- an examination of somebody’s knowledge or ability, consisting of questions for them to answer or activities for them to perform
- an IQ test
- test on something a test on irregular verbs
- test in something Students take standardized tests in English and maths.
- (British English also) to do a test
- to pass/fail a test
- in a test (British English) a good mark in the test
- on a test (North American English) a good score on the test
Collocations EducationEducationLearning- acquire/get/lack (an) education/training/(British English) (some) qualifications
- receive/provide somebody with training/tuition
- develop/design/plan a curriculum/(especially British English) course/(North American English) program/syllabus
- give/go to/attend a class/lesson/lecture/seminar
- hold/run/conduct a class/seminar/workshop
- sign up for/take a course/classes/lessons
- go to/start preschool/kindergarten/nursery school
- be in (North American English) the first, second, etc. grade/(British English) year 1, 2. etc. (at school)
- study/take/drop history/chemistry/German, etc.
- (British English) leave/finish/drop out of/ (North American English) quit school
- (North American English) graduate high school/college
- be the victim/target of bullying
- (British English) play truant from/ (both British English, informal) bunk off/skive off school (= not go to school when you should)
- (both especially North American English) skip/cut class/school
- (British English) cheat in/(North American English) cheat on an exam/a test
- get/be given a detention (for doing something)
- be expelled from/be suspended from school
- do your homework/(British English) revision/a project on something
- work on/write/do/submit an essay/a dissertation/a thesis/an assignment/(North American English) a paper
- finish/complete your dissertation/thesis/studies/coursework
- hand in/ (North American English) turn in your homework/essay/assignment/paper
- study/prepare/ (British English) revise/ (North American English) review/ (North American English, informal) cram for a test/an exam
- take/ (both British English) do/sit a test/an exam
- (especially British English) mark/ (especially North American English) grade homework/a test
- (British English) do well in/ (North American English) do well on/ (especially North American English, informal) ace a test/an exam
- pass/fail/ (especially North American English, informal) flunk a test/an exam/a class/a course/a subject
- apply to/get into/go to/start college/(British English) university
- leave/graduate from law school/college/(British English) university (with a degree in computer science)
- study for/take/ (British English) do/complete a law degree/a degree in physics
- (both North American English) major/minor in biology/philosophy
- earn/receive/be awarded/get/have/hold a master’s degree/a bachelor’s degree/a PhD in economics
More About examsexamssee also cloze test, driving test- 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 North American English. Quiz in both North American English and British English also means a contest in which people try to answer questions:
- a trivia quiz
- a quiz show.
Extra ExamplesTopics Educationa1- He scored well in the placement test and was put in the most advanced class.
- Some of the questions in the history test were rather difficult.
- Subjects had to attend ten test sessions on different days.
- The recruits were put through a week of demanding endurance tests.
- This type of exam does not provide a fair test of the student's knowledge.
- a test on the French Revolution
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- demanding
- difficult
- gruelling/grueling
- …
- do
- sit
- take
- …
- result
- score
- conditions
- …
- in a/the test
- on a/the test
- test in
- …
- a medical examination to discover what is wrong with you or to check the condition of your health
- The hospital is doing some tests.
- We'll need to perform a series of tests.
- test for something screening tests for cancer
- Three athletes were sent home after failing drugs tests.
- The pregnancy test was positive.
- negative/positive test results
Extra ExamplesTopics Healthcarea2- When can I get my test results?
- The test used in detecting the disease carries its own risks.
- The urine test showed some sort of infection.
- Dip the test strip in the urine sample.
- He developed a simple test for diabetes.
- a test designed to detect bowel cancer
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- exhaustive
- extensive
- rigorous
- …
- number
- series
- have
- undergo
- carry out
- …
- take place
- confirm something
- demonstrate something
- …
- result
- data
- statistics
- …
- test for
- test on
- an experiment to discover whether or how well something works, or to find out more information about it
- the results of laboratory tests
- to conduct a nuclear test
- Tests have shown high levels of pollutants in the water.
- I'll run a diagnostic test to determine why the server keeps crashing.
Extra ExamplesTopics Scientific researcha2- Forensic tests showed that the man had been poisoned.
- Rigorous safety tests are being carried out on the new jet.
- The machine refused to perform correctly under test conditions.
- The new drink went down well in the test trials.
- The new system goes into beta test this month.
- The software is still at the test stage.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- exhaustive
- extensive
- rigorous
- …
- number
- series
- have
- undergo
- carry out
- …
- take place
- confirm something
- demonstrate something
- …
- result
- data
- statistics
- …
- test for
- test on
- a situation or an event that shows how good, strong, etc. somebody/something is
- The local elections will be a good test of the government's popularity.
- He saw their separation as a test of the strength of their love.
Extra Examples- The calls for tax reform pose a severe test for the government.
- The new president is facing his toughest political test so far.
- a real test of character
- The judge applied the wrong test in coming to his decision.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- good
- critical
- crucial
- …
- pose
- provide
- put somebody/something to the test
- …
- case
- the acid test
- the litmus test
- stand the test of time
- …
- Test(also Test match)a cricket or rugby match played between the teams of two different countries, usually as part of a series of matches on a tour
- They played well in the first Test against South Africa.
- He will be first choice for the opening test against the All Blacks.
of knowledge/ability
of health
of machine/product, etc.
of strength, etc.
in cricket, etc.
Word Originlate Middle English (denoting a container used to treat gold or silver alloys or ore): via Old French from Latin testu, testum ‘earthen pot’, variant of testa ‘jug, shell’. The verb dates from the early 17th cent.
Idioms
See test in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee test in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishput somebody/something to the test
- to put somebody/something in a situation that will show what their or its true qualities are
- His theories have never really been put to the test.
- The latest pay dispute has really put her management skills to the test.
stand the test of time
- to prove to be good, popular, etc. over a long period of time
- Whether this new technology will stand the test of time remains to be seen.
teach to the test
- to teach students only what is necessary in order to pass a particular test, rather than help them develop a range of skills
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