exam

Universal Words (also formal examination) noun a formal written, spoken or practical test, especially at school or college, to see how much you know about a subject, or what you can do: to take an exam * (formal) to sit an exam * to pass / fail an exam * (BrE) to mark an exam * (AmE) to grade an exam * an exam paper * I got my exam results today. * (BrE) She did well in her exams. * (AmE) She did well on her exams. * A lot of students suffer from exam nerves. * He's practising hard for his piano exam. HELPNOTE Use take / do / sit an exam not _w_r_i_t_e_ _a_n_ _e_x_a_m_. ______________________________ WHICHWORD? exam / examination / test / quiz Exam is the usual word for a written, spoken or practical test at school or college, especially an important one that you need to do in order to get a qualification. Examination is a very formal word. A test is something that students might be given in addition to, or sometimes instead of, regular exams, to see how much they have learned. A very short informal test is called a quiz in AmE. Quiz in both AmE and BrE also means a contest in which people try to answer questions: a trivia quiz * a quiz show. ______________________________