National Center Test for University Admissions
Encyclopedia
The is a type of standardized test
used by public and some private universities
in Japan
. It is held annually during a weekend in mid-January over a period of two days.
The Center Test has become something of a national phenomenon in Japan, with television
coverage and newspaper
s publishing test questions. To many test-takers in Japan, the test is the difference between college entrance and one year's study for the next year's exams as a rōnin
. Since the test is only administered annually and entrance to top-ranked universities and colleges is so competitive in Japan, the test has become the subject of scrutiny by many. In addition, rules for tardiness and absences are extremely strict and always results in the forfeit of taking the exams as there are no "makeup" sessions or re-takes offered.
The test is administered by National Center for University Entrance Examinations
, an Independent Administrative Institution
(IAI). The National Center Test superseded the Common first-stage exam
(共通一次, kyōtsū ichiji), which was administered from 1979 to 1989, letting private universities use the test scores as a criterion for admissions decisions.
Since the test is held in the midst of winter, snow can delay the exam in some regions but typically the test starts and ends near the same exact time throughout the entire nation.
The function of the Center Test depends on the institution, but most can be categorised into the following three:
s.
A number of cram schools and other companies have services to which candidates can send their scores and get to know their overall position in the other users of the service, called . Candidates can use this information to see how they fared compared to other test-takers, and make their final admissions decision. (In Japan, candidates may not apply to all the universities they want to, such as in the United States
, mainly because the secondary exams fall near or on the same day.)
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There are separate tests for each subject, and each is multiple choice
. The tests follow the curriculum guidelines published by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
.
There are a total of 29 tests in six subjects. Candidates take the subjects specified by their university. As an exception, however, candidates for the English
(written) exam must take the English (listening).
.jpg)
A listening exam was introduced in 2006 for candidates of the English (written) exam. An IC
player was handed out to all candidates of the exam, and a whole 30 minutes of testing time was devoted to the explanation of usage of this device.
There was some controversy surrounding the introduction of this exam, and critics doubted the reliability of this device. In 2006, there were 497 (about 0.09%) cases in which candidates had to be given re-tests because of device failure.
Since the IC players could be taken home, candidates around Japan disassembled the devices at home, finding that the players used Sony
's Memory Stick
for storage of the exam. Although no note of the manufacturer was made in either the media or on the device itself, the use of this storage format led most to believe that Sony was the manufacturer.
The memory stick from a sample device provided to an examination supervisor prior to the 2007 examinations, containing a full sample audio test, contained four files with the .bin file extension. A cursory attempt to extract the content of these files failed and changing the file extension to common audio formats, such as .wav, .mp3, and .wma also did not result in playable files. The total size of all four files was 4.63MB, and the total listening time of 30 minutes makes it obvious that the audio tracks are highly compressed.
Additionally, the non-intuitive sequence of buttons needed to operate the player raises concern over the possibility of candidates having difficulty operating the player under test conditions. The inability to stop and restart the audio tracks seems probably due to a wish to ensure that all candidates complete all the listening within the test period. Of even more concern is that the memory stick on the sample player was exposed and could be removed by candidates, leaving open the possibility that candidates may inadvertently remove the memory stick during the test and render the player inoperable.
Standardized test
A standardized test is a test that is administered and scored in a consistent, or "standard", manner. Standardized tests are designed in such a way that the questions, conditions for administering, scoring procedures, and interpretations are consistent and are administered and scored in a...
used by public and some private universities
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It is held annually during a weekend in mid-January over a period of two days.
The Center Test has become something of a national phenomenon in Japan, with television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
coverage and newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
s publishing test questions. To many test-takers in Japan, the test is the difference between college entrance and one year's study for the next year's exams as a rōnin
Ronin (student)
In Japan, a is a student who has graduated from middle school or high school but has failed to enter a school at the next level, and consequently is studying outside of the school system for entrance in a future year. Rōnin may study at a yobikō....
. Since the test is only administered annually and entrance to top-ranked universities and colleges is so competitive in Japan, the test has become the subject of scrutiny by many. In addition, rules for tardiness and absences are extremely strict and always results in the forfeit of taking the exams as there are no "makeup" sessions or re-takes offered.
