A "blue book exam" is a classic method of academic assessment, particularly in higher education. It is named after the small, blue-covered booklet students write their answers in.

“Machiavelli’s radical break from classical political philosophy lies in his separation of politics from ethics. While Plato’s Republic argues that a just ruler must embody the virtue of wisdom, Machiavelli’s The Prince (Ch. 15) states that a ruler ‘must be prepared to act immorally when necessity commands.’ For example, Machiavelli advises the prince to break promises if doing so benefits the state (Ch. 18), directly opposing Cicero’s dictum that promises must always be kept. Additionally, where Aristotle saw the polis as a space for human flourishing ( eudaimonia ), Machiavelli sees it as a raw competition for power—celebrating Cesare Borgia’s cruelty as ‘effective’ rather than tyrannical. Thus, Machiavelli replaces ‘what ought to be’ with ‘what is,’ founding modern political realism.”

A Blue Book exam usually tests , not just recall. Focus on prompts that require essay or short-answer responses.