# Take/do an exam



## juandavidcrog

Hey everyone.

I've heard people use these two verbs in this expression but I'd like you to tell me which one you would use the most or which one sounds more natural nowadays.

"I took/did an exam"

Thanks in advance.


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## sdgraham

In the U.S., we take exams.

Note, however, that your "Hey boys" greeting is insulting to the many female members of this forum.


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## Cagey

What you do during an exam varies with region, as this long thread demonstrates to have an exam.

[Both men and women (OR boys and girls) contribute to the forum.  Some people use "everybody" as a gender neutral greeting.  You will see other solutions as well.]


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## juandavidcrog

So it wouldn't be possible to say "to do an exam" my oxford dictionary says it is possible


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## Loob

It's certainly possible in BrE to say "do an exam".

See this post by someone who seems strangely familiar in the thread Cagey linked to


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## panjandrum

A lot depends on the context - as well as the region.
For example, it would be common to refer to a specific exam, not just an exam - specific by subject (a French exam) or by level (my finals).
I'm doing A-levels this year.
I have a French exam tomorrow morning.
All fees must be paid before you sit your final examinations.


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## loureed4

and do you say: "I will *make *a French exam tomorrow morning" ?


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## Sparky Malarky

loureed4 said:


> and do you say: "I will *make *a French exam tomorrow morning" ?



No.  Unless you are the teacher and you are writing the exam, even then you would probably say "I will prepare an exam."


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## loureed4

I see ! . Thanks Sparky.


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## Pauline Meryle

"To take an exam" is the standard expression. You never "do" or "make" a specific exam.

"I have an exam tomorrow" is just a way of saying it's on your schedule.


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## Loob

Pauline GFG said:


> ... You never "do" or "make" a specific exam. ...


I'm intrigued, Pauline.  "I did my French exam last week" works for me.  Not for you?


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## Pauline Meryle

Loob,
I'd say "took" or perhaps "had". Well, I've learnt another variant – thanks!


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## HajiSahib

Hi Dear BE speakers, 
Could someone please let me know the difference in meaning between "to take an exam" and "to do an exam"? Thanks.


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## Florentia52

HajiSahib said:


> Hi Dear BE speakers,
> Could someone please let me know the difference in meaning between "to take an exam" and "to do an exam"? Thanks.


Please give us the complete sentence in which you would use the phrase, and the context for that sentence.


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## HajiSahib

The context is:
CSS (Central Superior Services) is the name of a competitive examination held in February every year. People are allocated to Civil Service at different posts after passing the written and viva voce exam. (CSS exam consists of three phases: 1) written exam 2) medical examination 3) viva voce exam.)

I am 45-year old. I am working in Police Service of Pakistan_. I *did/took* the CSS (exam) in 2000._


Now please let me know what the difference in meaning is between "take an exam" and "do an exam".

Thanks.


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## Barque

I consider "did" unsuitable for that sentence. I'm not certain that no one would use it however.

"Took" means you wrote the exam. By itself, it doesn't say anything about whether you passed or failed it. The previous sentence tells us that you cleared it.


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## HajiSahib

Thanks!


Barque said:


> I consider "did" unsuitable for that sentence


May I ask why?


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## Barque

It just sounds odd to me.


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## Keith Bradford

There's no difference in *meaning*, but there's a difference in *style*.  To "do" an exam suggests that you can't remember the correct words (_take... sit... undergo._..) so you choose the simplest verb you can think of: "do".  It's lazy and sloppy.


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## HajiSahib

Keith Bradford said:


> There's no difference in *meaning*, but there's a difference in *style*.  To "do" an exam suggests that you can't remember the correct words (_take... sit... undergo._..) so you choose the simplest verb you can think of: "do".  It's lazy and sloppy.


Is "do an exam" idiomatic in BE? I mean: do native speakers of BE say/write this?


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## heypresto

No. 

Note: I am 45-year *45 years old*. I am working in *the *Police Service of Pakistan_. _I did *took/sat* the CSS (exam) in 2000.


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## Barque

HajiSahib said:


> Is "do an exam" idiomatic in BE? I mean: do native speakers of BE say/write this?


You're asking this question of a BE speaker who's just told you he considers it lazy and sloppy. Did you even read the post you quoted?


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## HajiSahib

Barque said:


> You're asking this question of a BE speaker who's just told you he considers it lazy and sloppy. Did you even read the post you quoted?


But below in post # 21, another BE sepakeer said 'do' isn't idiomatic in British English.


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## heypresto

I give up.


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## Barque

HajiSahib said:


> But below in post # 21, another BE sepakeer said 'do' isn't idiomatic in British English.


What's the connection between post 21 and your statement?

In case you haven't realised, both those BE speakers were advising against using that word.


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## HajiSahib

My question was that whether native speakers of B.E. use 'do' with "exam" or not. I mean: Is "do an exam" idiomatic?


Though Keith said it's lazy and sloppy, it was not clear whether native speakers use it or not.


