Dream Interpretation - Dreaming of Failing a Test
Dreams in which the dreamer fails a test or an exam, or where he
or she is confronted by an exam suddenly, are some of the most
common of all dreams. These dreams can represent a variety of
fears, insecurities and anxieties. Dreams in which the dreamer
is taking or failing a test are one of those unique areas of
dream interpretation where a symbolic answer is not always
needed. It is obvious why students would dream about failing
tests. The failed tests in their dreams are literal
interpretations of past, present and future tests in their
waking lives. For instance, the failed test can represent regret
at failing a past test, or anxiety about a recently taken test
or fears of failing future tests. Good students often actually
dream more about failing tests, since they tend to hold
themselves to higher academic standards than poorer students.
Even a student who has never failed a test in real life may
constantly dream about failing test after test. Of course
students are not the only ones who dream about failing tests,
and for non students, symbolic interpretations of such dreams
are often needed. Failing a test in a dream can be a nighttime
manifestation of a number of fears, such as fears of doing badly
at work, fears of failing to live up to the expectations of
family members, or fears of falling behind in life. Dreams of
failing a fest can also represent general feelings of
inadequacy, low self esteem or a lack of confidence. The
situations encountered in dreams of failing an exam can range
from the very realistic, in which the dreamer can literally feel
the hardness of the desk and chair and feel the pencil in his or
her hand, to the very unrealistic. In such unrealistic dreams,
the exam may take place in a strange place, such as an open
field or even an airplane hangar. In some dream scenarios, the
test questions appear to be written in an unfamiliar language.
This can mean that the dreamer feels unprepared for the exam, or
that he or she does not feel a mastery of the subject begin
studied. Other exam dream scenarios include not being allowed
enough time for the test, or the pencil continually breaking.
These scenarios can also indicate an uneasiness about being
unprepared for the test, or in the case of a non student, being
unprepared for work or for life in general. Sometimes dreams
about taking and failing exams are so real that the dreamer
actually remembers some of the questions on the exams, but these
types of dreams are relatively rare. In most cases, dreams about
taking and failing exams are manifestations of anxieties, fears
and issues with confidence and self esteem. They can either
represent concrete fears of actual failure on an exam, or more
symbolic fears of failure in other aspects of life. Dreams of
taking and failing exams and tests sometimes also indicate that
the dreamer feels he or she is being judged. These dreams can be
a signal for the dreamer to examine his or her life, especially
areas that have been neglected, and pay closer attention to
them. In many cases, it will be obvious which parts of the
dreamer's life need attention. In other cases, it will require
some closer examination. Such dreams often stem from a fear of
letting other people down, and not from any actual inadequacy.
People who constantly dream about taking and failing test are
often high achievers who set very high, sometimes impossible to
reach, goals. It may be necessary for such people to reexamine
their lives and their goals and set more appropriate and more
reachable measures of success.