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If you’re taking the PAU in Madrid (formerly the EvAU), the English exam has one huge advantage: it’s the same for all the public universities in the region, the format is fixed and the marking criteria are published in full detail. The problem is that hardly anyone reads them carefully, and that’s where silly marks get lost: a true or false without the complete sentence, an answer copied from the text, or three items answered when only two are asked for.
In this guide I explain what the Madrid PAU English exam is like, based on the official model for the 2026-2027 school year: the five questions, how much each one is worth, what loses you marks, how the writing is marked, how to split the 90 minutes, 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 Madrid PAU English exam is like
The exam lasts 90 minutes, is marked out of 10 and is taken without a dictionary. The general instructions are in Spanish, but everything else is in English and you must answer everything in English. You start by reading a text of about 350 to 500 words, and then answer five questions on it:
| Question | Marks | What you have to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1. True / False / Not Given | 2 | Choose 2 of 3 statements and say whether they are true, false or not mentioned in the text. If true or false, copy the sentence that proves it. |
| 2. Open questions | 2 | Answer two questions about the text in your own words. |
| 3. Vocabulary | 1 | Find five words in a given paragraph that mean the same as the ones you’re given. |
| 4. Transformations | 2 | Choose 4 of 6 sentences and rewrite or complete them without changing their meaning. |
| 5. Writing | 3 | Choose one of two topics and write between 140 and 180 words. |
One rule applies to the whole exam: if you answer more items than you’re asked for, only the first ones are marked, and the rest are ignored. If you do all three items in question 1 «just in case», the first and second are marked, even if the third was the one you got right. Decide before you write.
And a reassuring fact: according to the official guidelines, the required level is B1 on the Common European Framework. The texts and the writing are often a little above that, but with a solid B1+ you can get a very good mark if you know the format.
Question 1: True, False or Not Given (2 marks)
You get three statements about the text and choose two. Each one is worth 1 mark, and for each you decide whether it is:
- True (T): the text says so. You copy the sentence that proves it.
- False (F): the text says the opposite. You copy the sentence that proves it.
- Not Given (NG): the text doesn’t mention it. You write nothing else.
These are the three traps in this question, and all three leave you with 0 marks for the item:
- Writing True or False without a justification. The instructions are clear: no marks are given for only TRUE or FALSE.
- Writing a quotation when the answer is Not Given. If the text doesn’t say it, there’s nothing to copy.
- Justifying in your own words. You have to copy from the text the complete sentence that contains the evidence, not a fragment or a summary.
Look at this example, with a text written for this guide:
The library opened in 1998 in an old railway station. At first, very few people used it, because it was far from the town centre. Things changed in 2010, when a new bus line began to stop right outside the door.
- The library was built in a former station. TRUE: «The library opened in 1998 in an old railway station.»
- The library was popular from the beginning. FALSE: «At first, very few people used it, because it was far from the town centre.»
- The library is open at weekends. NOT GIVEN. (And that’s it: no quotation.)
My tip: Not Given is where most students hesitate. If, to justify False, you find yourself reasoning «it doesn’t say so, so it must be false», then it isn’t False: it’s Not Given. A false statement has to be contradicted by a specific sentence in the text.
Question 2: open questions (2 marks)
You’re asked two questions about the ideas in the text and answer them in your own words. Each one is worth 1 mark, split like this:
- 0.5 for the ideas: answering what you’re asked, with the correct information from the text, paraphrased.
- 0.5 for the expression: writing it with accurate grammar and vocabulary.
You can’t copy sentences from the text, although you can use the odd word that appears in it. With the library text above:
Question: Why did so few people use the library at first?
- ✅ Because it wasn’t easy to get there: it was a long way from the centre of the town. (the idea from the text, in other words)
- ❌ Because it was far from the town centre. (it’s the sentence from the text, copied)
A trick that works: change the structure as well as the words. Far from becomes a long way from, very few people used it becomes it wasn’t popular. And answer with one or two complete sentences: your expression is marked here too.
Question 3: vocabulary (1 mark)
You’re given five words, short definitions or expressions and have to find a word in the given paragraph that means the same in that context. Each correct answer is worth 0.2.
Two details make all the difference:
- Only look in the paragraph you’re given. The word you need is there, even if there’s a similar one in another paragraph.
- Look at the form of the word you’re given. If it’s a verb in the past (found), the answer will usually be one too (discovered); if it’s an adjective, look for an adjective. That rules out options very quickly.
What helps most here is having a wide vocabulary and understanding how words are formed. You’ll find KSE’s resources at the end of question 5.
Question 4: transformations (2 marks)
You get six sentences and choose four. Each one is worth 0.5 marks, and there are no half marks here: the sentence has to be correct in spelling, grammar and meaning, or it scores 0. There are three types of item:
- With a word in brackets, which you must use without changing it.
- Reported speech: you complete a sentence to report what someone said or asked.
- Beginning with some given words.
