigilator. Leaving without permission is treated as a conduct issue; confirm with the provider how absences are handled.
Breaks between papers, if any, are set by the provider. Stay within the designated area and return before the stated time; confirm the schedule with the provider.
Marks come from the published scoring criteria: accuracy of construction, correct use of scales and projections, clarity and quality of line, and presentation. Answer every required part rather than perfecting one.
Any suspected irregularity, missing sheet, or ambiguity in the wording should be raised with an invigilator immediately during the exam, not after. Confirm with the provider how incidents are recorded.