The test is administered by National Center for University Entrance Examinations
National Center for University Entrance Examinations
The National Center for University Entrance Exams or colloquially is an Independent Administrative Institution that administers the National Center Test for University Admissions and law school entrance exams in Japan.It is under the control of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science...
, an Independent Administrative Institution
Independent Administrative Institution
An Incorporated Administrative Agency or in lay terms an Independent Administrative Corporation or Independent Administrative Institution is a newly designed type of legal body for Japanese governmental organizations regulated by the Basic Law on Reforming Government Ministries of 1998...
(IAI). The National Center Test superseded the Common first-stage exam
Common first-stage exam
The was a standardized test administered in Japan and used for university admissions from 1979 to 1989.The subjects tested basic skills and were available were Japanese literature, mathematics, English, social studies and science....
(共通一次, kyōtsū ichiji), which was administered from 1979 to 1989, letting private universities use the test scores as a criterion for admissions decisions.
Since the test is held in the midst of winter, snow can delay the exam in some regions but typically the test starts and ends near the same exact time throughout the entire nation.
Designation
The official name in Japanese is , but this designation is rarely used. It is often called , or simply by test-takers and teachers.Function
Some universities decide successful candidates using only the National Center Test, but most prestigious universities require the candidate to take another, institution-specific exam, which is often more difficult than the National Center Test.The function of the Center Test depends on the institution, but most can be categorised into the following three:
- Center Test only: Universities that require only the Center Test results and solely use them for admissions decisions. Mostly used by private universities alongside normal (using institution-specific exams) admission.
- Center Test and secondary exam: Universities using the Center Test and a secondary exam (their own test, or an essayEssayAn essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
or interviewInterviewAn interview is a conversation between two people where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee.- Interview as a Method for Qualitative Research:"Definition" -...
) for their decisions. Used by most national universities. - Center Test as primary decision: Universities using the Center Test as a primary decision, after which the successful candidates are placed on an even plane and are given a secondary, institution-specific exam that decides admission. Used by the most prestigious universities such as the University of TokyoUniversity of Tokyo, abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university...
and Kyoto UniversityKyoto University, or is a national university located in Kyoto, Japan. It is the second oldest Japanese university, and formerly one of Japan's Imperial Universities.- History :...
, but not seen much elsewhere.
Checking scores
Because candidates are unable to know their Center Test scores before applying to their universities, most write their answers on the question sheets (which can be taken home), and check their answers using rubrics published by cram schoolCram school
Cram schools are specialized schools that train their students to meet particular goals, most commonly to pass the entrance examinations of high schools or universities...
s.
A number of cram schools and other companies have services to which candidates can send their scores and get to know their overall position in the other users of the service, called . Candidates can use this information to see how they fared compared to other test-takers, and make their final admissions decision. (In Japan, candidates may not apply to all the universities they want to, such as in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, mainly because the secondary exams fall near or on the same day.)
Tests
Multiple choice
Multiple choice is a form of assessment in which respondents are asked to select the best possible answer out of the choices from a list. The multiple choice format is most frequently used in educational testing, in market research, and in elections-- when a person chooses between multiple...
. The tests follow the curriculum guidelines published by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Japan)
The , also known as MEXT or Monkashō, is one of the ministries of the Japanese government.The Meiji government created the first Ministry of Education in 1871....
.
There are a total of 29 tests in six subjects. Candidates take the subjects specified by their university. As an exception, however, candidates for the English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
(written) exam must take the English (listening).
First day
In 2008, the first day of exams was held on January 19.- CivicsCivicsCivics is the study of rights and duties of citizenship. In other words, it is the study of government with attention to the role of citizens ― as opposed to external factors ― in the operation and oversight of government....
: 100 points each, 60 minutes- Contemporary social studiesSocial studiesSocial studies is the "integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence," as defined by the American National Council for the Social Studies...