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## heypresto

If you want to speak lazy, sloppy and unidiomatic English, go ahead . . .


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## london calling

Loob said:


> I'm intrigued, Pauline.  "I did my French exam last week" works for me.  Not for you?


So none of you would ever say this? I find it hard to believe.


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## Pedro y La Torre

Keith Bradford said:


> There's no difference in *meaning*, but there's a difference in *style*.  To "do" an exam suggests that you can't remember the correct words (_take... sit... undergo._..) so you choose the simplest verb you can think of: "do".  It's lazy and sloppy.



I couldn't disagree more. There's nothing lazy or sloppy about using "do" in my form of English. It's a perfectly acceptable variant.


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## HajiSahib

london calling said:


> So none of you would ever say this? I find it hard to believe.


What's your point, Lc? I think you mistakenly quoted Loob in your post 28.


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## london calling

HajiSahib said:


> What's your point, Lc? I think you mistakenly quoted Loob in your post 28.


I did nothing of the sort. I suggest you read my post again. Loob maintains that "I did my French exam last week" is fine. I agree. In colloquial speech I see nothing wrong with it at all.


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## HajiSahib

london calling said:


> So none of you would ever say this? I find it hard to believe.


Who were you addressing here?


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## london calling

HajiSahib said:


> Who were you addressing here?


Other native speakers.


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## HajiSahib

london calling said:


> Other native speakers.


Your point of view is that "do" can be used in informal English, but shouldn't be used in formal type English. Right?


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## Keith Bradford

"To take an exam" is fifteen times more common than "to do an exam".
"To take an exam" is at least three times as precise as "to do an exam".
How many more explanations do you need?


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## london calling

I need no further explanations, thank you Keith. Answer my post 28, if you will (and lay off the patronising tone, please).


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## Pedro y La Torre

Keith Bradford said:
			
		

> "To take an exam" is at least three times as precise as "to do an exam


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## HajiSahib

Keith Bradford said:


> "To take an exam" is fifteen times more common than "to do an exam".


Common among whom? Native speakers? 
Do you have some proof/authentication that shows that "to take an exam" is fifteen times more common than "to do an exam"?


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## Keith Bradford

london calling said:


> I need no further explanations, thank you Keith. Answer my post 28, if you will (and lay off the patronising tone, please).



Sorry, I was talking to HajiSahib, not you.

I've said that "do" occurs in 1/16th of occurences, so clearly some people do use it.  (Source Google Ngram Viewer)  But that disparity suggests to me that there may be something lacking in it.  I suggest that it's the vagueness of "do" that makes it unsatisfactory.
Pedro, my point about precision is that "do" also has (in certain contexts) the meanings "prepare, organise..." and "fake, sabotage...".  Clearly, a careful speaker won't want to leave those ideas lying about when he has a much more accurate word available.


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## london calling

Ok, thanks Keith.

That said, in English language teaching it is common practice to encourage students to use a specific verb ina a given context instead of 'do' , which is fine, a very good thing. That does not mean that native speakers should be condemned for not doing so all the time, especially in speech, where even we (teachers) don't always practise what we preach.

PS. I am a trained TEFL teacher (I taught for 10 years or so).


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## Peter_Gabriel

Keith Bradford said:


> There's no difference in *meaning*, but there's a difference in *style*.  To "do" an exam suggests that you can't remember the correct words (_take... sit... undergo._..) so you choose the simplest verb you can think of: "do".  It's lazy and sloppy.


I agree with you!


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## bgw

I had the same argument with an English person, who said "do an exam" was right. I am an English teacher and I have always said "tale/sit an exam"


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## london calling

Read the previous posts _. Do_ is fine, if a little lazy.


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## 2PieRad

_Take _or _write_, though apparently some people will have issues with _write_. (See the thread linked in #3.)

_Do an exam _generally doesn't work here, but I'd be okay with something like this, where the correct verb has already been used:

-I'm _writing _the MCAT (medical college admission test) this year.
-Oh cool. I _did _it last year. 

But this applies in other contexts too, I think:

-We _climbed _the Rockies and the Andes last year. This year, we're planning to _do _Everest and Kilimanjaro. 

It's casual, and I suppose it can be a bit "lazy".


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## natkretep

Sparky Malarky said:


> No.  Unless you are the teacher and you are writing the exam, even then you would probably say "I will prepare an exam."


For that meaning, I would say, 'I will set an exam' - I think this is fairly standard in BrE.

If the context is informal, I have no problems about talking about doing an exam.

If the context is formal, you sit an exam (sometimes also 'sit for an exam' too) or take an exam.


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## london calling

natkretep said:


> For that meaning, I would say, 'I will set an exam' - I think this is fairly standard in BrE.
> 
> If the context is informal, I have no problems about talking about doing an exam.
> 
> If the context is formal, you sit an exam (sometimes also 'sit for an exam' too) or take an exam.


Agreed.


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