Balearic PAU Italian II exam-day guide
Balearic PAU Italian II · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Official photo ID (DNI, passport, or NIE card)
Bring the original document, not a photocopy or a photo on your phone. The identity document is checked against the enrolment record before you are allowed to sit the exam. If your ID is expired or your details differ from your enrolment, confirm with the provider (your school or the university coordinating the PAU) how to proceed before exam day.
Exam venue and session confirmation
Confirm the assigned building, room, and call time from your official PAU enrolment documents or the university's published timetable. Venues for the Balearic PAU are published per convocatòria (ordinary and extraordinary). Do not assume your school is the exam centre; check the assigned centre and note that some candidates are placed in a different building from their usual school.
Printed or downloaded exam timetable for your subjects
The PAU runs on a fixed schedule of sessions across several days, and your Italian II paper sits in a specific slot. Write down the day, start time, and duration for Italian and for every other subject you have registered, so you do not miss a session or double-book your revision.
Black or blue ballpoint pens (at least two)
Bring spare pens. Answers are written by hand in the answer booklet. Pencil is normally only acceptable for diagrams or rough work; use pen for anything that will be marked. Confirm with the provider whether correction fluid is permitted; if unsure, cross out neatly instead.
Pencil, eraser, and a small sharpener
Useful for planning, underlining the task, and drafting before writing the final version. Keep them in a clear pencil case so invigilators can see the contents quickly.
Wristwatch (non-smart)
Exam rooms do not always have a visible clock, and phones must be switched off and stored away. A simple analogue or digital watch lets you allocate time across the reading, writing, and grammar sections. Smart watches are not allowed.
Clear water bottle with the label removed
Hydration helps during a long writing paper. Many centres only allow transparent bottles without labels; check the specific centre's instructions if you are unsure.
No notes, dictionaries, or electronic devices at your desk
The Italian II paper is taken without a dictionary or grammar reference. Mobile phones, smart watches, earbuds, and any study notes must be switched off and left in the designated area or bag, not in your pockets. Confirm with the provider what storage is available at your centre.
Review the official exam structure and mark allocation
Know in advance how the Italian II paper is divided (typically a reading comprehension, a written production task, and grammar/lexical exercises, with a fixed mark weighting) so you can decide how many minutes to give each part. Use the official model papers published by the university coordinating the PAU; do not rely on memory of the format.
Prepare a one-page personal phrase sheet for revision only
Before exam day, list connectors, useful structures for opinion and argumentation, and common error corrections. This sheet stays at home; it is a revision aid, not something you bring into the room.
Plan your journey and arrive early
Aim to be at the centre well before the call time, allowing for transport delays. Late entry rules are set by the centre; if you are worried about arriving late, confirm with the provider in advance what the cut-off is.
Check language-specific details of the paper with your teacher
Ask your Italian teacher to confirm the exact task types and whether answers must be written in Italian throughout, and how spelling and accent errors are penalised. If any detail is unclear, confirm with the provider rather than guessing.
Plan the day
Do a timed full practice paper under exam conditions: no dictionary, no phone, handwriting in a booklet. Mark it against the official answer key or with your teacher, and list your three weakest areas (for example verb tenses, connectors, or reading inference). Spend the remaining days on those three areas only, not on new material.
Re-read the official instructions for the Italian II paper and note the mark weighting and suggested timing for each section. Decide in advance how many minutes you will spend on reading, on the written production, and on grammar, and leave five to ten minutes at the end to check spelling, accents, and agreement.
Practise the written production task: write one short text (for example an opinion, a formal email, or a description) in 25 to 30 minutes, then self-correct using a checklist of agreement, verb tense, accents, and connectors. Repeat with a second task type the same day.
Review high-frequency grammar: passato prossimo versus imperfetto, subjunctive triggers, pronouns, and prepositions. Do short focused exercises rather than re-reading theory. Note recurring errors on your one-page phrase sheet.
Light review only: read your phrase sheet, skim a short Italian article for reading fluency, and revise the task instructions. Stop studying in the evening. Confirm your ID, pens, watch, water bottle, and the venue and call time are ready by the door.
Check transport to the centre and set two alarms. Eat and sleep normally; a late night of cramming costs more in concentration than it gains in knowledge. Avoid learning new grammar the night before.
Eat a proper breakfast, take your ID and materials, and arrive at the centre early. Do not discuss content with other candidates in the corridor; last-minute panicking about a grammar point you have not revised helps nobody. Switch your phone off and store it before entering the room.
Read the whole paper before writing. Identify which tasks carry the most marks and which are quick wins. Underline the instruction verbs (for example describe, argue, summarise) so you answer the actual question, and note the word limit if one is given.
Skim the text once for gist, then read the questions and go back to the relevant paragraphs. Answer in your own words where asked, and do not copy long chunks of the source text unless the task explicitly allows it.
Spend two or three minutes planning with bullet points, then write. Use clear paragraphs, a range of connectors, and structures you are confident in. Leave time to re-read for agreement, tense consistency, accents, and spelling.
Work through grammar exercises steadily and mark any item you are unsure of so you can return to it. In the last five to ten minutes, check that every question has an answer, that your name and details are filled in as instructed, and that your handwriting is legible.
Do not re-hash answers in the corridor; move on to your next subject. If you have another PAU session, apply the same 72-hour plan to it. Results and review procedures are published by the coordinating university; check the official channel rather than relying on rumours.
Rules to check
Bring the original official photo ID and place it on the desk when requested. Candidates without valid identification may be refused entry. If your ID details do not match your enrolment, confirm with the provider before exam day how to resolve it.
Phones, smart watches, earbuds, and any other electronic devices must be switched off and stored away from your desk for the whole session. Possession of a device during the exam can lead to invalidation of your paper, so confirm with the provider where devices must be left.
No dictionaries, grammar references, or study notes are permitted during the Italian II paper. Only the materials specified by the centre may be on your desk; if you are unsure whether an item is allowed, ask the invigilator before the exam starts.
Follow the invigilators' instructions at all times, including on seating, filling in your details, and when you may leave. Do not communicate with other candidates once the paper has been distributed.
Breaks and leaving the room are at the invigilator's discretion and are usually accompanied. Confirm with the provider what the rules are at your centre if you have a medical need that requires a break or extra time.
Scoring is based on the official marking criteria for the paper: accuracy and range in grammar and vocabulary, comprehension of the source text, and task achievement, organisation, and coherence in the written production. Ask your teacher to show you the published criteria so you know what is rewarded.
Any request for special accommodation, a different venue, or a change of subject must be made through the official procedure before the exam, not on the day. Confirm with the provider what deadlines and documentation apply.
Academic integrity rules apply: copying, unauthorised aids, or impersonation lead to disciplinary action and possible invalidation of the whole PAU session. If you are unsure whether something counts as permitted, ask before you act.