Catalonia PAU Geology & Env Sci exam-day guide
Catalonia PAU Geology & Env Sci · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Official ID document
Bring the identity document the PAU regulations require (typically DNI, passport, or residence card) in its original form; a photocopy or a photo on your phone is not accepted. Confirm with the provider which documents are valid for your case (e.g. foreign candidates) and keep it in the same folder as your exam materials so you do not have to search for it at the door.
PAU registration receipt / exam card
Print or download the registration proof and the schedule showing which sessions you are assigned to, the rooms, and the subjects you sit. The exact name and format of this document varies by year and by university, 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)
Write with ink, not pencil, on the answer sheets unless an instructions sheet explicitly allows pencil for a drawing or graph. Carry two working pens plus a spare refill; a pen that fails mid-essay costs time you cannot recover.
Pencil, eraser, and sharpener
Useful for rough work, for sketching graphs before inking them, and for any multiple-choice answer sheet if the subject uses one. Keep rough work clearly marked as draft so it is not confused with the final answer.
Approved calculator
Check the current PAU rules for the calculator model allowed for Geology and Environmental Sciences: programmable or graphing calculators with symbolic algebra or stored data are often restricted. Confirm with the provider which models are permitted this year before you rely on one.
Ruler, set square, and protractor
Geology questions frequently ask for scale interpretation, cross-section drawing, or strike and dip measurement. A transparent ruler and a protractor make these tasks faster and more accurate than freehand work.
Analog watch (not a smartwatch)
Phones are usually collected or switched off in the room, so bring a simple wristwatch to pace yourself across the sections. Confirm with the provider whether any watch is allowed and whether smartwatches are banned outright.
Clear water bottle and a light snack
Sessions can run long and back-to-back. Bring water in a transparent bottle with the label removed if the venue requires it, and a snack for the break between sessions. Confirm with the provider whether food and drink are allowed inside the exam room.
Transparent pencil case or folder
Many venues require all materials to be visible in a clear case. Pack pens, pencil, ruler, calculator, and ID in one place the night before so nothing is left on the desk at home.
Printed summary sheets for last-minute review
Bring concise one-page summaries of the formulas, classification keys, and vocabulary you tend to forget. Review them in the corridor, then leave them outside the room, since notes are not allowed at the desk.
Venue logistics confirmed in advance
Check the building, room, and entry time on your schedule, and plan the route with a margin for delays. If you are unsure where your session is held, confirm with the provider rather than guessing on the morning.
Medical or access accommodation documentation
If you have an approved accommodation (extra time, separate room, larger print), carry the resolution that grants it. Confirm with the provider well before the exam that the centre has received it, because it cannot be arranged on the day.
Plan the day
Stop learning new content and switch to consolidation. Re-read your own summaries of the syllabus blocks that carry the most weight: internal and external geological processes, rock identification and the rock cycle, plate tectonics, geological time and stratigraphy, maps and cross-sections, and for the environmental part, ecosystems, biogeochemical cycles, natural resources, pollution, and environmental management. For each block, write from memory a half-page outline and then check it against your notes; the gaps you find are your study list for the next two days.
Do one full past-style paper under timed conditions, without notes, using the official structure you have been told to expect. Mark it yourself against the marking criteria, focusing on whether you used the correct technical vocabulary, justified each step, and answered the question actually asked. Identify the two or three question types where you lost the most marks and plan targeted practice for them.
Rehearse the practical skills that are hard to improvise: reading a topographic or geological map at a stated scale, calculating real distances and gradients, drawing and labelling a simple cross-section, interpreting a stratigraphic column, ordering events by relative age, and reading a climograph or a table of pollutant concentrations. Practise explaining each step in writing, because method marks are often awarded for the reasoning, not only the final number.
Review the option structure of the exam and decide your strategy: which questions you will answer, how many, and in what order. Confirm with the provider the exact number of questions, the choice available, and whether sections are compulsory, since these details change between years and you must not plan around a remembered format.
