An exam can be an evaluation where someone must demonstrate that they have certain knowledge.
An exam is a test that is done to check the knowledge that a person has on a certain issue. In the educational field, teachers take tests on their students to confirm that they have understood the subjects taught: “I got a ten on the literature exam,” “I have to study for the mathematics exam.”
The term examination is linked to the concept of evaluation , which refers to pointing out, estimating, appreciating or calculating the value of something. In this sense, school exams are called evaluation: “The biology evaluation has been very difficult.”
Academic exams can be developed according to different paradigms. The positivist , for example, is based on a quantitative perspective, while the alternative disbelieves in the objectivity of evaluation. In other words, the first focuses on the search for accuracy, and the second appreciates a series of variables that exceed the limits of technical knowledge and transcend the level of correctness of the answers provided by the students.
Exam types
A very common type of exam is multiple response : the author establishes the questions and suggests several answers, and the examinee must decide which of them is correct for each question. On the other hand, there are exams that seek logical answers, generally true or false : various propositions are given that must be analyzed to determine their level of truthfulness.
For both modalities, it is also common to require justification for each answer , thus reducing the possibility of cheating by students, such as copying someone else's exam or choosing an option at random. The same usually applies to oral exams, in which students are evaluated through a conversation in which questions are proposed and the definition of certain concepts is requested; In these cases, although there are not so many possibilities of deceiving teachers, the aim is to avoid studying by heart, without deepening the knowledge.
A doctor can perform an examination to know the clinical status of his patient and make a diagnosis.
Different evaluations
On the other hand, an exam is taken for subjects who must demonstrate their suitability for the exercise of a profession or trade: “Before being hired, I had to take an exam with five other applicants.” This exam is directly related to the job position in question, and there is no formal structure for its creation. In addition, some companies prefer employees without previous experience, to avoid the vices of each work environment; In these cases, it is likely that a software development company looking to hire a tester will not evaluate their capacity as such but rather their level of English.
Generally, foreign language students usually prepare to take internationally valid exams that prove their knowledge when looking for a job or simply with the aim of setting personal challenges. English is without a doubt among the most studied languages globally and, given that there are considerable differences between its American, British and Australian versions, there is also a wide variety of exams, such as the First Certificate, the TOEFL and the FCE. In the case of Japanese, given that one of the greatest difficulties of the language lies in learning the more than two thousand characters that it shares with Chinese, there are specific tests to evaluate said learning.
Physical examination
The physical examination is the set of procedures that a doctor performs on the patient after the clinical interview. Its objective is to obtain objective data or signs that refer to the symptoms mentioned by the patient.
In this way, the physical examination allows the specialist to make a diagnosis or clinical judgment, which may require other tests to confirm the existing syndrome or disease .