PAU English Murcia 2027: exam format, marking and tips

If you’re taking the PAU in the Region of Murcia (formerly EBAU or selectividad), the English exam has a format of its own: one text with three comprehension tasks, a text with 15 gaps, sentence transformations and a piece of writing worth 4 of the 10 marks, more than in almost any other region. And your writing mark depends heavily on one thing: how many words you write.

In this guide I explain what the Murcia PAU English exam is like, based on the official 2027 model exam and marking criteria: what you have to do in each task, how much it’s 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 Murcia PAU English exam is like

The exam lasts 90 minutes, is marked out of 10 and has three sections: Reading Comprehension (3 marks), Use of English (3 marks) and Writing (4 marks). The instructions are in English and there is a single text for comprehension, usually an informative article of several paragraphs, sometimes each with its own subheading.

One rule applies to the whole exam: if you answer more items than you’re asked to, only the first ones are marked, up to the number required. If you do all five transformations «just in case», the first three are marked, even if the ones you got right were the last two. Decide before you write.

There are no changes for 2027: at the coordination meeting on 23 September 2026 it was agreed to keep the 2026 structure, content and marking criteria, and only the writing assessment templates will be reviewed. And here’s something reassuring: 7,839 students sat the June 2026 exam, 86% passed and the average mark was 7.18.

Section I: Reading Comprehension (3 marks)

All three tasks are about the same text and they’re compulsory: there’s no choice here.

Task 1: Multiple choice and True/False (1.6 marks)

It has two parts, and each item is worth 0.4:

• Part 1 (1.1 and 1.2): you choose the best option from A, B and C and copy the letter.
• Part 2 (1.3 and 1.4): you say whether the statement is TRUE or FALSE and copy the fragment of the text that proves it, whether it’s true or false.

The criteria for true or false are very strict. You score 0 if:

• You write TRUE or FALSE with no fragment, even if you’re right.
• You copy a fragment that doesn’t clearly prove the answer.
• Instead of copying the words from the text, you refer to it («see paragraph 2», «lines 5-7″…). You have to copy the actual words.
• You copy a good fragment, but your answer is the opposite.

Look at this example, with a text written for this guide:

More and more teenagers are choosing to spend part of their summer volunteering. Most of them do it to help others, but many also admit that it looks good on their CV. However, organisations warn that volunteering is a commitment, and that young people who drop out after a few days can cause serious problems for the projects they join.

Statement: Organisations think that young volunteers can leave whenever they want. FALSE.

• ✅ organisations warn that volunteering is a commitment, and that young people who drop out after a few days can cause serious problems for the projects they join (the fragment that proves it, copied exactly)
• ❌ FALSE, with nothing else (with no fragment it scores 0)
• ❌ See the last sentence. (you have to copy the words, not say where they are)
• ❌ Organisations say it is a commitment. (those are your own words: here you have to copy)

In the multiple-choice questions, be wary of options that exaggerate what the text says. If the text says volunteering «can» help you find a job, the option saying you «will find a job very easily» is wrong.

Task 2: completing sentences in your own words (1 mark)

You’re given the beginning of two sentences and you have to complete them with information from the text, but in your own words: about 10-15 words per sentence. The instructions say it in capitals: DO NOT COPY LITERALLY, either from the text or from the sentences in task 1. And write out the whole sentence, including the beginning you’re given.

Each sentence is worth 0.5, split like this:

With the text above:

With the text above:

Sentence: Teenagers volunteer in summer because…

• ✅ Teenagers volunteer in summer because they want to support other people and improve their CV. (both reasons, in your own words)
• ❌ Teenagers volunteer in summer because they want to help others. (only one of the two reasons: incomplete comprehension)
• ❌ Teenagers volunteer in summer because most of them do it to help others, but many also admit that it looks good on their CV. (copied word for word)

To avoid copying, change what you can: synonyms (help → support), a different structure (it looks good on their CV → improve their CV) or turn an idea into the passive. And watch your spelling: here it counts as an accuracy error (the first spelling mistake isn’t penalised).

Task 3: finding words in the text (0.4 marks)

You’re given four definitions in English and you have to find the word in the text that matches each one. They help you quite a lot: they tell you which paragraph it’s in and what kind of word it is (noun, verb, adjective…). Each correct answer is worth 0.1.

