Galicia PAU Spanish Language and Literature II exam-day guide
Galicia PAU Spanish Language and Literature II · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Official ID (DNI, passport, or EU ID card)
Bring the original document, not a photocopy. Confirm with the provider which documents are accepted for your call and whether any additional accreditation is required for external candidates.
Exam call/session confirmation and seat assignment
Print or download the notice showing date, time, building, and classroom. Check the official calendar for your specific call because dates vary by centre and by ordinary/extraordinary session.
Blue or black ballpoint pens (at least two)
Written exams are handwritten. Bring spare pens and, if you normally use one, a pencil and eraser for rough notes. Confirm with the provider whether correction fluid or erasable pens are allowed.
Wristwatch (non-smart)
Classrooms may not have a visible clock. Smartwatches and phones are usually prohibited during the exam, so a simple analogue watch is the safe option.
Clear water bottle and a light snack
The exam is long and demanding. Confirm with the provider whether food and drink are permitted in the exam room; keep labels off bottles if in doubt.
Printed copy of the official text list and program
The Galician PAU Literature part draws on a fixed reading list. Bring your own annotated list of works and authors so you can review titles, characters, and themes before entering. Verify the current list with your centre.
Your own summary sheets for each literary work
One page per work: author, period, genre, plot, characters, themes, style, and two quotable lines. These are for last-minute review only and must be left outside the exam room.
Know the structure and marks of the exam
Confirm with the provider the exact weighting of the text commentary, linguistic reflection, and literature questions for your year, since the model can change between calls.
Plan for transport and arrival margin
Arrive at least 20-30 minutes before the call. Identify the building and room in advance and check local transport disruptions on the day.
Leave phone and smart devices switched off and stored
Do not keep a phone on your person during the exam. Confirm with the provider where devices must be deposited and what happens if one is found.
Check accessibility or special-needs arrangements
If you need extra time, a separate room, or other accommodations, confirm with the provider well before the exam date; arrangements are not made on the day.
Verify the exact date and session (needs_review)
The ordinary and extraordinary PAU calls are set each year by the Galician university coordination. Confirm the date, start time, and duration with your centre or the official PAU Galicia website; do not rely on second-hand schedules.
Plan the day
Switch from learning new content to consolidating. Reread your one-page summaries for every literary work on the official list and recite the key facts aloud: author, period, genre, main characters, central themes, and narrative or poetic technique. For the language part, review the grammar and syntax points you most often get wrong, such as subordinate clause analysis, verbal periphrasis, and lexical semantics. Do one full timed practice paper under exam conditions and mark it strictly against the official criteria.
Identify your two weakest areas from the practice paper and drill only those. For the text commentary, practise writing a short introduction, a structured content summary, and a comment on communicative function, register, and linguistic features in under the allotted time. For literature, practise producing a five-minute outline for any work on the list, then check it against your notes. Do not start reading a new work now unless it is short and central to the list.
Do a light review only: skim all summaries, the official text list, and your list of common errors. Prepare your bag with ID, pens, watch, water, and confirmation. Check the exam location, transport, and weather. Sleep a full night; avoid cramming new material, which tends to displace what you already know. Eat normally and set two alarms.
Eat a proper breakfast and arrive early. Do a final 20-minute skim of your literature summaries and grammar error list outside the room, then put all notes away. Switch off your phone and store it as instructed. Read the whole paper before writing, allocate time per section, and start with the part you are most confident about if the rules allow choosing order. Keep 10 minutes at the end to check spelling, accents, agreement, and that every required question is answered.
Read each text twice: once for global meaning and once for structure and linguistic features. Underline the evidence you will cite. For the commentary, write a clear introduction, a well-organised body with paragraphs, and a brief conclusion. For literature, answer exactly what is asked and support every claim with a concrete example from the work. Watch the clock: if a question is costing too long, leave space and return to it. Write legibly; unclear handwriting can lose marks.
Rules to check
Bring the original ID document required by the provider and keep it visible on the desk throughout the exam. Confirm with the provider which documents are accepted and what to do if you lose yours before the exam.
Arrive before the call time. Candidates arriving after the exam has started may be admitted or refused depending on the centre's rules; confirm with the provider the exact late-arrival policy and whether any extra time is granted.
Phones, smartwatches, and any connected devices must be switched off and stored as instructed. Possession of an active device during the exam is typically treated as serious misconduct; confirm with the provider the precise consequences.
Do not communicate with other candidates during the exam, do not pass materials, and do not bring unauthorised notes into the room. Ask a invigilator if you need to leave the room; confirm with the provider the escorted-exit and no-return rules.
Write only in the language and format the paper requires. In Galician PAU Spanish Language and Literature, answers are written in Spanish unless the instructions say otherwise; confirm with the provider the language of response and the use of dictionaries.
Use only permitted materials. Dictionaries, grammar references, and electronic aids are generally not allowed in language exams; confirm with the provider the exact list of permitted items for your call.
Follow the invigilator's instructions on timing, collection of papers, and leaving the room. Do not leave before the minimum time if one is set, and stop writing immediately when time is called; confirm with the provider the minimum-duration rule.
If you believe there is an error in the paper or a problem with your conditions, report it to the invigilator during the exam and follow the centre's incident procedure. Confirm with the provider how appeals and incident reports are handled.