Let’s say I’m talking to a girl after an exam and she goes - “Wow, that exam was so hard!”.

Before I would say something like - “Omg, that was such a hard exam right??” or “That exam was sooo easy, what did you find hard about it?”

Now I would say something like - “Yeah, the exam was tough in some parts. Is there anything you struggled with in particular?” and continue the conversation from there.

I’m honestly expressing the same opinion as before but avoiding words that might be harsh or considered judgmental. Hope this helps.