Balearic Islands PAU Catalan Language and Literature II exam-day guide
Balearic Islands PAU Catalan Language and Literature II · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Official photo ID (DNI, passport, or residence card)
Bring the original document, valid and in good condition. The exact ID requirements and whether a expired document is accepted should be confirmed with your school or the university coordinating the PAU; do not rely on a photocopy.
Exam admission card or registration receipt
Print or download the document issued at matrícula showing your assigned centre, classroom, and exam schedule. If you have not received it, contact your centre before the exam day; do not assume you can enter without it.
Black or blue pens (at least two) and a pencil with eraser
Write the exam in blue or black ink; use pencil only for diagrams, annotations, or multiple-choice answer sheets if the instructions allow it. Bring spares so a failing pen does not cost you time.
Wristwatch (non-smart, silent)
Classrooms may not have a visible clock. A simple analogue or digital watch helps you manage the 90 minutes. Smartwatches and phones are not allowed as timekeepers.
Clear water bottle with label removed
Staying hydrated helps concentration during a long exam day. Remove or cover the label to avoid any suspicion of notes; confirm with the examiner whether water is permitted in your room.
Printed copy of the official exam instructions and structure
Re-read the official model and the instructions for the Llengua Catalana i Literatura II paper so you know the sections, the optional questions, and the time allocation before you sit down. Use only materials provided by your centre or the official PAU website.
Review of the prescribed literature readings
The PAU literature section is based on a fixed list of works and authors published by the university coordinating body. Check the current list for your year and make a one-page summary of each work: author, genre, period, themes, characters, and two or three quotable lines or key passages.
Summary sheet of language theory
Prepare a single sheet covering the topics that appear in the theory questions: phonetics and orthography, morphology, syntax, semantics, and text typology. Include definitions and one example each, so you can answer quickly without writing from scratch.
Plan for the essay and commentary sections
Decide in advance how you will structure the guided commentary and the essay: introduction, thesis, textual evidence, analysis, and conclusion. Practise a 5-minute planning routine so you do not lose time deciding what to write.
Transport and centre logistics checked
Confirm the address of the exam centre and the time you must arrive. Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes early. If you depend on public transport, check for strikes or disruptions the day before.
Needs_review: permitted materials and calculator policy
The PAU Catalan Language and Literature paper normally does not require a calculator, but rules on dictionaries, glossaries, and mobile phones vary by year and centre. Confirm with your school or the coordinating university which materials are allowed; do not bring a dictionary unless it is explicitly authorised.
Needs_review: specific arrival time and room assignment
The exact call time and classroom are set by each centre and published on the admission card or centre notice board. Confirm these with your centre the week before; do not rely on second-hand information from other students.
Plan the day
Do a full timed mock exam under real conditions: 90 minutes, no notes, no phone. Use an official model from a previous year. Mark it yourself against the official criteria and list the three weakest areas. Spend the rest of the day reviewing only those areas, not re-reading everything.
Consolidate the literature list. For each prescribed work, write from memory a five-line summary: author and period, genre, main theme, two characters, and one key passage or stylistic feature. Check against your notes and fill only the gaps. This is more effective than rereading full texts at this stage.
Review language theory with active recall. Cover your summary sheet and explain aloud the difference between, for example, a derived and a compound word, a subordinate and a coordinate clause, or a textual connector and a discourse marker. Write one example of each from memory.
Practise the commentary and essay structure. Take one short literary text or opinion article and write only the plan and the topic sentences, not the full essay. Check that each paragraph has a clear function and that your thesis is stated in the introduction.
Do a light review only: read your one-page literature summaries and your language theory sheet once. Do not start new material or attempt a full mock exam. Stop studying in the early evening.
Prepare your materials: ID, admission card, pens, pencil, eraser, watch, water bottle, and printed instructions. Put them in your bag the night before. Check the exam centre address and transport route, and set two alarms.
Protect your sleep. Aim for a normal night's sleep rather than staying up late. Fatigue affects writing fluency and grammar accuracy more than one extra hour of revision helps.
Eat a normal breakfast and arrive at the centre at least 30 minutes before the call time. Avoid last-minute discussions with other candidates about topics you have not revised; it increases anxiety without improving performance.
Switch off your mobile phone completely and leave it in your bag, not in your pocket. Check that you have your ID and admission card in hand before entering the room.
Read the whole paper before writing. Identify which questions are compulsory and which are optional, and choose your options deliberately. Note the mark allocation and allocate minutes proportionally: a question worth 30% should not take 10% of your time.
Spend 5 to 8 minutes planning the commentary and the essay: thesis, paragraph order, and the textual evidence you will cite. A brief outline prevents repetition and mid-essay changes of direction.
Answer in the order that suits you, but write the question number clearly for every answer. Leave a line between answers. If you run out of ideas, move to another question and return later rather than staring at a blank page.
Reserve the last 10 minutes for checking: spelling, accents, verb agreement, punctuation, and whether you have answered every required part. Verify that your name and exam details are on every sheet and that you have not left answers on rough paper that should be in the answer booklet.
Rules to check
Bring original official photo ID and your admission card. If you do not have them, contact the examiner or centre coordinator immediately; the exact procedure for exceptional cases must be confirmed with the centre, not assumed.
Mobile phones, smartwatches, and any other electronic devices must be switched off and stored out of reach for the entire exam. Keeping a device on your person, even switched off, may be treated as misconduct depending on centre rules; confirm the specific policy with your centre.
Write in Catalan, in blue or black ink, and answer in the answer booklet provided. Do not write in the margins reserved for examiner use, and do not use correcting fluid unless the instructions explicitly allow it.
Do not communicate with other candidates during the exam, and do not look at another candidate's paper. Raise your hand and wait for an examiner if you need to leave the room; the conditions for toilet breaks and re-entry vary by centre and should be confirmed with the examiner before the exam starts.
Time limits are strict. The examiner will announce the start and end times; when time is called, stop writing immediately and hand in all sheets, including rough work if requested. Continuing to write after the call may lead to penalties.
Use only the materials explicitly authorised for this paper. Dictionaries, glossaries, and calculators are not normally permitted in the Catalan Language and Literature exam, but confirm the current year's rules with your school or the coordinating university before the exam day.
Scoring and marking criteria are set by the coordinating university and published in the official exam models. Read the official criteria for each section so you know how marks are distributed between content, structure, expression, and orthography; do not rely on unofficial summaries.
If you believe there is an error in the paper or a problem with the room conditions, raise it calmly with the examiner at the time. Do not discuss it with other candidates during the exam. Formal complaints follow the procedure published by the coordinating university; confirm the steps with your centre.