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Key Facts: Castilla y León PAU English Exam

90 min

Exam Time Limit

Junta de Castilla y León

0–10

Grading Scale

PAU Regulations

4.0

Min. Access Phase Score

PAU Regulations

B2

Target CEFR Level

2º Bachillerato Curriculum

EUR 76.00

Ordinary Registration Fee

Junta de Castilla y León 2026

5 Blocks

Curriculum Content Areas

Castilla y León PAU Syllabus

The Castilla y León PAU Foreign Language II English exam is organized by the PAU Organising Commission of Castilla y León (USAL, UVA, UBU, ULE) for students completing 2nd Bachillerato. The exam lasts 90 minutes and is marked 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 2nd Bachillerato B2 CEFR English curriculum.

Sample Castilla y León PAU English Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the Castilla y León PAU English exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Read the excerpt: 'Sustainable tourism in historical cities such as Salamanca and Segovia seeks to balance economic growth with cultural preservation. Local authorities have implemented visitor quotas at landmark sites to prevent overtourism while boosting local commerce.' What is the main objective of sustainable tourism mentioned in the text?
A.To increase visitor numbers regardless of infrastructure limits.
B.To balance economic growth with the protection of cultural heritage.
C.To restrict foreign visitors while favoring local residents.
D.To eliminate commercial activities around historic monuments.
Explanation: The text explicitly states that sustainable tourism aims to 'balance economic growth with cultural preservation' through measures like visitor quotas that protect landmarks while still supporting local commerce.
2Read the passage: 'Although artificial intelligence tools can generate fluent essays within seconds, educators in Castilla y León emphasize that critical thinking and ethical research cannot be automated. Students must learn to evaluate sources rather than rely passively on machine outputs.' According to the passage, what is the primary concern of educators regarding AI tools?
A.AI tools take too long to generate text for classroom use.
B.AI cannot produce grammatically correct English sentences.
C.Students may rely on automated outputs instead of developing critical evaluation skills.
D.Schools in Castilla y León plan to replace human teachers with AI systems.
Explanation: The text points out that while AI generates fluent text quickly, educators worry that students might passively rely on AI outputs instead of developing critical thinking and source evaluation skills.
3Read the text: 'The Duero River Basin has experienced unpredictable rainfall patterns over the past decade. Climatologists urge regional farmers to adopt drip irrigation systems to mitigate potential water shortages during summer months.' Which word is closest in meaning to 'mitigate' in this context?
A.Exacerbate
B.Alleviate
C.Ignore
D.Forecast
Explanation: 'Mitigate' means to lessen the severity or impact of something negative (such as water shortages). 'Alleviate' is an exact synonym in this context.
4Read the excerpt: 'Recent archaeological excavations near Atapuerca revealed sophisticated tools used by early hominids. Researchers contend that these artifacts reshape our understanding of prehistoric cognitive abilities.' What does the pronoun 'these' refer to in the sentence?
A.Recent archaeological excavations
B.Prehistoric cognitive abilities
C.Sophisticated tools
D.Researchers at Atapuerca
Explanation: The demonstrative pronoun 'these' modifies 'artifacts' and refers back to the antecedent 'sophisticated tools' discovered during the excavations.
5Read the sentence: 'Despite initial skepticism, renewable wind farms across the plains of León now supply over forty percent of the province's electrical grid.' Which statement is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Wind farms in León were enthusiastically welcomed from the very beginning.
B.Wind energy currently covers more than 40% of León's electricity needs.
C.The electricity produced in León is exported exclusively to neighboring regions.
D.Skepticism led to the permanent cancellation of wind farm projects.
Explanation: The passage confirms that wind farms 'now supply over forty percent of the province's electrical grid', making statement 1 true.
6Read the excerpt: 'The restoration of the Roman Aqueduct of Segovia requires meticulous engineering. Specialists monitor environmental pollution and vibrations from urban traffic, both of which threaten the structural integrity of the ancient granite blocks.' What are identified as threats to the aqueduct?
A.Lack of public funding and tourism quotas.
B.Environmental pollution and traffic vibrations.
C.Granite decay caused by extreme frost.
D.Architectural modifications made in the Middle Ages.
Explanation: The text explicitly names 'environmental pollution and vibrations from urban traffic' as the factors threatening the aqueduct's structural integrity.
7Read the passage: 'Teleworking has gained traction in rural municipalities throughout Valladolid. By enabling professionals to work remotely, local town councils hope to reverse decades of demographic decline.' What is the primary social goal of promoting remote work in rural municipalities?
A.To increase real estate prices in big metropolitan areas.
B.To encourage rural residents to move to larger cities.
C.To counter depopulation in rural areas by attracting working professionals.
D.To reduce internet usage in small villages.
Explanation: The passage notes that town councils hope remote work will 'reverse decades of demographic decline', meaning it aims to combat rural depopulation.
8Read the text: 'The Mediterranean diet, rich in olive oil, legumes, and fresh vegetables, has long been praised by nutritionists. However, recent surveys among Spanish teenagers reveal an alarming shift toward ultra-processed convenience foods.' What does the word 'alarming' imply about the dietary shift?
A.It is considered encouraging and positive by health experts.
B.It causes serious concern among nutritionists regarding public health.
C.It is expected to reduce healthcare expenditures immediately.
D.It reflects an increasing preference for traditional home cooking.
Explanation: 'Alarming' means worrying or disturbing. In this context, it indicates that nutritionists view the shift toward ultra-processed foods as a serious concern.
9Read the excerpt: 'Modern language acquisition requires immersive exposure and active communication. Passive memorization of grammar rules, while foundational, is insufficient for achieving communicative fluency.' Which statement best summarizes the author's argument?
A.Memorizing grammar rules is the only necessary step to master a foreign language.
B.Fluency is best achieved through active communication alongside foundational grammar learning.
C.Immersive exposure makes grammar instruction entirely obsolete.
D.Students should avoid studying grammar rules altogether.
Explanation: The author notes that while grammar is foundational, passive memorization is insufficient on its own and active communication/immersion is necessary for real fluency.
10Read the excerpt: 'In an effort to curb plastic pollution, several European cities have banned single-use plastic cutlery and bags. Environmentalists advocate for shifting toward biodegradable alternatives made from plant starch.' What does the verb 'curb' mean in this passage?
A.To promote
B.To restrain or control
C.To analyze
D.To disregard
Explanation: 'To curb' means to restrain, check, or limit something undesirable, such as plastic pollution.

