Catalonia PAU Technology and Engineering II exam-day guide
Catalonia PAU Technology and Engineering II · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Official ID document
Bring the identity document (DNI, passport, or equivalent) you registered with. It must be valid and unexpired. Confirm with the provider which documents are accepted if you registered with a non-standard ID.
Exam admission/registration confirmation
Print or download the official PAU registration receipt or admission document showing your assigned centre and subjects. Confirm with the provider whether a printed copy is required or a digital version is accepted.
Blue or black ballpoint pens (at least two)
Write in blue or black ink only. Bring spare pens; pencil is normally reserved for diagrams or sketches, so confirm with the provider if you plan to use pencil for drawings.
Pencil, eraser, and sharpener
Useful for sketches, free-body diagrams, circuit diagrams, and rough calculations. Keep rough work clearly marked as such.
Scientific calculator (non-programmable, non-graphing)
Technology and Engineering II requires numerical work. Bring a calculator you are fluent with, check its batteries, and confirm with the provider which calculator models are permitted, since programmable or graphing calculators are commonly restricted.
Geometric drawing set: ruler, set square, protractor, compass
Technical drawing and graphical statics questions often need accurate construction. A 30-60-90 and 45-45-90 set square, a 30 cm ruler, and a compass with a locking nut are the standard kit.
Approved form/table booklet if permitted
Some centres allow a formula sheet or tables; others supply them with the paper. Confirm with the provider what reference material is allowed and whether you may bring your own.
Clear pencil case or transparent bag
Many centres require transparent storage so invigilators can check contents. Confirm with the provider whether only a clear case is allowed.
Wristwatch (non-smart)
Exam rooms may not have a visible clock. A simple analogue or digital watch without connectivity helps you pace the paper; smartwatches are normally prohibited.
Water bottle with label removed
Stay hydrated across a long exam day. Remove or cover the label; confirm with the provider whether drinks are allowed at your centre.
Know your centre, room, and start time
Check the assigned building and room the day before and plan arrival at least 20-30 minutes early. Confirm with the provider the exact reporting time, which can differ from the published exam start.
Plan transport and a backup
Identify the route, travel time, and a fallback (bus, train, taxi, or walking route). Leave a buffer for delays; arriving late can mean losing time or being refused entry.
Plan the day
Do a full timed past-paper under exam conditions: 90 minutes, no notes, using only the calculator and drawing tools you will bring. Mark it strictly against the official solutions and list every topic where you lost marks.
Review the syllabus checklist for Technology and Engineering II: materials and properties, mechanical systems, electrical and electronic circuits, control and programming, pneumatics/hydraulics, structures and stresses, energy and its transformation, and technical drawing. Identify your three weakest areas and schedule focused revision for them.
Prepare a one-page formula and method sheet in your own handwriting: Ohm's law, power, series/parallel resistors, pulley and gear ratios, mechanical advantage, stress and strain, beam reactions, and standard drawing conventions. Rewriting it is the revision; check whether you may bring it into the exam.
Check your calculator: batteries, mode, and that it is the model you will actually use. Practise the operations you need (powers, roots, trig, fractions) so you do not lose time fumbling on the day.
Do a light review only: reread your formula sheet, the most common mistakes from your past papers, and the drawing conventions. Do not start new topics the night before.
Pack your bag with ID, admission document, pens, pencil, eraser, calculator, drawing set, clear case, watch, and water. Lay out clothes and confirm the centre address, room, and reporting time.
Eat a normal meal, avoid late caffeine, and aim for a full night's sleep. Set two alarms and arrange your transport.
Eat a proper breakfast, arrive at the centre with a buffer, and locate the room and toilets before the doors open. Keep your phone switched off and stored away, not in your pocket.
Do a five-minute warm-up: read your formula sheet and one worked example of a circuit calculation and one of a gear/pulley calculation. This primes recall without tiring you.
Read the whole paper and the instructions. Note how many questions there are, which are compulsory, and whether you have a choice. Mark the questions you can do confidently and the ones that need more thought.
Answer in order of confidence, not paper order. Allocate roughly one minute per mark and keep to it. For calculation questions, write the formula, substitute values with units, show the result, and state the unit; method marks are usually available even when the final number is wrong.
Use a sharp pencil and drawing tools, label all forces, dimensions, and units, and keep constructions clean. An unlabelled diagram loses marks even if the geometry is correct.
Check units, significant figures, and that every question has an answer. Make sure your name and candidate details are on every sheet, and that rough work is clearly separated from final answers.
Rules to check
Bring and display the valid ID you registered with; without it you may be refused entry. Confirm with the provider which documents are accepted if your ID is not a standard DNI or passport.
Electronic devices, including mobile phones and smartwatches, must be switched off and stored out of reach for the whole session. Possession of a device during the exam can lead to disqualification; confirm with the provider the exact storage rules at your centre.
Only permitted materials may be on your desk: pens, pencil, eraser, drawing tools, and the approved calculator. Confirm with the provider whether your calculator model and any formula sheet are allowed.
Write in blue or black ink and answer in the designated spaces. Answers outside the marked areas or on additional sheets may not be marked; confirm with the provider how extra sheets are handled.
You may normally leave the room only for a genuine emergency and with an invigilator's permission; time lost is not usually made up. Confirm with the provider the break and toilet policy for your centre.
Scoring is by marks per question, and method marks are awarded for correct reasoning even when the final answer is wrong. Always show your working, formulas, substitutions, and units rather than writing only a final number.
Follow the invigilator's instructions at all times. Talking, passing materials, or looking at another candidate's paper is misconduct and can void your exam; confirm with the provider the disciplinary procedure if you are unsure about anything.
If you believe there is an error in a question or you are affected by a disturbance, report it to the invigilator immediately and note it afterwards; confirm with the provider the official procedure and deadline for lodging a claim.