What is the correct form of the verb in the sentence: The student ___________ for the final exam.

The correct form of the verb in the sentence is "was studying." This form uses the past continuous tense, which is appropriate here to indicate an ongoing action that was happening at some point in the past. It suggests that the student was engaged in the process of studying leading up to the final exam, rather than simply stating that the studying occurred or focused on the degree of effort.

In contrast, other options do not accurately fit the context or grammatical structure needed. "Didn't studied" is incorrect because the verb "studied" cannot be used in the simple past tense with "didn't." "Studied hardly" implies a lack of effort, but does not correctly convey the action in the past progressive form. "Would have studies" contains a misspelling of "studies" (it should be "studied") and also does not align with the intended past action. Thus, "was studying" is the most suitable choice for this sentence.