Some of my students have taken English exams this year, with others due to take exams in May. I too have just had the experience of taking an exam - my first in many years - in Italian.
The experience of being in my students’ shoes was very strange. Completing Listening and Reading papers with Xs in boxes then transferring this to a confusing answer sheet. Writing between 100 and 150 words about 2 different topics I cared little to nothing about, counting the words, correcting my mistakes (hopefully!) and rewriting everything, all under time pressure. Then Speaking for 2 minutes about myself, with no prompt questions, to 2 strangers who timed and recorded me, followed by a fake collaborative task with my partner then, the grand finale, a 3 minute monologue about another topic I cared little to nothing about ... and I had a choice of 3 topics and chose “the best”. And now the waiting for the result and certificate.
To all language students reading this and to anyone who’s got an exam coming up, I wish you all the best of luck: I understand how you may be feeling. Keep your minds open, your pens or pencils at the ready, and when it’s over ... relax!
And remember - an exam is just a selfie of what you can do on that day with that exam task in front of you, it does not define you.