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Key Facts: Cantabria PAU History of Spain Exam

UNICAN

University of Cantabria PAU Organising Body

Universidad de Cantabria

90 Mins

Official examination duration

PAU Cantabria Regulations

Min 4.0

Minimum Access Phase score required to calculate university admission mark

Cantabria University Admission Regulations

5 Blocks

Prehistory-Ancien Régime, 19th C. Liberal State, Restoration & 2nd Republic, Civil War & Francoism, Transition & Constitution

LOMLOE 2º Bachillerato Syllabus

100

Practice questions available in this OpenExamPrep bank

OpenExamPrep

The Cantabria PAU History of Spain exam evaluates historical knowledge and analytical competency across 5 major historical periods for 2º Bachillerato students. This English-language MCQ bank is a study adaptation of the knowledge behind the official written exam, not a format simulation.

Sample Cantabria PAU History of Spain Practice Questions

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

1Which site in the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos) has yielded the oldest human fossils in Western Europe, attributed to Homo antecessor?
A.Gran Dolina
B.Cueva del Castillo
C.Altamira
D.Torralba y Ambrona
Explanation: The Gran Dolina site at Atapuerca (Burgos) led to the 1994 identification of Homo antecessor, a hominin species dated to more than 800,000 years ago. The find reshaped theories of Europe’s earliest peopling.
2What name is given to the process by which peninsular peoples assimilated Rome’s culture, language (Latin), law, and social organization?
A.Hellenization
B.Romanization
C.Visigothic acculturation
D.Reconquista
Explanation: Romanization was the integration of the Iberian Peninsula into Roman civilization after conquest. It involved adopting Latin, Roman law, public works, and urban ways of life.
3At which 589 event did Visigothic king Reccared abandon Arianism, convert to Catholicism, and religiously unify the kingdom?
A.Council of Elvira
B.Treaty of Tudmir
C.Third Council of Toledo
D.Peace of the Pyrenees
Explanation: At the Third Council of Toledo (589), Reccared abjured Arianism and proclaimed Catholicism the official religion of the Visigothic Kingdom, consolidating ties between the Visigothic nobility and the Hispano-Roman population.
4Which battle around 722 in Asturias is traditionally treated as the start of the Christian Reconquista led by Don Pelayo?
A.Battle of Guadalete
B.Battle of Poitiers
C.Battle of Simancas
D.Battle of Covadonga
Explanation: The Battle of Covadonga (c. 722) is remembered as the first check on Muslim expansion in the northern peninsula and the mythic-historical starting point of the Kingdom of Asturias under Don Pelayo.
5What did the marriage of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon (the Catholic Monarchs) mean for Iberian history?
A.Dynastic union of the Crowns of Castile and Aragon under joint monarchy without full institutional merger
B.Immediate creation of a unitary centralized Spanish nation-state abolishing all kingdoms
C.Transfer of the Portuguese crown to Castile by hereditary right
D.Restoration of the Caliphate of Córdoba under Christian protection
Explanation: The Catholic Monarchs’ marriage created a dynastic union of Castile and Aragon. Each crown kept its own laws and institutions; political unity advanced gradually rather than through instant institutional fusion.
6Which of the following events did NOT take place in the emblematic year 1492 during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs?
A.The conquest and incorporation of the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada
B.The publication of the Nueva Planta Decrees
C.The signing of the decree expelling the Jews
D.The arrival of Christopher Columbus’s expedition in America
Explanation: The Nueva Planta Decrees were issued by Philip V between 1707 and 1716, more than two centuries later. The year 1492 was marked by Granada’s fall, the Jewish expulsion decree, and Columbus’s voyage.
7What direct political consequence followed the abolition of the Caliphate of Córdoba in 1031?
A.Total unification of the peninsula under the Kingdom of León
B.Immediate invasion by Carolingian empires
C.Fragmentation of Al-Andalus into multiple independent taifa kingdoms
D.The definitive end of Islamic presence in the Iberian Peninsula
Explanation: The Andalusi caliphate’s crisis culminated in 1031 with the deposition of the last caliph Hisham III and the division of Islamic territory into more than twenty small autonomous political entities known as taifas.
8Why is the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa (1212) considered a decisive turning point in the Reconquista?
A.Because it meant Portugal’s definitive annexation to Castile
B.Because it caused the expulsion of the Moriscos from Iberia
C.Because it restored the Visigothic kingdom in Toledo
D.Because the Christian coalition’s victory opened the Guadalquivir valley to Castilian–Leonese advance
Explanation: Las Navas de Tolosa (1212) united Alfonso VIII of Castile, Peter II of Aragon, and Sancho VII of Navarre against the Almohad Empire. Their crushing victory broke the frontier balance and opened Andalusia to Christian expansion.
9Which privileged institution did Alfonso X the Wise found in 1273 to organize Castile’s transhumant Merino sheep husbandry?
A.The Honrado Concejo de la Mesta
B.The Casa de Contratación of Seville
C.The Consolat de Mar
D.The Tribunal of the Holy Office
Explanation: The Honrado Concejo de la Mesta (1273) grouped Castilian herders with important passage and pasture privileges and boosted Merino wool for export.
10What cause triggered the Revolt of the Comuneros of Castile (1520–1521) led by Juan de Padilla, Juan Bravo, and Francisco Maldonado?
A.Imposition of Lutheran Protestantism in Castilian towns
B.Anger at a foreign monarch (Charles I) who gave offices to Flemish advisers and demanded heavy taxes
C.The king’s attempt to suppress Catholicism in favor of Islam
D.Abolition of seigneurial regimes and land redistribution to peasants
Explanation: The Comunero revolt erupted when Charles I extracted subsidies from the Cortes to fund his German imperial coronation and favored foreign advisers such as Chièvres, alienating Castilian cities.

