Catalonia PAU Design II (Disseny II) exam-day guide
Catalonia PAU Design II (Disseny II) · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Official ID document
Bring the identity document (DNI, passport, or equivalent) that matches your registration. Confirm with the provider which documents are accepted and whether a photocopy is valid, since this is set by the administering university.
Exam enrolment receipt or registration proof
Carry the printed or digital proof of your PAU registration and the specific calls you are sitting. Confirm with the provider whether printed proof is required or a digital copy is accepted.
Black or blue pens (several)
Design II answers are handwritten. Bring at least two reliable pens of the same colour plus a spare. Confirm with the provider whether only one ink colour is permitted.
Pencils, eraser, and sharpener
Graphite pencils are useful for construction lines, sketches, and layout planning before inking final answers. Bring a soft grade for shading and a harder grade for precise construction.
Ruler, set square, and protractor
Technical drawing and layout questions often require straight edges and measured angles. A 30-60-90 and a 45-45-90 set square cover most construction tasks.
Compass and colour media
Bring a compass for circles and arcs, and the colour media you normally use (coloured pencils, markers, or fineliners). Confirm with the provider which media are allowed, as some centres restrict certain materials.
Clear pencil case and transparent water bottle
Many venues require transparent containers and remove labels from bottles. Confirm with the provider the exact rules for your assigned centre before the day.
Analog watch
Phones are typically not permitted on the desk, so a simple non-smart watch helps you pace the sections. Confirm with the provider whether watches are allowed in the room.
Read the full exam paper before starting
Check the number of questions, the optional choices, and the marks allocated. Decide your order of attack based on marks per minute, not on the order printed.
Plan rough work in the answer booklet
Show construction lines, sketches, and reasoning where the paper asks for process. Examiners reward visible design thinking, so do not erase intermediate steps unless instructed.
Check the official instructions and permitted materials list
The exact list of allowed instruments and any centre-specific rules is published by the administering body. Confirm with the provider rather than relying on second-hand information.
Confirm room, date, and start time
Verify your assigned centre, room, and reporting time on the official schedule. Arrive with margin for identification checks; confirm with the provider how early you must report.
Plan the day
Review the exam structure and weighting: know how many questions there are, which are compulsory, and how marks are distributed. Re-read your own past mock answers and list the three errors you repeat most often (for example, unfinished layouts, missing annotations, or poor time allocation).
Do one timed full mock under exam conditions using only the materials you will bring. Practise the physical workflow: laying out the page, sketching, inking, and labelling. Time each section and record where you lost minutes.
Consolidate technique rather than new content. Review layout grids, typographic basics, colour relationships, and the vocabulary used to justify design decisions. Prepare short written justifications you can adapt to different briefs.
Pack your materials in a clear case and check every instrument works: pens write, compass holds its radius, pencils are sharpened. Lay out clothes and ID. Confirm travel time to the centre and set two alarms.
Do a light review only: skim your summary notes and the official instructions. Stop studying early enough to sleep a full night; fatigue costs more marks than one extra hour of revision.
Eat a normal breakfast, arrive at the centre with the margin the provider requires, and keep your materials in the permitted container. Avoid last-minute cramming that raises anxiety; a brief glance at your layout checklist is enough.
Read the whole paper, note the marks per question, and write a time budget on the corner of your sheet. Allocate roughly proportional time to marks and reserve the final ten minutes for checking and completing unfinished labels.
Work in the planned order, starting with the question you can execute most confidently to secure marks early. Keep construction lines visible where process is assessed, annotate your drawings, and move on when the time budget for a question expires.
Check that every question is attempted, that your name and details are filled in as instructed, and that diagrams have labels and units where relevant. Verify you have not left answers on rough paper that should be in the answer booklet.
Rules to check
Carry the identity document required by the administering body at all times in the room. Confirm with the provider which documents are accepted and what happens if you cannot present them.
Follow the invigilators' instructions on permitted materials. If you are unsure whether an instrument or medium is allowed, ask before the exam starts rather than risk a sanction; confirm with the provider in advance.
Electronic devices such as phones and smart watches are generally not permitted in the examination room. Confirm with the provider the policy for storing devices and whether they must be switched off and left outside.
Breaks and leaving the room are usually controlled by the invigilator. Confirm with the provider the rules on toilet breaks, since some centres allow only one accompanied exit and do not extend your time.
Write only in the designated answer booklet or sheets and follow any instruction about ink colour or pen use. Work on rough paper is not marked unless the paper explicitly says otherwise.
Do not communicate with other candidates during the exam and do not bring unauthorised notes. Suspected misconduct is handled under the administering body's regulations; confirm with the provider how incidents are reported.
Scoring follows the official marking criteria for Design II, which reward correct resolution, coherence of the design proposal, and clear justification. Confirm with the provider the published criteria and weighting for your call.
If you believe there is an error in the paper or a problem with your materials, raise it with the invigilator immediately and ask for it to be recorded; do not wait until the end of the exam.