PracticeVideosBlogFlashcardsEspañol
All Practice Exams

Free Practice Questions for Basque PAU Philosophy

Exam-style questions and explanations by OpenExamPrep.

✓ No registration✓ No credit card
100+ Questions
100% Free

Loading practice questions...

Same family resources

Explore More Spain Basque Country PAU (Prueba de Acceso a la Universidad)

Continue into nearby exams from the same family. Each card keeps practice questions, study guides, flashcards, videos, and articles in one place.

Basque Country PAU Applied Mathematics for Social Sciences II

Practice Questions

Basque Country PAU Art Foundations

Practice Questions

Basque Country PAU Artistic Drawing II

Practice Questions

Basque Country PAU Basque Language and Literature II

Practice Questions

Basque Country PAU Biology

Practice Questions

Basque Country PAU Business and Business Model Design

Practice Questions
Exam Review

Key Facts: Basque PAU Philosophy Exam

90 Min

Official examination time limit at UPV/EHU

UPV/EHU PAU Regulations 2026

4.0 / 10

Minimum grade required in Access Phase to blend with Bachillerato GPA

Spanish University Access Decree

4 Eras

Curricular periods: Ancient, Medieval, Modern, Contemporary

Basque Government Department of Education Syllabus

60% / 40%

Weight of Bachillerato GPA vs PAU Access Phase score

BOE / UPV/EHU Admission Criteria

2 Languages

Official exam languages: Basque (Euskara) and Spanish (Castellano)

UPV/EHU PAU Organising Commission

100

Original MCQ practice items in OpenExamPrep study bank

OpenExamPrep

Basque Country PAU History of Philosophy (UPV/EHU 2026) is a 90-minute university entrance exam assessing 2º Bachillerato syllabus domains.

