Have you ever tried to say to pass an exam in French and thought, “Easy… it must be passer un examen”? That is where the trap begins.
The problem is not that passer un examen is wrong. The problem is that it does not always mean what English speakers think it means.
In French, one small verb can change the whole meaning. You may think you are saying you succeeded, but a French speaker may simply hear that you took the exam.
That brings us to the real difference.
What Does To Pass An Exam In French Really Mean?
This is the part many learners miss.
“Réussir Un Examen” Means To Pass An Exam Successfully
When you want to say you passed an exam because you succeeded, the safest phrase is réussir un examen.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhay ray-oo-see un eg-za-men
English: I passed an exam.
J’ai réussi un examen.
French sentence
Pronunciation: eel ah ray-oo-see son eg-za-men
English: He passed his exam.
Il a réussi son examen.
“Passer Un Examen” Usually Means To Take An Exam
Here’s where most people get it wrong. Passer un examen often means you sat for the exam, not that you succeeded.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhuh vah pah-say un eg-za-men duh-mang
English: I am going to take an exam tomorrow.
Je vais passer un examen demain.
French sentence
Pronunciation: el pahs son eg-za-men oh-zhoor-dwee
English: She is taking her exam today.
Elle passe son examen aujourd’hui.
To Pass An Exam In French Depends On The Situation
You cannot translate blindly here.
If You Mean You Succeeded, Use “Réussir”
This is the meaning English speakers usually want when they say “I passed the exam.”
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhay ray-oo-see mon eg-za-men duh frong-say
English: I passed my French exam.
J’ai réussi mon examen de français.
French sentence
Pronunciation: noo zavon ray-oo-see notr eg-za-men final
English: We passed our final exam.
Nous avons réussi notre examen final.
If You Mean You Took The Exam, Use “Passer”
Use passer when the focus is the action of sitting the exam.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhay pah-say mon eg-za-men see matin
English: I took my exam this morning.
J’ai passé mon examen ce matin.
French sentence
Pronunciation: eel vah pah-say son eg-za-men lundee
English: He is going to take his exam on Monday.
Il va passer son examen lundi.
The Pattern That Makes This Easy To Remember
Now that you see this, the rule becomes simple.
Passer = To Take The Exam
Think of passer as “to go through the exam.”
French sentence
Pronunciation: too pahs un eg-za-men ah la fin duh la-nay
English: You take an exam at the end of the year.
Tu passes un examen à la fin de l’année.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhay pah-say trwa eg-za-men set suh-men
English: I took three exams this week.
J’ai passé trois examens cette semaine.
Réussir = To Pass The Exam
Think of réussir as “to succeed.”
French sentence
Pronunciation: see too ray-oo-see leg-za-men, too pahs oh nee-voh swee-vong
English: If you pass the exam, you move to the next level.
Si tu réussis l’examen, tu passes au niveau suivant.
French sentence
Pronunciation: el ah travay-yay door, ay el ah ray-oo-see leg-za-men
English: She worked hard, and she passed the exam.
Elle a travaillé dur, et elle a réussi l’examen.
Common Mistakes With To Pass An Exam In French
This is where a good sentence becomes a beginner sentence.
Mistake 1: Using “Passer” When You Mean Success
If you say j’ai passé l’examen, French speakers may understand that you took it. They may still ask, “Did you succeed?”
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhay pah-say leg-za-men, may zhuh nay pah ahn-kor lay ray-zoo-ltah
English: I took the exam, but I don’t have the results yet.
J’ai passé l’examen, mais je n’ai pas encore les résultats.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhay ray-oo-see leg-za-men, zhuh swee tray kontong
English: I passed the exam, I’m very happy.
J’ai réussi l’examen, je suis très content.
Mistake 2: Translating “Pass” Word For Word
English uses “pass” for success. French usually uses réussir.
French sentence
Pronunciation: eel ah ray-oo-see son test duh kondweet
English: He passed his driving test.
