Why do you call your test writing or handing in a paper?

KernelXP

Ok this is gets to me. With Microsoft and CompTIA tests it’s all done electronically. Yet people on this board say they’re going to write or hand in their paper for the exam. WTF? The exam is all done on a computer. So why say your writing your exam?

Sorry I had to vent.

shadown7

Does it really matter?

KernelXP

Nope.. just seems weird why people say they're writing in or handing in their paper

paige1

It's a "throwback" to something everyone can relate to.

KernelXP

Oh. Is it an American thing?

JDMurray

KernelXP wrote:

Oh. Is it an American thing?

Funny you should bring up nationality. The few times I've seen people on the USENET Microsoft certification newgroups say that they will be "writing" a particular certification exam have been from Europeans. I assumed it was the lingo over there.

2lazybutsmart

I've even seen people refer to exams as "papers". “I'm going to write the CCNA paper…”, bla blah. It used to confuse me at first, but then I got accustomed to it somehow.

Nevertheless, I don’t write exams; I take them.

2lbs.

p.s. Isn't the author of the exam supposed to be the one writing them

JDMurray

2lazybutsmart wrote:

p.s. Isn't the author of the exam supposed to be the one writing them

I've seen this question asked on the USENET newsgroups too, and there's never an answer. I assume that people who "write papers" have no idea why they call it that. From now on I shall "sit for my boards," but if you ask why I call it that I'll never give you an answer.

strauchr

I think its just slang use of the English language.

I call it 'taking an exam' but I am not actually taking it anywhere. Its just what I say whet I do an exam.

I am also an Aussie by the way. So I guess like with everything different regions have different slang.

TheShadow

Well I am not an Aussie, I grew up in the midwestern part of the U.S. Chicago actually and we always took exams. Never heard of writing an exam unless I was doing the creating of it. On the other hand Sit for a board exam is a common use as was stand for my orals.

Plantwiz

I guess I haven't seen much of the phrases

Yet people on this board say they’re going to write or hand in their paper for the exam.

Let alone pin it to the US. When I see uniquely written things, I mostly consider it a 'translation' into English as we have many on this international site who do not use English as their first language. (However, many of them write it better than I do )

What I find a little amusing is that it is a 'rant' as you put it for yourself, to that I would say, why does it matter?

Should the few people who may have written "write an exam" or "paper" as you mentioned say that they are going to 'type an exam"? Perhaps even "Mouse an exam or click and exam" as the exams I have taken were likely all answered by a mouse click?

Personally, I fancy the phrases - "sit for an exam" or "take an exam"