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Exam Review

Key Facts: PAU Ciències Generals (CIC) Exam

CIC 2026

Consell Interuniversitari de Catalunya official PAU organizing authority

Generalitat de Catalunya

90 Mins

Official examination duration

PAU Catalunya

Min 4.0

Minimum Access Phase score required to calculate university admission mark

CIC Admission Regulations

4 Topics

Science & Society, Energy, Health & Biomedicine, Materials & Tech

LOMLOE 2n Batxillerat Syllabus

100

Practice questions available in this OpenExamPrep bank

OpenExamPrep

The Catalonia PAU General Sciences exam evaluates core scientific literacy across epistemology, climate science, health, and nanotechnology for 2n Batxillerat students.

Sample PAU Ciències Generals (CIC) Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the PAU Ciències Generals (CIC) exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1According to Karl Popper's demarcation principle in modern scientific epistemology, which criterion is required for a hypothesis to be considered scientific?
A.It must make testable predictions that can potentially be falsified by empirical evidence.
B.It must be capable of being proven true beyond all future doubt through experimental induction.
C.It must be supported by unanimous consensus among established scientific authorities.
D.It must rely on intuitive self-evidence that requires no physical measurement.
Explanation: Karl Popper established that scientific statements are distinguished from pseudoscience or dogma by their falsifiability—the logical possibility that an assertion can be contradicted by empirical observation. Science advances by attempting to refute hypotheses rather than seeking absolute verification.
2In a controlled laboratory experiment investigating how light intensity affects plant photosynthetic rate, what is the light intensity classified as?
A.The dependent variable
B.The independent variable
C.The controlled variable
D.The confounding variable
Explanation: The independent variable is the factor deliberately manipulated by the researcher (light intensity) to observe its direct effect on the dependent variable (photosynthetic rate).
3What is the primary function of a negative control group in a scientific experiment testing a new chemical enzyme inhibitor?
A.To maximize the rate of the chemical reaction under optimal temperature and pH.
B.To introduce multiple unmeasured environmental variables into the system.
C.To establish a baseline measurement in the absence of the active experimental treatment.
D.To ensure that all test subjects receive the active drug formulation.
Explanation: A negative control group receives no active experimental treatment (or receives an inert placebo), allowing researchers to establish a baseline measurement and isolate background noise or non-specific effects.
4What is the primary objective of peer review in academic scientific publication?
A.To guarantee that the published results represent absolute and unalterable universal truth.
B.To secure commercial patents and intellectual property rights for the authors.
C.To censor findings that challenge established political or economic doctrines.
D.To evaluate experimental methodology, statistical rigor, and logical consistency before publication.
Explanation: Peer review involves independent experts evaluating a manuscript's experimental design, data analysis, ethical compliance, and logical reasoning to ensure scientific quality and validity prior to publication.
5Which characteristic is a typical hallmark of pseudoscience rather than genuine empirical science?
A.Relies heavily on anecdotal claims, cherry-picked data, and resistance to peer refutation.
B.Modifies core theoretical frameworks in response to contradictory experimental data.
C.Utilizes standardized metric units and open-access data sharing protocols.
D.Subjects claims to rigorous double-blind randomized controlled trials.
Explanation: Pseudoscience relies on anecdotes, confirmation bias, non-falsifiable claims, and immune mechanisms against criticism, whereas genuine science actively seeks empirical testing and theoretical revision.
6If an epidemiological study finds a strong positive correlation between ice cream sales and drowning incidents, what is the most scientifically sound explanation?
A.Ice cream consumption directly causes physiological muscle cramps leading to drowning.
B.A third confounding variable, ambient summer temperature, drives increases in both activities.
C.Drowning incidents increase consumer psychological craving for ice cream products.
D.Statistical correlation automatically proves a direct causal relationship.
Explanation: Correlation does not imply causation. In this classic example, warm weather is a confounding variable that independently increases both swimming activity (drowning risk) and ice cream sales.
7Why is a double-blind design utilized in medical drug trial evaluations?
A.To ensure that patients receive lower dosages than recommended to minimize side effects.
B.To prevent researchers from discovering which side effects are associated with the drug.
C.To eliminate both patient placebo expectation effects and researcher observer bias.
D.To allow doctors to selectively assign healthier patients to the active drug group.
Explanation: In a double-blind trial, neither the patients nor the evaluating clinical researchers know who receives the active drug versus placebo, preventing psychological bias from influencing reported outcomes.
8How does increasing the sample size in a quantitative scientific experiment affect the statistical analysis?
A.It increases systematic calibration errors in measurement equipment.
B.It eliminates the need for establishing control groups or baseline data.
C.It decreases the statistical power of hypothesis tests.
D.It reduces random error margin and increases statistical confidence in estimated parameters.
Explanation: Larger sample sizes reduce random sampling variability and narrow confidence intervals, providing greater statistical power to detect true underlying effects.
9In inferential statistics, what does a p-value of 0.03 indicate when testing a null hypothesis at a standard significance threshold of alpha = 0.05?
A.There is a 3% probability of obtaining the observed data if the null hypothesis were true, justifying rejecting the null hypothesis.
B.The experimental drug or treatment failed to produce any measurable effect in 97% of test subjects.
C.The probability that the alternative hypothesis is false is exactly 3%.
D.The experiment suffered from a 3% systematic measurement error rate during execution.
Explanation: A p-value of 0.03 means there is only a 3% probability of observing test results at least as extreme as those measured assuming the null hypothesis (no effect) is true. Because 0.03 < 0.05, the result is statistically significant.
10If a digital weighing scale consistently reads 0.5 grams heavier than the actual mass of every sample due to improper zero calibration, what type of error is present?
A.Random environmental error affecting precision but preserving accuracy.
B.Systematic error causing high precision but compromised accuracy.
C.Statistical power error resulting from small sample sizing.
D.Observer expectation bias resulting from double-blind design.
Explanation: Improper zero calibration causes a systematic error (offset), shifting all readings by a predictable amount in one direction. The scale remains precise (reproducible readings) but inaccurate (shifted from true value).

