Galicia PAU Italian - Second Foreign Language exam-day guide
Galicia PAU Italian - Second Foreign Language · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
DNI or passport (original, valid)
Bring the original document, not a photocopy. It must be valid on exam day and match the name on your registration. If you have any doubt about which document is accepted or whether a document that has expired but is under renewal is valid, confirm with the provider before exam day.
Exam venue and session confirmation
Check the room, building, and call/start time on your official registration or the university's PAU information page. Venues for the second foreign language are often large halls and can change; re-check the day before. If you cannot find your assigned room, confirm with the provider.
Printout or download of your registration receipt / exam label
Some Galician PAU centres use pre-printed labels or a registration receipt to speed up identification and to link your answers to your record. Bring whatever your centre tells you to bring. If you are unsure whether a label sheet or receipt is required, confirm with the provider.
Blue or black ballpoint pens (two or three)
Write with blue or black ink. Bring spares; pens fail, and borrowing during the exam is disruptive. Avoid pencil for your final answers unless the instructions explicitly allow it, and never use correction fluid or erasable ink unless told it is permitted. If you are unsure about allowed writing instruments, confirm with the provider.
Pencil, eraser, and sharpener
Useful for rough notes, planning, and any multiple-choice or grid sections. Keep rough work clearly marked as rough work and outside the answer spaces.
Clear pencil case or transparent bag
Many centres require materials to be visible. A transparent case avoids problems at the desk check. If your centre has a specific rule, confirm with the provider.
Wristwatch (non-smart)
Exam halls do not always have a visible clock. A plain analogue or non-smart digital watch helps you pace the reading, grammar, and writing sections. Smartwatches and phones must stay off and stored.
Water in a clear bottle, no label
Hydration helps in long morning sessions. Remove the label and keep the bottle on the floor if the centre instructs it. Check the centre's rules on drinks if you are unsure; confirm with the provider.
Light snack for after the exam
The Italian paper may sit alongside other second-language papers and the day can run long. Eat before you enter and keep a snack for afterwards; eating during the exam is usually not allowed.
No phone, smartwatch, or notes at the desk
Leave these switched off and stored as instructed, ideally outside the exam room. Having a phone or unauthorised material at your desk can lead to disqualification. If you need your phone for travel, ask where to store it; confirm with the provider.
Reviewed formula-free summary sheet (leave it at home)
Use a one-page summary of Italian grammar and connectors during the final 72 hours, not in the hall. Do not carry notes into the exam room.
Plan for the answer format
Know in advance whether you must answer on the question paper, on a separate answer sheet, or in a booklet, and how to mark your choices. This varies by centre and year, so confirm with the provider and read the cover page carefully before you start.
Plan the day
Do a full timed mock under exam conditions: one reading task, one grammar/lexis block, and one writing of the required length and type. Use the official Galician PAU model papers and the published structure for Italian as a second foreign language. Mark it honestly, list your three weakest areas, and spend the remaining days only on those. Confirm the exact exam date, start time, venue, and permitted materials on your university's PAU page; if anything is unclear, confirm with the provider.
Build a compact grammar and functions sheet from your own errors: verb tenses and moods that appear in the paper (presente, passato prossimo, imperfetto, futuro, condizionale, congiuntivo present, gerund), pronoun forms, prepositions and articulated prepositions, comparatives, and connectors for opinion, contrast, cause, and consequence. Keep it to one or two sides. This is your revision tool, not something you take into the hall.
Practise the writing task you are most likely to face: a short email or letter, an opinion text, or a description/narration, depending on the paper's options. Write two pieces in 25-30 minutes each, then check them against a short list: verb agreement, tense consistency, articles, prepositions, accents, and whether you actually answered the task. Rewrite one piece cleanly.
Do a light pass only: reread your grammar sheet, review a vocabulary set on the paper's usual themes (family, school, travel, free time, environment, technology, health), and skim one or two short Italian texts for reading speed. Stop early. Sleep is worth more than another exercise at this point.
Prepare your bag and clothes. Put your ID, pens, pencil, eraser, sharpener, clear case, watch, water, and any centre-required document in one place by the door. Check travel: route, departure time, and a backup plan. Set two alarms. Re-check the venue and start time one last time.
Eat a proper breakfast and arrive at the venue with margin, allowing for transport delays and for finding the room. Keep your phone off and stored before you enter the building if the centre requires it. Go to the toilet before the session starts; breaks may be limited.
Before the papers are handed out, put your ID on the desk as instructed and listen for any announcement about answer format, timing, and permitted materials. If an instruction contradicts what you expected, ask the invigilator before you write anything.
Read the whole paper before answering. Note the marks or weighting of each section and the recommended time. Decide your order: many candidates do reading first while fresh, then grammar, then writing, but choose what suits you. Write your name and details exactly as instructed, and check whether you must tick a box for the option you choose.
For reading, skim for gist, then scan for the specific information each question asks for; answer in the language and format required (full sentence or short answer). For grammar and lexis, read the whole sentence before choosing, watch for agreement and tense cues, and never leave a gap blank. If a question is taking too long, mark it and move on.
Spend two or three minutes planning: who you are writing to, the register (tu/Lei), the required points, and a short opening and closing. Write the required length; going far under loses marks and going far over wastes time. Leave three to five minutes to reread for verb endings, articles, prepositions, accents, and spelling.
Check that every required task has an answer, that your chosen option is clearly marked, that nothing is written outside the permitted areas, and that your details are correct. Make sure no rough notes could be mistaken for your final answer. Hand in everything the invigilator asks for and keep your ID with you.
Rules to check
Bring your original, valid ID (DNI or passport) and keep it on the desk for checking. The name must match your registration. If you have any doubt about which documents are accepted or about a document in renewal, confirm with the provider before exam day.
Phones, smartwatches, and any other electronic devices must be switched off and stored as the invigilator instructs, not kept at your desk. Unauthorised material in the exam room, including notes or a phone, can lead to your paper being annulled. If you are unsure where to leave a device, ask staff; confirm with the provider.
Write your final answers in the format the paper requires, in blue or black ink, and in the spaces or booklet indicated. Do not write in the margins or areas marked for examiner use, and do not use correction fluid or erasable pens unless the instructions allow it. If the answer format is unclear, ask the invigilator before you start.
Do not communicate with other candidates once the session has begun, and do not look at another candidate's paper. Raise your hand and wait for an invigilator if you need something, feel unwell, or need to leave the room. Leaving may not be allowed in the first or last part of the session; confirm with the provider.
Breaks are usually not permitted during the exam; go before the session starts. If you need to leave for an emergency, an invigilator will normally accompany you and the time is not usually extended. Confirm the centre's specific rules with the provider.
Scoring follows the official Galician PAU criteria for Italian as a second foreign language, which weight comprehension, grammar and lexis, and written production. Read the cover page and the marks shown on the paper, and allocate time accordingly. If the weighting or rubric is not printed on your paper, confirm with the provider.
Answer in Italian where the task asks for production, and follow the instructions on whether answers to comprehension questions must be in Italian or may be in Spanish or Galician. Do not mix languages in a single answer unless the task allows it. If the language of response is not stated, confirm with the provider.
Keep to the published timetable and the invigilator's instructions on starting, finishing, and handing in. Do not start writing before you are told and stop immediately when time is called; continuing to write after the call can be penalised. If you believe there was a problem with the session, report it to the invigilator at the time and ask how to record it; confirm with the provider.