# What do you do with exams? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 20, 2006, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-with-exams/361380 "2006-06-20T01:46:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-with-exams/361380/1 "2006-06-20T01:46:15Z")
Do you take them? Write them? Do them? Sit for them? I confused the heck out of someone last week when I told him I was writing an exam. He thought I was actually making up questions for the exam, while I just meant that I’d be sitting at a desk _answering_ the questions. I’ve always spoken of “writing” exams. Sometimes I’ll say “take”, but not nearly as often. What do you say? I’m wondering if it’s a regional thing, so please mention your general location! ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-with-exams/361380/2 "2006-06-20T01:50:09Z")
I’m in the South (Georgia) and I’ve always “taken” exams, altho I have heard of “sitting for” exams. ---
**Author:** ![Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilvert_s_Pagan)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-with-exams/361380/3 "2006-06-20T01:52:33Z")
I would think you were composing the questions as well, and I’ve lived all over the US. I’ve usually heard “taking”, with “sitting for” typically reserved for more formal exams - the bar, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-with-exams/361380/4 "2006-06-20T01:54:55Z")
I take exams, although more commonly I take quizzes or tests, usually ‘exam’ is reserved for labelling finals. I’ve heard of ‘sitting’ and ‘writing’ and had a vague notion that those were UK terms. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-with-exams/361380/5 "2006-06-20T01:58:02Z")
Here you generally “do” an exam or “sit” an exam. A South African colleague always talks of “writing” her exams. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-with-exams/361380/6 "2006-06-20T02:42:25Z")
In my experience at two Canadian universities (University of Toronto and University of Alberta), one _takes_ courses, at the end of which one _writes_ exams. One or two of my older professors have spoken of “sitting an exam,” but that is not a common term, in my experience. ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-with-exams/361380/7 "2006-06-20T10:02:09Z")
I grew up “taking” exams. Then I entered an internationally-run program in high school, and by the end of it we all “sat” exams, and occasionally stuff from the program (which is headquarted in Cardiff, IIRC) referred to “writing” them. But whenever we talked about “sitting” exams with other, normal people at school, we got fairly odd looks. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-with-exams/361380/8 "2006-06-20T10:13:14Z")
Take. Virginia and New England experience, here. The responses from other areas of the world are typical, based on what I know, of the areas in question. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-with-exams/361380/9 "2006-06-20T10:19:13Z")
> [@Antigen](#): > > I’ve always spoken of “writing” exams. > > I’m wondering if it’s a regional thing, so please mention your general location! Just curious, are you the only one in your locale that actually says this, or do other people in your area use this term as well? ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-with-exams/361380/10 "2006-06-20T12:02:13Z")
I hail from Atlanta, originally, and I say “take” or “done”. I’ve noticed my Canadian friends say “write”. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-with-exams/361380/11 "2006-06-20T12:19:52Z")
I’ve always taken exams. However, in more formal usage, like grad school catalog program descriptions, I’ve seen “sit for” being used. ---
**Author:** ![silverfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e480ec/32.png) [@silverfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silverfish)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-with-exams/361380/12 "2006-06-20T13:48:14Z")
I would take, sit, or do an exam. I would assume you meant you made up questions for the exam, or set the exam, too. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-with-exams/361380/13 "2006-06-20T14:29:16Z")
Take. Sit for formal exams. Would also assume write meant you were preparing the exam for students. Minnesota ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-with-exams/361380/14 "2006-06-20T14:34:54Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > In my experience at two Canadian universities (University of Toronto and University of Alberta), one _takes_ courses, at the end of which one _writes_ exams. Coming from the east coast, it’s the same here. Taking or sitting and exam would be weird to my ears. Coming up with questions would be writting _up_ an exam. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-with-exams/361380/15 "2006-06-20T14:46:55Z")
I would always take exams, tests, and quizzes. I would write a paper, theme, thesis, or report. I would sit for an exam and take it. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-with-exams/361380/16 "2006-06-20T19:00:04Z")
I have a final in Econ on Thursday. I had my final for Econ last Thursday. I am taking my final (or taking my exam) for Econ right now. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-with-exams/361380/17 "2006-06-20T22:21:51Z")
> [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > Just curious, are you the only one in your locale that actually says this, or do other people in your area use this term as well? I’m not alone - I think it’s a fairly even split between saying “take” and “write” up here. Even I switch between the two. And I always _take_ quizzes, not _write_. And I really could not explain that one if you asked, so please don’t! ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-with-exams/361380/18 "2006-06-20T22:51:04Z")
I perform them. Physical exams, that is. Quizes/tests/etc, I _take_. ---
**Author:** ![hawksgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ed655f/32.png) [@hawksgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawksgirl)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-with-exams/361380/19 "2006-06-20T22:57:00Z")
In these parts, you take exams. Any other word placed in there will confuse people and make you sound a little odd. ---
**Author:** ![pendgwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3da27b/32.png) [@pendgwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pendgwen)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-with-exams/361380/20 "2006-06-20T23:33:23Z")
I take an exam. I have heard sit but don’t use it myself. For some reason I think of “sitting an exam” as a Britishism. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-with-exams/361380.md?page=2)