Sample Basque PAU Philosophy Practice Questions

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

1Which Presocratic philosopher identified water (*hydor*) as the fundamental first principle (*arkhé*) of all natural reality, initiating the philosophical transition from mythological narrative to rational explanation (*logos*)?
A.Parmenides of Elea
B.Anaximander of Miletus
C.Thales of Miletus
D.Heraclitus of Ephesus
Explanation: Thales of Miletus is recognized as the first Western philosopher for proposing that water is the foundational material origin (arkhé) of the cosmos. He sought naturalistic explanations for phenomena rather than attributing physical occurrences to divine interventions.
2How does Parmenides' philosophical stance regarding reality and change contrast fundamentally with the cosmology of Heraclitus?
A.Parmenides rejected logical reasoning in favor of mystical experience, whereas Heraclitus established formal syllogistic logic.
B.Parmenides argued that reality is created by sensory perception, whereas Heraclitus argued that reality exists only in human language.
C.Parmenides maintained that true Being is ungenerated, immutable, and continuous, whereas Heraclitus posited that reality is defined by constant change (*panta rhei*) governed by Logos.
D.Parmenides identified fire as the ultimate substance, whereas Heraclitus held that true reality consists of immaterial mathematical forms.
Explanation: Parmenides claimed through logical deduction that Being is one, uncreated, indestructible, and unchangeable, treating motion and plurality as sensory illusions. In contrast, Heraclitus maintained that existence is in perpetual flux ('everything flows'), structured by an underlying rational cosmic law (Logos).
3Which central doctrine of the Pythagorean school exerted a profound influence on Plato's dualistic view of the soul and the structure of reality?
A.The theory that physical atoms collide randomly in empty space without divine purpose.
B.The claim that human laws (*nomos*) are purely subjective conventions with no grounding in nature (*physis*).
C.The belief that number (*arithmos*) is the essence of cosmic order and that the soul undergoes transmigration (*metempsychosis*).
D.The assertion that knowledge is unattainable and that all judgments must be permanently suspended.
Explanation: Pythagoras and his followers held that mathematical proportions constitute the ultimate structure of the cosmos and taught metempsychosis (the immortality and reincarnation of the soul). Plato adopted these ideas in his dualistic division between the soul and body and his mathematical ordering of the Forms.
4In the atomist philosophy of Democritus and Leucippus, how is physical change explained without appealing to divine purpose or teleology?
A.Through the gradual illumination of the human mind by divine reason.
B.Through the cyclical transformation of water into air, fire, and earth.
C.Through the dialectical struggle between immaterial forms and physical shadows.
D.Through the mechanical collisions, entanglements, and separations of indivisible particles (*atoms*) moving in empty space (*void*).
Explanation: Democritus proposed a mechanistic physics where ultimate reality consists of indivisible, unchangeable physical particles (atoms) of varying shapes moving infinitely within empty space (the void). All qualitative physical changes result solely from the quantitative rearrangement and mechanical collisions of these atoms.
5What philosophical position is expressed in Protagoras' famous dictum: 'Man is the measure of all things: of things that are, that they are, and of things that are not, that they are not'?
A.Absolute metaphysical realism.
B.Theological dogmatism.
C.Rationalist dualism.
D.Epistemological and ethical relativism.
Explanation: Protagoras' maxim epitomizes Sophistic relativism, asserting that truth and moral standards are not objective or universal realities but are subjective to individual human perception and cultural conventions (*nomos*).
6What was the primary goal of the Socratic method (*maieutics* or spiritual midwifery)?
A.To teach persuasive rhetoric for winning political debates in the Athenian assembly.
B.To convince students that all moral values are arbitrary constructs created by political rulers.
C.To systematically demonstrate that sensory experience is the sole origin of abstract scientific laws.
D.To guide interlocutors through dialogue to uncover latent, objective truths already within their own minds by examining assumptions.
Explanation: Socrates compared his method to midwifery because he did not impart external dogmatic facts, but rather helped interlocutors 'give birth' to true concepts through critical questioning, refutation of false opinions (elenchus), and self-examination.
7According to Socratic moral intellectualism, why do human beings commit evil or unjust actions?
A.Because human nature is inherently corrupt and driven by unstoppable malevolent desires.
B.Because evil spirits temporarily override human free will.
C.Because of ignorance (*amathia*) of what is truly good, since anyone who genuinely knows the good will act virtuously.
D.Because society imposes unjust legal constraints that force individuals to commit crimes.
Explanation: Socratic moral intellectualism asserts that virtue is knowledge (*arete* = *episteme*). Socrates argued that no one knowingly acts against their own true good; evil actions stem from ignorance or mistaken beliefs regarding what is genuinely beneficial.
8In Plato's metaphysical dualism, what is the fundamental relationship between the World of Forms (*Kosmos Noetos*) and the Sensible World (*Kosmos Aisthetos*)?
A.The Sensible World is the only real realm, while Forms are mere mental abstractions created by human words.
B.Both realms are equally illusory manifestations of an underlying physical atomistic void.
C.The Sensible World is a constantly changing, imperfect copy that participates in (*methexis*) or imitates (*mimesis*) the eternal, immutable Forms.
D.The World of Forms was created by the Sensible World through a process of biological evolution.
Explanation: Plato's dualism posits that perfect, immutable, and eternal essences (Forms or Ideas) reside in the intelligible realm. Physical objects in the sensible realm are dynamic, imperfect material copies that derive their identity by participating in or copying these archetype Forms.
9In Plato's Allegory of the Cave (Republic, Book VII), what does the Sun outside the cave symbolize in terms of metaphysics and epistemology?
A.The Form of the Good, which is the supreme source of truth, reality, and intelligibility for all other Forms.
B.The deceptive power of sensory perception that traps human beings in darkness.
C.The physical energy that powers cosmic atomic collisions.
D.The arbitrary authority of political tyrants over enslaved citizens.
Explanation: In the Allegory of the Cave, the Sun represents the Form of the Good (*Agathon*). Just as the physical sun provides light and enables vision in the sensible world, the Form of the Good illuminates truth and provides existence to all intelligible Forms.
10How does Plato explain human learning in the *Meno* and *Phaedo* through the doctrine of Anamnesis (Reminiscence)?
A.Learning occurs when the mind records sensory impressions onto a blank slate (*tabula rasa*).
B.Learning is an artificial illusion produced by memorizing political propaganda.
C.Learning happens exclusively through divine revelation imparted directly by religious authorities.
D.Learning is the process of the immortal soul recollecting eternal knowledge of the Forms acquired prior to its incarnation in a physical body.
Explanation: Plato's theory of Anamnesis asserts that the soul existed in the intelligible realm before birth, gaining direct knowledge of the Forms. Sensory experiences in the physical world act as triggers that help the embodied soul remember (*anamnesis*) what it previously knew.

