PAU Chemistry (Cantabria) exam-day guide
PAU Chemistry (Cantabria) · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Official identification document
Bring the ID document the call or your centre specifies (typically DNI, passport or residence card for local candidates). The exact accepted documents and validity requirements are set by the administering university and the Consejería de Educación - confirm with the provider before the exam.
Exam call / seat confirmation
Print or save the official call (llamamiento) showing your assigned centre, classroom, date and time. Check it again the day before, since rooms and times can be reassigned. If you cannot find it, contact the coordinating university or your school.
Blue or black ballpoint pens (two or more)
Written exams are answered in ink. Bring at least two pens of the same colour plus a spare refill, and avoid erasable or gel inks unless the instructions explicitly permit them.
Pencil, eraser and sharpener
Useful for rough work, diagrams, graphs and multiple-choice answer sheets. Confirm with the provider whether pencil is allowed on the official answer sheet or only for drafts.
Approved calculator
Chemistry and some other subjects allow a non-programmable scientific calculator. The permitted model list and any restrictions (no graphing, no symbolic algebra, no stored text) are set by the university - confirm with the provider and check your model against the published list.
Ruler, set square and protractor
Needed for graphs, titration curves and geometry-style items. Transparent, unmarked instruments are the safest choice.
Analog watch
Many rooms do not guarantee a visible clock and phones must be switched off and stored. A simple wristwatch lets you manage the time allocation for each block.
Clear water bottle and light snack
Exams can run long with several papers in one session. Bring water in a transparent bottle with the label removed, and a snack for the break. Confirm with the provider whether food and drink are allowed inside the room.
Layers of clothing
Room temperature varies and you may sit for two to three hours. Dress in layers you can remove without disturbing others.
No phone, smartwatch or notes in the room
Leave devices switched off and stored as instructed, ideally outside the room. Possession of a connected device during the exam may be treated as academic misconduct - confirm the exact rule with the provider.
Review the official programme and structure
Know the number of questions, the optional-choice structure and the time limit for each paper by reading the current official programme for your subject. Do not rely on second-hand summaries.
Plan your route and arrival time
Visit or map the centre in advance and arrive well before the call time, allowing for access checks and seating. Late-entry rules are set by the centre - confirm with the provider.
Plan the day
Switch from learning new content to consolidating. Re-read your own summary sheets for the core topics: stoichiometry and limiting reagents, gas laws, thermochemistry and Hess's law, acid-base equilibria and pH, redox and electrochemistry, kinetics, organic functional groups and isomerism, and the qualitative/quantitative laboratory techniques on the syllabus. Work through one full past paper under timed conditions and mark it strictly against the official criteria, then list your three weakest areas.
Practise the specific skills the exam rewards: writing balanced equations with state symbols, showing unit-consistent calculations, drawing and labelling diagrams (titration curves, energy profiles, cell diagrams), and justifying answers in one or two precise sentences. Rehearse the wording of standard explanations rather than memorising whole paragraphs.
Confirm logistics: the exact centre and room, the start time of each paper, the permitted calculator list, and which materials the provider allows. Check that your ID is valid and that your calculator batteries are fresh. Sleep on a normal schedule rather than revising late.
Do a light pass only: formulas, constants, units, solubility and activity rules, and the names and structures you tend to forget. Do not start a new topic. Prepare your bag with the checklist items and lay out clothes and ID. Set two alarms and plan the journey with a buffer for transport delays.
Eat a normal breakfast, arrive early, and use the waiting time for a calm skim of your one-page formula sheet - not for cramming new material. Switch off and store your phone and smartwatch as instructed, keep your ID and pens accessible, and listen carefully to the invigilator's instructions before the papers are handed out.
Read the whole paper before writing. Note the marks per question and the optional-choice structure, then allocate time roughly in proportion to marks, reserving five to ten minutes at the end for checking. Start with the questions you can answer confidently to build momentum.
Show every step: write the formula, substitute with units, and state the result with correct significant figures and units. For organic and structural items, draw clear skeletal or displayed formulas. If a calculation stalls, write down the method you would use - method marks are often available - and move on.
Check that every question has been attempted, that units and state symbols are present, and that answers are in the requested format and place. Verify arithmetic on the highest-mark calculations and make sure you have not left an answer in draft form. Hand in all materials as instructed.
Rules to check
Bring the identification document required by the administering university and present it when asked. The accepted documents and any validity conditions are set by the provider - confirm with the provider rather than assuming a particular document is accepted.
Follow the invigilator's instructions on timing, materials and seating. Only the materials the provider permits may be on your desk; anything else, including notes, books and cases, must be stored as directed.
Phones, smartwatches and any connected devices must be switched off and stored as instructed for the whole session. Using or merely possessing an unauthorised device during the exam may be treated as academic misconduct, with consequences for your score - confirm the exact rule with the provider.
Any calculator must come from the permitted list and be non-programmable where required. The provider publishes the model restrictions and any ban on stored text or symbolic algebra; check your model in advance and confirm with the provider if it is not listed.
Breaks, toilet access and leaving the room early are controlled by the centre. In general you may not leave during the final part of the session and must be accompanied if you leave the room. The specific rules vary by centre - confirm with the provider.
Answers must be your own work. Copying, communicating with other candidates, or presenting prepared material as your own is misconduct and can lead to annulment of the paper or the whole exam. Report any problem to the invigilator immediately rather than resolving it yourself.
Scoring follows the official marking criteria for each subject, including method marks for correct reasoning even where the final value is wrong, and penalties for missing units or unjustified answers. Read the published criteria for your subject so you know how marks are awarded.
If you believe there was an irregularity during the exam, raise it with the invigilator at the time and follow the official review or appeal procedure afterwards. Deadlines and channels are set by the provider - confirm with the provider.