Dreams about exams – what do they mean? (dream interpretation exam, test, trial)
Dream interpretation exam, test, trial. Dreaming that you are going to take an exam or actually taking an exam (and maybe even failing?) is a very common theme in dream interpretation. Actually, this theme is one of the ten most remembered in dreams. But what does it mean?
Exams in dreams as a symbol of a real trial in life. Yes, it really is quite simple. Often the dream is about an upcoming – or a finished – test or exam in life. This can be a real school exam or another type of trial or test (job, relationship etc.). It has been proven that people who work in performance-related jobs (for example giving talks and lectures, teaching or management roles) often dream about being at exams – or quite simply dream about the situation in which they feel they are at an exam (their job situation which they see as a trial or test, that is).
Dreams about exams (or tests) might symbolize an upcoming decision that needs to be made about you rather than by you. It can also symbolize a new phase in your life (maybe becoming a parent), and the question is then if you’ll pass or fail.
Dreaming about exams as a symbol of low self-esteem/self-confidence. Naturally, the dream might also mean that the dreamer (you?) is living with a sense of low self-esteem; that you don’t think you are living up to the trials in your life, but it might also mean that you perhaps have an unacknowledged performance anxiety or anxiety towards authority.
If the low self-esteem or the performance anxiety is dealt with, well, then you might dream that you are passing your exam, and you may realize that the exam you are taking in your dream – and that you are exposing yourself to in real life – may not even be necessary!
Also read: Why I no longer interpret dreams for free
NOTE: Dream interpretation is not always an easy skill, and when you dream about taking exams, it is almost certainly about something different for you than it is for someone else dreaming about exams. It is crucial that you feel the interpretation fits you, and it might be the case that the above interpretations do not suit you and your situation.
Have you had a difficult dream about taking an exam that you can’t really understand or that you’d just like to share? Feel free to comment below.
I had a dream today ,n I saw that I was in a class and at the same time writing exams ,but e exams was only set on objectives .but tho we were e second barge to write e exam but everyone too with how his or her questions is been set but the questions and the answers where e same too .But before we were about to entre into e class some of my mates had e chance to take e answers from e barge .so whiles we were writing e exams those who were having e answers and they were copying ,but because I was not having some of e answers to copy I was sad n I didn’t know what to do ,but beside me there was this one girl who was sitting beside me n she was also having some of e answers but then she told e class that they shouldn’t copy all e answers but some of e answers are not correct but we should read e questions before we choose e answers ,we should read e questions very well,n I also saw a lady teacher invigilating us too
Dear Debora,
thank you for your very interesting dream. I have however decided to no longer help out here (for free), as I simply cannot keep up (currently 445 unanswered comments).
I’d encourage you to download my e-book by signing up to my newsletter – this will be a great start for you to start working with your dreams on your own (or in conversation with others you know and trust).
Best regards
Michael
I have a dream where I have to take a test in the rain.
Hello am Bryan I have had this re occurring dream of failing a test ( at the moment am waiting for my graduation this year) at my former university.
Dear Brian,
thank you for your comment and dream! I currently cannot keep up with the enormous amounts of comments I receive daily (currently more than 200 unanswered), so I have decided to no longer offer this kind of help. I would however love to help you understand your dream in a private online session – see more here. Best regards – Michael
I always saw i am doing preparation of the exam, like learning.
First post. I am constantly dreaming about me having to undergo several academical examinations. During the dream itself I would feel very relaxed but will get tense all of a sudden. It is because there are plenty of exams at one go in a ‘fortnight’. In all of these dreams that I am getting, I am always confusing the days, and sometimes I go for an exam thinking it is of a certain subject and then when I flip the paper in the exam room I notice that it’s of a different subject. All in all I would have studied about many of the subjects on and off, though not thoroughly. Generally speaking I dream of getting good results but a complete failure or just scraping thru as to other exams where I am caught unprepared, especially the ones that require a lot of ‘internet research’.
In two of my dreams, I also ‘mistook’ the time of one particular exam and didn’t show up because I was convinced that it had to be later on that day. Actually this happened to me for real once, but only once.
I dreamt about these ‘exams’ no less than 4 times this month. Why do you think is that?
Dear Stefmiff,
thank you for your comment and very interesting dreams! I currently cannot keep up with the enormous amounts of comments I receive daily (currently more than 200 unanswered), so I have decided to no longer offer this kind of help. I would however love to help you understand your dream in a private online session – see more here. Best regards – Michael
I just had a dream today that I was in an exam room but I was failing to write anything what could be the meaning of that
Hi Mayungo, thank you for your comment / dream. How might you symbolically be experiencing an exam in your life right now (if not doing an actual school related exam)? It is hard for me know what the dream might mean since I know nothing of you. But the dream might illustrate how you actually have a hard time passing a “test” of somekind in your life right now – OR how you fear not being able to pass it. Best – Michael
I usually have dreams where I’m writing exams and I usually don’t write much or anything at all but my mates always do, (I usually end up having wet dreams whenever such dreams occur).
