EXAMINATION


Meaning of EXAMINATION in English

ex ‧ am ‧ i ‧ na ‧ tion W2 /ɪɡˌzæməˈneɪʃ ə n, ɪɡˌzæmɪˈneɪʃ ə n/ BrE AmE noun

[ Word Family: noun : ↑ exam , ↑ examination , cross-examination, ↑ examiner ; verb : ↑ examine , ↑ cross-examine ]

1 . [countable] formal a spoken or written test of knowledge, especially an important one SYN exam :

The examination results will be announced in September.

He’s already taken the entrance examination.

2 . [uncountable and countable] the process of looking at something carefully in order to see what it is like

examination of

a detailed examination of population statistics

under examination

The proposals are still under examination.

The issues need further examination.

on examination

On closer examination the vases were seen to be cracked.

3 . [countable] a set of medical tests:

All patients had a complete physical examination.

A post-mortem examination (=an examination on a dead body) showed that he died from head injuries.

4 . [uncountable and countable] law the process of asking questions to get specific information, especially in a court of law

⇨ ↑ cross-examine

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COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 1)

■ verbs

▪ take an examination ( also sit an examination British English )

Do you have to take an examination in every subject?

▪ pass an examination (=succeed in it)

I really hope that Suzie passes the examination.

▪ fail an examination

Michael had never yet failed an examination.

▪ study for an examination ( also revise for an examination British English )

I have been studying all week for the examination.

▪ do well/badly in an examination

He did well in his examinations, and went on to study at MIT.

▪ cheat in an examination

Any student caught cheating in an examination will be suspended.

■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + examination

▪ a final examination (=at the end of a course)

My final examinations take place in June.

▪ a written/oral examination

For French, there is an oral and a written examination.

▪ a chemistry/French etc examination

Most of the pupils passed their science examination with flying colours.

▪ an entrance examination (=to enter a school or university )

He had now failed the college entrance examination twice.

▪ a mock examination (=a practice examination to prepare for the real one)

Mock examinations help you to prepare for the real thing.

▪ A-level/high school etc examinations

The school usually achieves good results in GCSE examinations.

■ examination + NOUN

▪ examination results

You will receive your examination results in the post.

▪ an examination paper

There will be a choice of questions on the examination paper.

▪ an examination question

Read the examination questions carefully before writing your answers.

▪ examination revision

I need to find somewhere quiet to do some examination revision.

▪ an examination script (=everything that someone writes in an examination)

I've just finished marking 200 examination scripts.

▪ examination marks

On average, girls achieved higher examination marks that boys.

▪ an examination pass

To apply, you need at least two A-level examination passes.

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COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 2)

■ verbs

▪ carry out an examination ( also conduct an examination formal ) (=examine something)

The police are carrying out an examination of the crime scene.

■ adjectives

▪ a careful examination

After a very careful examination of the evidence, we have ruled against the defendant.

▪ a detailed examination

Scientists have carried out a detailed examination of the house.

▪ a thorough/rigorous examination (=very careful)

There needs to be a thorough examination of these claims.

▪ a close examination (=very careful and detailed)

A close examination of the figures revealed many discrepancies.

▪ a brief examination (=quick, and not very detailed)

In chapter one, there is a brief examination of the economic situation in the country at the time.

▪ a cursory examination (=very quick and not careful or detailed )

Even a cursory examination of the documents would reveal some serious problems.

▪ a superficial examination (=looking only at things that are obvious and easy to see)

The police carried out a fairly superficial examination of the room.

▪ a preliminary/initial examination

The inland revenue began a preliminary examination of his tax returns in August.

▪ further examination (=a more detailed or careful examination)

The results of the experiment merit further examination.

▪ forensic examination (=the scientific methods used for finding out about a crime)

The clothing was sent to the lab for forensic examination.

■ phrases

▪ on closer examination

On closer examination, I could see a slight crack in the window.

▪ under examination

The handling of the matter is under examination by congressional investigators.

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COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 3)

■ verbs

▪ have an examination

He was examined by Dr Bower yesterday and will have another examination today.

▪ undergo an examination (=have one)

All new employees are required to undergo a medical examination.

▪ conduct/perform an examination

The doctor will perform an examination in order to assess the problem.

▪ an examination shows ( also an examination reveals formal )

A second examination showed a small growth in his stomach.

■ adjectives

▪ a medical examination

We need to do a further medical examination.

▪ a clinical examination (=by a doctor)

The clinical examination may not reveal anything abnormal.

▪ a post-mortem examination (=an examination of a dead body to discover why the person died)

The post-mortem examination showed that he died from a blood clot in the brain.

▪ a routine examination

I made an appointment at the dentist's for a routine examination.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.