About the PAU Ciències Generals (CIC) Exam

The Catalonia PAU General Sciences (Ciències Generals 2n Batxillerat CIC) practice bank provides comprehensive preparation for students sitting the Spanish university entrance exam in Catalonia. The official exam administered by the Consell Interuniversitari de Catalunya is written in Catalan and Spanish; these practice questions serve as an English-language MCQ study adaptation. The curriculum tests critical reasoning in scientific inquiry, energy transition dynamics, biomedical technologies, gene editing, microelectronics, and sustainable material science.

Exam sponsor: Consell Interuniversitari de Catalunya (CIC) / Generalitat de Catalunya. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

Official exam is four mandatory sections (apartats) worth 2.5 points each (10 total): 'Un univers de matèria i energia', 'Sistema Terra', 'Biologia del segle XXI', and 'Les forces que ens fan moure'. Administered in Catalan/Spanish; this bank is 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 41.30 examination right + EUR 68.70 access phase + EUR 13.80 per admission-phase exercise (Generalitat de Catalunya, PAU 2026); 50% reduction and full exemption available for eligible groups

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.

25%

Science & Society / Scientific Method

Epistemology, scientific methodology, experimental design, control variables, data analysis, peer review, and distinguishing science from pseudoscience.

25%

Energy & Sustainability

Renewable vs non-renewable energy sources, greenhouse effect, climate change mitigation, carbon footprint, life cycle analysis, and circular economy.

25%

Health & Biomedicine

Pathogens and immunity, vaccines, antibiotics and resistance, lifestyle diseases, genetics, biotechnology ethics, CRISPR gene editing, and epidemiology.

25%

Materials & Technology

Polymers and plastics, smart nanomaterials (graphene), semiconductor physics, rare earth metals in electronics, and environmental impacts of digital technology.

Preparing for the PAU Ciències Generals (CIC) 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: Official exam is four mandatory sections (apartats) worth 2.5 points each (10 total): 'Un univers de matèria i energia', 'Sistema Terra', 'Biologia del segle XXI', and 'Les forces que ens fan moure'. Administered in Catalan/Spanish; this bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation.
  • Time limit: 90 minutes (1.5 hours)
  • Exam / certification fees: EUR 41.30 examination right + EUR 68.70 access phase + EUR 13.80 per admission-phase exercise (Generalitat de Catalunya, PAU 2026); 50% reduction and full exemption available for eligible groups 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

PAU Ciències Generals (CIC): Suggested Study Strategy

1Master the scientific method: understand independent vs. dependent variables, control groups, and double-blind experimental design.
2Review energy conversion calculations, Global Warming Potential (GWP), and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) stages.
3Understand modern biotechnology tools such as PCR, gel electrophoresis, recombinant DNA, and CRISPR-Cas9 mechanism.
4Study semiconductor band theory (p-n junctions), nanomaterial properties (graphene, carbon nanotubes), and polymer degradation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the fee for taking the PAU exam in Catalonia (CIC 2026)?

The Generalitat de Catalunya, through the Consell Interuniversitari de Catalunya (CIC), sets the 2026 PAU ordinary fees at EUR 41.30 examination right, EUR 68.70 access phase, and EUR 13.80 per admission-phase exercise. A 50% reduction and a full exemption are available for eligible groups such as large families (família nombrosa general), scholarship holders, and students with a recognised disability of 33% or more.

What language is the official Catalonia PAU exam administered in?

The official exam is administered in Catalan and Spanish. These practice questions are an English-language MCQ study adaptation designed for mastery of the core concepts.

What passing score is required on the PAU General Sciences exam?

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 (60% Bachillerato + 40% PAU >= 5.0 to pass).

What is the duration of the PAU Ciències Generals exam?

The examination duration is 90 minutes (1.5 hours).