# 未来へ向けた挑戦(26) ー 大学入試試験 との闘い (英語版)ー 一期校から共通テストまで、入試制度と英語評価の変遷 ー Challenge for the Future 26 — Battle with School Entrance Exams ー From Early and Late Applications to the Common Test — Changes in Exam System and English Evaluation
I was born in 1958 (Showa 33), so I was 18 in 1976 (Showa 51). At that time, university entrance exams were different from today’s Common Test. There was a system called Early (First) and Late (Second) Applications for national universities. I remember that some teachers at my high school said, “Students who pass Early Applications are smarter,” but this is only my memory and may not be completely true.
Later, the entrance exam system changed nationwide. In 1979, the National Center Test for University Admissions started as a unified exam for national universities. In 1990, it became the University Entrance Center Exam, used by more universities across Japan. In 2021, the Center Exam changed to the University Common Test, which is now used by almost all national and private universities for admissions.
Creation and Administration of the Common Test
The Common Test (including the old Center Exam) is organized by the National Center for University Entrance Examinations, an independent administrative institution. They plan, create questions, print, deliver, score, and provide results. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) sets the policies and reforms, but the Center is responsible for the actual exam work.
Creating questions involves committees inside the Center and over 700 university teachers and experts. Individual question writers’ names are not made public. Questions are reviewed and corrected many times, and it can take years before a question is actually used. Some professors said, “I found my questions were used 2–3 years later,” showing the process is long and complex.
Cram schools or prep schools do not create the exam itself. However, they provide practice tests, study materials, and courses, which influence students’ study methods and preparation.
English Subject: Scores and Changes
The English section changed a lot over time.
• On the Center Exam, reading was 200 points and listening 50 points. Listening was officially added in 2006. At first, the 50-point listening had little effect, and most universities focused on reading.
• On the Common Test, reading and listening are each 100 points, for a total of 200. Listening has become more important.
• However, traditional questions on grammar and sentence rearrangement, which measure the basics of reading comprehension, were removed. Grammar and sentence structure are no longer directly tested, and the exam now focuses on long reading passages. This change reduced attention to foundational English skills.
English is taken by most students, because almost all universities use it. In 2025, about 450,000 students took the English section of the Common Test, out of about 495,000 applicants — more than 90% of students. English has a large effect on university admission decisions.
Looking back, I experienced the battle with school and entrance exams firsthand. The changes in English evaluation, the increase in listening importance, and the reduction of grammar and sentence structure show how the entrance exam system has constantly changed.
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