Table of contents
If you’re taking the PAU in Andalusia, or helping someone who is, the English exam is one of the papers you can prepare for well in advance. The format never changes, the question types repeat and the marking follows very clear criteria… which hardly anyone reads carefully. That’s where many marks are lost: justifications in the candidate’s own words, transformations that change the given word, or writing tasks that go over 180 words.
In this guide I explain what the Andalusian PAU English exam is like according to the official guidelines for 2026-2027: the three blocks, how much each question is worth, what loses marks, how to split the 90 minutes and a commented example of each part. All of it explained from my experience as a preparer for official exams. Let’s get started! 🙂
For an overview of the exam (what the PAU is, how much English counts or what level you need), see my guide to the PAU English exam.
What the Andalusian PAU English exam is like
The exam lasts 1 hour and 30 minutes, is marked out of 10, is taken without a dictionary and everything, including the instructions, is in English. It has three blocks:
| Block | Marks | What you have to do |
|---|---|---|
| A. Comprehension | 4 | Read a text of 350 to 500 words with numbered lines and answer 8 questions. It’s compulsory, with no choice. |
| B. Use of English | 3 | Choose one of two options of 6 transformations each (B1-B6 or B7-B12) and rewrite the sentences. The options can’t be mixed. |
| C. Writing | 3 | Choose one of two topics (C1 or C2) and write between 140 and 180 words, stating the number of words at the end. |
Notice that reading comprehension is worth almost half the exam. It’s also the part with the strictest rules.
Block A: Comprehension (4 marks)
There’s a single text (usually around 420 words) with numbered lines, and eight questions worth 0.5 marks each:
- A1 and A2: multiple choice. Four options (a-d) and only one correct answer. Either you get it right or you don’t: there are no half marks here.
- A3 to A6: true or false with justification. You decide whether the statement is true or false and copy the evidence from the text. This is the question that loses the most marks, so I explain it in detail below.
- A7: synonym and opposite. You find a word in the text that means the same as the one given (A7.1) and another that means the opposite (A7.2). Each is worth 0.25.
- A8: words from their definition. You get two definitions and have to find the word or expression in the text that matches each one (A8.1 and A8.2, 0.25 each).
A very important general rule: if you give more than one answer, only the first one counts. Don’t write two options «just in case».
How to justify a true or false answer without losing the mark
In questions A3-A6, the justification has to meet these conditions. If it doesn’t, the question scores 0, even if you got true or false right:
- You must copy the exact words from the text. No explaining it in your own words.
- The quotation can’t be longer than one sentence, and you can’t use an ellipsis (…) to skip parts.
- The line number doesn’t count as a justification.
- With no justification, the question scores 0.
Here’s an example, with a text written for this guide:
(14) Most of the volunteers had never cooked for more than four people. (15) By the end of the first week, however, they were serving over two hundred meals a day, and the kitchen had become the busiest room in the building.
Statement: The volunteers were experienced cooks. FALSE.
- ✅ Most of the volunteers had never cooked for more than four people. (the exact sentence that proves it)
- ❌ They had never cooked for a lot of people. (your own words, not the text’s)
- ❌ Line 14. (the line number doesn’t count)
- ❌ Most of the volunteers… two hundred meals a day. (an ellipsis and more than one sentence)
My advice: look for the shortest sentence that proves the answer on its own and copy it exactly, without changing a single comma.
Block B: Use of English (3 marks)
Here you choose one of the two options, B1-B6 or B7-B12, and do its six items. Each is worth 0.5 marks. In every item you have to rewrite a sentence without changing its meaning, using a different structure: starting as indicated or using the word in brackets without changing it.
Marking works like this:
- Correct sentence: 0.5.
- One mistake: 0.25.
- Two or more mistakes: 0.
Two examples, written for this guide:
- «Don’t touch the oven, it’s very hot,» my mother said to me.
My mother warned ______
Answer: My mother warned me not to touch the oven because it was very hot. - I didn’t study enough, so I failed the test. (WISH)
Answer: I wish I had studied more for the test.
