Have you ever taken a test in Chinese, whether HSK or any other test? In fact, have you ever taken any kind of exam at all? We’re sure you have! Whether you are studying Mandarin or something else, you surely must have taken a test for it, and talked about it with others. So, in this article, we will talk about words that are related to exams.
About the Exam
Here are some general words about exams, how to call them in Chinese, whether they are easy or hard, and some other words that can help you express what you are doing about taking these tests.
| 考试 | kǎoshì | examination |
| 人数 | rénshù | Number of people |
| 难 | nán | difficult |
| 容易 | róngyì | easy |
| 复习 | fùxí | review |
| 参加 | cānjiā | participate |
| 熬夜 | áoyè | stay up late |
考试 means “examination,” which is a noun. We can also use “考” independently as a verb which still means “ to test”. For example,
考汉语 （Kǎo hànyǔ）
Take the Chinese language exam
我这个月要考驾照。（Wǒ zhège yuè yào kǎo jiàzhào.）
I will take a driving license this month.
我考考你认识这个字吗？（Wǒ kǎo kǎo nǐ rènshì zhège zì ma?）
I want to test if you know this word?
About the Subjects
Of course, it is not only Chinese that you take a test for. There are so many other subject matters that have exams. Below are some words that cover some various subjects that you may have taken or will take a test for.
| 汉语 | Hànyǔ | Chinese |
| 外语 | wàiyǔ | foreign language |
| 翻译 | fānyì | translation |
| 数学 | shùxué | mathematics |
| 物理 | wùlǐ | Physics |
| 化学 | huàxué | Chemistry |
| 体育 | tǐyù | physical education |
| 商务 | shāngwù | Business |
| 政治 | zhèngzhì | Politics |
| 历史 | lìshǐ | History |
| 地理 | dìlǐ | Geography |
| 艺术 | yìshù | Art |
| 音乐 | yīnyuè | Music |
| 生物 | shēngwù | biology |
About the Mood
Taking an exam can be an emotional experience. You will surely feel many things when you take various exams in your life. Below are some words that express those kinds of emotions:
| 害怕 | hàipà | Scared |
| 担心 | dānxīn | worry |
| 紧张 | jǐnzhāng | tension |
| 有把握 | yǒu bǎwò | confident |
| 期待 | qīdài | look forward to |
| 激动 | jīdòng | excitement |
For example:
我很期待这次汉语考试。（Wǒ hěn qīdài zhè cì hànyǔ kǎoshì.）
I am very much looking forward to this Chinese test.
每次考试我都很紧张。（Měi cì kǎoshì wǒ dōu hěn jǐnzhāng.）
I get very nervous every time I take an exam.
我害怕考得不好。（Wǒ hàipà kǎo de bù hǎo.）
I am afraid that I didn`t get a good test result.
你对这次HSK有把握吗？（Nǐ duì zhè cì HSK yǒu bǎwò ma?）
Are you confident about this HSK?
别担心！你肯定没问题！（Bié dānxīn! Nǐ kěndìng méi wèntí!）
Do not worry! You are definitely no problem!
About the Test Results
Of course, after the test, you will have to say if you passed or not, and if you did well or not. Below are the words to express how you did on your test after you have finished it.
| 成绩 | Chéngji | Grade |
| 分数 | fēnshù | Score |
| 优秀 | yōuxiù | excellent |
| 良好 | liánghǎo | Good |
| 及格 | jígé | Pass |
| 不及格 | Bù jí gé | Fail |
| 差 | chà | Bad |