Do a second timed practice focused on your weakest question types, then a short review of units, symbols, and definitions. Make a single one-page formula and vocabulary sheet: porosity and permeability definitions, Mohs scale order, geological time subdivisions, greenhouse gases, trophic levels, and the meaning of terms such as eutrophication, bioaccumulation, and desertification. This sheet is for corridor review only.
Prepare the physical kit: ID, registration proof, pens, pencil, eraser, sharpener, calculator with fresh batteries, ruler, set square, protractor, watch, water, snack, and clear case. Put everything in one bag and place it by the door. Check the exam venue, room, and reporting time one more time and set two alarms.
Do a light review only: read your one-page sheets and your marked practice papers, focusing on the corrections rather than the questions. Do not start a new topic and do not sit a full paper the night before. Eat a normal meal, avoid heavy caffeine late in the evening, and aim for a full night's sleep; fatigue costs more marks than one extra hour of revision gains.
Eat a proper breakfast, take the prepared bag, and arrive at the venue with a generous margin before the reporting time. Once inside, keep the corridor review short and calm: skim your summary sheet, then put it away. Switch off your phone and store it as instructed before entering the room.
Read the instructions page carefully and check the number of questions, the choice, the time allowed, and the total marks. Read the whole paper before writing, mark the questions you will answer, and allocate minutes roughly in proportion to marks, leaving five to ten minutes at the end for checking. Write your name and details exactly as instructed before you begin.
Answer the questions you know best first to secure marks, then return to the harder ones. For calculation questions, show the formula, the substitution, the units, and the result, because partial credit usually rewards the method. For graph and map questions, label axes and features, state the scale, and write a one-line interpretation. For essay-style questions, open with a short direct answer, develop it in structured paragraphs with concrete examples, and close with a brief conclusion. If time runs short, write bullet-point outlines rather than leaving a blank page.
Check that every chosen question is answered, that page numbers and details are correct, and that no answer is left in draft form when it should be inked as final. After the session, avoid comparing answers in detail with others, since it raises doubt without changing the result; focus on the next session's subject instead.
Rules to check
Bring original identification as required by the PAU regulations and keep it on the desk for inspection. Acceptable documents and any exceptions for foreign candidates should be confirmed with the provider before the exam day, because a missing document can prevent you from sitting the paper.
Phones, smartwatches, and any device that can store or transmit information must be switched off and stored as the invigilators instruct before the paper starts. Possession of such a device at the desk, even unused, is commonly treated as a serious irregularity; confirm with the provider the exact rule applied at your centre.
Only materials explicitly permitted for the subject may be on the desk: pens, pencil, eraser, ruler, drawing instruments, and the approved calculator. Notes, textbooks, and unauthorised calculators are not allowed; if you are unsure whether a particular calculator model is permitted, confirm with the provider in advance.
Write your answers in the official answer booklet or sheets provided, with your identifying details completed as instructed. Answers written on question papers, on loose sheets, or in a form the instructions do not allow may not be marked, so follow the wording of the instructions page exactly.
Follow the invigilators' instructions on timing, leaving the room, and breaks. Toilet visits during a session are usually supervised and may not extend your time; confirm with the provider the centre's policy if you have a medical need, and arrange any accommodation in advance.
Scoring is based on the official marking criteria for each subject, which typically reward correct method, appropriate use of technical vocabulary, and justified reasoning as well as final answers. Read the marks available per question and allocate your effort accordingly; do not assume that a longer answer automatically scores higher.
Any irregularity, including talking, exchanging material, looking at another candidate's paper, or using unauthorised aids, can lead to expulsion from the session and affect your overall PAU grade. If you believe there is a problem with your paper or conditions, raise it with the invigilator immediately rather than after the exam.
If you need to request a review or file a claim about the exam, follow the procedure and deadlines published by the organising university for that year. Confirm with the provider the exact channel and dates, since these are set annually and are not decided by your school.