Il a réussi son test de conduite.
French sentence
Pronunciation: too ah ray-oo-see ton eg-za-men, brah-voh
English: You passed your exam, well done.
Tu as réussi ton examen, bravo.
Mistake 3: Saying “Je Suis Passé Mon Examen”
This is trash French. Don’t use it. You need avoir, not être, with passer in this meaning.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhay pah-say mon eg-za-men
English: I took my exam.
J’ai passé mon examen.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhay ray-oo-see mon eg-za-men
English: I passed my exam.
J’ai réussi mon examen.
Real-Life Examples Of To Pass An Exam In French
This is the part that will make the difference stick.
Talking About School
When talking about school results, use réussir if the person succeeded.
French sentence
Pronunciation: ma seur ah ray-oo-see son eg-za-men duh mat
English: My sister passed her math exam.
Ma sœur a réussi son examen de maths.
French sentence
Pronunciation: jay-speer kuh zhuh vay ray-oo-seer mon eg-za-men
English: I hope I will pass my exam.
J’espère que je vais réussir mon examen.
Talking Before The Exam
Before the exam happens, use passer because nobody knows the result yet.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhuh pahs mon eg-za-men duh-mang matan
English: I am taking my exam tomorrow morning.
Je passe mon examen demain matin.
French sentence
Pronunciation: too pahs kel eg-za-men set suh-men
English: Which exam are you taking this week?
Tu passes quel examen cette semaine ?
Talking After The Results
After the result comes out, choose the verb based on the outcome.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhay ray-oo-see, may sah nah pah tay fasil
English: I passed, but it was not easy.
J’ai réussi, mais ça n’a pas été facile.
French sentence
Pronunciation: eel nah pah ray-oo-see son eg-za-men
English: He did not pass his exam.
Il n’a pas réussi son examen.
Frequently Asked Questions About To Pass An Exam In French
Before you move on, here are the questions learners like you usually ask once they realize this topic is deeper than it looks.
Can “Réussir” Be Used For Things Other Than Exams?
Yes, and this is where it becomes powerful.
French sentence
Pronunciation: eel ah ray-oo-see son proh-zheh
English: He succeeded in his project.
Il a réussi son projet.
French sentence
Pronunciation: noo zavon ray-oo-see ah kray-ay un bon bis-ness
English: We succeeded in creating a good business.
Nous avons réussi à créer un bon business.
Is “Réussir À” Different From “Réussir Un Examen”?
Yes, slightly.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhay ray-oo-see ah pah-lay frong-say
English: I managed to speak French.
J’ai réussi à parler français.
French sentence
Pronunciation: el ah ray-oo-see ah kom-prondr la leh-song
English: She managed to understand the lesson.
Elle a réussi à comprendre la leçon.
Can I Say “Réussir Dans Un Examen”?
No, that sounds unnatural.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhay ray-oo-see mon eg-za-men
English: I passed my exam.
J’ai réussi mon examen.
French sentence
Pronunciation: eel ah ray-oo-see son eg-za-men duh dwa
English: He passed his law exam.
Il a réussi son examen de droit.
What Verb Do I Use For “To Fail An Exam”?
Use échouer à or say you did not succeed.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhay eh-shway ay leg-za-men
English: I failed the exam.
J’ai échoué à l’examen.
French sentence
Pronunciation: eel nah pah ray-oo-see son eg-za-men
English: He did not pass his exam.
Il n’a pas réussi son examen.
Is “Rater Un Examen” Correct?
Yes, but it is more informal.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhay rah-tay mon eg-za-men
English: I failed my exam.
J’ai raté mon examen.
French sentence
Pronunciation: el ah rah-tay son test
English: She failed her test.
Elle a raté son test.
Can I Use “Obtenir Un Examen”?
No, that is incorrect.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhay ob-tuh-noo un bon noht
English: I got a good grade.