I had the same dream today after several years of not experiencing such.
I don’t always write anything as my book is always blank and I normally have this urge to ejaculate during this process.
Hi Brown – and thank you for your enormously interesting dream! It is hard for me to guess what it might be about since I don’t know much about you / your life situation. One simple thought could be that there is something extremely creative you are holding back on /not doing / living out in your life. I.e. the sperm /semen symbolizing LIFE – something you can create – but are maybe not creating because of… well – I wouldn’t know that! Fear, not believing enough in yourself/what you have to offer. BUT – these are just immediate thoughts – and again, I would need to know more about you/your life situation, thoughts etc. to come up with more qualified interpretations. Best – Michael
I saw That I was Giving a hotel management exam which is in May and I was writing it .Then I remember the scene in I picked up something and thought that for only day of study I got #9 position and Passed .I was relaxed at that moment then I woke up.
Hi Percy – thank you for your comment! As I understand what you write you are actually having that exam in May. One guess as to the meaning of the dream would be that it tries to calm you down – that things will be alright. I would however recommend that you read / study more than one day 🙂 Best rgds – Michael
I dream where I missed to write exam with people I don’t know but they were much . I can’t really picture anyone face I know when I get to d exam venue. It an open field. Plenty people.
Hi Christine – thank you for your comment and your interesting dream. Since I don’t know anything about you / what is happening in your life right now, it is hard for me to come up with good ideas for interpretations. Did you read the blogpost? you might ask – what kind of “exam” are you missing out on (in life) right now? Best- Michael
I dream about me, at the college. The prof was discussing about a topic then gave us a question to answer as a test. I dont know why I was just staring at my white notes despite knowing the answers to them. Later on the prof has decided to gather our white notes and that was only the time i crammed when I realized I knew the answer.
I wonder why I was like that in a dream . Hope you can answer.
Hi Andromeda – it is really hard for me to guess what this might be about since I don’t know much about you/what is happening in your life right now. Do you actually go to college? And are tests a relevant theme then? You might also think about this angle; do you tend to hold back with your knowledge sometimes – or simply tend to hide/hold back with all the good stuff that you have to offer the world? Best – Michael
I got a weird dream. Lockdown down is going on and my class 12 boards is not over. In the I find myself sitting on my room and giving the computer exam online( I don’t have computer subject in real life). It felt to be a difficult exam. I was literally cheating using a notebook since it was online exam. Although I was writing very fast I couldn’t finish the paper. I could even remember the questions. But as soon the time was up I finally realized I couldn’t complete the paper and a 8 Mark’s question has been left out. And as soon as I submitted my paper few people arrived at my house and gave a very weird look as if they found out I cheated. This was my dream. I saw it around 9 am in the morning. And I could remember it quite clearly
Hi Sneha – what an interesting dream! And as you say – linked to /related to the pandemic/lock-down situation that most of us – across the globe (me in Denmark) are affected by. It is hard for me to say what the specific dreams means for you – but it seems from what you write that you ARE going to school/college/university at the moment? I guess the dream could be commenting on this – your fear of not being able to complete the study because of the pandemic – or even an unconscious hope that it will be easier for you to get through it because of the pandemic? I.e. that maybe courses will be cancelled, that you will automatically pass etc…. or the dream telling you that you are taking things too easy at the moment – not studying as much as you could do given the (more) time that you currently have. Just ideas – and only based on what you have written. Best rgds – Michael
I always had a dream that i m siiting in exam but not able to complete that exam ..inspite of cheating and everything i cannot complete my exam and time is about to finish ..i saw this dream very oftenly
i dreamt of writting an exam in my former school, but i was very about nervous why i was writting it or who even enrolled me for the exams
Servera time have be have these dreams that am in exams, don’t know what to write someone we open his own answer for me to write,I we not able to write the answer
I entered the exams hall and wanted to sit beside one good guy but he refused me. so i went and sit at a different place for the exam.
I entered the exams hall and wanted to sit beside one good guy, but he refused me. so i went and sat at a different place.
I HAD A DREAM THAT I WAS ASSISTED IN THE EXAMINATION HALL BY MY MATES
I have repeated dreams of going for an exam but realising that I have actually not studied for my exam and mostly the subject is history while the dream it’s all about how I can do something about passing it so in one of the dreams I convincedthe other person to help me, then in next time I realised my exam is in evening so I took off from work and started studying… So different version but the base is same it’s an history exam and I had forgotten about studying