Test-takers on alert as university entry exam to go ahead

Japan’s new unified university entrance examination was set to take place for two days from Saturday 16 January, in an unprecedented situation amid the rapidly growing spread of the novel coronavirus, which has led to parts of the Tokyo metropolitan area being put under a fresh state of emergency, reports JIJI.

While the test has some 530,000 applicants, including high school third-graders, the education ministry and the National Center for University Entrance Examinations are advising them to apply for a substitute exam if they have health issues. The new test, which replaces the National Center Test for University Admissions for the first time this year, will also be held on 30-31 January as a special measure in response to a delay in study due to temporary closures of high schools last year amid the pandemic. The later test, for which 718 people have applied, will also serve as a substitute exam for those who will miss the exam on Saturday and Sunday.

The ministry and the centre are asking applicants to check their body temperatures every morning for about seven days in the lead-up to the test and bring their temperature data to their exam venues. If applicants have any of three symptoms – a fever of 37.5 degrees Celsius or higher, breathing difficulty or strong fatigue – or two or more conditions such as smell or taste disorder, a lasting cough or pain in the throat, or diarrhoea on the day of the exam, they will be advised to skip the test and apply for the substitute exam.
Full report on The Japan Times site