测验

• Pinyin: cè yàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 测 = 氵(water) + 则 (phonetic); 验 = 马 (horse) + 佥 (phonetic)

Meaning

Test; quiz. A formal or informal assessment of knowledge or ability.

Broader than 考试 — covers short quizzes, classroom tests, and informal evaluations. Also used as a verb: 测验学生的能力. Commonly used in educational and psychological contexts (心理测验, psychological test).

Examples

1. 老师宣布下周一会有一次单元测验，同学们纷纷开始认真复习。 The teacher announced there would be a unit test next Monday, and students all started revising seriously.
2. 这套心理测验题目设计严谨，广泛应用于人才招聘和职业规划领域。 This set of psychological test questions is rigorously designed and widely used in talent recruitment and career planning.
3. 他每天坚持用线上测验来检验自己的学习成果，效果显著。 He makes a point of using online quizzes every day to check his learning progress, with notable results.

Usage Guide

Context: education, psychology, assessment, learning

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这次英语测验的成绩将计入期末总分，请认真对待。(The scores from this English test will count towards the final grade — please take it seriously.)
• 通过定期测验，教师能够及时了解学生对知识点的掌握情况。(Through regular tests, teachers can promptly gauge students' grasp of the key knowledge points.)

Don't Say

• 今天有一个大测验，等同于高考。(测验 implies a shorter, lower-stakes test; for a major examination use 考试 or 大考)

Origin & History

测 (to measure, assess) + 验 (to verify, test). A verification through assessment.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal