Of course! Here are several English essays about exams, ranging from a general descriptive essay to a more personal narrative, and one that explores the deeper feelings associated with exams. Each is followed by key vocabulary and phrases to help you with your own writing.
Essay 1: The General Experience of an Exam
This essay describes the typical atmosphere and process of taking a major exam, like a final exam. The Crucible of the Exam Hall**
The air in the exam hall is thick and heavy, a strange mixture of concentration and anxiety. It hangs like a palpable fog, broken only by the soft, rhythmic scratching of pens on paper and the occasional, sharp intake of breath from a student staring at a particularly difficult question. This is the scene of a modern academic ritual: the examination. It is a crucible designed to test not just knowledge, but also endurance, time management, and the ability to perform under pressure.
From the moment the papers are distributed, a wave of silence sweeps over the room. The initial shuffling and murmurs cease as everyone bends over their desks, their faces a mask of intense focus. For the first few minutes, the only sounds are the tearing of paper from the booklets and the frantic scratching of those who have already begun. For others, there is a period of stunned silence as they read the questions, their minds racing to connect the prompts with months of study. This is the moment of truth, where the abstract concepts learned in lectures must be transformed into coherent, written arguments.
Time becomes the most formidable opponent. The clock on the wall ticks with an unnerving slowness, yet its hands seem to speed up as the end of the exam approaches. Students begin to fidget, shifting in their seats and glancing nervously at the remaining time. A bead of sweat might trace a path down a temple, or a quiet sigh might escape from a student who realizes they are running out of time for a question they thought they knew. This pressure is the true test. It’s not enough to know the material; one must also know how to deploy it effectively within the strict confines of the clock.
Finally, the invigilator calls out, "Pens down." A collective, audible sigh of relief ripples through the hall. The tense atmosphere dissolves almost instantly as students slump back in their chairs, looking drained and exhausted. The pens are put down, the papers are collected, and the silent army of students emerges blinking into the light, having completed their task. The exam hall, once a place of intense pressure, is now just a room, and the students are left to wait, hoping their performance was enough.
Essay 2: A Personal Narrative: The Day of the Big Exam
This essay tells the story of one specific exam day from a first-person perspective. My Battle with the Calculus Final**
The alarm clock blared at 6:00 AM, but I was already wide awake, my stomach a knot of anxiety. Today was the day of my Calculus II final, the exam that would determine half my grade for the semester. I had spent weeks preparing, drowning myself in practice problems and late-night study sessions, but a nagging voice in my head told me it would never be enough.
I ate a quick, tasteless breakfast, my mind already running through formulas and theorems. The bus ride to campus was a blur. I saw other students, some looking calm and confident, others looking as panicked as I felt. We were all soldiers marching toward the same battlefield. As I walked toward the lecture hall, my palms began to sweat. The doors loomed ahead, and I could hear the low hum of voices from inside.
Finding my seat, I laid out my pens, my calculator, and my student ID. I took a deep breath and tried to recall my teacher's advice: "Trust your preparation." The professor began speaking, his voice calm and authoritative. He explained the rules, and then the moment came: "You may now begin."
I flipped open the exam booklet. My eyes scanned the first page. Question 1 looked okay. Question 2 was a bit trickier. Then I got to Question 3. My heart sank. It was a type of problem I had struggled with and, in my late-night panic, had convinced myself I wouldn't be on the test. My mind went completely blank. For a terrifying minute, I couldn't remember a single thing. I felt a wave of panic rise in my chest.
I forced myself to look away and take another deep breath. Okay, calm down. Start with what you know. I skipped Question 3 and moved on to the others. As I worked through problems I was more comfortable with, a strange sense of calm began to settle over me. My brain started to click back into gear. By the time I returned to Question 30 minutes later, I could see the path to the solution. It wasn't easy, but I knew what to do.
The rest of the exam was a blur of scribbling numbers and erasing mistakes. When the professor announced "Time's up," I felt a wave of exhaustion, but also a strange sense of relief. I had faced the monster, and I had fought it. Whether I had won or not was no longer the most important thing. I had survived. As I handed in my paper, I knew that no matter the grade, I had passed a different kind of test that day.
Essay 3: The Emotional Rollercoaster of Exams
This essay focuses on the feelings and psychological journey associated with exams. The Emotional Gauntlet**
Exams are more than just an assessment of knowledge; they are an emotional gauntlet that every student must run. The journey begins with a period of hopeful optimism, a belief that if you just study a little more, you can master the subject. This is followed by weeks of diligent, often grueling, work. Then comes the night before, a special kind of purgatory where the lines between "well-prepared" and "doomed" blur into a state of anxious limbo.
The night before an exam is a study in contrasts. The desk is a mountain of textbooks and notes, a physical representation of the knowledge you hope to have absorbed. The coffee is hot and bitter, a fuel for the late-night mind. There is a quiet desperation in the air, a shared understanding among fellow sufferers. You flip through chapters, trying to cram every last definition and formula into your already-overloaded brain. Doubt is a constant companion. "What if I forget everything?" "What if the exam is on the one topic I skipped?" These thoughts echo in the silence, making sleep a precious and elusive commodity.
Finally, the exam day arrives. The walk to the exam hall feels like a procession to judgment. The silence inside is deafening, broken only by the sound of thoughts racing and hearts pounding. For some, this is a moment of pure adrenaline, a chance to showcase their hard work. For others, it is a nightmare. The sight of a difficult question can trigger a cascade of panic, a feeling of helplessness as the mind goes blank. This is the peak of the emotional rollercoaster—a terrifying drop from confidence to despair in a matter of seconds.
And then, it's over. The feeling of handing in that paper is one of the most profound in a student's life. It’s a mix of exhaustion, relief, and a dawning sense of uncertainty. The immediate aftermath is often a strange, happy emptiness. The pressure is gone, and for a few hours, you can simply breathe. The emotional journey is complete, leaving behind only the wait for a verdict that will feel, in many ways, like the beginning of the next cycle all over again.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases for Your Essay
Here is a list of useful words and expressions you can use to describe exams in your own writing.
Nouns (名词)
- Anxiety / Nervousness: 焦虑 / 紧张
- Pressure: 压力
- Stress: 压力 (与pressure类似，但更侧重于身心反应)
- Panic: 恐慌
- Relief: 释然，如释重负
- Exhaustion / Fatigue: 筋疲力尽
- Doubt: 怀疑
- Confidence: 自信
- Invigilator / Proctor: 监考老师
- Time limit / Deadline: 时间限制
- Crucible / Crucial Test: 严峻的考验
- Battlefield / Gauntlet: 战场 / 必须经历的危险或困难
- Hurdle: 障碍，难关
Verbs (动词)
- To cram (for an exam): (为考试)临时抱佛脚，死记硬背
- To panic: 感到恐慌
- To stress out: (使)变得紧张
- To blank out / Go blank: 脑子一片空白
- To struggle with: 在...方面挣扎，感到困难
- To ace an exam: 考得非常好，轻松通过
- To face / Confront a challenge: 面对挑战
- To endure / Withstand pressure: 承受压力
- To revise / Review (for an exam): (为考试)复习
