Galicia PAU Technical Drawing Applied to Plastic Arts and Design II exam-day guide
Galicia PAU Technical Drawing Applied to Plastic Arts and Design II · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Official photo ID and exam admission documents
Bring the DNI/NIE or passport plus any printed admission slip or proof of registration the call requires. The exact document set and whether digital copies are accepted is set by the Galician university/commission organising the PAU - confirm with the provider before the day.
Printed exam call and timetable
Check the room, start time and session order for the 'Debuxo Técnico aplicado ás Artes Plásticas e Deseño II' paper on your personal call. Arrive early; the exact access margin and late-entry cutoff must be confirmed with the provider.
Approved drawing instruments
Two pencils (HB and 2H), sharpener or mechanical leads, eraser, compass with spare leads, 30/60 and 45 set squares, ruler, protractor. Confirm whether the call restricts or prescribes any instrument before relying on it.
Colour media if the paper allows them
Coloured pencils, fine-liners or markers for the plastic-arts/design components. Whether colour is permitted, required or irrelevant depends on the year's paper - confirm with the provider rather than assuming.
Calculator status
A basic non-programmable calculator may help with scale and proportionality calculations, but permitted models and whether calculators are allowed at all in this paper must be confirmed with the provider.
Clear pencil case and transparent water bottle
Many venues require transparent cases and remove labels from bottles. Treat this as likely but confirm the specific venue rules with the provider.
Watch (non-smart)
A simple analogue or digital watch helps you pace a timed drawing paper. Smartwatches and phones are normally not allowed at the table - confirm the provider's device policy.
Rehearsed time plan
Know in advance how many minutes you will give to reading, layout, construction, inking/colour and final checks, based on the paper's structure and total duration as published in the call.
Standard constructions sheet
A one-page personal summary of tangencies, conic construction, dihedral-system steps, axonometric scales and standard norms - for revision only; bringing notes into the exam room is not allowed.
Physical and logistical preparation
Sleep, food, water and transport planned the day before. Identify the building entrance and a backup route; venues can be large and rooms are not always obvious.
Backup drawing kit
A second pencil, spare compass lead and spare eraser. Losing a single compass lead mid-construction is a common and avoidable failure point.
Confirmation of scoring and paper format
Re-read the published structure (number of questions, optionality, weighting) so you know how marks are distributed. If the current year's structure is not published, confirm with the provider.
Plan the day
Stop learning new content. Do two or three timed full papers or representative exercises under exam conditions, using only the instruments you will actually bring. Mark them against the published criteria and list the three recurring errors (for example, faint construction lines, missing tangency points, wrong scale). Spend the remaining time fixing only those.
Re-read the official call for this subject: duration, number of questions, whether there is a choice, whether colour or calculator is allowed, and any instrument restrictions. Write the answers on one card. Anything the call does not state clearly, confirm with the provider now, not on the morning.
Do a full instrument audit. Test the compass (does it hold its radius?), sharpen or replace pencils, check set-square edges for nicks, confirm eraser is clean. Pack the kit in the clear case and put it by the door so nothing is assembled in a rush.
Light revision only: your standard-constructions sheet, the norm conventions you tend to forget (line types, dimensioning, labelling of views), and one or two short constructions to keep your hand in. Do not start a new topic. Confirm transport, room and start time, and check the weather if you are travelling.
Prepare clothes and documents the night before: ID, admission documents, call printout, kit, water. Set two alarms. Aim for a normal night's sleep - a tired hand produces inaccurate constructions, which is where marks are lost.
Eat properly and arrive with margin. Before entering, do a five-minute hand warm-up on scrap paper: draw a circle with the compass, bisect an angle, draw a tangent between a line and a circle. This calibrates pressure and steadiness far better than last-minute reading.
Read the whole paper before drawing anything. Identify which questions are compulsory and which are optional, note the marks per question, and allocate minutes proportionally. Choose optional questions by confidence, not by order. Write your name and details exactly as instructed.
For each question, decide the layout and scale before committing pencil to paper. Light construction lines first, darkening only when the construction is verified. Keep auxiliary lines faint but visible, since construction method is usually part of the mark.
Work in the order you planned, but keep a clock visible. If a construction stalls for more than its allotted time, leave it in a clean, partially complete state, move on, and return if time allows. A finished, well-presented partial answer scores better than an abandoned tangle.
Stop new construction. Check: name and details, question numbering, that every required view/plan/elevation is present and labelled, dimensioning conventions, line hierarchy (thick outlines, thin auxiliary), and erasure of smudges. Make sure no answer is left on scrap paper only.
Rules to check
Bring and display the identification required by the call; the accepted documents and any verification procedure are set by the organising university - confirm with the provider if the call is not explicit.
Electronic devices, including phones and smartwatches, are normally kept switched off and out of reach. The exact device and storage policy is venue-specific - confirm with the provider.
Bringing notes, pre-prepared sheets or reference material into the room is not permitted; your revision summary stays outside. Only instruments and materials explicitly allowed by the call may be on the table.
Follow the paper's instructions on optionality and numbering. Answering more questions than permitted, or answering in the wrong place, can cost marks; if in doubt, ask the invigilator rather than guess.
Leaving the room during the exam is normally restricted, and once you leave you generally cannot return. Ask about toilet access and the rules on temporary exit before the paper starts - confirm with the provider.
Marks are awarded for construction method, accuracy and presentation, not only for the final result. Keep auxiliary constructions legible and follow standard drawing conventions, since these are typically part of the assessment criteria.
If you believe there is an error or ambiguity in a question, state your interpretation briefly on the answer sheet and proceed; formal queries and appeals follow the procedure in the call - confirm with the provider.
Any special accommodation (extra time, separate room, adapted materials) must be requested in advance through the official channel; it cannot normally be arranged on the day - confirm deadlines and evidence requirements with the provider.