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Grammar fix

school exam

test

A formal test that students take at school to check their knowledge or skills in a subject.

collocationB1common

Hear it in context

Notice where the phrase sounds natural.

  • I have a school exam in maths next week, so I need to study hard.education
  • In my country, students usually have to take several school exams at the end of each term to show what they have learned.IELTS speaking

Fix the pattern

Pattern: school exam (noun phrase); take/sit/pass/fail a school exam

WrongI will do an exam tomorrow.

RightI'll take an exam tomorrow.

You TAKE/sit an exam (BrE 'sit'), not 'do' one.

Patternschool exam (noun phrase); take/sit/pass/fail a school exam

Use it right

Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.

Stiff The pupils will undergo a formal scholastic assessment.

Natural The students have a school exam next week.

'Undergo a formal scholastic assessment' is jargon; 'have an exam' is normal.

Build natural chunks

Words that usually travel with it.

  • a school exam
    take an examsit an exampass an examfail an exam

Don't confuse it

A 'school exam' is usually given by your school, not a national or international test like IELTS.

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