Quotations from notable people can be a great source of motivation and insight when studying or teaching others. Especially for those with a stake in the educational system, reading quotes that strike a personal chord can be a great way to gain perspective on education. Keeping a collection of quotes under a standard heading can help you find the perfect one, to sum up, your thoughts on education.

So, let’s take a break and inspire you to study with some of the greatest quotes ever said about tests, finals, and other educational endeavors. If one of these quotes strikes your fancy, why have it printed (or written out by hand) and tacked to your workspace wall? 

That way, each time you sit down to study for your exams, you’ll be given a fresh dose of inspiration. We break down the benefits of reading quotes about education and provide a list of quotations on education and teaching organized into helpful categories. 

Motivational Quotes About Education

Here is a list of quotes to inspire you to invest in your education:

• “For five minutes, a man who asks is a fool. A man who never asks is a fool for the rest of his life.” —From a Chinese proverb
• “He who learns without thinking is lost!” He who thinks but does not learn puts himself in grave danger.” —Confucius
• “Unlearning what is false is the most useful learning for life.” Antisthenes
• “Every act of conscious learning necessitates a willingness to suffer a loss of self-esteem. That is why young children learn so easily before they become aware of their importance.” Mr. Thomas Szasz
• “The entire point of education is to transform mirrors into windows.” Mr. Sydney J. Harris
• “Learning has divine beauty… To learn implies accepting the premise that life did not begin with my birth. Others have come before me, and I follow in their footsteps.” Wiesel, Elie
• “Leadership and learning are inextricably linked.” James F. Kennedy
• “The more you read, the more you will understand. “The more you learn, the further you will travel.” Dr. Seuss’s
• “Those who develop the ability to constantly acquire new and better forms of knowledge that they can apply to their work and lives will be the movers and shakers in our society indefinitely.” Brian Tracy’s
• “No one can help you if you are unwilling to learn. Nobody can stop you if you are determined to learn.” —Dr. Zig Ziglar
• “If you think education is costly, consider the cost of ignorance.” Wayne Gardner
• “Studying without desire ruins memory, and it retains nothing of what it takes in.” From Leonardo da Vinci
• “I’m still figuring things out.” Michelangelo
• “The ability to speak precisely is inextricably linked to the ability to know precisely.” Wendy Berry
• “Learning is the integration of seemingly disparate ideas and data.” Terry Heick’s
• “What matters is what you learn after you know everything.” H. S. Truman
• “Rules do not teach you how to walk. “You learn by doing and falling down.” Sir Richard Branson
• “A flash of insight is sometimes worth a lifetime of experience.” Henry David Thoreau
• “You can teach a student a lesson for a day, but if you can teach him to learn by instilling curiosity in him, he will continue to learn for the rest of his life.” Clayton P. Bedford
• “The goal of learning is to grow; unlike our bodies, our minds can continue to grow as long as we live.” Adler, Mortimer
• “As you take the world into your hands, you can’t help but learn more. Take it with reverence because it is an old piece of clay with millions of thumbprints on it.” John Updike’s
• “Education is a passport to the future, for those who prepare for it today will have it tomorrow.” X, Malcolm
• “The wick in the candle of learning is curiosity.” Ward, William Arthur
• “Education is listening to almost anything without losing your cool or self-esteem.” Frost, Robert
• “The result of all true learning is change.” Buscaglia, Leo
• “Every expert started as a beginner.”  Anonymous

Motivational Exam Quotes for Students

• Fake it till you make it

Students frequently doubt their abilities (see also “imposter syndrome”), and this tremendous motivational quote is an excellent antidote. Read it twice or three times to soak it in.

Remember this when you’re struggling to prepare for an exam or when you’re feeling stuck or lost during the exam.

Simply ask yourself, “What would a top A-grade student do in this situation?” Take appropriate action. You might just discover something you wouldn’t typically discover!

“Just have faith in yourself. Even if you don’t, act as if you do, and you will look at some point.”

