Valencian Community PAU Biology exam-day guide
Valencian Community PAU Biology · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Official ID document
Bring the original DNI or passport (or the identity document named on your enrolment). Check that it is in date; an expired document may be refused. Confirm with the provider which documents are accepted for your call.
Exam call/schedule printout
Print or download the official timetable showing your assigned room, date and start time for each Biology paper. Confirm with the provider where the room list is published, as it can change up to the day before.
Blue or black ballpoint pens (at least two)
Write with blue or black ink only. Bring spares and check they work before leaving home; pencil is normally reserved for diagrams or rough work, so confirm with the provider what is allowed on the answer sheet.
Pencil, eraser and sharpener
Useful for drawing labelled diagrams (cell, membrane, DNA replication, etc.). Keep rough work clearly marked as draft so it is not mistaken for an answer.
Ruler
For straight-line diagrams, axes of graphs and underlining. A transparent ruler is the safest choice if invigilators restrict opaque items.
Simple non-programmable calculator
Some genetics and dilution problems need arithmetic. Programmable or graphing calculators and those with stored text are normally banned; confirm with the provider which models are permitted.
Analog watch
Phones must be switched off and stored, so a plain wristwatch helps you pace the sections. Smart watches are usually prohibited; confirm with the provider.
Clear pencil case or transparent bag
Many venues require transparent containers. Confirm with the provider whether a pencil case is allowed on the desk at all.
Water in a transparent bottle without a label
Stay hydrated for a long writing session. Remove labels and check the venue's rules on drinks at the desk.
No notes, books or phone on the desk
Leave study material outside the exam room. A phone found on your person during the test can lead to annulment; hand it in if the venue provides storage.
Know the syllabus blocks you will be examined on
The PAU Biology paper normally covers molecular and cellular biology, genetics and evolution, and living systems/environment. Confirm with the provider the exact structure and weighting for your year, as it is periodically revised.
Check transport and arrival buffer
Plan to arrive well before the call time; late entry rules vary by venue. Confirm with the provider how late arrivals are handled.
Plan the day
Stop learning new content. Rework your own summary sheets for the three big blocks: biomolecules and enzymes, cell structure and division, genetics (Mendelian, molecular and population), and physiology/ecology. For each block, write from memory the key diagrams: fluid-mosaic membrane, chloroplast and mitochondrion, DNA replication, transcription and translation, meiosis stages, a Punnett square, and a food web or biogeochemical cycle. Check each against your notes and mark the gaps.
Practise under time pressure: do at least one full past-style paper or a set of long-answer questions in the official duration, without notes. Focus on the highest-yield skills: interpreting graphs and tables, calculating allele frequencies with Hardy-Weinberg, predicting cross ratios, explaining experimental controls, and writing structured answers with the correct technical terms in English (enzyme, substrate, active site, semi-conservative, codominance, homeostasis, etc.).
Review the terminology and definitions you tend to blur: anabolism vs catabolism, mitosis vs meiosis, genotype vs phenotype, dominance relationships, species vs population, biotic vs abiotic. Make a one-page list of definitions you can reread on the morning.
Rehearse the answer format. Practise writing concise, numbered answers that state the concept first and then the explanation, and practise labelling diagrams with straight lines and full names. Confirm with the provider whether answers must be in a specific language and whether diagrams earn marks.
Do a light review only: your definition list, the diagrams you found hardest, and a handful of calculation exercises. Do not start a new topic. Pack your bag with ID, pens, pencil, ruler, calculator, watch and water, and lay out clothes.
Check the practical details: exact room, building entrance, start time and the provider's instructions on phones and materials. Confirm with the provider if anything on your call is unclear. Set two alarms and sleep a full night; cramming overnight costs more marks than it gains.
Eat a proper breakfast and arrive early. Reread only your one-page definitions and the diagram list; do not attempt new problems. Switch off your phone and store it as instructed before entering the room.
Read the whole paper before writing. Note the marks per question and the recommended time per section, then decide your order: start with the questions you can answer confidently, and leave the longest essay-type question for when you are warmed up.
Answer the question actually asked: underline the command word (describe, explain, compare, calculate, justify) and match your structure to it. Show working in calculations, including units and the formula used. In genetics problems, state the parental genotypes, the gametes and the cross before the ratio. In graph questions, describe the trend, quote figures from the axes and then explain the biological cause.
Check that every question has an answer, that numbering matches the paper, that units and significant figures are sensible, and that no answer sits in the wrong box. Fill any blank with your best partial reasoning; a structured attempt often earns partial credit.
Rules to check
Bring the original identity document named in your enrolment and keep it visible on the desk. If your document is lost or expired, contact the provider before the exam; do not assume a photocopy will be accepted.
Phones, smart watches and any device that stores or transmits information must be switched off and stored away from the desk for the whole session. Confirm with the provider where such items must be left.
Do not communicate with other candidates once inside the room, and do not lend or borrow material during the test; ask an invigilator instead.
Write only in the space and with the instruments permitted on the answer sheet. Answers written outside the designated areas, or in pencil where ink is required, may not be marked; confirm with the provider which parts allow pencil.
Only the materials listed as permitted for the paper may be on the desk. Programmable calculators, notes, books and unapproved aids are normally prohibited; confirm with the provider the exact list for your call.
If you need to leave the room (toilet, illness), raise your hand and wait for an invigilator. Time lost is generally not made up, and you may be accompanied; confirm with the provider how exits are handled at your venue.
Once the time is called, stop writing immediately and hand in all answer sheets and rough paper. Continuing to write after the call can lead to annulment of your paper.
Scoring is based on the official marking criteria for the paper, including partial credit for correct reasoning and penalisation of errors that contradict an otherwise correct answer. Confirm with the provider the marking scheme and any penalties that apply for your year.