J’ai obtenu une bonne note.
French sentence
Pronunciation: eel ah ob-tuh-noo son dee-plom
English: He obtained his diploma.
Il a obtenu son diplôme.
How Do I Say “I Am Studying For An Exam”?
Use réviser or étudier pour.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhuh ray-veeze poor mon eg-za-men
English: I am revising for my exam.
Je révise pour mon examen.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhuh ay-too-dee poor mon eg-za-men duh syans
English: I am studying for my science exam.
J’étudie pour mon examen de sciences.
How Do I Ask Someone If They Passed?
Use réussir in a question.
French sentence
Pronunciation: tah ray-oo-see ton eg-za-men
English: Did you pass your exam?
Tu as réussi ton examen ?
French sentence
Pronunciation: voo zah-vay ray-oo-see voh test
English: Did you pass your tests?
Vous avez réussi vos tests ?
Can “Passer” Ever Mean “To Pass” In The Sense Of Success?
Rarely, and it depends on context.
French sentence
Pronunciation: eel ah pah-say leh kohnk-oor
English: He passed the competitive exam (context implies success).
Il a passé le concours.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhay pah-say leg-za-men may zhuh nay pah ray-oo-see
English: I took the exam but I did not pass.
J’ai passé l’examen mais je n’ai pas réussi.
How Do I Say “I Passed With A Good Grade”?
Add the result.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhay ray-oo-see ah-vek un bon noht
English: I passed with a good grade.
J’ai réussi avec une bonne note.
French sentence
Pronunciation: el ah ray-oo-see ah-vek dee-stang-syon
English: She passed with distinction.
Elle a réussi avec distinction.
How Do I Say “Good Luck For Your Exam”?
Use bonne chance.
French sentence
Pronunciation: bun shans poor ton eg-za-men
English: Good luck for your exam.
Bonne chance pour ton examen.
French sentence
Pronunciation: bun shans ah voo poor voh test
English: Good luck to you for your tests.
Bonne chance à vous pour vos tests.
What Is The Difference Between “Examen” And “Concours”?
They are not the same.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhay ray-oo-see mon eg-za-men duh lay-say
English: I passed my high school exam.
J’ai réussi mon examen de lycée.
French sentence
Pronunciation: el ah ray-oo-see le kohnk-oor
English: She passed the competitive exam.
Elle a réussi le concours.
Can I Use “Test” Instead Of “Examen”?
Yes, but it depends on context.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhay ray-oo-see mon test dahn-glay
English: I passed my English test.
J’ai réussi mon test d’anglais.
French sentence
Pronunciation: eel ah ray-oo-see son test tek-neek
English: He passed his technical test.
Il a réussi son test technique.
How Do I Say “I Have An Exam Tomorrow”?
Use avoir.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhay un eg-za-men duh-mang
English: I have an exam tomorrow.
J’ai un examen demain.
French sentence
Pronunciation: noo zavon un test duh-mang matan
English: We have a test tomorrow morning.
Nous avons un test demain matin.
How Do I Say “I Am Nervous About My Exam”?
Use être nerveux or stressé.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhuh swee ner-vuh poor mon eg-za-men
English: I am nervous about my exam.
Je suis nerveux pour mon examen.
French sentence
Pronunciation: el ay stres-say ah kohz duh son test
English: She is stressed because of her test.
Elle est stressée à cause de son test.
How Do I Say “I Am Preparing For An Exam”?
Use se préparer.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhuh muh pray-par poor mon eg-za-men
English: I am preparing for my exam.
Je me prépare pour mon examen.
French sentence
Pronunciation: noo noo pray-par-on poor leh kohnk-oor
English: We are preparing for the competition exam.
Nous nous préparons pour le concours.
Can I Say “Je Passe Un Test” In Informal French?
Yes, that is natural.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhuh pahs un test see soir
English: I am taking a test tonight.
Je passe un test ce soir.
