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If you’re taking the PAU in La Rioja (formerly the EBAU, or selectividad), the University of La Rioja English exam has one feature that sets it apart from almost every other region: you don’t choose anything except the composition. Every question is compulsory. In return, the composition is worth 4 of the 10 marks, and there’s an exercise that hardly any other region sets: completing sentences in your own words. There’s no listening.
In this guide I explain what the La Rioja PAU English exam is like, based on the University of La Rioja’s official marking guide: what you have to do in each question, how much it’s worth, what loses you marks, how the composition is marked with the rubric and how to manage your time, 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 La Rioja PAU English exam is like
The Lengua Extranjera II: Inglés exam lasts 90 minutes, is marked out of 10 and has a text of between 350 and 500 words and three parts:
| Question | Marks | What you have to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Open questions | 2 | Answer 2 questions about the text in your own words. |
| 2. Vocabulary | 1 | Find 4 words or expressions in the text from a definition or a synonym. |
| 3. Multiple choice | 1 | Choose the right answer from three options in 2 questions about the text. |
| 4. Transformations | 1 | Rewrite 4 sentences with a key word, using between 2 and 5 words. |
| 5. Sentence completion | 1 | Finish 4 sentences in your own words, using between 4 and 12 words. |
| 6. Writing | 4 | Choose one of two topics and write between 140 and 180 words. |
The first three questions make up reading comprehension (4 marks), the fourth and fifth use of English (2 marks), and the sixth writing (4 marks). You have to answer in English, in legible handwriting: answers that can’t be read aren’t marked.
On top of that, spelling, coherence, cohesion and grammatical and lexical accuracy are assessed across the whole exam: mistakes in these areas can cost you up to 1.5 marks off your overall mark, except in the questions where those aspects are what’s being tested.
Question 1: Open questions (2 marks)
There are 2 questions about the text, worth 1 mark each, split between comprehension (0.5) and expression and rephrasing (0.5). The University of La Rioja’s criteria are very strict on two points:
- If the answer doesn’t show you’ve understood the text, expression isn’t marked: you get 0.
- You can use a key word or two from the text, but copying whole sentences or chunks word for word is considered wrong and the answer gets 0.
Here’s an example written for this guide:
Text: Teenagers who spend more than four hours a day on social media are more likely to feel lonely, even though they are constantly in contact with other people.
Question: What is the paradox mentioned in the text?
- ✅ Young people who use social networks a lot often feel alone, although they are always communicating with others online.
- ❌ Teenagers who spend more than four hours a day on social media are more likely to feel lonely. (copied word for word: 0 marks)
Question 2: Vocabulary (1 mark)
You’re given 4 definitions or synonyms and you have to find the matching word or expression in the text. Each one is worth 0.25. Using the extract above, for example, alone, isolated would be lonely, and all the time would be constantly. Pay attention to word class: if you’re given an adjective, look for an adjective.
Question 3: Multiple choice (1 mark)
There are 2 questions about the text, worth 0.5 marks each, with three options. Only one is right, and wrong answers don’t lose marks. But if you mark more than one option or none at all, you get 0. So always answer.
Question 4: Key word transformations (1 mark)
You rewrite 4 sentences, worth 0.25 marks each, so that they mean the same as the original. You’re given the beginning and end of the new sentence and a key word you must use, and your answer must be between 2 and 5 words. Watch out: contractions count as if written in full (don’t is two words).
There are three marking levels: 0.25 if it’s perfect, 0.15 if it keeps the meaning and structure but has a minor slip, and 0 otherwise. These are examples from the official model:
| Original sentence | Transformation |
|---|---|
| It was careless of you to leave the door unlocked. (SHOULD) | You should not have left the door unlocked. |
| I didn’t go to the concert because the tickets were so expensive. (BEEN) | I would have gone to the concert if the tickets had not been so expensive. |
| Tech companies are developing an increasing number of apps. (DEVELOPED) | An increasing number of apps are being developed by tech companies. |
It’s the same format as B2 Use of English Part 4, which is the best practice you can do. And if you want to revise the grammar, have a look at my guides to conditional sentences and reported speech.
Question 5: Sentence completion (1 mark)
This is the most unusual exercise in the exam. You’re given the beginning of 4 sentences and you have to finish them in your own words so that they’re grammatically correct and make sense. Your answer must be between 4 and 12 words (again, contractions count as full words), and here there’s more than one right answer.
Each sentence is worth 0.25 if it’s correct and makes sense, 0.15 if it’s understandable but has a minor slip, and 0 if it doesn’t make sense or has serious mistakes in the structure being tested. The trick is to recognise which structure the beginning is asking for. Examples written for this guide:
| Beginning | Structure required | Possible answer |
|---|---|---|
| I didn’t study enough for the test. I wish… | wish + past perfect (regret about the past) | …I had spent more time revising. |
| I met a girl whose… | Possessive relative + noun + verb | …brother plays in a famous band. |
| You won’t pass the exam unless… | unless + present | …you start studying every day. |
| The new museum is said… | Impersonal passive + infinitive | …to be the biggest in the country. |
My tip: write something simple and correct. You don’t get more for a longer or more original sentence, and you risk a slip that leaves you with 0.15.
