Exams and Certificates: What to Say Before and After the Test
How to tell a teacher you're worried about an exam, ask for extra help, and — if the result is bad — ask what went wrong and when you can retake it.
Two conversations decide how a course ends for you. The first happens a few weeks before the exam, when you finally admit to your teacher that you are worried. The second happens afterwards, if the result is not the one you wanted.
Most learners avoid both. They stay quiet before the exam because saying "I'm afraid" feels embarrassing, and they stay quiet after a bad result because they do not know what to ask. Both silences cost you.
Here is the thing: a Swiss teacher hears Ich habe Angst vor der Prüfung as a normal, practical sentence. It is not a confession. It is a request for help — and it almost always gets one.
Key phrases to know
- Ich habe Angst vor der Prüfung. – I'm afraid of the exam.
- Ich mache viele Fehler. – I make a lot of mistakes.
- Können wir zusätzliche Übungen machen? – Can we do extra exercises?
- Wäre das möglich? – Would that be possible?