About the Cantabria PAU History of Spain Exam

The Cantabria PAU History of Spain (Historia de España 2º Bachillerato UNICAN) practice bank provides comprehensive preparation for students sitting the Spanish university entrance exam in Cantabria. The curriculum tests knowledge of political, socio-economic, institutional, and cultural history from Antiquity to contemporary democratic Spain.

Exam sponsor: University of Cantabria (UNICAN) PAU Organising Commission. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

90-minute examination divided into 5 core thematic blocks (20% each): Prehistory to Ancien Régime, Ancien Régime Crisis & Liberal State, Restoration & Second Republic, Civil War & Francoism, and Democratic Transition & 1978 Constitution.

Time Limit

90 minutes (1.5 hours)

Passing Score

Marked on a 0–10 scale. Minimum 4.0 required in Access Phase.

Exam / Certification Fees

EUR 71.09 base registration fee for PAU Access Phase.

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.

20%

Prehistory to the Ancien Régime: Al-Andalus, Reconquista, Catholic Monarchs & Habsburg Spain

Prehistory, Roman Hispania, Visigothic kingdom, Al-Andalus, Christian Reconquista, Catholic Monarchs, Hispanic Monarchy of Habsburgs, and Bourbon Enlightened Despotism.

20%

Crisis of the Ancien Régime, War of Independence & 19th-Century Liberal State

War of Independence, Cádiz 1812 Constitution, reign of Ferdinand VII, Carlist Wars, Isabelline liberal state, Sexenio Democrático, and 1869 Constitution.

20%

Bourbon Restoration, Dictatorship of Primo de Rivera & Second Republic

1876 Constitution, Canovist bipartidism, 1898 crisis, Dictatorship of Primo de Rivera, Second Republic (1931-1936), and major socio-economic reforms.

20%

Spanish Civil War & Francoist Dictatorship

July 1936 coup d'état, course of the Civil War, international context, Francoist regime evolution, autarky, 1959 Stabilization Plan, and anti-Francoist opposition.

20%

Democratic Transition, 1978 Constitution & Contemporary Democratic Spain

Law for Political Reform, 1977 general elections, drafting and principles of 1978 Constitution, Autonomic State development, EU integration, and modern democracy.

Preparing for the Cantabria PAU History of Spain Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Marked on a 0–10 scale. Minimum 4.0 required in Access Phase.
  • Assessment: 90-minute examination divided into 5 core thematic blocks (20% each): Prehistory to Ancien Régime, Ancien Régime Crisis & Liberal State, Restoration & Second Republic, Civil War & Francoism, and Democratic Transition & 1978 Constitution.
  • Time limit: 90 minutes (1.5 hours)
  • Exam / certification fees: EUR 71.09 base registration fee for PAU Access Phase. 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

Cantabria PAU History of Spain: Suggested Study Strategy

1Review key constitutional documents: Cádiz 1812, 1837, 1845, 1869, 1876, 1931, and 1978.
2Understand the key political transitions, including the War of Independence, Isabelline liberal reforms, Sexenio Democrático, Restoration, Second Republic, Francoism, and Democratic Transition.
3Practice contextualizing historical texts, legal decrees, pronunciamientos, and political manifestos.
4Memorize major historical dates, treaties, figures, and socio-economic turning points in Spanish history.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this practice bank in the same format as the real Cantabria PAU exam?

No, and it is important to know the difference. The official Cantabria PAU paper, organised by the University of Cantabria (UNICAN), is a 90-minute examination sat in Spanish (or in the target language for foreign-language papers) and built around open and semi-constructed written tasks that must be answered and justified in full. Under Real Decreto 534/2024, open and semi-constructed responses must account for at least 70% of every paper, so the real exam is not a multiple-choice test. This bank is an English-language multiple-choice study adaptation of the official 2º Bachillerato syllabus — not an official translation, not a past paper, and not a simulation of the exam format. Use it to drill the underlying knowledge and reasoning quickly, then practise the official written, oral, graphic, practical, or performance tasks separately, because that is what the examiners actually mark.

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

The base registration fee for the PAU Access Phase is EUR 71.09, as established by the University of Cantabria (UNICAN).

What passing score is required on the PAU History of Spain exam in Cantabria?

The exam is marked on a 0–10 scale. A minimum score of 4.0 is required in the Access Phase to combine with the Bachillerato GPA.

What is the duration of the PAU Historia de España exam?

The examination duration is 90 minutes (1.5 hours).

Which organising body conducts the PAU in Cantabria?

The exam is organized by the University of Cantabria (UNICAN) PAU Organising Commission.