1. The first ever exam was hundreds of years ago. 
Way before calculators and pencils, ancient Chinese officials were sitting super tough exams in 605 AD to become government workers. They had to memorise entire books of poetry and philosophy.  

2. Don’t forget a cushion! 
You’d need it for one of the hardest exams in the world; in India the exam to join the government lasts nearly 30 hours, and can take two years or more to prepare for.  Called the Civil Services Exam, candidates sit a number of papers over many days. It makes a 2-hour maths test look like a walk in the park – well, a park full of sums! 

3. There are people who love taking exams 
Yes, really. Some people take loads of exams just for fun. A man named Michael Nicholson has passed 30 University Degrees which is pretty amazing as even one degree can take three years to complete. He probably has a whole cupboard just for certificates…  Still, it proves exams don’t always have to be scary – they can be satisfying too. Especially if you collect them like Pokémon. Gotta pass ’em all! 

4. You can get qualifications in climbing, coding – or cooking! 

Not all exams happen in classrooms. In the UK, there are awards for just about everything – from coding certificates to cooking badges to indoor rock climbing levels. You might even get qualifications through Scouts, Guides, LAMDA, or after-school clubs. The cool part? Many of these test real-life skills like teamwork, speaking clearly or solving problems. So if you’re not keen on writing essays but love building robots or baking brownies, don’t worry – there’s probably a test (and a badge!) for that. 

5.  Locked up til Launch! 

The first school exams in the UK were in 1858 – over 150 years ago.  The examiner would travel to the school in a flowing gown, carrying the papers in a locked box.  These days papers are sent to the schools directly, but its still super important that no one sees the papers before the exam – that’s why for things like GCSEs everyone in the country will sit the same exam at the same time – so no one gets an early peek to share with others later in the day! 

6. Exam hall rules are wild 
In most exam halls, you can’t bring a bag, and your phone is definitely banned – but for some exams you can’t have a label on your water bottle and pencil cases have to be completely clear! Students are sometimes even scanned with metal detectors before big exams to stop devices being smuggled in.  

7. In Japan, exam snacks are good luck charms 
Students in Japan often eat KitKats before exams. Why? Because in Japanese, “Kitto Katsu” sounds like “you will surely win!” It’s basically a tasty good luck charm. Parents also buy lucky pencils, charms, and even special exam stationery. Maybe we need more chocolate-based motivation? 

8. The stone the sand and the scary exam! 
Back in medieval times at the University of Glasgow and St Andrews, students sat their oral exams (called vivas) standing on a stone known as the “black stane.” They had to speak for up to 60 minutes – in Latin! The ceremony ended only when an hourglass ran out of sand and the exam marshal shouted “fluxit” (“it has flowed”).  Sounds a bit like something from Hogwarts… 

9. There’s a real fear of exams: testophobia! 
Feeling nervous about exams? You’re not alone. There’s actually a word for it: testophobia. It’s the fear of taking tests, and yes – it’s a real thing. Sweaty palms, racing heart, sudden memory blank? Totally normal. Even people who write exams admit they’d rather eat raw broccoli in public than sit one. The good news? Talking about your fears, and deepcalming deep breaths can help. 

10. Some people dream of exams… forever 
You may think your last exam is the last time you’ll ever worry about maths – but wait! Adults sometimes still dream they’re back in school, sitting an exam they forgot to revise for. Even your granny or grandad dream it! It’s one of the most common stress dreams along with imagining your teeth falling out and being chased by ducks (we might have made that oneup!)