Madrid PAU English exam-day guide
Madrid PAU English · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
DNI or passport
Bring the original photo ID you registered with. A photocopy or a photo on your phone is normally not accepted. Confirm with your school or the Universidad Complutense de Madrid coordination which document they require for your call.
Exam call (citación) and seat information
Check the official call letter or the university's published list for your exact date, time, building, and room. Arrive at the stated call time, not the writing-start time; lateness rules vary, so confirm with the provider.
Printed confirmation or registration receipt
Some centres ask for proof of registration at the door. Keep a printed copy even if you also have it on your phone.
Two blue or black ballpoint pens
Answers are usually written by hand on official sheets. Bring pens you have already tested; pencil is generally for rough work only, so confirm any pencil rules with the invigilator.
Watch (non-smart)
Exam rooms do not always have a visible clock, and phones must be off. A simple analogue or digital watch without connectivity is the safe option.
Clear water bottle, no label
Hydration helps in a long sitting, but many centres restrict bottles to transparent ones with labels removed. Confirm what is allowed in your room.
No phone, smartwatch, or earbuds at your desk
Switch devices off and leave them in your bag at the front or wherever invigilators direct. A device sounding during the exam can lead to disqualification.
Transparent pencil case with spare supplies
Include a pencil, eraser, and sharpener for planning and for any machine-readable sheet. Confirm whether pencil cases must be transparent.
Plan your route and arrival buffer
Madrid campuses are large and rooms can be hard to find. Aim to be at the building well before the call time to allow for security checks and finding your seat.
Know the paper structure and timing in advance
Review the official instructions for your exam session so you already know the sections, order, and time allocation before you sit down. Do not rely on memory of a different year's format.
Sleep, food, and medication sorted
Eat a normal breakfast, bring any prescribed medication you may need, and avoid starting the day sleep-deprived. Confirm with the provider in advance if you need special arrangements for a documented condition.
Plan the day
Stop learning new material. Re-read the official exam instructions and the marking criteria for the writing and speaking sections, then do two timed full papers under exam conditions. Review your own recurring errors (tense control, articles, spelling, word limits) rather than random grammar lists.
Practise the writing tasks to time: plan for two to three minutes, write, then reserve three to four minutes to check agreement, verb forms, spelling, and that you have covered every point in the prompt. Confirm the official word count and task options for your session with the provider.
Prepare your ID, print the call letter and registration proof, and check the exact building and room on the official list. Confirm transport times for the morning of the exam and identify a backup route.
Do one light review only: a single reading passage and a short listening extract, plus your personal error list. Do not attempt a new full mock; it adds fatigue without adding marks.
Pack the bag: ID, printed documents, two pens, pencil, eraser, sharpener, watch, clear bottle. Lay out clothes and set two alarms. Charge nothing you cannot bring into the room; leave the phone at home or plan to hand it in.
Check the centre's website once for any last-minute room change or instructions, then stop. Eat a normal meal, avoid heavy caffeine late in the day, and go to bed at your usual time.
Eat breakfast, take any prescribed medication, and leave with enough margin to reach the building before the call time. Re-read only your one-page error list on the way; do not start a new practice task.
At the building, find your room and seat, switch off and stow your phone, and place ID and pens on the desk. Listen carefully to invigilator instructions about filling in headers and any machine-readable sheets.
Read the whole paper's instructions first and note the time budget for each section. Do the section you find easiest first only if the paper allows it; otherwise follow the given order and never let one hard item consume another section's time.
For reading, skim the questions before the text, answer in the text's order, and mark uncertain items to return to. For listening, read the questions in the pause before each extract and write something for every item; there is no penalty for guessing unless the official rules say otherwise.
For writing, spend the first minutes planning, keep paragraphs clear with a topic sentence each, and use structures you control. Leave time to check the word count and that all prompt points are addressed.
In the last five minutes, check that your name and candidate details are filled in, that no answer is left blank on a machine-readable sheet, and that you have not written outside the permitted areas. Hand in only when instructed.
Rules to check
Bring the original ID you registered with; without acceptable identification you may be refused entry. Confirm the exact accepted documents with the provider before exam day.
Arrive at the published call time. Centres set their own late-entry cut-off, and once the paper has started you may not be admitted; confirm the rule for your room with the provider.
Phones, smartwatches, and any connected devices must be switched off and left out of reach for the whole session. Possession at the desk can be treated as misconduct.
Do not communicate with other candidates once materials are distributed, and do not look at another candidate's paper. Raise your hand and wait for an invigilator if you need anything.
Breaks are normally not permitted during the timed sections; if you need to leave for an emergency, an invigilator will accompany you and the clock keeps running. Confirm the centre's policy in advance, especially if you have a medical need.
Use only the official answer sheets and write within the indicated spaces. Answers on rough paper or outside the marked areas may not be marked.
Scoring follows the official criteria for each section; there is normally no penalty for a wrong answer on objective items, so never leave a blank. Confirm the current marking scheme with the provider.
If you believe there is an error in the paper or a disruption in the room, tell an invigilator immediately and note the details afterwards; complaints raised later are harder to support.