Copy the word in the exact form it appears in the text. And use the word-class clue: if they ask for a noun, rule out the verbs and adjectives in the paragraph straight away.

Section II: Use of English (3 marks)

This is the section that sets Murcia apart most: it has a gapped text, which hardly any other region includes, and transformations.

Task 4: a text with 15 gaps (1.5 marks)

It’s a different text from the one in section I, with 15 gaps, and for each one you choose between A, B or C. Each correct answer is worth 0.1. On your answer sheet you have to draw a table numbered 1 to 15 and write the letter in capitals.

What’s tested here is mainly grammar: quantifiers (much, many), verb forms (enable, enabling, to enable), modals, articles, linkers (although, unless, if), relative pronouns… Here’s an example written for this guide:

Many students find it hard to concentrate (1) ___ they are studying at home. Some of them can’t stop (2) ___ their phones, and (3) ___ of them admit they spend more time on social media than on their books.

Why: during is followed by a noun, not a clause (during the exam, but while they are studying); stop + -ing means to stop doing something (stop to check would mean stopping in order to look at it); and most of them is the only option that works before of them with a plural verb.

My advice: read the whole text first without looking at the options, to understand what it’s about. Then, for each gap, look at what comes just before and just after: it almost always tells you what kind of word is missing.

Task 5: transformations (1.5 marks)

You’re given five sentences and you choose three. For each one you have the beginning of a new sentence that must keep the meaning of the original with a clear change of structure. And you have to copy the complete sentence onto your answer sheet, including the beginning you’re given.

Each transformation is worth 0.5:

• 0.5 if it’s completely correct.
• 0.25 if you use the structure being tested but with some inaccuracy.
• 0 if you don’t use the structure or if you repeat the same structure with the words in a different order.

On top of that, each spelling mistake costs 0.05, up to two per sentence (the first one in the task isn’t penalised).

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

You’ll find each structure explained on KSE: the passive voice, reported speech, conditional sentences and wish and if only. And if you want to practise more transformations, B2 First Use of English Part 4 works in the same way.

Section III: Writing (4 marks)

You choose one of the two topics and write a text of between 150 and 175 words. The official assessment templates cover these text types:

• Opinion essay: you give your opinion on a topic with arguments and examples.
• For and against essay: you present the arguments for and against and give a balanced discussion.
• Formal email: to apply for something (a university place, a job, a grant) or to complain about a product or service.
• Informal email: to a friend or a relative.

In the official model exam, for example, one topic asked for a for and against essay on social media and self-esteem, and the other for a formal email applying for a place at a university in the United States. Prepare all four types: that way you’ll always be able to choose the one that suits you best.

How the writing is marked

Three criteria are assessed, and this is the key point: the maximum mark depends on the number of words.

Think about what that means: a perfect piece of writing of 140 words can’t score more than 3 out of 4. That’s why my advice is to aim for between 155 and 170 words, so you have a margin on both sides.

If you go over 175, you don’t lose marks directly, but the examiner only assesses grammar, vocabulary and spelling up to the end of the sentence in which you reach 175 words. The rest only counts for content and organisation. In other words: if your conclusion falls outside the limit, it doesn’t count for those two criteria.

Two more things work in your favour: if you make the same mistake several times, it’s only penalised once, and the most you can lose for spelling mistakes across the whole exam is 1 mark.

Example of a formal email of complaint

The formal email is the text type that sets Murcia apart most, so here’s a worked example.

Topic (written for this guide): Last month you signed up for a two-week English summer course in Dublin, but it was very different from what the website promised. Write a formal email to the director of the language school to complain. In your email, a) explain why you are writing; b) describe the problems; c) say how they affected you; and d) say what you expect the school to do.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to complain about the English summer course I attended at your school from 1 to 14 July.

According to your website, classes would have a maximum of ten students and would be taught by qualified native teachers. However, there were twenty students in my group, and during the first week our lessons were given by a different teacher every day. Moreover, the excursions included in the price were cancelled without any explanation.

As a result, I could not make the progress I had expected. Since I had chosen your course to prepare for an official exam, I was extremely disappointed, especially considering how much it cost.

I would therefore be grateful if you could refund at least part of the price, or offer me a free week of lessons next summer. I hope that this situation will be resolved as soon as possible.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Lucía Martínez

Why it works:

• It covers all four points in the task, each in its own paragraph: the reason, the problems, how they affected you and what you’re asking for. In an email with set points, leaving one out is what costs you most in content.
• Formal register throughout: Dear Sir or Madam and Yours faithfully (because you don’t know the recipient’s name), no contractions, and phrases such as I am writing to complain about, I would be grateful if you could and I look forward to hearing from you.
• Linkers that order the ideas: According to, However, Moreover, As a result, Since, therefore. You’ll find more in my B2 connectors.
• Structures that count towards Use of English: reported speech (classes would have), passives (were given, were cancelled, will be resolved), the past perfect (had expected, had chosen) and considering how much it cost.
• Specific complaints (twenty students, a different teacher every day, cancelled excursions), not just «the course was bad».
• 161 words, including the greeting and sign-off, within the range that gives the maximum mark.
• It’s written to simulate a B2 level, without reaching C1, with realistic vocabulary for a student in the final year of Bachillerato.

If you get a different text type, there are worked examples in my other guides: an opinion essay in the Andalusia guide, a for and against essay in the Canary Islands guide and an informal email in the Madrid guide.

Vocabulary for the most common topics

The texts are usually articles on topical issues: in the official model exam, the reading text was about volunteering and the gapped text about the TikTok ban in the United States. If you have vocabulary ready, task 3 will be easier and your writing will be much richer:

For task 3, what helps most is understanding how words are formed: have a look at my posts on word formation and false friends. And to avoid copying in task 2, the 50 most common phrasal verbs will give you plenty of alternatives.

How to split the 90 minutes

There’s no official breakdown, but this is the one I recommend:

The writing is worth 4 marks, so don’t leave it until you have ten minutes left. And when you check, count your words: with 148 you’re risking a whole mark.

How it differs from other regions

If you’ve seen exams from other regions (or my guides to Madrid, Andalusia and the Valencian Community), these are the differences that affect you most:

The reading and the writing are quite similar, so material from other regions is useful for practice. But the gapped text and the weight of the word count are specific to Murcia: practise them in its format.

Common mistakes in the Murcia PAU English exam

• Writing fewer than 150 words: the maximum mark drops from 4 to 3.
• Not copying the fragment in true or false, or just giving the paragraph: it scores 0.
• Copying in task 2: there you have to use your own words.
• Giving only part of the information in task 2: you get half the comprehension mark.
• Changing the form of the word in task 3 (writing commit when the text says commitment).
• Repeating the same structure in a transformation with the words moved around: it scores 0.
• Doing all five transformations: only the first three are marked.
• Leaving out one of the points the task asks for in an email.
• Mixing registers: contractions and Hi! in a formal email, or Yours faithfully in one to a friend.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Murcia PAU in 2027?

According to the University of Murcia’s official calendar, the ordinary session exams are on 1, 2 and 3 June 2027, and the extraordinary session on 29 and 30 June and 1 July. The June results come out on 8 June at 13:00. The timetable by subject hasn’t been published yet: as soon as it is, I’ll add the day and time of the English exam here.

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

No. It’s a written test: reading comprehension of one text, use of English and a piece of writing.

Can I write both pieces and have the better one marked?

No. If you answer more items than you’re asked to, only the first ones are marked. Choose your topic before you start writing.

How much do spelling mistakes cost?

It depends on the task. In task 2 and in the transformations, the first mistake isn’t penalised and the following ones are; in the writing, spelling is assessed within the Mechanics criterion. In total, the most you can lose for spelling across the whole exam is 1 mark.

What happens if I write more than 175 words?

The examiner stops assessing grammar, vocabulary and spelling after the end of the sentence in which you reach 175 words. You don’t lose marks for going over, but whatever you write after that doesn’t count towards those criteria. Plan to finish before the limit.

Is the exam changing in 2027?

No. At the coordination meeting on 23 September 2026 it was agreed to keep the 2026 structure, content and criteria. The only thing that may change is the writing assessment templates: if they’re updated, I’ll update this guide too.

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