You've taken a lot of English exams in your life, right? Well, we don't know if the university entrance exam will be your last, but you should do your best. And we're here to give you one last push. We'll tell you what the English exam for the university entrance exam in Madrid will be like in 2026 and give you some tips.
What will the 2026 PAU Madrid English exam be like?
The 2026 PAU English exam, in either of the two sessions, June or July, lasts an hour and a half and has the following structure:
It will be a unique model with 70% open-ended or semi-closed tasks, 50% optional questions, and 20% competency-based questions. It has a single initial text of between 350 and 500 words.
- Question 1: True / False / Not Given
Hay 3 statements and they answer 2.
En True y False must copy the complete evidence from the text; in Not Given Nothing is copied. - Question 2: Comprehension and Expression
2 open questions about the text. You have to answer in your own wordswithout copying verbatim. - Question 3: vocabulary
It's an exercise in lexical domain with 5 itemsYou need to locate the equivalent word in the text. This is a new feature compared to previous models. - Question 4: Communicative functions / use of language
Hay 6 sentences and they answer each other 4These can be exercises in complete, rewrite or transformThe correction is unitaryIf the sentence is not grammatically, spelling or semantically correct, it is not punctuated. - Question 5: writing
Hay 2 options and you choose 1It could be, for example, opinion essay, Personal message, description o storyThe extension to 2026 is 140–180 words, instead of 150–200 as before.
Reading compression
The first three questions are dedicated to reading comprehension, with the first answering true/false; the second, respond with the student's words to specific questions from the text; and, the third, to find synonyms for certain words in the text.
Use of English and writing
Two questions dedicated to the knowledge of grammar.
- La primera consists complete, rewrite or transformThe correction is unitaryIf the sentence is not grammatically, spelling or semantically correct, it is not punctuated.
- La last question consists write a writing so that students can put into practice the grammatical knowledge seen during the course and also demonstrate their knowledge of vocabulary related to the proposed topic.
This last part is very important, which is why it is vital that we arrive prepared to put into practice the grammatical knowledge that we have learned throughout the course.
The subject of English has been studied since we are little. That is why to prepare it we must do it globally, taking into account from the most basic concepts to the most elaborate ones.
It is also very important to be constant and take into account the level from which we start. It is not the same to try to get a 9 with a level beginner than doing it at a more advanced level. For this reason, it will be very important to set realistic goals and motivate ourselves daily to study, since being constant is going to be essential.
Important correction details
- If you answer more options Of those requested in the optional questions, they only correct the first that you have written.
- In question 2, it is valued so much paraphrased content and expression.
- In question 5Not reaching the minimum word count may cause the answer to be considered incompleteIf it's mail or letters, It cannot be signed.
Punctuation in Spanish
- Question 1: 2 points.
- Question 2: 2 points.
- Question 3: 1 point.
- Question 4: 2 points.
- Question 5: 3 points.
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5 tips for preparing for the PAU English exam in Madrid 2026
Below, we will show you 5 tips to make studying easier and help you tackle the test successfully, whether you are taking the PAU, PCE, access to intermediate or higher level vocational training, ESO graduation, university access test for people over 25 or baccalaureate.
- Read many exam models so that you become familiar with the type of texts and vocabulary you will encounter. Don't limit yourself to texts specific to your test format. Everyone is going to help you.
- Try to increase your vocabulary every day. Since English is everywhere, use your curiosity to start watching your favorite series and movies in English, and, above all, reading press articles in English.
- Don't forget to prepare one of the most important parts of the exam: written composition. To do this, you should learn the structure of an opinion essay, a narrative text, and an informal email. You should practice writing essays of a similar length to those you'll be asked to write on the exam, using a sample as a reference.
- Grammar is the basis of the exam, so be sure to study it. As? Making notes by hand with the main structures that you need to master and the keys to identify them and then doing many exercises to assimilate those structures.
- Don't forget to check all the solved exam models by our teachers who you can find on our website, as well as in our youtube channel. They will help you a lot to identify frequently asked grammatical structures, key vocabulary, and essay models.
Don't worry, contact us if you need help or still have questions, fill out the form now. the last dance 💃🕺
