PAU Geography (Cantabria) exam-day guide
PAU Geography (Cantabria) · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Official photo ID (DNI or passport)
Bring the original document, not a photocopy. It must match the name on your exam registration. Confirm with the provider or your school which documents are accepted for your specific venue.
Exam admission document or registration receipt
If your centre or the university issued a printed admission slip, bring it. The exact requirement varies by call and venue, so confirm with the provider whether a printed copy is mandatory or a digital version is accepted.
Blue or black ballpoint pens (at least two)
Practical geography papers are handwritten. Bring two working pens of the same colour plus a spare refill; some venues restrict ink colour, so confirm with the provider if unsure.
Pencil, eraser and sharpener
Needed for sketching profiles, annotating maps and rough work. Keep them in a clear pencil case where transparent containers are required.
Ruler and, if permitted, a protractor or set square
Useful for cross-sections, gradients and scale work. Check the permitted-materials list for your call, since some venues restrict measuring instruments.
Simple calculator (if permitted)
Only bring a non-programmable, non-graphing calculator and only if the instructions allow it. Confirm with the provider before relying on it for gradient or density calculations.
Analogue watch
Many exam rooms have no visible clock and phones must be switched off and stored. A plain wristwatch lets you manage the time across sections.
Clear water bottle with labels removed
Hydration matters in a long written paper. Transparent bottles without branding are the safest choice; confirm local rules if your venue is strict.
No phone, smartwatch or notes in the exam room
Leave devices switched off and stored as instructed. Possession of unauthorised material, even unused, can lead to invalidation, so clarify storage arrangements with the provider.
Know your seat, room and arrival time in advance
Check the venue notice or your centre's instructions the day before. Arrival cut-off times and late-entry rules are set locally, so confirm with the provider rather than assuming.
Plan transport and a backup route
Arrive with a margin of at least 30 minutes. Traffic, parking and public-transport delays are the most common avoidable cause of lost marks.
Revise the core practical skills the night before
Skim map interpretation, cross-sections, climate and hydrograph reading, population pyramids and sketch-map conventions. Bring the method, not new content, to the exam.
Plan the day
Do a timed full past-paper or mock under exam conditions, then mark it strictly against the marking criteria. Identify the two or three question types where you lose most marks, such as gradient calculation, climate graph interpretation or explaining a landform, and build a short revision list around them. Rehearse the standard method for each: read the axis and units first, state the formula, show working, and write the conclusion in a full sentence. Prepare your materials and check the permitted-items list.
Work through the weak areas from your mock, doing two or three questions per type rather than rereading notes. Practise the vocabulary the exam rewards: precise terms for processes, landforms, data trends and spatial patterns. Practise describing a graph or map in three moves: what the data shows, the pattern or anomaly, and the geographical reason. Check your venue, arrival time, ID requirements and transport plan, and confirm with the provider anything unclear about permitted materials.
Do light revision only: review your summary sheets, formula list and sketch-map conventions. Pack your bag with ID, pens, pencil, eraser, ruler, watch, water and any permitted calculator. Set two alarms, sleep a full night, and avoid cramming new topics. Reconfirm the start time and location, and decide what you will do if transport fails.
Eat a proper breakfast and arrive at the venue at least 30 minutes early. Leave phones and smartwatches switched off and stored as instructed. Once seated, read the whole paper before writing: note the marks per question, the choice available and the time per section. Fill in your personal details exactly as instructed and check the number of pages.
Allocate time in proportion to marks and keep a few minutes at the end to check. Answer the required number of questions and no more. For data-response questions, quote figures with units, show calculations, and link each observation to a geographical process. Label diagrams, include a scale and key on sketch maps, and use full sentences for explanations. If a question is unclear, write the interpretation you are using and answer it; do not leave blanks. Reserve the final minutes to check that every question number is answered and your details are correct.
Rules to check
Bring the original photo ID required by the venue and keep it on your desk for inspection. Accepted documents and any additional identification vary by call, so confirm with the provider before the exam day.
Follow the instructions of the invigilators at all times. Arrival cut-off times, late-entry and early-departure rules are set locally; confirm with the provider if your instructions do not state them.
Phones, smartwatches and any unauthorised electronic devices must be switched off and stored as directed. Possession of unauthorised material can lead to invalidation of your paper, so clarify storage rules with the provider.
Only bring materials on the permitted list for your call. If you are unsure whether a calculator, protractor or annotated atlas is allowed, confirm with the provider rather than risk a breach.
Write in the language of instruction and in the ink colour specified on the paper. Answers in pencil may not be accepted unless the instructions allow it; confirm with the provider if this is not stated.
Do not communicate with other candidates once the paper has been distributed. Raise your hand and wait for an invigilator if you need to leave the room; toilet breaks and re-entry rules are set locally, so confirm with the provider.
Answer the required number of questions and no more. Extra answers are normally not marked, and marks are awarded against the published criteria, so show working and give reasons rather than only final figures.
If you believe there is an error in the paper or a problem with your conditions, report it to the invigilator immediately and follow the appeal or incident procedure published by the provider.