卷子

• Pinyin: juàn zi
• Hanzi breakdown: 卷 = 卷 (scroll/roll); 子 = 子 (noun suffix)

Meaning

Examination paper; test paper. A printed or written sheet containing exam questions to be completed by students.

The standard colloquial term for an exam paper in Chinese educational settings. Used by students and teachers alike. A stack of 卷子 awaiting marking is a ubiquitous image in Chinese school culture. 试卷 is a slightly more formal synonym.

Examples

1. 老师将一摞厚厚的卷子逐一发放到每位学生的桌上，随即宣布考试正式开始。 The teacher handed out a thick stack of test papers to each student’s desk and then announced that the exam had officially begun.
2. 期末考试结束后，她花了整整一个星期的时间批改全班同学提交的数学卷子。 After the final exam, she spent a full week grading the math test papers turned in by the whole class.
3. 这份卷子的题目设计十分巧妙，既考查了基础知识的掌握，又兼顾了综合运用能力的测评。 The questions on this test are very cleverly designed: they assess basic knowledge while also evaluating the ability to apply it comprehensively.

Usage Guide

Context: education, examinations, school life

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 同学们拿到卷子后先快速浏览全题，合理分配答题时间，再从容作答。(After receiving the exam paper, students should first quickly scan all the questions, allocate their time wisely, and then answer calmly.)
• 老师把改好的卷子发还给学生，逐题讲解了常见错误和答题要点。(The teacher returned the marked exam papers to the students and went through common errors and key answering points question by question.)

Don't Say

• 我做完了卷子作业 — 卷子 specifically means an exam or test paper, not regular homework; use 作业 or 练习题 for homework exercises

Origin & History

卷 (scroll/roll — historically exam papers were scrolls) + 子 (noun suffix)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal