Castilla y León PAU Technology and Engineering II exam-day guide
Castilla y León PAU Technology and Engineering II · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
DNI or valid photo ID
Bring the original document (DNI, passport, or residence card). Photocopies are not accepted. Confirm with your school or the Universidad de Valladolid/Junta de Castilla y León call that the document you plan to use is accepted.
Printed exam registration / matrícula proof
Carry the proof of enrolment in the PAU (usually the resguardo de matrícula or the list assignment). Some venues check it at the door; confirm the exact document with your school's orientación department.
Blue or black ballpoint pens (at least two)
Answers are handwritten. Bring two or three pens that you have already tested, plus a spare of a different colour in case the venue requires a specific ink for headers or for the borrador.
Pencil, eraser and sharpener
For diagrams, sketches, and any rough work. Keep all rough work clearly marked as borrador so it is not confused with the final answer.
Scientific calculator
Use the model you have practised with all year. Check the current call for the list of permitted and prohibited models (graphing and programmable calculators are typically restricted). Do not bring a calculator whose cover or memory contains stored formulas.
Geometric drawing set
Ruler, set square (escuadra y cartabón), protractor, and compass. Technology exams often include dimensioned sketches, views, or force diagrams where clean line work earns marks.
Wristwatch (non-smart)
Exam rooms do not always have a visible clock and phones must be off. A plain analogue or digital watch lets you manage the time budget without touching your phone.
Transparent pencil case or bag
Many venues require all materials to be visible in a clear case. Confirm the specific rule for your venue with the tribunal or your school.
Water bottle with no label
Remove the label if the venue requires it. Keep it on the floor, not on the desk, to avoid soaking your answer sheets.
Know your room, building and access door
Check the assignment list published by the university or the Junta de Castilla y León a few days before. Arrive early enough to find the room without rushing.
Review the exam structure and scoring for Technology and Engineering II
Re-read the current model and the published structure (number of questions, options, and weighting) so you know how many questions to answer and how the marks are distributed. Confirm the structure with the official call for your year.
Leave prohibited items at home
Smartphones, smartwatches, earphones, and any device with connectivity must stay outside the exam room. Even switched off, a phone on your person can be treated as a serious irregularity.
Plan the day
Switch from learning new content to consolidating. Review your own summary sheets for the main blocks: materials, mechanical systems, electrical and electronic circuits, pneumatics and hydraulics, control and automation, and drawing representation. Do one full past paper under timed conditions and mark it yourself against the published criteria. List your three weakest topics and spend the remaining time on those only.
Rehearse the mechanics of the exam: how you will choose between options, the order in which you will answer, and how long you will spend per question. Prepare a one-page sheet of formulas and standard symbols that you will memorise, not carry in, since notes are not allowed at the desk.
Do a light review only: formula sheet, unit conversions, and the standard drawing conventions (views, dimensioning, symbols for electrical and pneumatic components). Pack your pencil case, ID, registration proof, calculator, and drawing set the night before. Check the calculator's batteries. Confirm the venue, room, and start time. Sleep at your normal time.
Eat a normal breakfast and arrive at the building with margin, typically well before the call time, to allow for finding the room and the identity check. Keep your phone switched off and stored away before entering. Take only permitted material to the desk.
Read the whole paper before writing. Identify which questions are compulsory and which are optional, note the marks per question, and write a time budget on the corner of a sheet. Start with the questions you are most confident about, but leave space to return to any you skip.
Show working for calculation questions: a correct final value with no method may lose marks, and a method with a slip may still earn partial credit. Draw diagrams with a ruler and label magnitudes and units. Watch significant figures and units throughout.
Stop starting new questions. Check that every required question has an answer, that units and signs are consistent, that diagrams are labelled, and that your name and identifying details are on every sheet as required. Cross out rough work you do not want marked.
Rules to check
Bring original photo ID; the identity check is mandatory. If you are unsure which documents are accepted, confirm with the tribunal or your school before exam day.
Phones, smartwatches, and any connected device must be off and outside the exam room. Possession during the test can be treated as an irregularity, so do not rely on 'it was switched off'.
Use only the material permitted by the current call, particularly the calculator model. Confirm the permitted list with the official call or your teacher; do not assume last year's list still applies.
Write in the language of instruction and follow the paper's instructions on which questions are compulsory and how many options you may answer. Answering more questions than allowed is usually not rewarded.
If you need to leave the room (toilet, illness), raise your hand and wait for the invigilator. Typically you will be accompanied and may not return to the paper during an absence; confirm the venue's specific procedure.
Do not communicate with other candidates once the test has started, and do not read material brought into the room. Any suspicion of copying is handled by the tribunal and can affect your grade.
Scoring follows the official criteria: correct method and reasoning earn partial credit even when the final number is wrong, while correct answers without working may be penalised. Check the published criteria for the subject.
If a question seems ambiguous or has a printing error, ask the invigilator; they may clarify or note the issue. Do not silently guess at what the paper 'meant' if the wording blocks you.