PAU English Asturias 2027: exam format, marking and tips

If you’re taking the PAU in Asturias (formerly the EBAU, or selectividad), the University of Oviedo English exam is different from almost every other region’s in three ways: you choose between two texts, most of the reading comprehension is done through open questions that you answer in your own words, and the composition, although short (100 to 120 words), is worth 4 of the 10 marks. There’s no listening and there are no true or false questions.

In this guide I explain what the Asturias PAU English exam is like, based on the official information from the University of Oviedo and its worked model exam: what you have to do in each exercise, how much it’s worth, what loses you marks, how the composition is marked, how to manage your time, and a worked example of each part. All explained from my experience preparing students for official exams. Let’s get started! 🙂

If you’re looking for an overview of the test (what the PAU is, how much English counts towards your mark or what level you need), you’ll find it in my guide to the PAU English exam.

What the Asturias PAU English exam is like

The Primera Lengua Extranjera II: Inglés exam lasts 90 minutes (in 2027 it will be on the first day of the PAU, from 19:00 to 20:30), is marked out of 10 and has three exercises. In all three you choose between two options, A or B:

The texts are between 330 and 360 words long and are newspaper or magazine articles, original or adapted, on current affairs, general culture or life in English-speaking countries: in the official model, holidays that go wrong and the way British people shop. You can’t use a dictionary or any other reference material.

One important rule: stick to the options. If you answer questions on both texts, or write both compositions, the last questions you answered are cancelled.

Exercise 1: Comprehension questions (4 marks)

There are 4 open questions on the text you’ve chosen, worth 1 mark each, split like this:

• 0.5 for comprehension: your answer has the right information from the text.
• 0.5 for grammatical accuracy in what you write.

The instructions make it clear: Do not copy literally from the text. You have to paraphrase, even if only a little. Here’s an example written for this guide:

Text: Many tourists feel disappointed after their trip because they try to visit too many places in too little time.

Question: Why do many tourists feel disappointed after their trip?

• ✅ Because their plans are too ambitious: they want to see a lot of places, but they don’t have enough time to do it.
• ❌ Because they try to visit too many places in too little time. (it’s copied word for word from the text)

My tips for this section:

• Rephrase with synonyms and different structures: too little time → they don’t have enough time; try to visit too many places → their plans are too ambitious.
• Check how many things you’re asked for. If the question says Describe two examples… or In what ways…, the full answer has more than one idea, and they’re often in different paragraphs.
• Write complete, simple sentences. Half the mark is for grammar, so a clear, accurate answer is worth more than an elaborate one full of mistakes.

Exercise 1: Question 5, gap fill (1 mark)

The fifth question is a paragraph of two or three sentences with 4 gaps, worth 0.25 marks each, related to the topic of the text. You have to write the most suitable word in each gap, and here’s the tricky part: you’re not given a list of words to choose from.

The gaps usually test these things (examples written for this guide):

Read the whole paragraph before filling anything in, decide what type of word is missing and think about common English combinations. The more common phrasal verbs and dependent prepositions you know, the easier it gets.

Exercise 2: Rephrasing (1 mark)

You choose one of two options and rewrite 4 sentences, worth 0.25 marks each, so that the meaning is identical, or as close as possible, to the original. You’re given the beginning of the new sentence, and the criteria stress two things: the original meaning mustn’t be lost, and you shouldn’t rephrase more than necessary. There’s usually only one correct answer.

These are the transformations that come up most, with examples written for this guide:

If you want to revise these structures, have a look at my guides to reported speech and conditional sentences. And B2 Use of English Part 4 is excellent practice, because it’s based on the same kind of transformations.

Exercise 3: Composition (4 marks)

You’re given two topics and you choose one. You have to write a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of 120, and it’s very important to stick to the topic and respect that range. According to the University of Oviedo, there are three main formats:

• Descriptions or narratives.
• Opinion compositions, like the ones in the official model: What is your idea of a successful holiday? or Shopping has become a favourite pastime among young people. What do you think about it?
• Advantages and disadvantages essays on a topic.

What you won’t be asked for is a letter: that was agreed at the coordination meetings with Bachillerato teachers, and it still applies.

How the composition is marked

There’s no rubric with marks for each criterion, but the University of Oviedo says what it values most:

• Relevance to the topic and relevant information: answering exactly what you’re asked.
• Accurate expression: you need to avoid serious mistakes.
• Internal coherence and well-organised ideas.
• Independent writing: using your own words, not memorised phrases or sentences copied from the text.
• Range of vocabulary and grammar: subordinate clauses, nominalisation, synonyms and topic vocabulary.