Question 6: Writing (4 marks)
You’re given two topics and you choose one. You have to write between 140 and 180 words, and the official guide includes five text types:
- Opinion: you express and justify your opinion on a topic.
- Pros and cons: you present advantages and disadvantages before reaching a conclusion.
- Descriptive: you describe a person, object, place or situation.
- Narrative: you tell a story or anecdote, real or invented.
- Personal electronic message: an email, a forum post, a blog or a social media post, in an informal or semi-formal register.
In the official model, the options were an opinion essay on the impact of social media on personal relationships and an email to a friend, Alex, who spends too much time on a video game, expressing your concern and giving advice.
How the composition is marked
With a rubric of six criteria. The examiner chooses the level for each one (excellent, very good, satisfactory or poor) and adds them up:
| Criterion | What it rewards | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Task achievement | Full development, length within the word count and suitable register. | 0.8 |
| Presentation and organisation | Clearly defined paragraphs and a range of ideas and arguments, without repetition. | 0.8 |
| Cohesion and coherence | Linkers and referencing, and a logical text that’s easy to follow. | 0.4 |
| Grammatical range | Accuracy and variety of structures, including advanced ones. | 0.8 |
| Vocabulary | Precision and range: synonyms, idiomatic expressions, topic vocabulary. | 0.8 |
| Spelling and punctuation | Accurate spelling and precise punctuation. | 0.4 |
If the content is irrelevant or incomprehensible, or you don’t do the task, the composition gets 0. And notice that length is part of the first criterion: writing far more or far less than required pulls your mark down.
You’ll find worked examples of all five types in my other guides: an opinion essay in the Andalusia guide, a for and against essay in the Canary Islands guide, a description in the Asturias guide, a narrative in the Valencian Community guide and an informal email in the Madrid guide.
Vocabulary for the most common topics
The texts and compositions revolve around technology, personal relationships, education, work and the environment. Prepare vocabulary for these topics:
| Topic | For example | Vocabulary on KSE |
|---|---|---|
| Technology and social media | social media, video games, apps | Technology and AI · Social media and the internet |
| Personal relationships | friendship, family, personality | 100 personality adjectives |
| Education and work | studying, jobs, money | School · Work · Money |
| The environment | climate change, the weather | The environment · The weather |
| Free time | sport, travel, food | Sports · Travel · Food |
How to manage the 90 minutes
| Part | Time |
|---|---|
| Read the whole text and questions 1 to 3 | 10 minutes |
| Question 1: the two open questions | 13 minutes |
| Questions 2 and 3: vocabulary and multiple choice | 7 minutes |
| Questions 4 and 5: transformations and sentence completion | 15 minutes |
| Question 6: plan and write the composition | 35 minutes |
| Count your words and check the whole exam | 10 minutes |
How it differs from other regions
If you’ve seen papers from other regions (or my guides to Navarre, the Basque Country and Aragon), these are the differences that affect you most:
| La Rioja | Navarre | Basque Country | Aragon | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Choice of questions | Composition only | Transformations and composition | Yes, in three sections | Yes, in four exercises |
| True or false | No | Yes, 2 | Yes, 2 of 3 | Yes, 3 |
| Transformations | 4, key word | 4 of 6 | 6, key word | 2 of 3 |
| Sentence completion | Yes, 4 | No | No | No |
| Composition | 4 marks, 140-180 words | 4 marks, 140-180 words | 3 marks, about 150 | 4 marks, 120-160 |
Papers from other regions are useful for practising reading and transformations, but in La Rioja you also need to prepare the sentence completion exercise and a composition worth 40% of your mark.
Common mistakes in the La Rioja PAU English exam
- Copying sentences from the text in the open questions: you get 0.
- Using more than 5 words in a transformation, without counting contractions properly.
- Not spotting the structure the beginning of the sentence requires in the completion exercise.
- Leaving the multiple choice blank: it doesn’t lose marks, so always answer.
- Writing fewer than 140 words or more than 180 in the composition.
- Writing a text without paragraphs: organisation is worth 0.8.
- Being careless with spelling across the exam: it can cost you up to 1.5 marks.
Frequently asked questions
When is the La Rioja PAU in 2027?
The University of La Rioja hasn’t published the 2027 dates yet. As soon as the calendar comes out, I’ll add it here.
Is the English exam changing in 2027?
At the time of writing, the University of La Rioja hasn’t published a new guide for 2026-2027, so this guide follows the current one, for 2025-2026. If anything changes, I’ll update this guide.
Is there a listening test in the La Rioja PAU English exam?
No. The whole exam is written: reading comprehension, use of English and a composition.
Can I choose the questions?
Only in the composition, between two topics. All the other questions are compulsory.
How do I count words in the transformations and sentence completion?
Contractions count as if written in full: don’t is two words (do not) and so is I’d. In the transformations you have 2 to 5 words, and in sentence completion, 4 to 12.
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Good luck with the PAU and, until then, don’t forget to keep smiling! 🙂
