Cantabria PAU Biology exam-day guide
Cantabria PAU Biology · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Official ID document
Bring the identity document (DNI, passport, or equivalent) that your matriculation record uses. Confirm with the provider which documents are accepted and whether a photocopy is valid; do not assume a student card suffices.
Exam venue and seat confirmation
Check your call/assignment (llamamiento) for the exact building, room, and reporting time. Confirm with the provider or your school whether seating and timetable are published per student or per center.
Printed or downloaded exam schedule
Have the session timetable for Biology and any overlapping subjects at hand so you know the start time and how the exam fits with other papers the same day. Verify the published schedule rather than relying on memory.
Blue or black ballpoint pens (at least two)
Write legibly; answers must be readable by the corrector. Confirm with the provider whether pencil is permitted for diagrams or rough work, and whether rough work is collected or ignored.
Pencil, eraser, and ruler
Useful for drawing and labeling diagrams (for example, a cell, a synapse, or a genetic cross) and for underlining. Keep a spare eraser.
Approved calculator
Some genetics and dilution/statistics items may need arithmetic. Confirm with the provider whether a calculator is allowed for Biology and which models are permitted; if in doubt, plan to do arithmetic by hand.
Wristwatch (non-smart)
Exam rooms do not always display a clock. A simple analog or digital watch helps you pace the sections. Smart watches and phones are normally prohibited; confirm the provider's rule on devices.
Clear water bottle and light snack
Sessions can be long, especially with several papers in one day. Keep the bottle label-free if the venue requires it and check whether food is allowed in the room.
No notes, books, or phone in the exam room
Leave study material and phones outside the room or switched off and stored as instructed. Confirm the provider's policy on where bags and devices must be left.
Review the official instructions and scoring rubric
Re-read the exam structure (number of questions, options, and weighting) published for your year. Confirm with the provider whether questions are compulsory or offer a choice, as this can change between sessions.
Plan transport and arrival buffer
Arrive with margin for traffic and for locating the room. Confirm with the provider the rule on late arrival and whether entry after the start is allowed.
Confirm language and dictionary rules
The exam is delivered in Spanish (with official versions in co-official languages where applicable). Confirm with the provider whether any dictionary or glossary is permitted; do not bring one unless it is explicitly allowed.
Plan the day
Do a timed full past-paper or mock under exam conditions, then mark it against the official criteria. Identify your three weakest areas (commonly: genetics problems, metabolism/energetics, and molecular biology detail) and spend the remaining time on those rather than re-reading everything. Check the official program and confirm the current exam structure with the provider.
Consolidate active-recall material: definitions, key pathways, and standard diagrams you may be asked to draw or label. Practice writing short, structured answers with correct terminology, because scoring rewards precise vocabulary and complete reasoning, not length. Rehearse genetics problems (monohybrid and dihybrid crosses, sex-linked inheritance, probability) and any calculation types in the syllabus.
Light review only: skim your own summary sheets, the rubric, and the list of common errors (confusing mitosis and meiosis, mixing up transcription and translation, omitting units in calculations). Prepare the checklist items, lay out ID, pens, calculator, and watch. Confirm venue, room, and reporting time. Sleep at your normal time; do not start new topics.
Eat a normal breakfast, arrive early, and avoid last-minute cramming of new content. Skim only your one-page summary. Switch off and store your phone as instructed, keep ID accessible, and locate your seat. Read the cover page carefully for instructions, time, and question choice.
Read the whole paper before writing. Note the marks per question and allocate time proportionally, leaving a few minutes at the end to check. Mark which questions are compulsory and which offer a choice, and decide your choices before starting.
Answer in the order that secures marks fastest, but leave space to return to harder items. Use precise terminology, show working for calculations, and label diagrams fully. If a question has several parts, answer each part explicitly. For essays or long answers, use short structured paragraphs or bullet points with clear reasoning. Watch the clock at set checkpoints and stop to check answers and units in the final minutes.
Do not dwell on specific questions between papers; if another exam follows, reset and focus on it. Note anything you were unsure of only to inform future study, not to re-litigate during the session.
Rules to check
Bring the identity document required by your matriculation record; the exact accepted documents and whether copies are valid must be confirmed with the provider.
Follow the published timetable and reporting time strictly. The rule on late arrival and entry after the exam has started varies by venue, so confirm with the provider in advance.
Phones, smart watches, and any unauthorised material must be left outside the room or stored exactly as instructed. Using them during the exam is normally treated as serious misconduct; confirm the provider's device policy.
Write answers legibly and in the language of the exam. Confirm with the provider whether dictionaries or glossaries are allowed; bring none unless explicitly permitted.
Use only permitted materials (for example, a calculator if allowed). Confirm with the provider which models are accepted before the exam day.
Follow the instructions on question choice and compulsory items exactly. Answers to questions you were not entitled to answer, or answers outside the designated spaces, may not be marked; confirm the provider's rules on answer sheets.
Breaks and leaving the room during the exam are usually restricted; ask an invigilator if you need to leave. Confirm the provider's policy on breaks and on returning to the room.
Scoring follows the official criteria for the subject, rewarding accurate terminology, complete reasoning, and correct working. Confirm the current weighting and structure with the provider, as these can change between sessions.