kǎo shì
examination
我明天要考试。
wǒ míngtiān yào kǎoshì.
I have an exam tomorrow.
考试很难。
kǎoshì hěn nán.
The exam is difficult.
我通过了考试。
wǒ tōngguòle kǎoshì.
I passed the exam.
测验 (cèyàn)
test
考试 (kǎoshì)
exam
考核 (kǎohé)
assessment
及格 (jígé)
pass
不及格 (bùjígé)
fail
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The Chinese word 考试 (kǎoshì) for "exam" or "test" is composed of two characters: 考 (kǎo) and 试 (shì). The character 考 originally meant "to investigate" or "to examine," and it was often used in the context of official examinations during ancient China. The character 试, on the other hand, originally meant "to try" or "to experiment," and it was often used in the context of testing or evaluating someone's knowledge or skills. When these two characters are combined, they form the word 考试, which specifically refers to the process of taking an exam or being tested.
