ex‧am S1 / ɪɡzæm / 名词 [可数名词]

1 a spoken or written test of knowledge, especially an important one :

At the end of each level, there’s an exam.

How did you do in your exams ?

2 American English the paper on which the questions for an exam are written :

Do not open your exams until I tell you.

3 American English a set of medical tests :

an eye exam

COLLOCATIONS

动词

take/do an exam ( also sit an exam British English ) We have to take exams at the end of each year.

pass an exam (= succeed in it ) Did you pass your final exam?

fail an exam If you fail the exam, you can retake it.

do well/badly in an exam British English , do well/badly on an exam AmE Maria always did well in her exams at school.

study for an exam ( also revise for an exam British English ) She has to study for her exams.

sail though an exam (= pass it easily ) Don’t worry - I’m sure you’ll sail through all your exams.

scrape through an exam (= only just pass it ) He managed to scrape through the exam and stay on the course.

flunk an exam American English informal (= fail it ) I flunked all my first year exams.

cheat in an exam British English , cheat on an exam AmE: She was caught cheating in the exam.

retake an exam ( also resit an exam British English ) (= take it again because you did not do well the first time ) If you don’t do well, you’ll have to resit the exam in January.

ADJECTIVES/NOUN + exam

a chemistry/French etc exam I knew I wouldn’t pass the German exam.

a written exam There is a written exam at the end of the course.

an oral exam (= in which you answer questions by speaking ) I have my French oral exams next week.

a mock exam British English (= one that you do to practise for the real exams ) He did well in the mock exams.

a practical exam (= in which you have to make or do things ) There’s a practical exam as well as a written one.

a final exam (= at the end of a course ) The students take their final exams in June.

the end of year/term exam BrE: I knew I had to do well in the end of year exams.

high school exams Greg got good grades in all of his high school exams.

an entrance exam (= in order to enter a school or university ) Jane passed the entrance exam but decided not to go.

a professional exam (= to qualify in a profession, for example to be an accountant ) Once you’ve passed your professional exams, you can start to build up your experience.

the bar exam (= in order to become a lawyer ) He is studying for the bar exam.

board exams American English (= in order to become a nurse or doctor ) He failed his board exams in psychiatry.

exam + NOUN

exam results The school achieves consistently good exam results.

an exam paper I’ve still got dozens of exam papers to mark.

an exam question Read the exam questions carefully before writing your answers.

exam revision BrE: I have to do my exam revision this weekend.

exam practice Schools say they have to spend too much time doing exam practice.

an exam essay/script (= that someone has written during an exam ) I’ve brought in some old exam scripts for us to look at.

exam technique (= good ways to succeed in exams ) Mr Frasier gave us some useful tips on exam technique.

exam marks Pupils were divided into classes with a similar range of ability, based on their previous exam marks.

COMMON ERRORS

► Do not say ’ make an exam ‘. Say take an exam or do an exam .

THESAURUS

test a set of questions or practical activities, which are intended to find out how much someone knows about a subject or skill : I have a chemistry test tomorrow. | Did Lauren pass her driving test?

exam ( also examination formal ) an important test that you do at the end of a course of study or class or at the end of the school year : He’s upstairs, revising for an exam. | When do you get your exam results? | There’s a written examination at the end of the course.

quiz American English a quick test that a teacher gives to a class, usually to check that students are learning the things they should be learning : We have a math quiz every Monday. | a pop quiz (= a quiz given by a teacher without any warning )

finals British English the last exams that you take at the end of a British university course : During my finals I was revising till 3 o’clock in the morning most days.

final American English an important test that you take at the end of a particular class in high school or college : The English final was pretty hard.

midterm American English an important test that you take in the middle of a term, covering what you have learned in a particular class in high school or college : He did badly in the midterm.

oral exam ( also oral British English ) an exam in which you answer questions by speaking, instead of writing, for example to test how good you are at speaking a foreign language : Nicky got an A in her Spanish oral. | You can either take an oral exam or do a 25 page essay.

practical British English an exam that tests your ability to do or make things, rather than your ability to write about them : The chemistry practical is on Monday.

mocks/mock exams British English informal tests that you take as practice before the official examinations : She did well in the mocks.

paper British English a set of printed questions used as an examination in a particular subject, or the answers people write : The history paper was really difficult. | The papers are marked by the other teachers.