About the Basque PAU Philosophy Exam

The Basque Country PAU History of Philosophy examination evaluates 2º de Bachillerato students across the autonomous community of Euskadi on major philosophical thinkers and movements from Classical Antiquity through the 20th century. Administered by UPV/EHU, the curriculum emphasizes text interpretation, conceptual synthesis, logical analysis, and comparison between seminal authors including Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Descartes, Hume, Kant, Marx, Nietzsche, Ortega y Gasset, and Hannah Arendt.

Exam sponsor: PAU Organising Commission of the Basque Country / UPV/EHU. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

Written 90-minute standardized exam. Local practice items are an English-language MCQ study adaptation of the official open/semi-constructed Basque Country PAU paper, not an official translation or format simulation.

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 86.33 ordinary registration fee (UPV/EHU 2026 PAU)

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%

Ancient Philosophy

Presocratic cosmological physics, Socratic moral intellectualism and dialectic, Platonic dualism and Theory of Forms, Aristotelian hylomorphism, teleology, ethics, and political philosophy.

25%

Medieval Philosophy

Augustinian synthesis of faith and reason, theory of divine illumination, problem of evil, Thomistic Quinque Viae (Five Ways), natural law, and Scholastic nominalism.

25%

Modern Philosophy

Cartesian rationalism and methodical doubt, British empiricism of Locke and Hume, Humean critique of causality and substance, Kantian transcendental idealism and categorical imperative.

25%

Contemporary Philosophy

Marxist historical materialism and alienation, Nietzschean critique of Western metaphysics and nihilism, Ortega y Gasset's raciovitalism and perspectivism, Frankfurt School, Hannah Arendt, and 20th-century political philosophy.

Preparing for the Basque PAU 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: Written 90-minute standardized exam. Local practice items are an English-language MCQ study adaptation of the official open/semi-constructed Basque Country PAU paper, not an official translation or format simulation.
  • Time limit: 90 minutes (1.5 hours)
  • Exam / certification fees: EUR 86.33 ordinary registration fee (UPV/EHU 2026 PAU) 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

Basque PAU Philosophy: Suggested Study Strategy

1Master text analysis technique: identify the main thesis, argument structure, and explicit philosophical definitions within source passages.
2Develop strong comparative charts linking key pairs across periods (e.g. Plato vs Aristotle on reality/knowledge; Descartes vs Hume on epistemology; Kant vs Nietzsche on ethics).
3Memorize exact technical vocabulary in context (e.g., Anamnesis, Hylomorphism, Quinque Viae, Cogito, Categorical Imperative, Historical Materialism, Perspectivism, Banality of Evil).
4Structure essay arguments logically with clear introductions, text references, contextual placement, and balanced philosophical comparisons.
5Practice timed 90-minute exam simulation writing to manage time effectively across all commentary and essay questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the format and duration of the PAU History of Philosophy exam in the Basque Country?

The exam lasts 90 minutes (1.5 hours) and is organized by UPV/EHU. It requires students to analyze a philosophical text, define key terminology, contextualize the author's argument, and compare their philosophical position with another major author from the syllabus.

Which historical periods and authors are included in the Basque Country 2º Bachillerato syllabus?

The syllabus covers four key periods: Ancient Philosophy (Plato, Aristotle), Medieval Philosophy (Augustine, Thomas Aquinas), Modern Philosophy (Descartes, Hume, Kant), and Contemporary Philosophy (Marx, Nietzsche, Ortega y Gasset, Hannah Arendt).

In which languages can students sit the PAU examination in Euskadi?

Students have the official right to take the examination in Basque (*Euskara*) or Spanish (*Castellano*), corresponding to the official languages of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country.

How does the History of Philosophy score contribute to university admission in Spain?

The overall admission grade combines Bachillerato GPA (60%) and the PAU Access Phase grade (40%), provided a minimum of 4.0 is achieved on the Access Phase exam.

What is the registration fee for the PAU exam at UPV/EHU in 2026?

The standard ordinary registration fee for the PAU Access Phase at UPV/EHU is EUR 86.33, with fee reductions applicable for large families (*Familia Numerosa*) or students with disability status.

Are these 100 practice questions official UPV/EHU examination papers?

No. These 100 questions are an independent English-language MCQ practice adaptation crafted by OpenExamPrep to help students review core concepts from the Basque Country 2º Bachillerato History of Philosophy curriculum.