Réussir vs. passer
The French verbs réussir and passer can both be associated with the concept of passing an exam or test, but they convey different nuances and are used in different contexts.
Réussir
A2Réussir specifically means to succeed or to pass an exam/test with a positive result. It focuses on achieving success.
J'ai réussi mon examen de mathématiques.
(I passed my mathematics exam.)
Elle a réussi son permis de conduire du premier coup.
(She passed her driving test on the first try.)
Nous avons réussi le test d'anglais avec de bons scores.
(We passed the English test with good scores.)
Passer
A1Passer can mean to take or to sit for an exam/test. It does not necessarily imply success; the focus is on the action of taking the test.
Il va passer son examen de fin d'année demain.
(He is going to take his end-of-year exam tomorrow.)
Elle doit passer plusieurs tests pour obtenir la certification.
(She has to take several tests to obtain the certification.)
Je vais passer l'examen d'histoire en juin.
(I am going to take the history exam in June.)
Summary
Réussir and passer both refer to exams or tests, but they have different emphases. Réussir emphasizes the success of passing, while passer simply refers to the act of taking or sitting for an exam, without indicating the outcome.