La Rioja PAU History of Art exam-day guide
La Rioja PAU History of Art · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
DNI or passport
Bring the original photo ID you used at registration. Confirm with the provider which documents are accepted and whether a photocopy is valid for your centre.
Exam call and seat assignment
Check your official call document (resguardo de matrícula or equivalent) for date, time, building, and room. Confirm with the provider where the call is published and whether you must print it.
Black or blue ballpoint pens (at least two)
Written answers are handwritten. Bring spare pens of the same colour; pencil is normally only for rough notes, so confirm with the provider whether pencil annotations are allowed on the answer sheet.
Watch without smart functions
Rooms do not always have a visible clock. A plain analogue or digital watch helps you manage the timing of the commentary and the two development questions. Confirm with the provider whether any watch is permitted.
Clear water bottle and a light snack
The paper is long and writing by hand is tiring. Keep the bottle label-free in case the centre applies strict rules; confirm with the provider what is allowed on the desk.
No phone or smart device on your person
Leave the phone switched off in your bag outside the room unless the centre says otherwise. Confirm with the provider the exact policy on devices and bags.
Know the paper structure cold
Be ready for the standard La Rioja format: a slide or image commentary and development questions covering several periods and styles. Confirm with the provider the exact current structure and weighting before the exam.
Prepared image list with identification data
Revise a working list of works with author, title, date, style, and location so you can identify the commentary image quickly and accurately.
Essay skeletons for likely development questions
Have memorised outlines (context, characteristics, key works, artists, legacy) for the major movements and for Spanish and La Rioja-linked works that appear in the syllabus.
Vocabulary sheet of technical terms
Revise terms such as dintel, arco de medio punto, bóveda de cañón, contrafuerte, claroscuro, sfumato, perspectiva, impresionismo, cubismo, and expresionismo so your answers read as art-historical prose.
Plan for time allocation
Decide in advance how many minutes to spend reading, planning, writing the commentary, and writing each development question, leaving a few minutes to check.
Confirm the venue and travel route
Visit or map the building in advance and allow extra time for transport. Confirm with the provider the address and the recommended arrival time.
Plan the day
Stop adding new material. Reread your image list and essay skeletons, and practise identifying works from memory using only written descriptions of style, iconography, and technique. Write at least one full commentary and one development question under timed conditions to check your handwriting speed and stamina.
Review the periods you are weakest on, but keep the last day for consolidation rather than cramming. Make a one-page summary of each major style with three or four defining features and one or two representative works.
Do a light pass over your summaries and the image list. Prepare your bag with ID, pens, watch, water, and the call document. Check the exam time and venue once more, sleep a full night, and avoid learning new authors or dates late in the evening.
Eat a proper breakfast and arrive early. Leave the phone off and stored away. Before entering, skim only your one-page summaries; do not try to memorise new facts in the queue.
Read the whole paper before writing. Note which commentary image is offered and which development questions you will answer, then allocate minutes to each part and write the plan in the margin or on rough paper if provided.
For the commentary, identify the work, then structure the answer as identification, formal analysis, style and period, and significance. For development questions, open with a short thesis, develop it in ordered paragraphs with examples, and close with a brief conclusion. Watch the clock and keep a few minutes to review spelling and terminology.
Rules to check
Bring the original photo ID used at registration and keep it visible on the desk; confirm with the provider which documents are accepted at your centre.
Arrive before the call time; late entry and the conditions for it are set by the centre, so confirm with the provider how lateness is handled.
Switch off and store all phones and smart devices away from the desk; confirm with the provider the exact policy on devices, bags, and any permitted materials.
Write in the language of instruction and use the official answer sheets; confirm with the provider whether extra sheets are available and how they must be labelled.
Do not communicate with other candidates or exchange material during the test; follow the invigilator's instructions on leaving the room, including for breaks and toilet visits, and confirm with the provider the rules on leaving and re-entering.
Answer only the required number of questions and respect the stated choice; extra answers are normally not scored, so confirm with the provider the marking rules and penalties for answering too many questions.
Use only the materials the centre authorises; confirm with the provider whether dictionaries, calculators, or any other aids are permitted for this subject.
If you believe there is an error in the paper, raise it with the invigilator immediately and follow the official incident procedure; confirm with the provider how incidents are recorded and appealed.