PAU (university entrance exams): Additional information

Documents to bring
Exam material
General rules
Recommendations
Examination boards
PAU Distinctions
How to improve your mark

Documents to bring

Students must always carry with them their PAU registration form and their official identification card. These must be presented on request to any member of the board, so that students can be properly identified.

Any student who needs to demonstrate exam attendance should request a certificate of attendance from the chairman of the examination board.

Exam material

1. Arts subjects:
   1. Creative drawing: drawing and other materials depending on dry or water-based techniques.
      Required materials: 100 cm x 70 cm paper, DIN A4 sheets, pencils and graphite sticks of various hardnesses, an eraser, charcoal, charcoal eraser, dusters.
      The student may optionally bring materials according to his/her artistic preferences, but these may not include materials that require liquid solvents (water, alcohol, turpentine, white spirit, synthetic solvents, etc.) or pre-treated papers.
   2. Design basics: basically a pencil, eraser, felt-tipped pens, rulers, set squares, compass, colour pencils, etc. and tools for three-dimensional resolutions.
   3. Image: work is basically done with the test book although various drawing and other materials may be necessary for some tests and/or options.
   4. Graphic and Plastic Expression Techniques: 1) medium: sheets of plain paper, watercolour paper, different types of paper for notes and project drafts, 2) materials and equipment according to technique.
   5. Volume: 1) materials that can be easily used and for fast 3D construction, 2) paper for notes and project drafts, 3) Application accessories and adhesives.
2. Technology subjects: ruler, set square, pencil, eraser and scientific calculator, but does not authorize the use of available information stored or can transmit.
3. Biology, Economics and Business Organisation, Mathematics, Mathematics for the Social Sciences, Physics and Chemistry: Scientific calculator, but does not authorize the use of available information stored or can transmit.
4. Earth and environmental sciences: 20 cm ruler or set square, coloured pencils and a scientific calculator, but does not authorize the use of available information stored or can transmit .
5. Technical drawing: pencil, eraser, rulers, set squares, parallel rulers, compass, etc. for pencil drawing. No geometric figure models may be used. Students may use a small table slightly larger than DIN-A3 size where the exam cannot be taken on a normal desktop.
6. Latin and Greek: dictionary.

General rules

You are not allowed to use during the exam any king of information (notes, books, etc.), nor mobile phones or other electronic devices unauthorize

Absolute silence and appropriate personal behaviour must be maintained at all times while the exams are in progress. Students must adhere to basic rules of ethics and behave in an appropriate manner for an exam setting. The examination board is legally authorised to expel from the examination room any student who fails to do so, and to annul that student's exams.

When students arrive at the examination room on the first day, they will be given a set of adhesive bar code labels which identify each student and ensure anonymity in the marking process. Students must carefully stick two of these labels on each exam or attached sheet: one in the boxed area on the front of the answer booklet and the other on the back.

The chairman of the examination board will leave only one answer booklet for each exercise. Exam booklets must be handed in with the labels attached even if no answers have been completed (if any exam booklet is not handed in, it will not be possible to calculate an overall average for the examination).

Exercises for Catalan and Castilian language subjects and for other language subjects must be answered in the corresponding language.

Recommendations

Examination responses should demonstrate both knowledge of theory and the ability to apply that knowledge. Accordingly, the following recommendations should be kept in mind for all exams:

1. Vocabulary, punctuation, spelling, syntax, etc. must be correct for all of the exams. Students should demonstrate their ability to use a range of linguistic resources in a grammatically correct manner.
2. Neatness and clarity also gain marks.
3. Conceptual clarity, logical order and thorough development of points are basic elements in all of the exams.
4. Answers given must be justified with an appropriate line of argumentation. Students should demonstrate their own ability to reflect, to understand and to communicate what they know (unless the instructions given specifically indicate otherwise).
5. Care must be taken with strategies employed and approaches adopted, and answers should be well developed. Grading and scores will reflect all aspects of the answer or solution given.
6. The use of subject-specific terminology and of the language in which the response is written will be a factor in evaluation

Students should not forget that all the exams are evaluated in terms of what is actually written down!

Examination boards

PAU examination boards will be made up of members who are specialists in the various subject areas covered in the exams. The boards are responsible for ensuring that the exams are carried out properly, supervising all aspects of the examination process, responding to inquiries and marking the completed exams.

The assignment of students to boards will be communicated to centres before the first day of exams. Free students (who completed their Batxillerat studies before the 2007/2008 academic year, or have completed equivalent studies abroad), and those who are re-sitting the exam (because they have failed or wish to improve their marks) will be informed of their board assignment after they have registered.

Each student will sit the three days of examinations in the room to which he or she is assigned by the board. Students should be present at the assigned examination room half an hour before the exam starts in order to proceed to their assigned seats.

PAU Distinctions

In the month of July, all students who pass the PAU with a mark of 9 or higher will be invited to a ceremony in which they will be presented with a diploma and insignia recognising their achievement. The top ten students in Catalonia will receive special mention. The presentations will be made by the Minister of Innovation, Universities and Enterprise

How to improve your mark

Students who would like to improve the grade obtained in the PAU can repeat the exam as many times as they wish in any sitting at the same university. The exam can be taken at another location if proof of a change of address is provided. If the result obtained is not higher than the previous grade, or if a student fails when re-sitting the exam, the initial grade will be maintained (PAU results are valid indefinitely).

When a student is re-sitting an exam to improve his or her mark, the exam can be taken for only one entrance pathway.