Basque PAU Mathematics II exam-day guide
Basque PAU Mathematics II · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Official ID document (DNI, passport, or equivalent)
Basque PAU sessions normally require photo ID at the door. Bring the original document, not a photocopy. If you are unsure which documents your centre accepts (for example a driving licence or a foreign resident card), confirm with the provider or your high school before the exam.
Exam admission slip or registration confirmation
Some centres print a list of registered candidates, others ask for the receipt from enrolment. Bring whatever document your centre issued when you registered. If you registered through the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) or another organising body, confirm with the provider what must be shown.
Printed exam schedule and your chosen subjects
Know the exact day, time, and room for each of your Mathematics II and other subject exams. The official calendar is published by the organising body; confirm with the provider if your centre has a different internal schedule.
Black or blue pens, at least two
Answers must be legible and in ink unless the instructions say otherwise. Pencil is normally only for drawings or graphs; confirm with the provider whether pencil is allowed for diagrams.
Pencil, eraser, and ruler
Useful for graphs, tables, and rough work. A ruler helps when sketching functions or drawing axes accurately.
Scientific calculator (non-programmable, no communication)
PAU rules generally restrict calculators to non-programmable, non-graphing models without internet or Bluetooth. The exact permitted list varies by exam and year, so confirm with the provider which models are allowed in Mathematics II.
Spare calculator batteries or a second permitted calculator
A dead calculator in the middle of the exam is avoidable. Check the model is on the permitted list before bringing a backup.
Wristwatch (not a smartwatch)
Phones are usually collected or switched off at the start, so a simple watch helps you manage time. Smartwatches are normally forbidden.
Clear pencil case or transparent bag
Many centres require transparent containers so invigilators can check contents quickly. Confirm with the provider if you are unsure.
Water bottle with the label removed
Allowed in many centres if the label is removed and it is transparent. Check the specific rules with the provider.
Review the Mathematics II instructions and scoring
Re-read how the exam is structured: often a set of questions where you choose a subset, with each question scored out of a fixed number of points. Know how many you must answer and whether there are optional sections.
Confirm the meeting point and arrival time
Arrive well before the call time. The exact arrival window and access rules are set by each centre; confirm with the provider or your school.
Plan the day
Do a full timed mock under exam conditions: choose the same number of questions you will face, use only your permitted calculator, and stop exactly at the time limit. Mark it against the official scoring scheme, then list the two or three topics where you lost the most points. Spend the remaining days on those topics rather than re-reading everything.
Write a one-page formula and method sheet in your own hand: derivatives and integrals you must know, limits and L'Hopital conditions, matrix operations and determinants, systems and Rouché–Capelli, vectors, lines and planes, probability and normal distribution, and any statistics formulas. Rewrite it from memory each morning until the exam.
Check the exact structure of the Mathematics II paper for your year: number of questions, how many you must answer, whether there are options within questions, and how the total score is divided. Confirm with the provider or your teacher if the structure changed.
Verify your calculator is on the permitted list and practise the operations you will need: solving equations, matrices, determinants, numerical integration, and statistical functions. Do not plan to learn a new calculator function on exam day.
Do a light review only: your formula sheet, the list of common errors from your mock (sign errors, forgetting the constant of integration, domain restrictions, rounding too early), and one or two short problems per topic. Stop studying in the evening and sleep at a normal time.
Prepare your bag: ID, admission document, schedule, two pens, pencil, eraser, ruler, permitted calculator, spare batteries, watch, transparent pencil case, water bottle. Place everything by the door. Check the room and time once more.
Confirm transport and timing. If the exam is in the morning, plan to arrive with margin for delays. Eat a normal dinner and avoid last-minute cramming that costs you sleep.
Eat a proper breakfast, take your bag, and arrive early. Once seated, read the entire paper before writing: identify which questions you will answer and in what order, starting with the ones you are most confident about.
Allocate time by marks, not by question order. Leave a few minutes at the end to check units, signs, domains, and whether every question you chose has been answered. If you get stuck, move on and come back; partial working often earns partial credit, so write down your method even when the final answer is uncertain.
Show your working clearly. In Mathematics II, a correct method with an arithmetic slip usually scores more than a bare answer. State the theorem or criterion you use (for example Rouché–Capelli or L'Hopital) and justify conclusions such as maxima, minima, or convergence.
Rules to check
Bring original photo ID and your admission document. Invigilators may check identity at any point; if you are unsure which documents your centre accepts, confirm with the provider before the exam day.
Calculators must normally be non-programmable and non-communicating; graphing, programmable, or internet-capable devices are generally prohibited. The permitted list can change, so confirm with the provider which models are allowed in Mathematics II.
Phones, smartwatches, and any other electronic devices must be switched off and handed in or stored as instructed. Keeping a phone accessible during the exam can lead to disqualification.
Do not communicate with other candidates during the exam, and do not bring unauthorised notes or formula sheets. Formula sheets, if permitted at all, are usually provided by the centre; confirm with the provider.
Follow the invigilators' instructions on when you may start, when to stop writing, and whether you may leave the room early. Rules on toilet breaks and early exit vary by centre; confirm with the provider.
Answers must be written in the space and format the paper specifies. If you answer more questions than required, check how the extra answers are treated; scoring rules are set by the organising body, so confirm with the provider if the instructions are unclear.
Scoring is usually based on correct reasoning and method as well as the final result, so write down intermediate steps and justify conclusions. The exact marking criteria are published with the exam; confirm with the provider if you need the official document.
If you believe there is an error in a question or you need to report an incident, tell an invigilator before leaving the room and follow the centre's procedure. Do not attempt to resolve it informally after the exam.