PAU Extremadura Business & Business Model Design (UEx) exam-day guide
PAU Extremadura Business & Business Model Design (UEx) · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Confirm the exact call time and venue in writing
Re-read the official convocatoria or your registration confirmation for the date, start time, building, and room. If any detail is missing or ambiguous, confirm with the provider (the university or the organising centre) rather than relying on a classmate's message. Arrive with margin for finding the room and for any identity check.
Valid photo ID
Bring the identity document you registered with (DNI, passport, or equivalent). The name must match your registration record. If your document is expired or you registered with a different document, confirm with the provider in advance which documents they accept.
Printed or downloaded registration proof
Keep the registration confirmation or exam ticket accessible offline on your phone and, if possible, on paper. It speeds up any check at the door and resolves disputes about room or session assignment.
Several blue or black pens plus a pencil and eraser
Written answers are usually handwritten. Bring more than one working pen, a pencil for any multiple-choice or diagram work, and an eraser. Check ink levels the night before. Whether correction fluid or pencil-only answers are allowed is something to confirm with the provider.
A simple, non-programmable watch
Exam rooms do not always have a visible clock, and phones are usually not permitted on the desk. A basic analogue or digital watch lets you pace the sections. Smartwatches are normally excluded; confirm the provider's device policy if you are unsure.
Know the permitted calculator and materials policy
This exam is largely conceptual (business models, value proposition, environment analysis), but some tasks may involve simple figures. Check whether any calculator is allowed and which models. Do not assume a programmable or graphing calculator is permitted; confirm with the provider.
Phone silenced and stored as instructed
Turn the phone off or to silent before entering the room and place it where invigilators direct, typically in a bag at the front or under the desk. An alarm going off mid-exam can be treated as misconduct; disable alarms in advance.
Clear water bottle and a light snack for afterwards
Hydration helps concentration over a long written paper. Keep the bottle label-free if the provider requires it. Eat properly before the exam; the snack is for after, not during, unless the provider explicitly allows food in the room.
One-page summary of frameworks, not full notes
Prepare a single sheet of key frameworks (Business Model Canvas blocks, value proposition logic, PESTEL, Porter's five forces, SWOT) for last-minute review before entering. Leave it outside the exam room; bringing notes to the desk is normally prohibited.
Plan your route and backup transport
Check the journey time to the faculty building at the actual exam-hour traffic level, and identify a backup route or earlier train or bus. Aim to be at the building well before the call time; late arrival rules vary and should be confirmed with the provider.
Rest and normal routine the night before
Avoid an all-night review session. Sleep is worth more than one more reread of notes for a written, reasoning-heavy exam. Set two alarms and prepare clothes and materials the night before so the morning is calm.
Read the instructions on the paper before writing
Once seated, check the number of questions, whether there are choices, the marks per section, and whether answers must go in a specific booklet or box. Misreading the rubric is one of the most common avoidable losses of marks.
Plan the day
Move from reading to producing. Rewrite the Business Model Canvas from memory, then apply it to two or three real companies or case scenarios you invent, filling each of the nine blocks with specific content rather than labels. Do the same for a value proposition statement (customer segment, jobs, pains, gains, and how the offer relieves or creates them). Practise PESTEL and five-forces analyses on a sector you know well, and force yourself to state implications, not just list factors. Review any past papers or sample tasks the provider has released, and note the wording of typical verbs (analyse, compare, justify, design) so you know what depth each demands. Build your one-page framework sheet. Reserve the last evening for light review only.
Confirm logistics: venue, room, start time, ID, and permitted materials, checking with the provider if anything is unclear. Pack your bag with ID, registration proof, pens, pencil, eraser, watch, water, and the framework sheet. Do a timed dry run of one full written answer, roughly the length you expect in the exam, to calibrate how much you can write in the time available. Rehearse two or three short definitions you can deploy quickly (business model, value proposition, competitive advantage, business model innovation). Stop studying early enough to sleep at your normal time.
Eat a proper breakfast and avoid cramming new material. Glance at the framework sheet only to refresh structure, then put it away before entering the building. Arrive at the venue with generous margin, locate the room and any notice boards, and use the waiting time to settle rather than to discuss content with other candidates, which tends to raise anxiety. Switch the phone to silent or off and disable alarms before you go in.
Read the whole paper before writing. Note the number of questions, any choice, and the marks per part, and mark the time budget for each section on the corner of your answer sheet. Start with the question you can answer most confidently to build momentum, but keep to the budget. If a question offers a choice, choose quickly and commit rather than drafting both.
Answer in the structure the question implies: define or frame, apply the framework to the specific case, then evaluate and recommend. Use the vocabulary of the course (customer segments, channels, revenue streams, key partners, cost structure) precisely, and anchor abstract points in concrete examples. For design-style tasks, sketch the canvas or diagram clearly and label it; a labelled diagram often earns marks faster than prose. Leave space to return to weak answers. Watch the clock at the halfway point and at ten minutes remaining, and make sure every required question has at least a complete answer, even if brief.
Check that all questions are attempted, that answer numbers match question numbers, and that any diagrams are labelled and legible. Add one or two sentences of justification to any answer that is only a list. Confirm your name and ID are on every sheet as instructed, then stop writing when told.
Rules to check
Bring and display the identity document you registered with. If your document is expired, lost, or differs from your registration, contact the provider before exam day to confirm what is accepted; do not assume an alternative will be allowed.
Electronic devices, including phones and smartwatches, must normally be switched off and stored away from the desk. Confirm the provider's specific policy on phones, calculators, and any permitted aids, and follow the invigilators' instructions exactly.
Notes, textbooks, and your summary sheet must stay outside the exam room unless the provider states the exam is open-book. Bringing unauthorised material to the desk can lead to disqualification.
Follow the announced rules on late arrival and early departure. These vary by centre, so confirm the provider's cut-off times; do not rely on being admitted if you arrive after the start.
Raise your hand and wait for an invigilator if you need to leave the room, need materials, or find a problem with the paper. Do not communicate with other candidates during the exam, and do not look at their papers.
Write legibly and in the language of instruction, keeping standard technical terms in English where that is normal. Illegible or ambiguous answers may not be credited, and answers outside the designated booklet or boxes may not be marked.
Allocate time according to the marks available and attempt every required question. A short but complete answer usually scores better than a long answer to one question and nothing on another.
If you believe there is an error in the paper or a disruption during the exam, note it and inform the invigilator; then follow the provider's procedure for reporting incidents after the exam. Scoring, resit, and appeal rules should be confirmed with the provider rather than assumed.