Six examples, written for this guide, with the structures that come up most:
- The water was too cold for us to swim in. (warm)
Answer: The water wasn’t warm enough for us to swim in. - It’s the first time I’ve eaten sushi. (never)
Answer: I have never eaten sushi before. - When I was a child, I often climbed trees. (used)
Answer: I used to climb trees when I was a child. - «I’m sorry I broke your phone,» Tom said to me. (apologised)
Answer: Tom apologised for breaking my phone. - «Where did you buy that jacket?»
My friend asked me … .
Answer: My friend asked me where I had bought that jacket. - «It’s useless to argue with him.»
There is no point … .
Answer: There is no point (in) arguing with him.
Look at the last one: there is no point is followed by -ing. Many of these transformations depend on knowing what comes after each word (gerund, infinitive, preposition), so revising that gives you safe marks.
These are the structures worth having under control, with an example of each (written for this guide) and the KSE post where you can revise it:
| Structure | Transformation example | Revise it on KSE |
|---|---|---|
| Reported speech (questions, commands and reporting verbs such as apologise, suggest, warn) | «Can you help me?» she asked. → She asked me if I could help her. | Reported speech · Reporting verbs · Say or tell |
| Verb tenses (never, for, since, the first time) | I started this job in May. → I have worked here since May. | Present perfect · Past perfect · Future perfect · For or during |
| Habits and preferences (used to, be used to, would rather) | I prefer staying in to going out. → I’d rather stay in than go out. | Used to · Would rather and had better |
| Quantity and comparison (too, enough, so, such, as… as) | He is too short to play basketball. → He isn’t tall enough to play basketball. | Too or enough · So or such · Comparatives and superlatives · Few or little |
| Gerund or infinitive (there’s no point, it’s worth, avoid, manage) | It’s not worth waiting for him. → There’s no point (in) waiting for him. | Gerund or infinitive · Adjectives and prepositions |
| The passive and causative have | Someone stole my bike. → My bike was stolen. | The passive voice · Causative have |
| Conditionals and wishes (unless, wish, if only) | I don’t have a car, and I’d like one. → I wish I had a car. | Conditionals · Wish and if only |
| Relative clauses (who, which, whose, where) | I met a man. His dog had won a prize. → I met a man whose dog had won a prize. | Relative clauses |
| Modals (must, can’t, needn’t, should have) | I’m sure she forgot. → She must have forgotten. | Modal perfects · Modal verbs · Must or have to |
| Contrast and purpose (although, despite, in order to) | She was tired, but she kept running. → Despite being tired, she kept running. | Despite and although · B2 connectors |
A tip for choosing: read all six sentences before you start and keep the four you’re surest about. Since one spelling mistake leaves the item at 0, check letter by letter before moving on to the next question.
Question 5: Writing (3 marks)
You choose one of the two topics and write between 140 and 180 words. The topics may be related to the text or deal with any subject of general interest, and the type of text varies: an opinion essay, a personal message (such as an informal email to a friend), a description or a story.
If you choose the email, be careful: don’t sign it or include anything that identifies you. Finish with Best wishes or Write back soon! and leave it there.
How the writing is marked
The official rubric has six sections, each worth 0.5 marks:
| Area | Section | What earns the 0.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Task achievement | Task, register and length | Answering the task fully, in the right register and reaching the minimum length. |
| Task achievement | Ideas and organisation | A range of ideas, a clear and well-organised text, with examples to illustrate them. |
| Task achievement | Cohesion and coherence | Varied, well-used linkers and referencing, and a logical development. |
| Language | Grammar | A range of structures, used accurately and with hardly any errors. |
| Language | Vocabulary | Rich, varied vocabulary, and ways of getting your ideas across (synonyms, paraphrase…). |
| Language | Spelling and punctuation | Writing and punctuating without significant errors. |
Three things follow from this table:
- Going under 140 words costs you in the first section, which requires the minimum length. And a short text will hardly have the range of ideas the second section asks for.
- Register counts: an email to a friend starting Dear Sir, or an opinion essay full of gonna, loses marks from the start.
- Half the mark (1.5) goes to task achievement. Spending two minutes planning before you write is what gets you the most marks for the least effort.
Example of an informal email
Task (written for this guide): Your English friend Alex is going to spend two weeks with your family this summer. Write an informal email telling him about your plans and giving him some advice for his stay.
Hi Alex,
Thanks for your email! My family and I can’t wait to see you in July. Here are some of the things we’ve planned.
During the first week, we’ll stay in Madrid. I’m going to show you the old town and the Retiro Park, and if you like football, my dad has already bought tickets for a match. The second week, we’re going to my grandparents’ house in the mountains, where it’s much cooler.
As for advice, don’t forget to bring a hat and plenty of sun cream, because it can get really hot here in summer. You’ll also need comfortable shoes, as we’re going to walk a lot. And don’t worry about your Spanish: everyone in my family speaks a bit of English, and it’ll be a good chance to practise!
