Life Is a Question Paper Without an Answer Key

Do you remember exam days? The tension in the hall, the sound of pens scratching paper, and the silent prayers whispered before opening the question sheet. Some questions looked easy, some tested your memory, and a few felt impossible. At least in school, there was comfort in knowing that somewhere, a teacher held the official answer key.

But life is a different kind of exam. It gives us the paper, but no one tells us the correct answers. Each of us must attempt the questions in our own handwriting, with our own courage.

I’ve often thought about this. In my own life, there were questions I wasn’t ready for—how to deal with loss, how to rebuild after failure, how to love without holding back. There were no guides, no model papers. I had to figure it out, one mistake at a time.

The interesting part is that in life’s exam, copying doesn’t work. We look at others—friends, mentors, even role models—and try to replicate their answers. But what worked for them may not work for us. Their exam paper has different questions. Our test is uniquely ours.

Over time, I realised that being “right” is not the point. Life doesn’t grade us with marks. The value lies in attempting every question with honesty. Sometimes the scribbled, imperfect answer we write teaches us more than the polished solution we borrowed from someone else.

And maybe that’s the lesson: the courage to keep writing, even when the question looks impossible.

Tamil Touch (Thirukkural):

“தோற்றத்தால் தோற்றம் உரைக்கும்; தோற்றத்தால்

தோற்றம் உரைக்கும் கல்வி.” (Kural 398)

Proper education is what helps us stand tall, not what echoes from others’ words.

Life’s exam doesn’t need the “perfect” answer. It requires your answer.