Testing is different from an examination An exam is when the examiner wants to know what you know. An exam is a pass or fail instrument. However, testing is part of a program of formative assessment, in which a student cannot fail, but it is like a check-up of what has been learned and what still needs to be learned. Testing helps the teacher create a program of future instruction for the student. The student needs to find out what his or her shortcomings are. For examp