PAU English Castile-La Mancha 2027: exam format, marking and tips

If you’re taking the PAU in Castile-La Mancha (formerly the EBAU, or selectividad), the UCLM English exam has two things that make it special: a phonetics question and a sentence transformation exercise worth no less than 3 marks. The composition has no upper limit either: you have to write at least 150 words. There’s no listening and there are no open questions.

In this guide I explain what the Castile-La Mancha PAU English exam is like, based on the official UCLM information, the 2026 paper and its marking criteria: what you have to do in each part, how much it’s worth, what loses you marks, how the composition is marked and what’s been announced for 2027, with examples 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 Castile-La Mancha PAU English exam is like

The Inglés exam lasts 90 minutes, is marked out of 10 and has one text of between 350 and 500 words and four parts:

You have to answer in English and you can’t use a dictionary or any other material. The text is usually an adapted newspaper article (in 2026, a BBC report on young people taking breaks from social media), and parts I and II are based on it.

What this means in practice is that grammar carries the most weight: the Use of English is worth 3 marks, and phonetics, which counts in the same linguistic repertoire block, adds another one. If you master the transformations, you have almost a third of the exam in the bag.

Part I: Reading comprehension (2 marks)

You get 4 statements and you have to say whether they’re TRUE or FALSE and copy the part of the text that proves it. Each one is worth 0.5 marks, and the UCLM criteria are among the strictest in Spain:

Two more details: write the whole word (TRUE or FALSE, not the initial) and avoid ellipses (…). One spelling slip when copying isn’t penalised, but two cost you 0.25 and three make the answer worth 0.

Here’s an example with an extract written for this guide:

Although the museum used to be free, visitors now have to pay a small entrance fee, except on Sundays.

Statement: Visitors never have to pay to enter the museum.

• ✅ FALSE. «Visitors now have to pay a small entrance fee, except on Sundays.»
• ❌ F. «Visitors now have to pay a small entrance fee.» (the initial doesn’t count: 0 marks)
• ❌ FALSE. You have to pay, but not on Sundays. (in your own words: 0 marks)

You don’t need to copy the whole sentence from full stop to full stop: the phrase that proves it is enough. And be wary of absolute words (never, always, only, all): they’re often a sign the statement is false.

Part II: Lexicon and Phonetics (2 marks)

Lexicon (1 mark)

You’re given 4 words and you have to find a synonym for each one in the text, worth 0.25 marks. There’s no middle ground here: if the word is misspelt (a letter missing or added), you get 0, and only your first answer is marked. In 2026, for example, you had to find synonyms for increasing, confidence, regular and promoting.

The trick is to look for a word of the same class and the same form: if you’re given a gerund like promoting, look for another gerund (encouraging); if you’re given a noun, look for a noun.

Phonetics (1 mark)

There are 4 questions worth 0.25 marks each on how words are pronounced, often words from the text. When you have to find a word in the reading, you’ll also be asked for the line number. The official contents include vowels and diphthongs, -ed and -s endings, minimal pairs and these consonant sounds: /ŋ/, /θ/, /ð/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /tʃ/ and /dʒ/. These were the 2026 questions:

• Write one word from the text that includes the diphthong /aɪ/. (for example, like or time)
• How is the «s» pronounced in likes: /s/, /z/ or /ɪz/? (/s/, because it follows a voiceless sound, /k/)
• How is the «th» pronounced in three: /ð/ or /θ/? (/θ/)
• How is the «e» pronounced in responsibly: /e/, /ɪ/ or /æ/? (/ɪ/)

The rules that earn the most marks:

Part III: Use of English (3 marks)

This is the part worth the most. You get 9 sentences and choose 6, worth 0.5 marks each, to rewrite starting with the words given. If you do more than 6, only the first 6 are marked, so make it clear which ones you’ve chosen. Marking has three levels:

• 0.5: the transformation is correct (a small spelling slip in a noun or adjective is forgiven, but not in a verb).
• 0.25: it’s correct, but with one important slip, such as a misspelt past participle, missing commas in a non-defining relative clause or a conditional, or including the agent in a passive when it isn’t needed.
• 0: it has two or more important slips, or the transformation isn’t correct.

These are structures from the 2026 paper, with examples written for this guide:

Notice the commas in the relative clause: My sister, who lives in Dublin, is a nurse. Without them, you only get 0.25. 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.

Part IV: Writing (3 marks)

You’re given two topics and you choose one. You have to write at least 150 words, and there’s no maximum: writing more isn’t penalised, although the more you write, the more mistakes you risk. If you write both compositions, the second one doesn’t count. In 2026 the ordinary paper offered these two topics, one of each type the UCLM asks for:

• Argumentative (advantages and disadvantages, with a final assessment): Advantages and disadvantages of having a mobile phone nowadays.
• Opinion (you defend your point of view with arguments and examples): Should there be an «age limit» for social media? Give your opinion.

You’ll find worked examples of both types in my other guides: a for and against essay in the Canary Islands guide and an opinion essay in the Andalusia guide.