- Ethics
- Politics and Economy
- Contemporary social studies
- GeographyGeographyGeography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
and HistoryHistoryHistory is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
: 100 points each, 60 minutes- World History A
- World History B
- Japanese History A
- Japanese History B
- Geography A
- Geography B
- Japanese literatureLiteratureLiterature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
: Total of 200 points (Modern language comprehension 100 points, Old Japanese 50 points, Classical ChineseKanbunThe Japanese word originally meant "Classical Chinese writings, Chinese classic texts, Classical Chinese literature". This evolved into a Japanese method of reading annotated Classical Chinese in translation . Much Japanese literature was written in literary Chinese using this annotated style...
texts 50 points), 80 minutes- Japanese literature
- Foreign languages (written): 200 points each, 80 minutes
- EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
- GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
- FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
- ChineseChinese languageThe Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
- KoreanKorean languageKorean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
- English
- Foreign languages (listening): 50 points total, 60 minutes (Explanation of process and equipment 30 minutes, testing time 30 minutes). This test is only available in English.
Second day
In 2008, the second day of exams was held on January 20.- ScienceScienceScience is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
(1): 100 points each, 60 minutes- BiologyBiologyBiology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
I - General Science B
- Biology
- MathematicsMathematicsMathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
(1): 100 points each, 60 minutes- Mathematics I
- Mathematics I and Mathematics A
- MathematicsMathematicsMathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
(2): 100 points each, 60 minutes- Mathematics II
- Mathematics II and Mathematics B (Candidates may select two subjects from Mathematics B. Choices are: sequencesSéquencesSéquences is a French-language film magazine originally published in Montreal, Quebec by the Commission des ciné-clubs du Centre catholique du cinéma de Montréal, a Roman Catholic film society. Founded in 1955, the publication was edited for forty years by Léo Bonneville, a member of the Clerics...
, vectors, statisticsStatisticsStatistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
& computers, calculationCalculationA calculation is a deliberate process for transforming one or more inputs into one or more results, with variable change.The term is used in a variety of senses, from the very definite arithmetical calculation of using an algorithm to the vague heuristics of calculating a strategy in a competition...
& computers) - Basic industrial mathematics/science
- BookkeepingBookkeepingBookkeeping is the recording of financial transactions. Transactions include sales, purchases, income, receipts and payments by an individual or organization. Bookkeeping is usually performed by a bookkeeper. Bookkeeping should not be confused with accounting. The accounting process is usually...
/Accounting - Basic information technologyInformation technologyInformation technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
- Science (2): 100 points each, 60 minutes
- ChemistryChemistryChemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
I - General Science A
- Chemistry
- Science (3): 100 points each, 60 minutes
- PhysicsPhysicsPhysics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
I - Earth scienceEarth scienceEarth science is an all-embracing term for the sciences related to the planet Earth. It is arguably a special case in planetary science, the Earth being the only known life-bearing planet. There are both reductionist and holistic approaches to Earth sciences...
I
- Physics
Listening exam and IC player
Integrated circuit
An integrated circuit or monolithic integrated circuit is an electronic circuit manufactured by the patterned diffusion of trace elements into the surface of a thin substrate of semiconductor material...
player was handed out to all candidates of the exam, and a whole 30 minutes of testing time was devoted to the explanation of usage of this device.
There was some controversy surrounding the introduction of this exam, and critics doubted the reliability of this device. In 2006, there were 497 (about 0.09%) cases in which candidates had to be given re-tests because of device failure.
Since the IC players could be taken home, candidates around Japan disassembled the devices at home, finding that the players used Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
's Memory Stick
Memory Stick
Memory Stick is a removable flash memory card format, launched by Sony in October 1998, and is also used in general to describe the whole family of Memory Sticks...
for storage of the exam. Although no note of the manufacturer was made in either the media or on the device itself, the use of this storage format led most to believe that Sony was the manufacturer.
The memory stick from a sample device provided to an examination supervisor prior to the 2007 examinations, containing a full sample audio test, contained four files with the .bin file extension. A cursory attempt to extract the content of these files failed and changing the file extension to common audio formats, such as .wav, .mp3, and .wma also did not result in playable files. The total size of all four files was 4.63MB, and the total listening time of 30 minutes makes it obvious that the audio tracks are highly compressed.
Additionally, the non-intuitive sequence of buttons needed to operate the player raises concern over the possibility of candidates having difficulty operating the player under test conditions. The inability to stop and restart the audio tracks seems probably due to a wish to ensure that all candidates complete all the listening within the test period. Of even more concern is that the memory stick on the sample player was exposed and could be removed by candidates, leaving open the possibility that candidates may inadvertently remove the memory stick during the test and render the player inoperable.