Cantabria PAU Foreign Language II - English exam-day guide
Cantabria PAU Foreign Language II - English · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Bring your DNI or passport
Spanish PAU sittings normally require photo ID matching the name on your registration. Bring the original document, not a photocopy. If you are unsure which document your centre accepts (for example a residency card or a foreign passport), confirm with the provider before the exam.
Bring your exam seat/registration slip if issued
Some autonomous communities and centres issue a personalised timetable or seat assignment. Check your centre's instructions and bring whatever document they say you must show at the door. Whether this is mandatory varies by centre, so confirm with the provider.
Bring several blue or black ballpoint pens
Write the whole exam in ink. Bring at least two pens of the same colour plus a spare, and avoid pencil for answers because it may not be accepted. Confirm with the provider whether correction fluid or erasable pens are allowed, as rules differ.
Bring a transparent pencil case with basic stationery
A pencil, eraser and small ruler are useful for planning and for any answer-sheet boxes. Keep everything in a clear case if your centre requires it. Confirm with the provider what is permitted in the exam room.
Wear a watch and check the room clock
Phones must be switched off and stored away, so a plain wristwatch is the safest way to manage the 90-minute paper. Confirm with the provider whether smartwatches are banned; they usually are.
Leave your phone switched off and out of reach
A phone that rings or vibrates during the exam can lead to disqualification. Switch it off before entering the room and put it in your bag, not your pocket. Confirm with the provider where bags and devices must be left.
Know the exact time and room of your English sitting
PAU timetables vary by community and by centre, and the Foreign Language paper is scheduled on a specific day and slot. Re-check the official timetable the day before. If anything is unclear, confirm with the provider.
Bring water and a light snack for between papers
Sittings can be long and back-to-back. Water is usually allowed in a clear bottle, but food and drink rules vary by room, so confirm with the provider. Eat properly before you arrive.
Plan your transport with a 30-minute buffer
Arrive well before the start time; late entry is often refused once the paper has begun. Check local transport for the exam morning and have a backup route.
Prepare your reading and writing strategy in advance
Decide now how you will split the time between reading comprehension, the grammar/lexis tasks and the writing, and how many minutes you will keep for checking. The exact task structure and weighting for your year should be confirmed with the provider or your school.
Review the writing formats likely to appear
Be ready to produce an opinion essay, a formal or informal email, a narrative or a description, depending on your programme. Practise a clear paragraph structure and a bank of linking words. Confirm with the provider which text types your exam may include.
Check accessibility or special arrangements in advance
If you need extra time, a separate room or another accommodation, it must normally be requested well before the exam through your school. Confirm with the provider that your arrangement is approved and confirmed in writing.
Plan the day
Do a timed full practice paper under exam conditions, using only a pen and a watch, and mark it honestly. Identify the two weakest task types and spend the remaining days on those rather than rereading everything. Review a short list of high-frequency grammar points that commonly appear in PAU English papers: verb tenses and aspect, conditionals, passive voice, reported speech, relative clauses, modal verbs, comparatives, prepositions and word formation. Build a personal writing template with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion, plus ten to fifteen linking expressions you can use accurately. Reread the instructions for your specific exam model on your community's official page and confirm with the provider if the format has changed.
Stop learning new material. Do a light review of your grammar list, your linking words and your writing template. Read one short English article for pleasure to keep the language active. Prepare your bag with ID, pens, pencil, eraser, watch, water and your registration slip if required, and lay out your clothes. Check the exam time, room and route one last time, set two alarms, and go to bed early. Avoid last-minute cramming that will make you tired.
Eat a proper breakfast and arrive at the centre at least 30 minutes early. Switch your phone off and put it away before you enter the building. Once seated, read the whole paper before writing: check how many tasks there are, how many words the writing requires and whether there are choices. Fill in your personal details on the answer sheet carefully and follow the invigilator's instructions exactly.
Budget your time and stick to it: for a 90-minute paper, a common split is roughly 25 to 30 minutes for reading, 20 to 25 minutes for grammar and lexis, 30 minutes for the writing and 5 to 10 minutes for checking, but adjust to your paper's actual structure. In reading, read the questions first, locate the relevant lines and answer in your own words where the task requires it. In the writing, plan for two or three minutes, write clearly, respect the word limit and leave two minutes to check agreement, tense consistency, spelling and punctuation. If you run out of time, finish the writing with a complete sentence rather than leaving it unfinished, and never leave a multiple-choice item blank if there is no penalty for guessing. Confirm with the provider whether wrong answers are penalised.
Rules to check
Bring original photo ID and be ready to show it on request. If you are unsure which documents your centre accepts, confirm with the provider before exam day.
Phones and smart devices must be switched off and stored out of reach for the whole sitting. A device that rings, vibrates or is found on you may lead to disqualification.
Follow the invigilator's instructions on entering, leaving and asking questions. Do not talk to other candidates once the paper has been distributed.
Write your answers in the required format and place. Answers written outside the designated spaces or in pencil where ink is required may not be marked; confirm with the provider if you are unsure.
Do not bring unauthorised materials such as notes, dictionaries or electronic translators unless your centre has expressly permitted them. Whether a monolingual dictionary is allowed varies, so confirm with the provider.
If you need to leave the room, raise your hand and wait for the invigilator. Leaving during the exam may be restricted, and you normally cannot return once you have left; confirm with the provider.
Scoring and weighting of the different tasks are set by your autonomous community and may change between years. Check the official model and marking criteria for your year, and confirm with the provider if anything is unclear.
Any irregularity, such as copying, using a device or impersonating another candidate, can result in the annulment of your exam. If you believe an error has occurred, report it to the invigilator immediately and follow your centre's appeals procedure.