This is an interesting twist to the very frequent exam dream. Just about everyone has an exam dream, and it usually has to do with feeling unprepared for something in waking life, anxiety over work and career. Portia's dream, however, shows that her fear is one of interpretation and communication. Or she feels like she doesn't have the right tools to work with sometimes. She might be afraid she can't "get it right." A debilitating fear, usually, because trying to always get everything right leads us inevitably to feelings of inadequacy and guilt. Both are no good for the self-esteem! We can't possibly get it right all the time, and who says we need to live up to other peoples' standards anyway?