Special category data: the Article 9 list and its exam traps

Special category data under GDPR Article 9 is a closed list of ten types: race or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade-union membership, genetic data, biometric data used for identification, health, sex life, and sexual orientation. The key is that not all sensitive information qualifies — for example, a person's salary or criminal record is sensitive but not special category. Only these ten items trigger the general prohibition on processing, unless you find a specific exception in Article 9(2).

To avoid confusion, remember the mnemonic 'PRRUBBGHSS' — Politics, Race, Religion, Union, Biometrics, Genetics, Health, Sex life, Sexual orientation. A common exam trick is to present a scenario with 'sensitive' data like financial details or a photo of someone's face; the photo is not special category unless it is biometric data used for identification. Another trap is assuming that all health data is special category — it is, but only if it reveals a person's physical or mental health status, not just a generic sick note.

Test yourself: if a question lists 'criminal convictions' or 'salary', cross it out — it is not special category. For a quick recall, think of the ten items as the ones that could be used to discriminate against someone in a job or social setting. If you can tie each item to a real-world example, like a trade-union membership card or a genetic test result, you will lock the list in memory without needing a separate checklist.