The structures in Block B are always the same. Here’s the full list, with an example of each one (written for this guide) and the KSE post where you can review it:
| Structure | Sample transformation | Review it on KSE |
|---|---|---|
| Conditionals (if, unless, as long as, in case) | If you don’t hurry, you’ll miss the bus. → Unless you hurry, you’ll miss the bus. | Conditionals |
| Wishes and regrets (wish, if only, it’s time) | I’m sorry I didn’t call her. → I wish I had called her. | (coming soon) |
| Reported speech (asked, warned, told, apologised) | «Where do you live?» he asked me. → He asked me where I lived. | Reported speech · Reporting verbs · Say or tell |
| The passive and impersonal passive (it is said that…) | People say that he is very rich. → He is said to be very rich. | Causative have |
| Relative clauses (which, who, whom, whose, where) | That’s the girl. Her brother is a pilot. → That’s the girl whose brother is a pilot. | (coming soon) |
| Contrast, reason and purpose (although, despite, in order to) | It was raining, but we went out. → Despite the rain, we went out. | Despite and although · B2 connectors |
| Modal verbs of deduction, advice and necessity (must, can’t, needn’t, had better) | I’m sure he wasn’t at home. → He can’t have been at home. | Modal verbs · Must or have to |
| Habits and preferences (used to, be used to, would rather, prefer) | I prefer staying at home to going out. → I’d rather stay at home than go out. | Used to · Would rather and had better |
| Adjective + preposition (keen on, fond of, afraid of) | I like painting a lot. → I’m very keen on painting. | (coming soon) |
| Comparison and quantity (as… as, so, such, too, enough) | It’s the most boring film I’ve ever seen. → I’ve never seen such a boring film. | Comparatives and superlatives · So or such · Too or enough · Few or little |
| Verb tenses (how long, for, since, by the time) | I started working here two years ago. → I have been working here for two years. | Present perfect · Past perfect · Future perfect · For or during |
| Others: let, make, allow, gerund or infinitive, phrasal verbs | My parents didn’t allow me to go. → My parents didn’t let me go. | Gerund or infinitive · 50 common phrasal verbs |
A tip for choosing your option: read all twelve sentences before deciding, and go for the option where you’re confident about at least four. And don’t mix them: the guidelines ask for one complete option.
Block C: Writing (3 marks)
You choose one of the two topics and write a text of 140 to 180 words. When you finish, you have to state the number of words. Usually one topic is personal or narrative (a trip, a memory, an important person) and the other is an opinion topic (social media, artificial intelligence, the environment…).
Vocabulary for the topics that come up most
The writing topics and the Block A texts tend to revolve around the same areas. With vocabulary ready for each one, your writing will be much richer (and that shows in the vocabulary mark):
| Topic | For example | Vocabulary on KSE |
|---|---|---|
| Social media, the internet and technology | mobile phones, artificial intelligence, fake news | Social media and the internet |
| The environment and climate | climate change, recycling, the weather | The environment · The weather |
| Free time and culture | music, films, sport | Music · Film · Sport |
| Family and people | describing someone important to you | Family · 100 personality adjectives |
| Education | school, homework, university | School |
| Money, shopping and work | saving, shopping, your first job | Money |
| Society and crime | safety, laws | Crime |
| Food and health | diet, healthy habits | Food · The human body |
| Travel and tourism | a trip you remember, mass tourism | (coming soon) |
| Celebrations and traditions | a special celebration, traditions in your town | (coming soon) |
And for questions A7 and A8 (synonyms, opposites and definitions), what helps most is understanding how words are formed and knowing the most frequent combinations: have a look at my posts on word formation, false friends, collocations with MAKE, DO, TAKE and GET, and the 50 most common phrasal verbs. For the opinion writing, it’s very useful to know how to agree and disagree.
How the writing is marked
| Criterion | Marks | What is assessed |
|---|---|---|
| Content: task achievement | 0.5 | Answering what the task asks. |
| Content: organisation | 0.75 | Paragraphs, order of ideas and linkers. |
| Language: grammar | 0.75 | Accuracy and range of structures. |
| Language: vocabulary | 0.75 | Appropriate and varied vocabulary. |
| Language: spelling and punctuation | 0.25 | Correct spelling and punctuation. |
And watch out for three things that can sink your mark:
- If you go off topic, the writing scores 0.
