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Key Facts: Andalusia PAU History of Philosophy Exam

90 min

Exam Time Limit

Distrito Único Andaluz

0–10

Grading Scale

Junta de Andalucía

4.0

Min. Access Phase Score

Comisión Interuniversitaria

EUR 58.70

Base Registration Fee

Junta de Andalucía

13 Authors

Curriculum Thinkers

2º Bachillerato Syllabus

The Andalusia PAU History of Philosophy exam (Historia de la Filosofía) is administered by the Distrito Único Andaluz and Comisión Interuniversitaria de Andalucía for students completing 2nd Bachillerato. The exam lasts 90 minutes and is graded on a 0–10 scale (minimum 4.0 required in the Access Phase). Note that local questions on this platform are an English-language MCQ study adaptation created to help students master the underlying 2nd Bachillerato curriculum.

Sample Andalusia PAU History of Philosophy Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the Andalusia PAU History of Philosophy exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1In Plato's philosophy, what are the Forms (Ideas)?
A.Subjective thoughts created by the human mind during sensory perception
B.Immutable, perfect, and non-material essences existing in the intelligible realm
C.Physical atoms that combine to form visible material objects
D.Linguistic conventions used to categorize physical phenomena
Explanation: For Plato, the Forms (or Ideas) are objective, immutable, eternal, and non-material essences that exist independently of human minds in the intelligible world (Intelligible Realm or World of Forms). Physical objects in the sensible world are merely imperfect, changing reflections or participants in these ideal Forms.
2What does the sun symbolize in Plato's Allegory of the Cave?
A.The physical source of sensible heat and light
B.The Form of the Good, which illuminates all truth and reality
C.The deceptive nature of sensory experience
D.The arbitrary power of the political tyrant
Explanation: In the Allegory of the Cave (Republic, Book VII), the sun outside the cave represents the Form of the Good (Idea del Bien). Just as the physical sun provides light and enables vision in the sensible world, the Form of the Good provides truth, intelligibility, and existence to all other Forms in the intelligible realm.
3According to Aristotle, what is 'hylomorphism'?
A.The view that matter and form exist in separate transcendent realms
B.The doctrine that physical substances are compounds of matter (hyle) and form (morphe)
C.The theory that all change is an illusion created by sensory organs
D.The belief that only mind exists and physical matter is unreal
Explanation: Aristotle's hylomorphism holds that every physical substance is an inseparable composite of matter (hyle, potentiality) and form (morphe, actuality). Unlike Plato, who separated form from matter into a transcendent realm, Aristotle argues that form is immanent within physical objects.
4In Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, how is moral virtue defined?
A.An innate emotion present from birth without training
B.A habituated disposition aiming at the mean (golden mean) between extremes of excess and deficiency
C.Strict obedience to divine commandments revealed through scripture
D.The complete suppression of all physical pleasure and desire
Explanation: Aristotle defines moral virtue (arete) as a deliberate habit or disposition (hexis) concerned with choice, lying in a mean (mesotes) relative to us, determined by reason. For example, courage is the golden mean between the excess of rashness and the deficiency of cowardice.
5What is Plato's theory of recollection (anamnesis)?
A.Learning is the empirical accumulation of sensory impressions
B.Learning is the soul's remembrance of the Forms known prior to bodily incarnation
C.Knowledge is constructed entirely through logical deduction from mathematical axioms
D.Truth is acquired through divine mystical revelation during sleep
Explanation: Plato's theory of anamnesis (recollection) asserts that the immortal soul possessed direct knowledge of the Forms before birth. Sensory experience in the physical world serves merely as a prompt or reminder that enables the soul to recollect the knowledge it already contains.
6Which of Aristotle's Four Causes answers the question: 'For what purpose or end was something made?'
A.Material cause
B.Formal cause
C.Efficient cause
D.Final cause
Explanation: The final cause (telos) explains the ultimate purpose, goal, or function for which a thing exists or is produced. For example, the final cause of an acorn is to become a mature oak tree, and the final cause of a statue is aesthetic honor or appreciation.
7How does Plato structure the tripartite human soul in the Republic?
A.Vegetative, sensitive, and rational faculties
B.Rational (logistikon), spirited (thymoeides), and appetitive (epithymetikon) parts
C.Id, ego, and superego
D.Memory, intellect, and will
Explanation: In Republic IV, Plato divides the soul into three parts: the rational part (reason seeking truth), the spirited part (emotion, courage, honor), and the appetitive part (bodily desires and physical cravings). Justice in the individual occurs when reason rules with the help of spirit over the appetites.
8Why does Plato advocate for 'Philosopher-Kings' to govern the ideal city (Kallipolis)?
A.Because philosophers are wealth-seekers who stimulate economic growth
B.Because only philosophers possess knowledge of the Form of the Good and care for true justice
C.Because military commanders are prone to cowardice under pressure
D.Because hereditary monarchs are divinely anointed by the Olympic gods
Explanation: Plato argues in the Republic that political ills will never cease until philosophers become kings or kings become genuine philosophers. Because philosophers have contemplated the Form of the Good, their governance is guided by objective wisdom and justice rather than personal ambition, wealth, or power.
9What is the primary difference between Plato's and Aristotle's views on the nature of reality?
A.Plato is an empiricist who relies on observation, while Aristotle is a mystic who rejects sensory experience
B.Plato posits a transcendent dualism of two separate worlds, while Aristotle posits an immanent naturalism where forms reside inside material things
C.Plato believes physical matter is eternal and uncreated, while Aristotle believes the physical universe was created out of nothing
D.Plato denies the existence of soul, while Aristotle claims everything is made of pure spirit
Explanation: Plato's metaphysical dualism separates reality into the physical World of Sensible Things and the transcendent World of Forms. In contrast, Aristotle's immanent naturalism rejects separate transcendent Forms, arguing that essence (form) exists only within individual concrete substances (matter) in the observable world.
10In Aristotle's Politics, why is human being described as a 'political animal' (zoon politikon)?
A.Because humans are naturally aggressive and prone to party factionalism
B.Because humans possess speech (logos) and can only achieve moral perfection and eudaimonia within a polis
C.Because political leaders are selected through democratic lottery in all natural societies
D.Because humans are driven exclusively by economic exchange and trade
Explanation: Aristotle asserts that humans are by nature political animals (zoon politikon) because they possess speech (logos) to distinguish justice from injustice. An individual isolated from the polis (city-state) is either a beast or a god, because true human flourishing (eudaimonia) and moral virtue require civic life and social cooperation.

About the Andalusia PAU History of Philosophy Exam

The Andalusia PAU History of Philosophy exam (Historia de la Filosofía 2º Bachillerato) evaluates secondary school graduates across Andalusia on core philosophical movements and canonical thinkers: Ancient (Plato, Aristotle), Medieval (St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas), Modern (Descartes, Locke, Kant, Rousseau), and Contemporary (Marx, Nietzsche, Ortega y Gasset, Hannah Arendt, María Zambrano). Please note: The official PAU exam features written text commentaries and comparative essays in Spanish; the 100 questions provided here are an English-language multiple-choice study adaptation designed for self-assessment and core concept mastery.

Exam sponsor: Distrito Único Andaluz / Comisión Interuniversitaria de Andalucía. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

90-minute written examination (traditionally text commentary, term definitions, and synthesis essay; local questions are an English-language MCQ study adaptation)

Time Limit

90 minutes (1.5 hours)

Passing Score

Marked on a 0–10 scale. Minimum 4.0 required in Access Phase to combine with Bachillerato GPA (60% Bachillerato + 40% PAU >= 5.0 to pass).

Exam / Certification Fees

EUR 58.70 base registration fee for PAU Access Phase (or ~14.70 € per subject in voluntary admission phase) set by Junta de Andalucía.

Exam sponsor website

Reported exam pass rate: High (~85-95% PAU overall pass rate in Andalusia). This describes exam candidates, not OpenExamPrep users or results from using our resources. Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

22%

Ancient Philosophy

Presocratic origin of philosophy, Socrates and the Sophists, Plato's Theory of Forms, epistemological anamnesis, allegory of the cave, tripartite soul, philosopher-king ideal, Aristotle's critique of Plato, hylomorphism, four causes, teleology, Nicomachean Ethics (virtue as golden mean), and political theory.

20%

Medieval Philosophy

Intersection of Greek philosophy and Christian theology, St. Augustine's Theory of Illumination, problem of evil as privation of good, free will, City of God vs Earthly City, St. Thomas Aquinas's synthesis of Aristotelianism, Five Ways (Quinque Viae) to demonstrate God's existence, natural law, and harmony between faith and reason.

