Valencian Community PAU Music Analysis II exam-day guide
Valencian Community PAU Music Analysis II · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Official ID document
Bring the identity document (DNI/NIE/passport) accepted for PAU access. The exact document types and validity requirements are set by the Comissió Gestora de les Proves d'Accés a la Universitat; confirm with the provider or your school's orientación team which document is accepted if yours is expired or in renewal.
Exam call/sede confirmation
Check your assigned sede (university or secondary school), session time, and seat instructions on the official PAU portal or the notice from your centre. Arrive at the stated call time; the specific cutoff for late entry is a provider rule, so confirm with the provider.
Printed or downloaded exam schedule
The PAU is timetabled by session and subject. Know exactly which session slot corresponds to Music Analysis II and how much time separates it from your other exams, so you can plan breaks and lunch.
Analytical materials you are permitted to use
Music Analysis II is an analytical paper. Confirm with the provider which materials are allowed (for example, whether a printed score booklet is supplied with the paper, and whether rulers, pencils, or erasers are permitted for annotations). Do not assume any material is allowed until confirmed.
Several pens and pencils plus eraser
Use blue or black ink for written answers and a pencil for any staff notation, sketching, or score annotation if permitted. Bring spares; a failed pen is a needless loss of minutes.
Wristwatch (non-smart)
Exam rooms may not have a visible clock, and phones are not usable as timepieces once the exam starts. A simple analogue or digital watch helps you allocate time across sections.
Clear water bottle and light snack
Sessions can be long and days can combine several exams. Bring water and something small to eat between sessions; check that the bottle has no label if the venue requires it.
No phone or smart device at your desk
Phones, smartwatches, and earbuds must be switched off and stored as the venue instructs. Keeping a device at your desk can be treated as academic misconduct; confirm the venue's storage rule with the provider.
Review the exam structure and scoring
Know before the day how the paper is organised (typically score analysis, harmonic/formal commentary, and possibly a listening or contextual item) and how marks are distributed, so you can decide where to spend time. Confirm the current structure with the provider, as it can change between years.
Personal strategy sheet
Prepare a one-page reminder of your method: scan the score, identify key and form, mark cadences and modulations, label chords with Roman numerals, and write commentary in structured paragraphs. This is your own aid to review, not something to bring into the room.
Transport and timing plan
Plan the route, allow buffer time for delays, and identify a fallback (taxi, another bus). Arriving flustered costs analytical focus.
Confirm permitted materials with the provider
needs_review - The exact list of allowed items for Music Analysis II (score excerpts supplied, use of a dictionary, calculator, or notation tools) is a provider decision. Confirm with the provider or your centre before the exam.
Plan the day
Do a final review of the analytical method rather than new content: how to identify key, cadences, sequences, pedal points, and formal sections. Practise on one or two short scores you have not seen, timing yourself to the real exam length.
Check logistics: sede address, session time, transport, ID validity, and any materials you must bring. Resolve uncertainties now, not on the morning.
Review your summary sheet of harmonic vocabulary (secondary dominants, borrowed chords, augmented sixth chords, Neapolitan, modulation techniques) and formal types (binary, ternary, sonata, rondo, variation). Focus on recognising them quickly in a score.
Light review only: re-read your method sheet and one model analysis. Pack your bag with ID, pens, pencils, eraser, watch, water, and snack. Confirm the alarm and transport plan.
Protect sleep. Avoid late-night cramming, which harms the close reading and sustained attention the paper demands.
Eat a proper breakfast, arrive at the call time with buffer, and leave devices stored as instructed. Re-read nothing new; skim your method sheet if you have a few quiet minutes.
Read the whole paper before writing. Note the marks per question and allocate minutes proportionally, leaving a few minutes at the end for checking.
For each score, first establish key, metre, tempo, and texture, then mark cadences and formal boundaries with pencil. Label chords with Roman numerals and note any modulations with the pivot and target key.
Write commentary in structured paragraphs: state the observation, give the musical evidence (bar numbers, chords, motives), and explain its effect or function. Use precise terminology and refer to bar numbers.
Check that every question is attempted, that bar references are correct, and that your handwriting is legible. Do not leave a question blank if you can offer a reasoned partial answer.
Rules to check
Bring and present the identity document required for PAU access. If your document is expired or being renewed, confirm with the provider what alternative is accepted before the exam day.
Arrive at the assigned sede by the stated call time. The venue's rule on admitting late candidates is a provider decision; confirm with the provider rather than assuming you will be admitted.
Phones and smart devices must be switched off and stored as the venue instructs. Using or merely keeping an unauthorised device during the exam can be treated as academic misconduct.
Use only the materials the provider permits for Music Analysis II. If you are unsure whether a score booklet, ruler, or other aid is allowed, confirm with the provider before the exam.
Breaks between sessions are governed by the venue. Confirm with the provider whether you may leave the building between exams and when you must return for the next call.
Write in the language of instruction and use standard musical terminology in English or Valencian/Castilian as the paper expects. Answers must be your own; copying from another candidate is misconduct.
Scoring follows the official criteria for the subject, including accuracy of harmonic and formal analysis and quality of written commentary. Review the published criteria with the provider so you know how marks are awarded.
Follow the invigilators' instructions at all times. If you believe there is an error in the paper, raise it with the invigilator rather than guessing silently.