Let me know if there’s anything special you’d like to do.
Write back soon!
(147 words)
Why it works:
- It covers the whole task: it describes the plans (two weeks, two places) and gives advice, the two things the task asks for.
- Informal register throughout: an email greeting and sign-off for a friend, contractions (can’t, we’re, it’ll) and phrases like As for advice or Let me know. And no signature.
- Clear organisation: one paragraph for the greeting, one for the plans, one for the advice and a closing line.
- A range of structures: going to and will for the future, a first conditional (if you like football…), a relative clause with where and linkers of reason (because, as).
- 147 words, within the range.
- It’s written to simulate a B2 level, without reaching C1: above the B1 the guidelines ask for, which is exactly what the «Excellent» descriptors in the rubric are looking for.
If you get the opinion essay, the structure is different (an introduction with your opinion, two arguments, a counter-argument and a conclusion). There’s a worked example in my guide to the Andalusian PAU English exam, and it will help to know how to agree and disagree and use B2-level connectors.
Vocabulary for the most common topics
The texts and writing topics tend to revolve around the same areas. If you have vocabulary ready for each one, question 3 will be easier and your writing will be much richer:
| Topic | For example | Vocabulary on KSE |
|---|---|---|
| Travel and tourism | mass tourism, a trip you remember, your town | Travel |
| The environment and climate | climate change, recycling, nature | The environment · The weather |
| Social media, the internet and technology | mobile phones, artificial intelligence, fake news | Social media and the internet · Technology and AI |
| Leisure and culture | music, film, sport | Music · Film · Sport |
| Family and people | describing someone important to you | Family · 100 personality adjectives |
| Education | secondary school, homework, university | School |
| Money, shopping and work | saving, shopping, your first job | Money · Work |
| Food and health | diet, exercise, healthy habits | Food · The human body · Health |
| Society | safety, laws, traditions | Crime · Celebrations and traditions |
And for question 3 (synonyms in the text), what helps most is understanding how words are formed and knowing the most common 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.
How to split the 90 minutes
There’s no official split, but this is the one I recommend, because it matches what each question is worth:
| Part | Time |
|---|---|
| Read the text and answer questions 1, 2 and 3 | 35 minutes |
| Choose and do the four transformations in question 4 | 15 minutes |
| Plan, write and count the words of the writing | 30 minutes |
| Check the whole exam | 10 minutes |
My tip: read questions 1, 2 and 3 first and then the text. That way you’ll know what to look for in each paragraph. And start the writing an hour into the exam at the latest: it’s worth 3 marks, more than any other question.
How it differs from the Andalusian PAU English exam
If you’ve seen exams from other regions (or my Andalusia guide), these are the differences that affect you most:
| Madrid | Andalusia | |
|---|---|---|
| True or false | With a Not Given option. You choose 2 of 3. | True or false only. You do all 4. |
| Open questions | Yes, two, in your own words. | No. |
| Transformations | You choose 4 of 6. Worth 0.5 or 0. | You do one option of 6. With one mistake, 0.25. |
| Writing | 140-180 words, 3 marks. | 140-180 words, 3 marks, with a table of deductions by word count. |
The reading and the writing are very similar, so material from other regions can be useful for practice. But for questions 1, 2 and 4, train with the Madrid format.
Typical mistakes in the Madrid PAU English exam
- Answering more items than you’re asked for (all three in question 1, or five transformations): only the first ones count.
- Writing True or False without copying the sentence, or copying only part of it.
- Writing a quotation for a Not Given: the item scores 0.
- Copying sentences from the text in question 2 instead of paraphrasing.
- Looking for the synonym in another paragraph in question 3.
- Changing the given word in a transformation, or leaving a spelling mistake that cancels the item.
- Signing the email or going under 140 words in the writing.
A book to prepare for the Madrid PAU English exam
After the Andalusia one, I’m working on a book devoted to this exam, with original exams in the official Madrid format and, most importantly, every answer explained: which sentence justifies each true or false, how to paraphrase the open questions, which structure each transformation is testing and model writings with comments based on the official rubric. When it’s ready, you’ll find it in the shop.
Frequently asked questions
Can you use a dictionary in the Madrid PAU English exam?
No. The exam is taken without a dictionary or any other material.
Is there a listening test in the Madrid PAU English exam?
No. The exam is written only: reading comprehension, vocabulary, transformations and writing.
What level of English do you need?
The official guidelines mention a B1 level. If you’re aiming for a high mark, aim for B2, especially in the writing.
What happens if I do all six transformations?
Only the first four are marked. If the fifth and sixth were the ones you got right, you lose them. Choose before you write.
What happens if I write fewer than 140 words?
The rubric requires the minimum length in the first section, so you lose marks there, and a short text usually lacks the range of ideas assessed in the second. Aim for between 150 and 170 to be on the safe side.
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Good luck with the PAU and, until then, don’t forget to keep smiling! 🙂
