Cantabria PAU Technical Drawing II (Dibujo Técnico II)

You solve graphical problems on paper: constructing tangencies and conics, resolving dihedral-geometry intersections and solid sections, applying scales and dimensioning conventions, drawing multiview or axonometric views of a part. Answers are drawings, so construction lines, auxiliary arcs and labelled points carry marks even when the final result is imperfect.

The official body sets and publishes the current structure, number of options and time limit each year, and these have changed with successive educational reforms. Do not rely on numbers from older papers or forums; check the official Universidad de Cantabria PAU page for the year you are sitting.

It is demanding in a specific way: the theory is limited but the drawing must be fast and accurate. Candidates who lose marks usually do so through slow instrument handling, missing auxiliary lines or misreading the statement, not through ignorance. Regular timed practice on complete papers closes most of that gap.

Yes, the PAU can be repeated in later calls, and the specific-phase marks are typically valid for the following academic year, but the exact rules on validity and improvement are set officially. Confirm the current conditions on the university's PAU pages before planning a resit.

Start with plane geometry because it builds instrument fluency and underpins everything else. Move to dihedral geometry of point, line and plane, then solids and sections, then standardisation and multiview drawing, and finish with axonometric and perspective work. Interleave past-paper practice from the start rather than leaving it to the final weeks.

A good compass with a fine lead, two set squares, a rigid ruler, a 2H or 3H pencil for construction, a harder or darker pencil for final lines, an eraser and a sharpener. Some calls allow a non-programmable calculator. Bring a soft eraser that does not smudge and practise with the exact instruments you will use.

The usual causes are faint or missing construction lines, arcs drawn freehand instead of with a compass, wrong line weights so the solution does not stand out, unlabelled intersection points, and answers placed in the wrong quadrant or dihedral position. Examiners reward a traceable method, so leave your working visible.

Some sections of the paper have used short-answer or option-based items alongside the drawing problems, but the balance varies between calls and is fixed by the official model published for each year. Prepare for both: know the definitions and conventions, and be ready to construct.

Yes, as practice material. The underlying syllabus is national, so construction exercises from other autonomous communities train the same skills, but always check the Cantabrian paper's own format and option structure, since the wording and mark distribution differ between regions and years.

Read every option first and choose the problems you can finish cleanly, not the ones that look most interesting. Allocate minutes per question and keep a reserve for final line work and checking. If a construction stalls, leave your auxiliary lines, move on, and return only if time permits.