Vocabulary
EXAMS vocabulary
● GENERAL
➡ To take/sit/write/have an exam/test
I have my driving test tomorrow.
All students will be sitting their exams at the end of May
(Russian speakers, note…you CAN’T say: I will pass my exams next week… unless you have bribed the examiner and already know your results.
➡ To pass/fail an exam
I passed my exam because I rubbed a dog’s nose in a Moscow metro station.
I failed my exam because I didn’t study :(((
● RESULTS
➡ To pass with flying colours
Meaning – to pass a test easily with no effort
➡ To cream the test
Meaning – to pass a test easily with no effort.
➡ To fluke an exam/test (a fluke) – slang!!!
Meaning – to pass luckily
I only studied one topic out of 50 and by luck, the exam asked about that one topic. What a fluke!
● POSITIVE
➡ To blag it – slang!!!
Meaning – to pass by sheer luck with no preparation
– How did you pass?
– I just blagged it to be honest!”
(you can blag a job interview = you didn’t prepare but you managed to do well)
➡ To scrape through
Meaning – to just pass
The pass mark was 50% and I got 51%. So I just scrapped through.
➡ To barely pass
Meaning – to just pass
– Well done on your test!
– What, but I got 51%. I barely passed. But I suppose it’s still a pass!
➡ To get through
Meaning – to just pass
I managed to get through the exam, just!
➡ A borderline pass
Meaning – a pass but close to failing
Many students at university get a borderline pass because they’re lazy bastards.
● NEGATIVE
➡ To resit/retake an exam
Meaning – to do it again because you failed
➡ To miss the mark
Meaning – to just fail
The pass mark was 50% and I got 49. Oh, I just missed the mark. Facepalm 😩
➡ To fail miserably
Meaning – to fail really badly
I failed my driving test miserably because I parked the car in the window of a shop.
➡ To mess up – slang!!!
Meaning – to perform really badly
I messed up my driving test because I didn’t know how to use the brakes.
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Mastering exam-specific vocabulary makes such a huge difference in confidence. Thanks for sharing this practical resource!
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Is it designed for high school students, or would it be a good fit for adult learners preparing for proficiency exams too?
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Thank you for sharing this excellent resource collection! To help learners internalize these specific exam keywords effectively, do you find that contextual flashcards or sentence-building exercises work better for long-term retention?