Extremadura PAU Geology and Environmental Sciences Exam exam-day guide
Extremadura PAU Geology and Environmental Sciences Exam · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Official ID document
Bring the identity document (DNI, passport, or equivalent) that you used at registration. It must be valid and unexpired. If you have any doubt about which document is accepted for the Extremadura PAU, confirm with the Universidad de Extremadura or your exam centre before the exam day.
Exam call/schedule and seat assignment
Print or save the official call document showing date, time, building, and room. Arrive at the time stated in the call, not at the published start time. Confirm the exact arrival time and venue with the provider, as these are set per centre and per year.
Blue or black ballpoint pens (at least two)
Written answers must be legible. Bring spare pens of the same colour. Do not rely on pencil for final answers; if you use pencil for diagrams or sketches, bring an eraser.
Pencil, eraser, and ruler
Useful for sketches, cross-sections, stratigraphic columns, block diagrams, and graph axes. A ruler helps draw neat axes for climate, population, or hydrograph data.
Scientific calculator
Check the model against the rules in the official call. Programmable or graphing calculators may be restricted; confirm with the provider which models are allowed. Bring spare batteries if your model uses them.
Analog watch
Many exam rooms do not have a visible clock, and phones are usually not allowed on the desk. An analog watch lets you manage time without drawing attention.
Clear water bottle with label removed
Stay hydrated, especially for long exam sessions. Remove or cover labels if the centre requires it. Confirm any container rules with the provider.
No phone or smart device on your person
Leave phones, smartwatches, and earbuds at home or in the designated area. Even a switched-off device on your person can be treated as misconduct. Confirm the centre's storage arrangements in advance.
Reviewed formula and data sheet
If the exam permits a formula sheet or data tables, check exactly what is provided and what you must memorise. Do not assume a sheet will be given; confirm with the provider.
Transport and backup plan
Plan the route, check travel times, and identify a backup transport option. Aim to be at the centre with margin for delays. Locate the room and toilets before the call.
Light snack and any required medication
Eat a normal breakfast. Bring water and a small snack if breaks allow it, plus any prescribed medication you may need. Confirm break and food rules with the provider.
Prepared answer strategy notes (study only)
In the final days, write a one-page plan for each block: how you will open an answer, structure the reasoning, use data, and conclude. Leave these notes at home; they are for revision, not for the exam room.
Plan the day
Do a full timed mock under exam conditions: one theory block and one practical block. Mark it strictly against the official criteria and list the three weakest topics. Spend the remaining time on those three, not on everything.
Re-read the official exam structure and scoring rules for the subject. Confirm the number of questions, the choice offered, the time allowed, and whether practical data or images are provided. If anything is unclear, confirm with the provider.
Prepare your materials: pens, pencil, eraser, ruler, calculator with fresh batteries, watch, ID, and the call document. Put them in one bag and leave the bag packed.
Review the high-yield core: internal and external geological processes, rock cycle and identification, plate tectonics and its evidence, geological structures, geological time and dating methods, and the interpretation of maps, cross-sections, and stratigraphic columns.
Review the environmental block: atmosphere and climate, the greenhouse effect and climate change, the water cycle and water resources, soil, ecosystems and biodiversity, natural and human-induced hazards, and waste and resource management.
Practise data interpretation: read a climograph, a hydrograph, a population pyramid, or a table, and write a short structured interpretation. Practise describing a geological cross-section in the correct order, from oldest to youngest.
Do a light review only: your own summary sheets, key definitions, units, and the structure of your answers. Do not start new topics. Stop studying in the early evening.
Check the venue, travel route, and departure time. Set two alarms. Prepare clothes and food for the morning. Confirm the arrival time and any access requirements with the provider if you have not already done so.
Eat a normal breakfast, take your ID and packed bag, and leave with margin. Avoid last-minute cramming of new material; skim only your own summary sheet.
Locate the room and toilets. Switch off and store your phone as instructed. Keep only permitted materials on the desk. Listen carefully to the invigilator's instructions.
Read the whole paper before writing. Choose your questions deliberately, noting the marks available. Allocate time per question and per mark, and keep a few minutes at the end for checking.
Answer in the required language and format. For each answer, state the concept, give the reasoning or evidence, and finish with a clear conclusion. Label diagrams and axes, include units, and refer to the data you were given.
Check that every chosen question is answered, that question numbers are correct, that units and labels are present, and that no answer is left unfinished in a way that loses easy marks.
Rules to check
Bring valid official ID and keep it on the desk if instructed. If your document is lost or expired, contact the centre or the provider immediately; do not assume you will be admitted, and confirm the procedure with the provider.
Arrive at the time stated in the official call. Late arrival and admission after the start are governed by the centre's rules; confirm the exact policy with the provider rather than relying on memory.
Do not bring phones, smartwatches, earbuds, or unauthorised notes into the exam room. Store them as directed. Possession of a device during the exam can be treated as serious misconduct.
Use only permitted materials: the ID, writing instruments, drawing instruments, and the calculator model allowed by the call. Confirm the permitted calculator and any formula or data sheet with the provider.
Write your answers in the language of the exam and in the format required by the paper. Answer only the number of questions permitted; extra answers may not be marked. Confirm the choice rules with the provider.
Follow the invigilator's instructions on leaving the room, breaks, and talking. Do not communicate with other candidates during the exam. If you need to leave, raise your hand and wait for permission.
Scoring is based on the official criteria for the subject: accuracy of concepts, correct use of terminology, quality of reasoning and justification, interpretation of data and images, and clarity and labelling of diagrams. Read the mark allocation before you start writing.
If you believe there is an error in the paper or a problem with conditions, report it calmly to the invigilator at the time. Do not rely on informal advice from other candidates; for any appeal or incident procedure, confirm with the provider.