Although there are no specific rules about high school and college tests, there are some specific differences that you will often see. The following are some of these disparities.
1) College tests are often worth a lot more than high school tests.
You will often find a much greater value assigned to college tests than to high school tests. Sometimes an entire grade in a class is based on a couple of tests in the class and nothing else!
In high school, you will often have a wide variety of tests, homework, and other assignments that will each count marginally towards your grade. In high school, one test will usually not make or break your grade.
However, in college one test can literally make the difference between getting an A or an F in class. It is very important for you to understand this value since you may not be able to come back from one poor performance like you could in high school.
2) They are often more complicated.
Many of the college tests are far more complicated. In high school, you are likely to have a test after every chapter. You might have a test every week or two over a small amount of material. In college, you may have a test that covers a wide range of material.
Usually, at the end, you will have a final that covers the entire class. You may have to remember a lot of different things. Also, a lot of the times the tests are just more difficult. You may need to go more in depth with your answers.
3) The teachers may be more strict.
In high school, you will sometimes get credit for answering part of the question right or for only making a small error. Most of the time college tests are not that forgiving. You might get no credit for a math question even if you only have one tiny error. The teachers are more likely to expect you to answer perfectly. They want to prepare you for the real world.
4) The tests are often longer.
Because college tests offer to cover a lot more material, they are often longer. It is not unusual for a college test to go one, two or even three hours or more. Many high school tests are far shorter than that.
There are stark differences between high school and college tests. The above points highlight some of these differences.