Galicia PAU Design exam-day guide
Galicia PAU Design · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
DNI or passport (original, valid)
Bring the original document, not a photocopy or a photo on your phone. The name must match the one on your registration. If your document is expired or you registered with a different document, confirm with the provider which document is accepted before exam day.
Exam venue, room and start time confirmed
Write down the exact building, room and reporting time the day before. Galicia's three universities (Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Vigo) each publish their own PAU call and timetable, and the design practical may be scheduled in a different room or session from the theory papers. Confirm the details on your university's PAU page or with your school's PAU coordinator; do not rely on a classmate's memory.
Printed or downloaded exam timetable for your block
The PAU is organised in blocks with fixed start times. Know which block your Design paper falls in and what comes before and after it, so you arrive with margin and know whether you have a gap for lunch. Timetables differ by university and by year; confirm with the provider.
Graphite pencils in several hardnesses (e.g. 2H, HB, 2B, 4B/6B)
Design practicals typically require both construction line work and tonal rendering. Bring at least one hard pencil for clean construction, one HB for outlines and two soft grades for shadow and texture. Sharpen them at home; do not count on borrowing.
Eraser, kneaded eraser and sharpener
A kneaded eraser lifts graphite without damaging paper and is useful for soft highlights. A block eraser and a small sharpener (with a container, to avoid mess) complete the kit. Check that your sharpener works before you pack it.
Black fineliners or technical pens in two or three widths
Design answers often need crisp lettering, dimension lines and clean edges. Bring at least a 0.3 and a 0.5 mm pen, plus a spare of the width you use most. Test each pen on scrap paper the night before; dried or leaking pens are a common exam-day failure.
Ruler, set square and/or scale ruler
Geometric construction, orthographic views and scaled plans need straight edges. A 30 cm ruler plus a set square covers most tasks. If your course used a specific scale (1:20, 1:50), bring the scale ruler you practised with.
Colour media you actually practised with
If your preparation used coloured pencils, markers or a specific paper, bring that same medium. Do not switch to a new brand or technique on exam day. Confirm with the provider whether the instructions restrict the media or require a particular support, since this can vary by call and by year.
Compass and protractor (if your preparation used them)
Useful for circles, arcs and angle construction. Bring them only if you have practised with them; unfamiliar tools waste time. Mark as needs_review: confirm with the provider whether any instrument is prohibited.
Clear water bottle and a small snack
Practical sessions can run long. Water in a transparent bottle and a quiet snack for the break are usually allowed, but rules on food and drink in the exam room differ by venue. Confirm with the provider.
Watch (non-smart) or check the room clock
Phones are normally not allowed in the exam room, so a plain wristwatch is the reliable way to pace yourself. Confirm with the provider whether any watch type is restricted.
Leave prohibited items at home or in your bag
Smartphones, smartwatches, notes and unauthorised electronic devices must not be in the exam room. Plan where your phone will be during the test before you arrive, because there is usually no safe place to leave it at the last minute. Confirm the venue's storage rules with the provider.
Plan the day
Do a full timed mock of the Design practical under exam conditions: same duration, same paper size, same media, no notes. Mark it yourself against the published assessment criteria (idea and process, composition, technical execution, presentation). Identify the two weakest areas and spend the remaining days only on those. Do not start new topics or new techniques this late.
Re-read the official PAU instructions for your university: permitted materials, paper format, duration of the Design paper, and any specific requirements about labelling, annotations or presentation. Write a one-page personal checklist and keep it with your materials. If anything in the instructions is ambiguous, ask your PAU coordinator now, not on the morning.
Prepare and test your full material kit in one pouch or box. Sharpen pencils, test every pen, check erasers and rulers. Pack the ID document in the same bag so it cannot be forgotten. Lay out the kit and take a photo of it, so you can check nothing is missing on the morning.
Adjust your sleep schedule so you are awake and alert at the exam's start time. Practise a short warm-up routine (five minutes of quick line and lettering exercises) that you can repeat mentally or on scrap paper before starting the real task.
Confirm the venue, room, reporting time and route. Check transport times, including whether it is a working day and whether there are roadworks or strikes. If you travel from another town, confirm your accommodation and set two alarms.
Do a light review only: your own summary sheet of the design process (brief analysis, idea generation, chosen solution, technical drawings, presentation), plus a few quick sketches. No new mock. Stop studying in the evening.
Pack the bag completely: ID, kit, timetable printout, water, snack, watch. Put the bag by the door. Charge nothing you cannot bring; leave the phone charger at home if phones are not allowed.
Eat a normal breakfast and arrive at the venue with generous margin (aim for at least 30 to 45 minutes before the reporting time). Check the room list at the entrance; room assignments can change. Confirm with the provider how early doors open.
Before entering, do a two-minute kit check against your photo: ID, pencils, erasers, sharpener, pens, ruler, set square, colour media, compass, watch, water. Resolve any missing item immediately; do not enter the room hoping to borrow.
Read the whole paper before drawing anything. Identify what is being asked (product, space, graphic design, or a combination), the required deliverables, the paper size and orientation, and how the marks are distributed. Write a short time plan in the margin: idea phase, development, final drawings, presentation.
Spend roughly a quarter to a third of the time on analysis and idea generation. Produce several quick alternative sketches rather than committing to the first idea. Annotate briefly: what the problem is, who it is for, what constraint drives your choice. Examiners reward visible process, not only a polished final image.
Work at the largest scale the paper allows. Keep construction lines light and final lines confident. Use line weight to separate outline, internal detail and dimension or annotation lines. Label views and add scale or dimensions where the task requires them. Keep lettering horizontal, consistent and legible.
Stop drawing new content. Finish incomplete lines, clean smudges, check that every required element is present, and make sure your name and any required identification are on the sheet as instructed. Re-read the task list one final time. Hand in on time; do not risk a late penalty for one extra detail.
Rules to check
Bring the original ID document named in your registration. A photocopy, an expired document or a photo on a phone is normally not accepted. If your situation is unusual, confirm with the provider before exam day which document to bring.
Enter the room with only permitted materials. Phones and smart devices must be switched off and left outside the exam room as the venue instructs. If you are unsure whether an item is allowed, ask before the test starts rather than after.
Follow the invigilators' instructions on seating, filling in identification, start and finish times, and how to hand in your work. If you need to leave the room temporarily, raise your hand and wait; do not simply walk out.
Work only on the paper and materials provided or permitted. Do not bring prepared drawings, templates or notes into the room unless the call explicitly allows reference material. Confirm with the provider what reference material, if any, is permitted for the Design paper.
Pace yourself by the announced times, not by other candidates. If you finish early, use the remaining time to check required elements and presentation rather than adding risky new content.
Scoring is based on the published assessment criteria for the Design paper, which typically weight the design process, the appropriateness of the solution, technical drawing quality and presentation. Read the criteria for your call and address each one explicitly in your answer. Confirm the current weighting with the provider.
If something goes wrong (a broken instrument, illness, a disturbance), tell an invigilator immediately and ask for it to be recorded. Do not wait until after the exam to report a problem.
Rules on breaks, food and drink, and leaving early vary by venue and by paper. Treat any general advice as provisional and confirm the specific rules with the provider for your university and session.