PAU History of Art (Cantabria) exam-day guide
PAU History of Art (Cantabria) · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Confirm the specific call, room and duration with your exam centre
The PAU (Prueba de Acceso a la Universidad) in Cantabria is organised locally, and the exact timetable, building and reporting time are published by the Universidad de Cantabria / Consejería de Educación and passed to you through your school. Do not rely on a timetable from another autonomous community or another year: confirm the date, session and room with your centre. Mark this as needs_review if your centre has not yet given you written confirmation.
DNI or passport (original, valid)
You must identify yourself with an official photo ID. Bring the original document, not a photocopy. If your DNI is being renewed, confirm with your centre which alternative document they accept before exam day. needs_review: the exact list of accepted documents is set by the organisers, so verify it with your school.
Exam registration receipt / matrícula documentation if your centre requires it
Some centres ask you to bring the proof of registration or the printed exam pass. Confirm with your school whether this is needed; do not assume.
Blue or black ballpoint pens (at least two) plus a spare
Written answers must be legible. Bring pens you have already tested; a pen that fails mid-essay costs time you cannot recover. Pencil is normally for rough work only, so do not plan to write final answers in pencil.
Watch (non-smart, analogue or simple digital)
Exam rooms do not always have a visible clock. A plain watch lets you manage the timing of the art-history commentary without asking the invigilator. Smart watches are normally not allowed.
No phone, smart watch or notes in the exam room
Leave these in your bag at the back of the room or at home. Even an unused phone switched on can be treated as a serious irregularity. Confirm your centre's rule on where bags are stored.
Know the structure of the paper before you sit down
In Cantabria the History of Art paper normally combines a compulsory source-analysis or image-commentary section with a development question or a choice of topics. Confirm with your teacher the exact current structure, the number of questions, the choice offered and the marking weights, because these can change between years. needs_review: verify the current model against the official model published for your year.
Prepare a shortlist of works and authors you can discuss in depth
Build a personal list covering the main periods and movements on the syllabus, with for each: author, date, style, function, formal analysis and historical context. Aim for depth on a manageable set rather than shallow coverage of everything.
Practise timed full papers at least twice
Write complete answers under real time pressure on paper, not on a screen. This trains handwriting speed, planning time and the discipline of stopping when the time for a question is up.
Bring water and a light snack for before the session
Sessions can be long, with several papers in a day. Confirm your centre's rules on food and drink inside the exam room; water is often allowed if the label is removed. needs_review.
Plan your journey and arrive early
Aim to be at the building well before the reporting time, allowing for transport delays. Check the exact address and entrance the day before.
Read the instructions on the cover of the paper before writing
Check the number of questions, whether there is a choice, and any instruction about which questions are compulsory. Misreading the rubric is one of the most common avoidable losses of marks.
Plan the day
Stop trying to learn new content. Consolidate: revise your work sheets for the works and authors you will use, and re-read your summaries of each period's key features, function and context. Do one full timed paper under exam conditions and mark it yourself against the criteria your teacher has given you.
Identify your weak spots from the marked paper and fix only those. Practise the mechanics: how you will open an image commentary, how you will structure a development question (introduction, analysis, context, conclusion), and how long each part should take. Prepare the exact material you will bring: ID, pens, watch.
Light revision only: skim your summaries and the key works, then stop. Check the room, address and reporting time with your centre. Pack your bag with ID, pens, watch and any documentation required. Sleep properly; do not stay up memorising dates.
Eat a proper breakfast and arrive early. Do not revise new material in the corridor; if you revise, look only at your own summaries. Switch off and put away your phone before entering the building. Once seated, read the whole paper and the rubric before writing anything.
Read all questions and the choice available. Decide which options you will answer, and allocate minutes to each question in proportion to its weight. Start with the question you can answer most confidently, but keep strictly to your time allocation.
For an image commentary, identify the work and author, describe what you see, analyse form, technique and composition, and place it in its style, function and historical context. For a development question, write a clear introduction that states your line of argument, develop it in ordered paragraphs with specific examples, and close with a short conclusion. Leave a few minutes at the end to check that every required question is answered and that your handwriting is legible.
Check the number of questions answered against the rubric, check that your name and details are filled in as instructed, and hand in the paper when told. Do not continue writing after the invigilator calls time.
Rules to check
Bring original official photo ID and place it on the desk if asked. Confirm with your centre which documents are accepted if your ID is being renewed.
Do not bring phones, smart watches, notes or unauthorised material into the exam room. Follow your centre's instructions on where to leave bags.
Follow the invigilators' instructions at all times, including when to start and stop writing. Writing after time is called can be treated as an irregularity.
Answer the number of questions required by the rubric and respect any choice offered. Confirm with your teacher or the official model whether any section is compulsory.
If you need to leave the room (for example, for the toilet), raise your hand and wait for an invigilator; confirm your centre's policy on breaks during the session.
If you believe there is an error in the paper, or you feel unwell, tell an invigilator immediately rather than waiting until the end.
Scoring follows the official criteria for the subject and the weightings published for your year. Confirm the current weightings with your teacher, as they can change between calls.
Any incident or suspected irregularity is handled by the organising body; ask your school how to proceed if something goes wrong on the day.