es-ar-pau-history-of-art exam-day guide
es-ar-pau-history-of-art · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Confirm the exact test format and platform with the provider
The PAU (Prueba de Acceso a la Universidad) is administered by each autonomous community and, for art history, the specific call, duration, and whether it is paper or digital depends on your comunidad and convocatoria. Before the last week, check your official sede/universidad instructions and confirm the format, length, and permitted materials with the provider. Mark this as needs_review until you have the written notice in hand.
DNI/NIE or passport valid and in good condition
Spanish PAU regulations require photo identification, typically DNI or NIE (or passport for foreign candidates). Check the expiry date and that the photo is legible; a expired or damaged document can block entry. Confirm with the provider which document they accept for your profile.
Printed exam registration receipt / proof of matrícula
Bring the confirmation of your matrícula for the PAU phase and the specific subjects. Some sedes check it at the door alongside your ID. Keep a paper copy, not only the phone screenshot, in case devices are restricted.
Several blue or black ballpoint pens plus a spare
Written exams are usually answered in ink; pencil is often reserved for multiple-choice answer sheets or diagrams. Bring at least three working pens of the same colour so a failure does not cost time. Confirm with the provider whether pencil is allowed for sketches or annotations.
Pencil, eraser and a small sharpener
Useful if you plan rough outlines, timelines or quick diagrams before writing the final answer, and required if your exam includes a multiple-choice section answered on a machine-read sheet.
Analog watch (no smart features)
Exam rooms do not always have a visible clock, and phones are usually collected or banned. A simple wristwatch lets you allocate time per question. Confirm with the provider whether any watch is permitted in your room.
Clear water bottle with the label removed
Long art-history papers reward hydration, but many sedes restrict bottles to transparent, label-free ones. Check your sede's published rules; if unsure, confirm with the provider rather than assume.
No notes, books, or image flashcards in the exam room
Art history tempts candidates to bring printed reproductions or summaries. These are almost always prohibited. Leave them outside or in the designated area; carrying them into the room can be treated as academic dishonesty.
Know your seat, room and arrival time in advance
Locate the sede and the assigned room or pavilion the day before, and plan to arrive well before the call time, since ID checks and seating take time. The exact arrival window is set by your comunidad: confirm with the provider.
Phone off and stored as instructed
Even a silent phone can invalidate an exam if it is found on you. Switch it off before entering and hand it in if collection is required. Do not rely on it as a clock.
A one-page personal time plan for the paper
Decide in advance how many minutes you will give to reading the options, planning, writing each question, and reviewing. Memorise it; do not bring it into the room if notes are banned.
Transport and backup plan
Public transport delays are the most common cause of late arrival. Identify an alternative route and leave a buffer; lateness rules vary by sede, so confirm with the provider what happens if you arrive after the call.
Plan the day
Switch from learning new content to consolidating. Re-read your own summaries of the periods and movements on your syllabus, and practise recalling, for each one, its chronological and geographic coordinates, main characteristics, key artists and two or three representative works. For art history, the highest-yield skill is analysing an unseen image or a described work: practise writing a structured commentary (identification, description, formal analysis, context, significance) from memory, without looking at notes.
Do one full timed rehearsal under exam conditions: no notes, a clock, and the same number of questions as your real paper. Afterwards, mark where you lost time (usually over-long introductions or over-detailed description) and rewrite your personal time allocation. Check the official instructions for your comunidad again and note the exact duration, number of options and whether there is a compulsory question.
Build a compact memory sheet of dates, dynasties, patrons, and terminology you keep confusing. Use it only for active recall: cover the answers and test yourself aloud. Do not create new material this late; refine what you already know. Verify practicalities: sede address, room, start time, ID, and permitted materials, confirming anything unclear with the provider.
Do a light review only: skim your summaries and the memory sheet, then stop. Prepare your bag with ID, registration proof, pens, pencil, eraser, watch and water, and lay out clothes. Check transport times for the morning. Eat normally, avoid an all-night session, and set two alarms. If you feel anxious, write down your three biggest worries and one concrete action for each; this reduces rumination more than re-reading.
Eat a proper breakfast and arrive early with your documents ready. Once seated, read the whole paper before writing: identify which options you can answer best and note the mark allocation. Spend the first few minutes planning each answer as a skeleton of headings, then write. Keep an eye on the clock at fixed checkpoints and reserve the last minutes to check names, dates and that every required question is answered.
For each art-history question, open with a short identification and thesis, then develop description, formal analysis, context and significance, using precise vocabulary and dates you are confident about. If an image or work is unfamiliar, reason from what you can see or from the stated data rather than inventing facts. If you run out of time, leave structured bullet points rather than nothing, since partial structure often earns partial credit. Confirm with the provider whether extra answer sheets are allowed and how to request them.
Rules to check
Bring valid photo ID (DNI/NIE or passport as accepted for your case) and your matrícula proof; without them entry may be refused. Confirm with the provider which document applies to you.
Do not bring notes, books, printed reproductions, smart devices or any unauthorised material into the exam room; possession can be treated as academic dishonesty even if unused.
Phones must be switched off and stored as instructed. A device found on you during the exam can lead to annulment of your paper.
Follow the invigilators' instructions on seating, starting, finishing and leaving. Do not begin writing before the signal or continue after the final call.
If you need to leave the room (for example, for the toilet), raise your hand and wait for an invigilator; rules on leaving and re-entering vary by sede, so confirm with the provider.
Write legibly in the permitted ink and clearly number your answers. Illegible or unnumbered answers may not be marked correctly.
Scoring follows the official criteria for your comunidad: check the weighting of each question and whether there are compulsory sections, and confirm any doubt with the provider rather than guessing.
If you believe there is an error in the paper or a problem in the room, report it to the invigilator immediately and note it afterwards; do not attempt to resolve it by changing your answers silently.