How the writing is marked

With a rubric of six aspects worth 0.5 marks each, grouped into two blocks:

If you write about a different topic from the one set, the composition gets 0. Drifting off topic or including paragraphs that aren’t your own (song lyrics, for example) is also penalised. The UCLM also publishes a list of mistakes to avoid, and these are the most common:

• Verbs without a subject: ❌ because is very important → ✅ because it is very important.
• Forgetting the third person -s: ❌ He go to England → ✅ He goes to England.
• Plural adjectives: ❌ importants buildings → ✅ important buildings.
• Modals with to: ❌ I can to go → ✅ I can go.
• Wrong irregular past forms: ❌ he thinked, they comed → ✅ he thought, they came.
• Double comparatives: ❌ more bigger → ✅ bigger.

New for 2027: written mediation

The UCLM has told teachers that, from 2026-2027, the writing part will include written mediation in the form of an email. In other words, you’ll have to use the information in a text to help someone else, for example:

• Informing or advising a foreign friend who doesn’t speak Spanish about general topics (health, housing, work…).
• Explaining or clarifying a text: a leaflet, some instructions, a menu.
• Summarising a news story, focusing on what matters to the person asking for help.
• Extracting only the information needed from a longer text.

At the time of writing, the UCLM hasn’t published the 2027 model exam, so it isn’t yet clear exactly how this will fit with the composition or how many words it will require. As soon as it comes out, I’ll update this guide. In the meantime, here’s a practice example so you can see how this kind of task works.

Task (written for this guide): an English friend, Tom, is spending the summer in your town and asks you to explain this leaflet about the local swimming pool: «Abierta del 15 de junio al 15 de septiembre, de 11:00 a 20:00. Entrada: 3 €. Bono de 10 baños: 20 €. Gorro de baño obligatorio. No se permite entrar con comida.»

Hi Tom,

Thanks for your message! I’ve read the leaflet about the swimming pool, and here’s what you need to know.

The pool is open every day from 15 June to 15 September, from 11 am to 8 pm. A ticket costs €3, but if you’re planning to go often, I’d recommend the ten-swim pass, which is only €20.

Just remember two things: you have to wear a swimming cap, and you can’t take food inside, so have lunch before you go!

Let me know if you’d like to go together one day.

Best wishes,
Marta

Why it works:

• It doesn’t translate the leaflet word for word: it picks out what Tom needs and explains it naturally.
• It adds a useful tip (the pass is cheaper if he goes often), which is exactly what mediation is about.
• It follows informal email format: greeting, opening line, short paragraphs, sign-off and a made-up name.
• It uses varied structures: a first conditional (if you’re planning to go often), a relative clause (which is only €20), have to and can’t for rules, and I’d recommend for advice.

Vocabulary for the most common topics

The texts and compositions revolve around technology, young people and society: mobile phones, social media, digital education, the environment or health. Prepare vocabulary for these topics:

How to manage the 90 minutes

This is the split I recommend:

A tip for the Use of English: read all 9 sentences before you start and choose the 6 you’re surest about. You have three spare, so don’t waste time on one that has you stuck.

How it differs from other regions

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

Papers from other regions are useful for practising reading and writing, but in Castile-La Mancha what makes the difference is the transformations and phonetics: practise them thoroughly.

Common mistakes in the Castile-La Mancha PAU English exam

• Writing T or F instead of TRUE or FALSE, or answering in Spanish.
• Justifying in your own words or with a line number instead of copying the extract.
• Copying a whole paragraph as evidence: you only get 0.25.
• Misspelling the synonym: if a letter is missing or added, it’s worth 0.
• Doing more than 6 transformations without saying which ones: only the first 6 are marked.
• Forgetting the commas in non-defining relative clauses and conditionals.
• Writing fewer than 150 words in the composition, or changing the topic.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Castile-La Mancha PAU in 2027?

The 2027 dates haven’t been published yet. In 2026, the ordinary sitting was on 8, 9 and 10 June, a week later than in most regions, and the extraordinary sitting on 29 and 30 June and 1 July. As soon as the 2027 calendar comes out, I’ll add it here.

Is there a listening test in the Castile-La Mancha PAU English exam?

No. The whole exam is written, although the phonetics section tests your knowledge of pronunciation.

Is there a maximum word count for the composition?

No. You have to write at least 150, and writing more isn’t penalised. That said, a very long text carries more risk of mistakes. My advice is to aim for between 160 and 190 words.

Can I choose the questions?

Only in two parts: you choose 6 of the 9 Use of English transformations and one of the two composition topics. All the other questions are compulsory.

What happens if I ask for my mark to be reviewed?

According to the UCLM, if you appeal, your final mark after the second marking is the average of the first and second marks. Think carefully before asking for it.

What’s changing in 2027?

The change announced is written mediation in the form of an email within the writing part. The UCLM hasn’t published the 2027 model yet, so the rest of the structure in this guide is the 2026 one.

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