The second round of entrance examinations for national public universities is scheduled to start on Feb. 25, during a pandemic-impacted exam season that has forced institutions to implement coronavirus countermeasures.
When the Common Test for University Admissions was held in January, a record 1,721 applicants had to take supplementary exams due to illness and other reasons. In addition to implementing pandemic measures, universities are busy preparing for the possibility of a large number of students applying for supplementary examinations in the second round.
A disruption occurred during a Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology common test in January when an examinee who was wearing a mask with his nose exposed ignored an exam supervisor's instruction to wear the mask with his nose covered.
The university has sent second-stage test applicants an exam admission slip with an information sheet that states, "Please wear a mask that covers your nose properly." A university official said examinees might not have understood if they had just stated that masks should be worn.
Most public universities are expected to take measures such as requiring students to wear masks in the second-stage exams, just as they did for the common test.
Osaka City University plans to install panels to block respiratory droplets on the podiums supervisors use when giving instructions to the examinees. It will also install 10 portable toilets to prevent crowding in restrooms.
Some universities have changed procedures for the secondary examinations, such as Tokyo University of the Arts, which has canceled part of the practical skills component, and Miyazaki Municipal University, which has canceled examinations that were to be held outside the prefecture.
Kitami Institute of Technology in Hokkaido plans to take the temperature of applicants in the second-stage test. It did not do so for the common test. "Although there were no reports of infection clusters in the common test, we want students to feel more secure," a university official said.
A special supplementary examination for applicants who missed the common test due to illness was scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. Many public universities are also planning to hold a supplementary exam for the second-stage exam on March 22.
Applicants who had been in close contact with people infected with the coronavirus were able to take the common test if certain conditions were met.
However, Hokkaido University has asked applicants who have had close contact with infected cases to take a second-stage supplementary test instead of the main test.
"If the number of examinees increases rapidly, we will have no choice but to respond with all-out efforts, including calling on administrative staff," the university official said.
Hokkaido University plans to hold a written exam and interview for the second-stage test, and will also hold a supplementary exam in the same way.
The University of Tokyo factors in candidates' scores in the common test when calculating results for the supplementary second-stage test. Every year, competition is fierce, with less than one point separating successful and unsuccessful candidates.
"To strictly assess the aptitude of applicants, the supplementary exam is administered in the same way as the second-stage exam. If there's a slight increase in the number of applicants taking the supplementary examinations, we'll be prepared" a university official said.
Kyoto University also said the supplementary exam will be administered in the same format as the main exam. "As the questions are different, we need to be balanced and avoid unfairness to determine who passes or fails," a university official said.
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