Extremadura PAU Foreign Language II - English exam-day guide
Extremadura PAU Foreign Language II - English · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Official ID document
Bring the original DNI/NIE or passport you used at enrolment; the name must match your registration exactly. Confirm with your school or the Universidad de Extremadura which documents are accepted for your call, since invigilators can refuse entry without valid ID.
Exam call/sede confirmation
Print or save the notice showing your assigned centre, building, classroom, and call time. PAU venues in Extremadura are usually at the university campuses or designated secondary schools; confirm the exact location with your school, because rooms are not always the ones you studied in.
Blue or black ballpoint pens (two)
Write the whole paper in ink, not pencil, so answers cannot be altered or erased. Bring a spare: running out mid-essay wastes minutes you will not get back.
Pencil, eraser, and sharpener
Use pencil only for multiple-choice answer sheets or rough notes if the instructions allow it. Keep it separate from your ink pen so you do not fill in the final sheet in the wrong medium.
Wristwatch (non-smart)
Classrooms may not have a visible clock, and phones are usually collected or banned. A simple analogue watch lets you pace the reading, writing, and use-of-English sections without asking the invigilator.
Clear water bottle
Hydration helps concentration during a long sitting. Labels are sometimes removed and bottles must be transparent; check the centre's rules when you arrive.
No phone, smartwatch, or earbuds at your desk
Devices must be switched off and left in the designated area or bag. Even a silent phone vibrating in a pocket can be treated as misconduct; confirm the centre's device policy with the provider before the day.
Light layers and comfortable clothing
Exam rooms can be cold in winter and warm in late spring. Dress in layers you can remove without disturbing others.
Small snack for after the exam
Leave it in your bag, not at the desk. The English paper may be scheduled alongside other subjects, so a quick energy boost between sessions helps.
Review the task formats the night before
Skim the structure: reading comprehension questions, a use-of-English section, and a writing task. Knowing the order lets you allocate time calmly rather than discovering the layout under pressure.
Plan your route and arrival time
Arrive at least 20-30 minutes before the call. Traffic, parking, and finding the right building are the most common causes of late arrival, and latecomers may not be admitted once the paper has started.
Confirm permitted materials
Ask your teacher or the coordinating body whether monolingual dictionaries, calculators, or any aids are allowed for this paper. Do not assume: policies differ by subject and year, so confirm with the provider.
Plan the day
Do one full timed mock under exam conditions: reading, use of English, and writing in a single sitting. Mark it honestly and list your three weakest areas. Spend the remaining days on those, not on new material.
Re-read the official instructions for the paper (task types, word limits for the writing, marking of each section). Confirm with your school the exact structure and timing if anything is unclear, because formats can change between years.
Prepare your documents: check that your ID is valid and unexpired, and locate your exam call notice. Photograph the venue details so you can find them quickly on the day.
Review your personal error log: recurring grammar slips (articles, prepositions, verb tenses, subject-verb agreement) and spelling of common connectives. Fixing five repeated errors is worth more than learning five new words.
Practise two writing tasks from past-style prompts within the time limit, then rewrite each once improving structure and linking words. Keep a bank of 8-10 flexible connectors and a clear paragraph plan (introduction, two body paragraphs, conclusion).
Do light revision only: skim vocabulary lists, phrasal verbs, and a couple of reading texts. Stop studying by early evening. Cramming new grammar the night before increases anxiety without improving accuracy.
Pack your bag: ID, call notice, two pens, pencil, eraser, sharpener, watch, water, snack. Lay out clothes. Set two alarms and check transport times for the morning.
Sleep 7-8 hours. A rested brain reads faster and writes more coherently than a tired one that stayed up reviewing.
Eat a proper breakfast and avoid excessive caffeine. Arrive at the venue 20-30 minutes early, find your room, and check the seating list.
Switch off your phone and put it away before entering the room. Have your ID ready for checking. Use the waiting time for calm breathing, not last-minute panic reading.
Read the whole paper quickly, note the marks per section, and write a time budget on the corner of your sheet. Allocate roughly proportional time to marks, leaving 5-10 minutes to check.
Skim the questions before reading each text closely, then answer in your own words where asked. Do not copy long chunks of the text; comprehension questions usually reward paraphrase. Flag any item you cannot resolve and move on.
Work steadily through the gap-fill, word-formation, or transformation items. Read the whole sentence before deciding, and check that your answer fits grammatically and in meaning.
Spend 2-3 minutes planning: topic, position, paragraph structure, key vocabulary. Write legibly, respect the word limit, and reserve 3-4 minutes to check tenses, agreement, spelling, and punctuation.
Make sure every answer is transferred to the correct place and that your name and details are filled in. Never leave blanks in objective sections: an educated guess costs nothing.
Rules to check
Carry valid original ID matching your registration; without it you may be refused entry. Confirm with the provider which documents are accepted for your call.
Arrive before the call time. Once the paper has begun, admission and extra time are at the invigilator's discretion; confirm the late-arrival policy with the provider rather than assuming you will be let in.
Phones, smartwatches, and any connected devices must be switched off and stored away. Possession at the desk can be treated as academic misconduct regardless of whether you used it.
Write final answers in the medium the paper requires (usually ink for written answers, pencil for machine-read sheets if instructed). Illegible or ambiguous answers may not be marked.
Do not communicate with other candidates during the test, and do not take question papers or answer sheets out of the room unless the invigilator explicitly permits it.
If you need to leave the room (toilet, illness), raise your hand and wait for an invigilator. Leaving without permission can end your exam; confirm the centre's break and escort rules with the provider.
Scoring is section-based: reading, use of English, and writing each contribute to the final mark, so a weak section can be offset by a strong one. Check the weighting with your school before deciding where to spend time.
Academic honesty applies: copying, impersonation, or bringing unauthorised notes leads to invalidation of the paper. If you are unsure whether an item is permitted, ask before the exam starts.