About the Castilla y León PAU English Exam

The Castilla y León PAU Foreign Language II English exam (Lengua Extranjera II: Inglés) tests upper-secondary students across Castilla y León on B2 CEFR English language proficiency, including reading comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, syntactic transformations, and discourse connectors. Please note: The official PAU exam is a written 90-minute examination in Spanish and English featuring open-ended reading questions, rephrasing tasks, and an essay composition; local questions on this platform are an English-language multiple-choice study adaptation designed for self-assessment and core grammar/vocabulary mastery.

Exam sponsor: Comisión Organizadora de la Evaluación de Bachillerato de Castilla y León (Junta de Castilla y León / USAL, UVA, UBU, ULE). The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

90-minute written examination organized by the universities of Castilla y León (reading comprehension, vocabulary and grammar exercises including rephrasing transformations, and a 150-200 word composition; local questions are an English 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 76.82 base registration fee for PAU Access Phase (plus EUR 10.33 per voluntary subject) set by Junta de Castilla y León.

Exam sponsor website

Reported exam pass rate: Approximately 94-96% of Bachillerato candidates passed the Castilla y León PAU Access Phase in recent ordinary sittings.. 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.

30%

Reading Comprehension & Textual Inference

Textual interpretation, main idea identification, synonym and antonym matching in context, true/false statement validation with textual evidence, and pronoun reference resolution at B2 CEFR level.

25%

Grammatical Structures & Verb Systems

Use of complex tenses (present perfect continuous, past perfect simple/continuous, future continuous/perfect), passive voice constructions, causative structures, modal verbs of deduction and obligation, and relative clauses.

20%

Sentence Transformations & Rephrasing

Syntactic rephrasing tasks commonly tested on PAU: direct-to-reported speech conversions, active-to-passive rewrites, conditional rephrasing (unless, provided that, wish/if only), causative rewrites, and inverted structures.

15%

Connectors, Discourse Markers & Prepositions

Linkers of contrast (although, despite, in spite of, whereas), result/cause (therefore, consequently, due to, since), purpose (in order to, so that), and addition (furthermore, moreover), alongside phrasal verbs and dependent prepositions.

10%

Vocabulary, Word Formation & Lexical Precision

Derivational word formation (prefixes, suffixes, changing word classes), false friends (cognates vs false cognates), collocations, syntactic error detection, and formal register conventions.

Preparing for the Castilla y León PAU English 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 organized by the universities of Castilla y León (reading comprehension, vocabulary and grammar exercises including rephrasing transformations, and a 150-200 word composition; local questions are an English MCQ study adaptation)
  • Time limit: 90 minutes (1.5 hours)
  • Exam / certification fees: EUR 76.82 base registration fee for PAU Access Phase (plus EUR 10.33 per voluntary subject) set by Junta de Castilla y León. 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

Castilla y León PAU English: Suggested Study Strategy

1Master the rules of Reported Speech, including tense backshifting, pronoun changes, and time/place adverb transformations.
2Practice conditional sentence patterns (Types 1, 2, 3, and mixed conditionals) as well as alternative structures with 'unless', 'provided that', and 'as long as'.
3Learn the difference between linkers followed by a noun/gerund (despite, in spite of, due to) versus linkers followed by a clause (although, even though, because).
4Memorize common B2 phrasal verbs, dependent prepositions, and derivational prefixes/suffixes for word formation tasks.
5Review passive voice and causative structures (have/get something done) which are frequently featured in PAU rephrasing questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the format of the official Castilla y León PAU English exam?

The official Castilla y León PAU English exam organized by the regional university commission (USAL, UVA, UBU, ULE) is a 90-minute written examination featuring reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar/rephrasing tasks, and a written composition (150-200 words). Note that the 100 questions available on this site are a multiple-choice practice adaptation developed to help students test their grammar, vocabulary, connectors, and transformation skills.

What is the passing score for Castilla y León PAU English?

The exam is marked 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 combined average of >= 5.0).

What level of English is tested on the PAU English exam?

The exam is calibrated to the B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), corresponding to upper-intermediate English proficiency expected of 2nd Bachillerato graduates.

What is the fee for taking the PAU exam in Castilla y León?

The base registration fee for the PAU Access Phase in Castilla y León is approximately EUR 76.00, with reductions or exemptions available for eligible categories such as large families (familia numerosa).

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

These questions serve as an English-language MCQ study adaptation designed for high school students, international candidates, and revision learners seeking to test core grammar, syntax transformations, connector usage, and vocabulary tested on the 2nd Bachillerato curriculum.