Madrid PAU English case studies
Madrid PAU English · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Madrid PAU English paper is the English component of the university access assessment taken by students in the Comunidad de Madrid, and it also matters to private candidates and repeaters who need to clear the foreign-language requirement for admission to Spanish universities. It is not a certificate of general English proficiency like Cambridge or IELTS; it is a school-leaving and access instrument, so it rewards clear, accurate, well-organised English over exam tricks. The Madrid PAU English case studies are 5 cases and about 2,951 words.
1The plausible distractor: inference versus prior knowledge
During a mock PAU reading paper, a 380-word opinion text argues that city councils should turn empty car parks into temporary gardens. Question 3 asks: 'What does the author suggest about residents' reactions to the pilot scheme?' The options are: A) They were indifferent to it; B) They were initially sceptical but changed their minds; C) They responded more enthusiastically than expected; D) They demanded permanent gardens.
592 words, about 3 min2Collocation and conditional forms in a gap-fill
A vocabulary and grammar section has eight three-option items. Four are: (2) 'The council decided to a survey of residents.' carry on / carry out / carry off.
645 words, about 3 min3Cutting an overlong opinion article under time pressure
The PAU writing task says: 'Your school magazine has asked for an opinion article: Should mobile phones be banned during break time? Write 150–180 words.
580 words, about 3 min4Connectors added for marks but not for meaning
A B2 student writes an essay arguing that schools should teach practical finance. One paragraph reads: 'Finance should be taught at school.
579 words, about 3 min5Five-minute proofreading with repeated apostrophe errors
A student's 120-word review contains these sentences: 'Alot of people thinks that tecnology is benefical, however it can cause stress.' 'Students mobiles should be turned off during class.' 'Its important that teachers explain the rules clear.' 'I dont think we should ban them becouse they are useful.' The task tests 'spelling, punctuation and accuracy'. The marking guide deducts for errors that impede communication and for repeated errors, but does not penalise British/American variation.
555 words, about 3 min