THE EXAM
by Alison Chaplin
Two students exit the exam room. They are carrying pencil cases and maths equipment. One student (SAM) looks stressed, the other (ALEX) looks relaxed.
Two characters. Male or female. Ages 12 - 18.
SAM: So glad that’s over!
ALEX: Me too.
SAM: I couldn’t sleep last night.
ALEX: Why?
SAM: I was so worried. Maths is my worst subject.
ALEX: You need to chill.
SAM: I was revising until midnight.
ALEX: Wow. I don’t believe in revising the day before an exam.
SAM: Why not? That’s crazy!
ALEX: My dad says if you don’t know it by then you’ll never know it.
SAM: I like to be prepared.
ALEX: I was just watching TV.
SAM: I couldn’t sleep.
ALEX: Then me and Danny had a few turns on the X-Box.
SAM: I had nightmares and everything.
ALEX: You never know what the questions are going to be anyway.
SAM: I knew it would be a hard exam.
ALEX: So no point stressing about it.
SAM: But I didn’t think it would be that hard.
ALEX: But it was even easier than I thought it would be.
ALEX and SAM (Together. Realising what the other person has said): What do you mean?
SAM: You thought it was easy?
ALEX: You thought it was hard?
SAM: Oh no. What have I done wrong?
ALEX: You might not have done anything wrong. Don’t stress it.
SAM: Have I given the wrong answers? I must have answered them all wrong!
ALEX: You said maths was your worst subject.
SAM: Yeah but I thought I’d revised enough.
ALEX: Don’t worry. You might be surprised. It might be okay.
SAM: I worked so hard. I don’t want to have to re-sit it.
ALEX: I finished early. Did you see me finish early?
SAM: No.
ALEX: Mr Brownlow stood by my desk for ages. I think he was trying to keep me quiet.
SAM: I wasn’t looking at you.
ALEX: His aftershave smelled horrible. I kept wrinkling up my nose and pretending to gag.
SAM: I was trying to answer question six.
ALEX: Me and Danny were trying not to laugh.
SAM: I think I got it right. They’ll see all my working out anyway.
ALEX: He finished early too…Question six? What question six?
SAM: Yeah. You know, at the back. On that last page.
ALEX: I don’t…?
SAM: The one with the equations.
ALEX: Did I answer that one?
SAM: Did you not answer that one?
ALEX: What was it?
SAM: (To him/herself) Equations.
ALEX: (To her/himself) Equations…equations… Where was it?
SAM: Back page. You had to turn over after question five. You know, the one about fractions.
ALEX: Turn over?
SAM: Yep. Question five – fractions – turn over to question six, then there was seven, eight nine and ten. All on the back page.
ALEX: Six, seven, eight, nine and ten?
SAM: On the back page.
ALEX: I didn’t turn over.
SAM: Oh, Alex.
ALEX: Oh no.
SAM: No wonder you finished early.
This is an original duologue by Alison Chaplin and it isn’t part of a longer script. Arts On The Move can be commissioned to write original monologues and duologues for your students. Just email info@artsonthemove.co.uk