With only 120 words at most to earn 4 marks, every sentence counts. Don’t waste space on long introductions or on repeating the question: get to the point and show a range of vocabulary and structures.

Composition example with answers

You’ll find worked examples of other composition types in my other guides: an opinion essay in the Andalusia guide, a for and against essay in the Canary Islands guide, a narrative in the Valencian Community guide, a review in the Catalonia guide, a problem-solution essay in the Castile and León guide and an article in the Galicia guide. So here’s one of the main Asturias formats that isn’t in any of them: the description.

Topic (written for this guide): Describe a place in your region that you would recommend to a visitor and explain why.

If you ever visit my region, there is one place you should not miss: the old fishing village where my grandparents live. It is a small town built on a hill, with narrow streets and colourful houses that look down on the harbour.

What makes it special is its atmosphere. In the morning you can watch the fishermen coming back with their boats, and in the evening the whole village seems to meet in the main square.

Although it gets crowded in August, I would recommend going in spring, when it is much quieter. I am sure you will love it as much as I do.

Why it works:

• It answers both parts of the topic: it describes the place (first and second paragraphs) and explains why it’s worth visiting.
• It’s well organised: it introduces the place, explains what makes it special and ends with a practical tip.
• Precise descriptive vocabulary: fishing village, narrow streets, colourful houses, look down on the harbour, atmosphere, crowded.
• Varied structures: a first conditional (If you ever visit…), relative clauses (where my grandparents live, that look down on, when it is much quieter), a what cleft sentence for emphasis (What makes it special is…), seems to, a concessive clause (Although it gets crowded) and a comparison (as much as I do).
• Simple but effective linkers: If, and, In the morning, in the evening, Although. You’ll find more in my B2 connectors.
• 106 words, within the 100-120 range.
• It’s written to simulate a B2 level, without reaching C1, with realistic vocabulary for a student in the final year of Bachillerato.

Vocabulary for the most common topics

The texts and compositions revolve around everyday life, the culture of English-speaking countries and current affairs: travel and holidays, shopping, technology, the environment or studying. Prepare vocabulary for these topics:

How to manage the 90 minutes

Choosing the right text at the start saves you a lot of trouble later. This is the split I recommend:

A tip for choosing the text: don’t just look at the topic. Look at the questions and the gaps for each one too. Sometimes the text that looks harder has the easier questions.

How it differs from other regions

If you’ve seen papers from other regions (or my guides to Galicia, Castile and León and Extremadura), these are the differences that affect you most:

Papers from other regions are useful for practising reading and grammar, but in Asturias you need to train two things above all: answering open questions in your own words and writing a very complete composition in very little space.

Common mistakes in the Asturias PAU English exam

• Copying from the text word for word in the comprehension questions.
• Giving only one of the ideas when the question asks for two examples or several ways.
• Answering questions on both texts or writing both compositions: the last ones are cancelled.
• Writing two words «just in case» in a gap in question 5.
• Changing the meaning in the rephrasing, or rephrasing more than necessary.
• Writing fewer than 100 words or more than 120 in the composition.
• Going off topic or using memorised phrases that don’t answer the question.
• Writing a letter when you’re asked for a composition.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Asturias PAU in 2027?

The ordinary sitting will be on 1, 2 and 3 June 2027 and the extraordinary sitting on 5, 6 and 7 July. The first foreign language exam is on the first day, from 19:00 to 20:30.

Is the English exam changing in 2027?

At the time of writing, the University of Oviedo hasn’t published the subject information for 2026-2027, so this guide follows the current structure, used in 2025 and 2026. Several regions are adapting their exams to a more common national model, so as soon as the University of Oviedo publishes the 2027 information, I’ll review this guide.

Is there a listening test in the Asturias PAU English exam?

No. The whole exam is written: reading comprehension, rephrasing and a composition.

Can I use a dictionary?

No. No dictionaries, grammar books or reference materials of any kind are allowed, whether on paper or electronic.

How is the mark rounded?

Each exercise is marked in fractions of 0.25, and the final mark for the exam is rounded up to the nearest half mark. For example, 7.75 becomes 8, and 5.25 becomes 5.5.

Can I write a letter or an email for the composition?

That’s not what you’ll be asked for. In Asturias it was agreed not to include letters as a composition format. The main formats are descriptions or narratives, opinion and advantages and disadvantages.

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Good luck with the PAU and, until then, don’t forget to keep smiling! 🙂