Madrid PAU German (Alemán II) (Spain Madrid PAU) exam-day guide
Madrid PAU German (Alemán II) · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Official ID document
Bring the original DNI, passport, or NIE card in force. Photocopies and digital copies are generally not accepted. Confirm with the provider which documents are valid for your specific call.
Exam admission slip / proof of registration
Print or download the document the university issues after paying the PAU fees (resguardo de matrícula or equivalent). Check whether your campus requires it printed or accepts it on a phone. Confirm with the provider.
Blue or black ballpoint pens (at least two)
Write the whole exam in ink. Bring a spare; a pen that runs out mid-essay wastes minutes you cannot recover.
Pencil and eraser
Useful for planning outlines, marking multiple-choice boxes before committing, and drafting essay structure before writing in ink.
Analog watch
Many exam rooms have no visible clock and phones must be switched off. A simple wristwatch lets you pace the four language sections. Confirm with the provider whether smartwatches are banned (they almost always are).
Clear water bottle with label removed
Hydration helps in a long sitting. Many venues require transparent bottles with no label. Confirm with the provider.
Know your exam room and arrival time
Check the campus noticeboard or website for the assigned building and classroom, and arrive with margin for ID checks and seating. Confirm with the provider where the lists are published.
Phone switched off and stored away
Even a phone that vibrates in your bag can be treated as misconduct. Turn it fully off before entering the room.
Review the official exam structure and scoring for Alemán II
Know how many options there are, the text types, and how marks are distributed across comprehension, production, and the grammar/lexis component, so you can allocate time before you see the paper.
No unauthorised materials
Dictionaries, grammar reference sheets, notes, and smart devices are not permitted in the language exam. Confirm with the provider the exact list of prohibited items.
Transport and backup plan
Check strike action, road works, and public transport disruptions for the exam date and identify an alternative route. Arriving late may cost you the sitting.
Light snack for between papers
If you sit more than one exam on the same day, bring something small to eat during the official break. Confirm with the provider whether food is allowed inside the room.
Plan the day
Do a full timed mock of the Alemán II paper under exam conditions: no dictionary, no pauses, watch only. Mark it against the official criteria and note which section loses you most marks. From here on, work only on that weak section plus a daily 20-minute reading in German.
Re-read the official instructions for the exam: number of options, word limits for the written production, whether grammar and vocabulary are assessed separately, and the marking scheme. Write a one-page summary of the structure and your timing plan for each section.
Prepare your personal toolkit of connectors, opinion phrases, and formal/informal register markers for the writing task, and rehearse them aloud so they come automatically. Do not memorise full essays; memorise structures you can adapt.
Do targeted practice on the formats you find hardest, for example matching headings to paragraphs, gap-fill with verb forms, or transforming sentences. Review the errors from your mock and rewrite the corrected sentences by hand.
Light review only: skim your connector list, irregular verbs, and the instructions summary. Do not start new material. Check ID, admission slip, pens, watch, and water bottle, and put everything in one bag by the door.
Confirm the exam venue, room, and start time, and check transport for the morning. Set two alarms and plan to arrive at least 30 minutes early. Get a full night's sleep; a rested brain outperforms one more hour of vocabulary.
Eat a normal breakfast, avoid cramming new vocabulary, and read one short German text or listen to five minutes of German to activate the language. Leave home with the margin you planned.
Find your name on the room list, keep your ID in hand for the check, switch the phone fully off, and sit where instructed. Put only permitted items on the desk.
Read the whole paper before writing. Identify which options you will answer, note the mark value of each section, and write your time allocation on the top of the paper. Start with the section you handle best to build momentum, unless the paper requires sequential answers.
For reading, skim for gist, then scan for the specific information each item asks for, and justify every answer with a line in the text. For the writing, spend three minutes on a short outline, write with clear paragraphs and connectors, then reserve five minutes to check agreement, verb position, tenses, spelling, and word count.
Stop producing new content. Check that every item is answered, no answer is left in the wrong box, the writing respects the word limit, and your name and details are filled in correctly.
Rules to check
Bring the original valid ID used at registration; without it you may be refused entry. Confirm with the provider which documents are accepted and what to do if your ID is being renewed.
Electronic devices, including phones and smartwatches, must be switched off and out of reach for the whole sitting. Any device found on you or sounding during the exam can be treated as academic misconduct.
Dictionaries, grammar references, notes, and unauthorised materials are not allowed in the language exam. Confirm with the provider the exact permitted and prohibited list before the day.
Follow the invigilator's instructions on seating, starting, and stopping. Writing after the order to stop, or continuing during an interruption, can invalidate your paper.
If you need to leave the room, raise your hand and wait for the invigilator; typically you are accompanied and are not given extra time. Confirm with the provider the rules on toilet breaks.
Breaks between papers on the same day are set by the venue. Stay in the designated area, do not discuss the content of an exam already sat with other candidates, and keep your materials with you.
Scoring follows the official criteria for Alemán II: comprehension, written production, and the grammar and lexis component are marked separately. Read the mark allocation on the paper and allocate time accordingly.
If you believe there is an error in the paper or a problem with the room, report it to the invigilator immediately and note it; complaints raised after the exam are harder to pursue. Confirm with the provider the official review procedure.