30%

Modern Philosophy

Scientific revolution context, Rationalism vs Empiricism, Descartes' methodic doubt, Cogito ergo sum, mind-body dualism, proofs of God, Locke's tabula rasa, critique of innate ideas, primary vs secondary qualities, political social contract, Kant's Copernican revolution, transcendental idealism, synthetic a priori judgments, categorical imperative, Rousseau's state of nature, general will, and Emile on education.

28%

Contemporary Philosophy

Marx's historical materialism, alienation, surplus value, critique of capitalism, class struggle, Nietzsche's critique of Western metaphysics and Christian morality, death of God, nihilism, Übermensch, will to power, Ortega y Gasset's ratiovitalism, perspectivism ('I am I and my circumstance'), Hannah Arendt's banality of evil, totalitarianism analysis, vita activa (labor, work, action), and María Zambrano's poetic reason, dream and reality, and dawn of consciousness.

Preparing for the Andalusia PAU History of Philosophy Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Marked on a 0–10 scale. Minimum 4.0 required in Access Phase to combine with Bachillerato GPA (60% Bachillerato + 40% PAU >= 5.0 to pass).
  • Assessment: 90-minute written examination (traditionally text commentary, term definitions, and synthesis essay; local questions are an English-language MCQ study adaptation)
  • Time limit: 90 minutes (1.5 hours)
  • Exam / certification fees: EUR 58.70 base registration fee for PAU Access Phase (or ~14.70 € per subject in voluntary admission phase) set by Junta de Andalucía. Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

  • Work through all 100 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

Andalusia PAU History of Philosophy: Suggested Study Strategy

1Compare dualist and monist views of reality across eras: Plato's two worlds, Descartes' mind-body split, vs. Aristotle's hylomorphism and Spinoza/Marx's material unity.
2Trace the evolution of epistemological sources: Platonic anamnesis, Augustinian illumination, Cartesian innate ideas vs. Lockean tabula rasa, Kantian synthetic a priori, and Ortega's perspectivism.
3Understand ethical theories and their foundations: Aristotelian eudaimonia, Thomistic natural law, Kantian categorical imperative, Utilitarianism, and Nietzschean critique of slave morality.
4Analyze political contract theories: compare Locke's protection of natural rights, Rousseau's general will, Arendt's civic public sphere, and Marx's critique of bourgeois state structures.
5Pay special attention to Andalusian and Spanish philosophers: Ortega y Gasset's ratiovitalism ('circunstancia') and María Zambrano's 'razón poética' (poetic reason).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the format of the official Andalusia PAU History of Philosophy exam?

The official Andalusia PAU History of Philosophy exam is a 90-minute written examination administered in Spanish, consisting of text commentary (analysis of an excerpt from one of the required authors), definition of philosophical terms, and a comparative synthesis essay. Note that the 100 questions available on this site are an English-language multiple-choice practice adaptation developed to help students test their knowledge of the official curriculum.

What is the passing score for Andalusia PAU History of Philosophy?

The exam is graded on a 0–10 scale. In the Access Phase (Fase de Acceso), a minimum score of 4.0 is required to average with the Bachillerato GPA (which counts for 60% of the final university access score, while PAU counts for 40%, requiring a total average of >= 5.0).

Which authors are included in the 2026 Andalusia PAU History of Philosophy curriculum?

The 2026 Distrito Único Andaluz syllabus covers 13 canonical philosophers: Ancient (Plato, Aristotle), Medieval (St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas), Modern (Descartes, Locke, Kant, Rousseau), and Contemporary (Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, José Ortega y Gasset, Hannah Arendt, María Zambrano).

What is the fee for taking the PAU exam in Andalusia?

The base registration fee for the PAU Access Phase in Andalusia is set by the Junta de Andalucía at EUR 58.70 (or approximately EUR 14.70 per subject in the voluntary admission phase), with fee waivers or reductions for large families (familia numerosa) or specific categories.

Why are the practice questions here in English and in multiple-choice format?

These questions serve as an English-language MCQ study adaptation designed for international students, bilingual program candidates, and revision learners seeking to test core philosophy concepts tested on the Andalusian curriculum.