How Japanese University Entrance Exams Really Work | The Toughest Test for High School Students

How Japanese University Entrance Exams Really Work | The Toughest Test for High School Students — YouTube

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I want to talk about Japanese University Entrance Exams. A lot of Japanese high school students spend several years preparing for these exams, and for many of them, it's one of the biggest events of their teenage years.

Japanese University Entrance Exams#

Let's start with an overview of how university entrance exams work in Japan.

In Japan, if you want to go to university after finishing high school, you usually have to take an entrance exam. These exams focus heavily on written academic tests, and your test scores often matter far more than essays, interviews, or extracurricular activities.

In recent years, Japan has introduced more admission types such as recommendation-based exams or comprehensive evaluations that consider essays, interviews, and achievements. But even today, the traditional academic test is still the main pathway for most students.

National vs. Private Universities#

Next, let's break down the types of universities in Japan and how the exam patterns differ.

Japan has two major categories: national and public universities, which are funded by the government, and private universities. National and public universities tend to have lower tuition fees, but the exams can be tougher—there are more required subjects, and the exams are often "one-shot only". Private universities usually cost more, but they offer more exam opportunities, more campuses, and more flexibility.

Entrance Exams for National Universities#

To get into a national university, students first take a nationwide standardized test called the "Common Test." Then, each university gives its own secondary exam. Your acceptance is based on a combination of your Common Test score and your secondary exam result.

The Common Test covers seven subject areas—Japanese, geography and history, civics, mathematics, science, foreign languages, and information technology—adding up to 21 possible subjects. Most national universities require students to take around six subjects across eight individual tests from this list.

How the Common Test scores are used depends on the university. Some use the score to decide who is allowed to sit for the secondary exam, while others combine the score directly with their own exam results to determine acceptance.

The secondary exam is specialized depending on the faculty you're applying to. For science majors, it's often math, a foreign language, and science subjects. For humanities majors, it might include a foreign language, math, Japanese, and social studies. The specific subjects vary by university.

While the Common Test is often a race against time, the secondary exam tends to be much more difficult, and requires deeper academic understanding.

Another challenge is that almost all national universities hold their secondary exams on the same day. So you can't apply to two national universities in the same year—you only get one chance.

Because of the wide range of required subjects and the difficulty of the secondary exams—and the limited test dates, getting into national universities can be extremely challenging.

Entrance Exams for Private Universities#

Private universities set their own exam formats, and students can apply to many different universities and departments. Some private universities allow students to apply using only part of their Common Test results, while others offer subject combinations like "math, English, science" for science majors. The format varies widely.

Private universities also offer multiple exam dates for the same department, so students can retake exams as many times as they need—at least as long as they're willing to pay the application fees.

Speaking of fees, private university application fees can be expensive, often around 30,000 yen per application. For students applying to many universities, this cost adds up quickly.

Why High Schools Care About Their Acceptance Records#

For high schools that focus heavily on getting students into good universities, their "university acceptance record" is extremely important. It affects the school's reputation and helps attract new students.

When I was in high school, there were sometimes rumors that a few schools tried to make their acceptance results look better than they actually were. For example, I heard stories about a school paying application fees for a small number of students and encouraging them to apply to several well-known private universities, just to increase the number of successful "acceptances" listed in the school's record.

I don't know how common this actually was, and I have no idea whether it still happens today. But at least back when I was a student, this kind of story was occasionally talked about among classmates.

Private Universities as a "Backup Plan"#

Students who aim for a national university usually apply to several private universities as backups. Depending on their Common Test score, they might change their target schools or increase the number of safer options.

One challenge is that private university acceptance results and tuition deadlines often come earlier than the national secondary exams. So even if a student doesn't plan to attend a private university, they might still have to pay a large enrollment deposit—sometimes tens of thousands of yen—just to keep their spot until national university results come out. For many students, this becomes a significant financial burden.

The "Rōnin" Year#

Japan also has something known as "rōnin." This refers to students who don't go straight to university after high school, and instead spend a full extra year preparing to try again. Some students choose this because they firmly want to get into their dream university. Others didn't get the results they hoped for in their final year of high school.

Many rōnin students attend large prep schools and study all year long. So while some students enter university right after graduating high school, others take a gap year dedicated entirely to exam preparation.

How High School Life Connects to University Entrance Exams#

Now let's talk about how high school life in Japan connects to university entrance exams.

Many Japanese high schools publish detailed records showing how many of their students got accepted into which universities. Because of this, "university acceptance results" can be a major factor in how a school is evaluated. Students who want to attend top universities often choose high schools known for strong academic performance. In these schools, high school rankings and university outcomes are tightly connected.

In schools that emphasize university preparation, students might be sorted into different classes as early as the first or second year of high school based on their grades or mock exam results. Higher-performing students are placed in "advanced" classes, where lessons move faster and homework and exams become more difficult.

Many students also attend cram schools or large prep schools after regular classes or on weekends. These places help students strengthen weak subjects or prepare for specific universities using past exam questions.

I actually attended a school that was sometimes called a "self-proclaimed competitive school." The curriculum there was incredibly intense.

I gave an overview of how university entrance exams work in Japan. In Japan—and in some other parts of Asia—university admissions still rely heavily on academic testing, especially for the top schools. As a result, competition can become extremely intense.

Closing Remarks#

Thank you for reading my article today. I hope you found the information helpful.
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