French sentence
Pronunciation: eel pahs un test oh-zhoor-dwee
English: He is taking a test today.
Il passe un test aujourd’hui.
How Do I Say “I Passed Everything”?
Use plural.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhay too ray-oo-see
English: I passed everything.
J’ai tout réussi.
French sentence
Pronunciation: el ah too ray-oo-see set suh-men
English: She passed everything this week.
Elle a tout réussi cette semaine.
How Do I Say “I Did Not Pass”?
Use negative with réussir.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhuh nay pah ray-oo-see
English: I did not pass.
Je n’ai pas réussi.
French sentence
Pronunciation: eel nah pah ray-oo-see son eg-za-men
English: He did not pass his exam.
Il n’a pas réussi son examen.
How Do I Say “I Passed Easily”?
Add an adverb.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhay ray-oo-see fah-see-luh-mon
English: I passed easily.
J’ai réussi facilement.
French sentence
Pronunciation: el ah ray-oo-see son eg-za-men sahn dif-fee-kool-tay
English: She passed her exam without difficulty.
Elle a réussi son examen sans difficulté.
How Do I Say “It Was Hard To Pass”?
Use difficile de.
French sentence
Pronunciation: sah ay-tay dif-fee-seel duh ray-oo-seer
English: It was hard to pass.
Ça a été difficile de réussir.
French sentence
Pronunciation: sah ay dif-fee-seel duh ray-oo-seer set eg-za-men
English: It is hard to pass this exam.
C’est difficile de réussir cet examen.
How Do I Say “I Passed By Luck”?
Use an expression.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhay ray-oo-see par shans
English: I passed by luck.
J’ai réussi par chance.
French sentence
Pronunciation: eel ah ray-oo-see ahn pah deh shans
English: He passed a bit by luck.
Il a réussi un peu de chance.
How Do I Say “I Almost Failed”?
Use presque.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhuh nay pre-skay ray-oo-see
English: I almost didn’t pass.
Je n’ai presque pas réussi.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhay pre-skay rah-tay mon eg-za-men
English: I almost failed my exam.
J’ai presque raté mon examen.
How Do I Say “I Passed The Oral Exam”?
Specify the type.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhay ray-oo-see leg-za-men oh-ral
English: I passed the oral exam.
J’ai réussi l’examen oral.
French sentence
Pronunciation: el ah ray-oo-see leg-za-men eh-kree
English: She passed the written exam.
Elle a réussi l’examen écrit.
How Do I Say “I Passed Last Year”?
Add time.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhay ray-oo-see lan-nay der-nyair
English: I passed last year.
J’ai réussi l’année dernière.
French sentence
Pronunciation: eel ah ray-oo-see son eg-za-men lan-nay der-nyair
English: He passed his exam last year.
Il a réussi son examen l’année dernière.
How Do I Say “I Want To Pass Next Time”?
Use future intention.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhuh vuh ray-oo-seer la pro-shen fwa
English: I want to pass next time.
Je veux réussir la prochaine fois.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhuh vuh ray-oo-seer mon pro-shen eg-za-men
English: I want to pass my next exam.
Je veux réussir mon prochain examen.
Final Thought
The simple rule is this: passer un examen means to take an exam, while réussir un examen means to pass an exam successfully.
The Phrase You Should Remember
If your goal is to say to pass an exam in French, use réussir un examen when you mean success.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhay ray-oo-see mon eg-za-men
English: I passed my exam.
J’ai réussi mon examen.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhay pah-say mon eg-za-men
English: I took my exam.
J’ai passé mon examen.
The Fast Rule For English Speakers
Ask yourself one question: am I talking about sitting the exam or succeeding in it?
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhuh pahs leg-za-men lundee
English: I am taking the exam on Monday.
Je passe l’examen lundi.
French sentence
Pronunciation: zhuh vuh ray-oo-seer leg-za-men
English: I want to pass the exam.
Je veux réussir l’examen.