• On overcoming obstacles

“Believe in yourself and your abilities. Know that something more significant than any obstacle exists within you. Christian D. Larson, author, and educator

• Believe in yourself

“Self-confidence and hard work will always lead to success.” Indian cricketer Virat Kohli

• Mindset power

Another of my favorite exam motivational quotes for students. You will struggle to succeed if you are convinced that you will fail. However, if you believe you will succeed, you will have a much better chance. Take it one step at a time, and you’ll be fine! “Whether you believe you can or cannot do something, you are correct.” INDUSTRIALIST HENRY FORD, FOUNDER OF THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY

• Trust in yourself 

“Trust yourself; you know more than you think you do,” said Paediatrician and author Benjamin Spock.

• Overcoming limiting beliefs

“Don’t let what you can’t do get in the way of what you can.”

Basketball player and coach John Wooden

• According to Einstein, everyone is a genius

“Everyone is brilliant. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend the rest of its life thinking it is stupid. Albert Einstein was a theoretical physicist.

• You must persevere

“Belief in yourself, take on your challenges, dig deep within yourself to conquer fears. Never allow anyone to bring you down. You must persevere.” Chantal Sutherland, a Canadian model, and jockey

• Keep your dreams alive

“Keep your hopes alive. Understand that to achieve anything; you must have faith in yourself, a vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember that for those who believe, anything is possible.” Gail Devers, American Olympic track and field champion

• How badly do you want it?

“The abilities of successful and unsuccessful people do not differ significantly. They differ in their desire to reach their full potential.” Author and leadership expert John Maxwell

• Nobody said it would be easy

“What you want becomes the sacrifice if you don’t sacrifice for it.”

The unknown

• Education: broadening your horizons

“The goal of education is to replace an empty mind with an open mind.” Entrepreneur Malcolm Forbes

• Work smarter, not harder

This exam quote is about more than just motivation; it also reminds us as students that test success isn’t just about putting in the most hours. It’s also about studying more ingeniously, so we can make more progress in less time. 

Greatest-ever Quotes About Exams

• You are capable of doing so

Exam motivational quotes by Vincent Van Gogh for students

“If a voice within you says, ‘You cannot paint,’ then paint anyway, and that voice will be silenced.” – Van Gogh, Vincent

Insights for your child: Van Gogh, the famous Dutch painter, is said to have created approximately 2,100 works of art in a little more than a decade. He couldn’t have done it if he didn’t believe in himself. Despite being virtually unknown during his lifetime, he is now regarded as one of the greatest painters, and many of his works are among the most expensive in the world. Teach your child to believe in themself. Developing a “Can do” attitude will inspire her to perform well in her exams.

• You have time

Exam motivational quotes by H Jackson Brown Jr.

“Don’t claim that you don’t have enough time. You have the same hours as Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.” H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Insights for your child: All of the great people mentioned by American author Brown lived entire and successful lives, contributing significantly to society. This was made possible by careful time management. Make it clear to your child that every moment is valuable and cannot be wasted. Let him understand that, rather than saying, “There’s no time,” he must complete all of his lessons before the exams.

• Put in the effort

Inspirational exam quotes from Thomas Edison

“There is no substitute for hard work,” Thomas Edison once said.

Insights for your child: This comes from one of the world’s greatest inventors, who has 1,093 US patents (either individually or jointly) and has successfully filed 1,239 non-US patents! Nothing but sheer hard work could have brought him this far. Make sure your child believes in the value of hard work. Nothing can ever take its place. Teach him to work hard and put forth consistent effort in his studies. He will benefit greatly from consistency.

• Dame Fortune will help you

Inspirational exam quotes from Thomas Jefferson

“I find that the harder I work, the luckier I appear to be” – Thomas Jefferson.

Insights for your child: Thomas Jefferson could not have been America’s founding father, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, and the third President of the United States if he had simply waited for luck to favor him. He did put in a lot of effort. And, yes, fortune did find him. Make sure your child understands that if she works hard, luck will come to her aid (probably in the form of an easy exam paper!).

• Be well-prepared

Motivational quotes by Zig Ziglar for students before exams

“You were born to triumph. However, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win “- Mr. Zig Ziglar.

