Madrid PAU English study guide
Madrid PAU English · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
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 study guide has 5 sections and about 2,036 words.
01Reading comprehension of an English-language text
The reading section of the Madrid PAU English exam tests whether you can extract information from an English-language text, separate main ideas from details, interpret reference words and justify answers with evidence. The text is typically a newspaper-style article or opinion piece of about 400–500 words on a current topic.
423 words, about 2 min02Vocabulary and grammar in context
This part checks whether you can choose the form that fits a specific sentence, not whether you can recite rules in isolation. It usually combines two strands: Lexis: synonyms and antonyms in context, word formation ( success → successful / succeed ), collocations ( make a decision , heavy rain ), phrasal verbs ( give up , put off ) and common false friends.
425 words, about 2 min03Written production: guided composition or opinion essay
The writing question asks for a guided composition or opinion essay of about 150–200 words on a topic related to the reading text or a general social issue. Marks reward task achievement (answering the prompt), organization, range and accuracy.
359 words, about 2 min04Textual cohesion, coherence and register
Cohesion is the visible linking of sentences: pronouns, determiners, substitution, ellipsis, lexical chains and connectors. Coherence is the logical order of ideas, so that each paragraph has one controlling idea and the reader can follow the argument.
430 words, about 2 min05Spelling, punctuation and accuracy of expression
In the PAU, accuracy is assessed across the writing task and, indirectly, in the short answers. Errors that change meaning or break basic structures cost more than slips.
399 words, about 2 min