kǎo
test; examine
我在考试。
wǒ zài kǎo shì.
I am taking a test.
他考上了大学。
tā kǎo shàng le dà xué.
He was admitted to university.
你考了多少分？
nǐ kǎo le duō shǎo fēn?
How many points did you get on the test?
测验 (cèyàn)
test
考试 (kǎoshì)
exam
考核 (kǎohé)
assessment
及格 (jígé)
pass
通过 (tōngguò)
pass
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The Chinese character 考 (kǎo) is composed of two parts: the radical 言 (yán), which means "speech" or "language," and the phonetic component 考 (kǎo), which is a pictograph of a person holding a brush and writing. The character 考 originally meant "to examine" or "to test," and it was often used in the context of imperial examinations, which were used to select officials for government positions. Over time, the meaning of 考 has expanded to include other forms of testing and evaluation, such as school exams and standardized tests. The character 考 can also be used as a verb meaning "to consider" or "to think about," and it can also be used as a noun meaning "an examination" or "a test."