- If you copy ideas from the Block A text, task achievement scores 0.
- If you repeat the same mistake, it only counts once (that’s something 😉).
Word count deductions (2026-2027)
| Number of words | Deduction |
|---|---|
| More than 180 | −0.25 |
| 140 to 180 | No deduction |
| 120 to 139 | −0.25 |
| 100 to 119 | −0.75 |
| 80 to 99 | −1.25 |
| Fewer than 80 | −2 |
On top of that, poor presentation can cost 0.25. The deductions for short texts are lighter than in 2025-2026, but the ideal is still the same: between 140 and 180, and no more.
Sample opinion writing
Topic (written for this guide): Some people think that students should not be allowed to use mobile phones at school. Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer.
Mobile phones have become part of our daily lives, so it is not surprising that many students take them to school. However, I am convinced that they should not be allowed in class.
First of all, phones are a constant distraction. Even when they are silent, a single notification is enough to make students lose concentration, and it can take several minutes to focus again. As a result, lessons become less productive for everyone.
Secondly, schools are one of the few places where teenagers can spend time together without screens. If phones were banned, students would talk more during the breaks, which would help them build stronger friendships.
It is true that phones can be useful for looking up information. Even so, schools can provide computers for that purpose, so personal phones are not really necessary.
To sum up, although phones have some advantages, I believe that schools would be better places without them.
(154 words)
Why it works:
- A clear structure in five paragraphs: an introduction with the opinion, two arguments, a counter-argument with its answer and a conclusion.
- Varied, well-used linkers: However, First of all, As a result, Secondly, It is true that… Even so, To sum up, although. For more, see my B2 connectors.
- Structures that score in grammar: a second conditional (If phones were banned, students would…), a relative clause with which referring to the whole sentence and it can take several minutes to….
- 154 words, within the range and with the number stated at the end.
- It’s written to simulate a B2 level, without reaching C1: accurate and well organised, but with realistic vocabulary for a Bachillerato student.
How to split the 90 minutes
There’s no official split, but this is the one I recommend, because it matches what each block is worth:
| Part | Time |
|---|---|
| Read the text and answer Block A | 35 minutes |
| Choose an option and do Block B | 15 minutes |
| Plan, write and count the words of the writing | 30 minutes |
| Check the whole exam | 10 minutes |
My advice: if you get stuck on a Block A question, move on and come back at the end. And start the writing one hour into the exam at the latest: an unfinished writing costs far more than a blank transformation.
Typical mistakes in the Andalusian PAU English exam
- Justifying in your own words in the true or false questions. It has to be the exact quotation.
- Copying more than one sentence or using an ellipsis in the justification.
- Giving two answers to the same question: only the first one counts.
- Changing the given word in a transformation (for example, writing wished when you’re given WISH).
- Mixing items from the two Block B options.
- Going over 180 words or not stating the word count in the writing.
- Repeating ideas from the Block A text in the writing.
A book to prepare for the Andalusian PAU English exam
I’m finishing a book devoted to this exam: PAU Inglés Andalucía: Exámenes de Inglés de Selectividad resueltos y explicados. It has 12 original exams in the official 2026-2027 format and, most importantly, every answer explained (in Spanish): why each option is right, which quotation justifies each true or false answer, what structure each transformation needs and two model writings per exam, commented according to the official rubric. It will be in the shop very soon.
Frequently asked questions
Can you use a dictionary in the Andalusian PAU English exam?
No. The exam is taken without a dictionary.
Is there a listening section in the Andalusian PAU English exam?
No. The exam only has reading comprehension, use of English and writing.
What happens if I write fewer than 140 words?
You lose marks according to the table above: 0.25 for 120 to 139 words, and more the shorter it is. Below 80 words, the deduction is 2 marks.
Can I answer items from both Block B options?
No. You have to choose one complete option (B1-B6 or B7-B12), and they can’t be mixed.
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Good luck with the PAU and, until then, don’t forget to keep smiling! 🙂