Insights for your child: This quote from World War II veteran and America’s most influential motivational speaker Zig Ziglar emphasizes the importance of preparation as the key to victory. Allow your child to concentrate on planning and preparation. The more she concentrates on this, the better her chances of passing her exams will be.

• Never give up

Motivational quotes by Harriet Beecher Stowe for students before exams

“Never give up, for that is precisely where and when the tide will turn” – Harriet Beecher Stowe

Insights for your child: Stowe, the social activist whose famous anti-slavery novel ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ turned the tide in favor of enslaved people and ignited the American Civil War, knew what it meant never to give up. That is a lesson for your child; he may have failed exams and is, therefore, hesitant. However, you must inspire him never to give up. Allow him to keep trying. Success will undoubtedly be his.

• Don’t give in to pressure

Dr. James G Bilkey’s inspirational quotes for students before exams

“You will never be the person you can be if you remove the pressure, tension, and discipline from your life” – Dr. James G Bilkey

Insights for your child: The words of American author Bilkey ring true. Life is so full of stress and anxiety that we strain every nerve to get things done. Success will be less sweet without all of that stress. Teach your child that while exams can cause stress and anxiety, she must be able to deal with the same effect to excel and pass with flying colors.

Quotes on Growth Mindset

• Embrace the power of possibility

“There is nothing impossible. ‘I’m Possible,’ says the word itself.”Audrey Hepburn, humanitarian and actress

• Simply do it

“Everything you desire is waiting for you to ask for it. Everything you desire is also interesting in you. But you must take action to obtain it.”Jules Renard, French author

• Being afraid simply demonstrates how important this is to you

“Fear, by definition, is not intended to limit you. Fear is the brain’s telling you that you have something important to overcome.” The unknown

• How to bounce back

“I measure a man’s success not by how high he climbs but by how high he bounces when he falls.” GENERAL GEORGE S. PATTON, US ARMY COMMANDER IN WW2

• Consider the possibilities…

“Limitations only exist in our minds. However, if we use our imaginations, the possibilities are limitless.” Jamie Paolinetti is a professional cyclist and filmmaker.

• Utilize your strengths

“No matter how difficult life appears, there is always something you can do and succeed at.”

Although paralyzed by motor neuron disease for much of his adult life, Stephen Hawking revolutionized our understanding of the universe.

• Be the best version of yourself, as Ariana Huffington has done

“I do not attempt to dance better than anyone else. “All I try to do is dance better than myself.”

ARIANNA HUFFINGTON, FOUNDER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF THE HUFFINGTON POST Test taking quotes for exam preparation

Giving up now may seem more straightforward, but these inspirational exam quotes for students will motivate you to KEEP GOING and WIN your exams!

• The determination to persevere

“Success is not final, and failure is not fatal: what matters is the courage to continue.” Winston Churchill, former United Kingdom Prime Minister

• Repeat: one more time

“Our greatest weakness is that we give up. The most certain way to succeed is to give it one more shot.” Thomas A. Edison, entrepreneur, and inventor of the phonograph and the electric lamp

• Continue!

“Keep going if you’re going through hell.” Winston Churchill, former United Kingdom Prime Minister

• When things get tough…

If you’ve ever had to retake a significant final exam, you’ll understand the agony described in this quote! You can do it, my friend, if you persevere.

“Perseverance is the hard work you do after you’ve had enough of the hard work you’ve already done.” Former US House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich

• Keep going: you’re almost there

If you’re losing motivation to study for the exam, remember this quote from author and abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe.

“Never give up because that is exactly where and when the tide will turn.” AUTHOR HARRIET BEECHER STOWE

• Perseverance and patience

“Patience and perseverance have a magical effect that causes difficulties and obstacles to vanish.” John Quincy Adams, the sixth President of the United States

• Do you want to be difficult to beat?

“It’s difficult to beat someone who never gives up.” Babe Ruth was a professional baseball player.

Bottom Line

We hope this collection of inspirational quotes helps calm exam nerves, boosts your confidence in achieving your exam goals, and motivates you to study and do your best!