The second stage of entrance exams for national and public universities began Thursday. While many universities have been forced to cancel their tests due to the spread of the new coronavirus, some went ahead while taking every possible preventive measure, such as making antiseptic solution available or having test-takers sit in every other seat. Many students were wearing protective masks.
At Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, alcohol disinfectant was placed at the entrances to test sites and examinees responded to requests from staff to use it, sterilizing their hands one after another as soon as they arrived on Thursday.
"I have been looking after my health, thinking, 'I won't be beaten down by the virus.' I want to do my best," a third-year public high school student from Saitama Prefecture said.
The Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology has prepared about 1,000 masks to distribute to examinees and also placed sanitizer at its exam site.
At Chiba University, the windows and doors were opened for ventilation both during and between tests to avoid mass infection in an enclosed space. The university let the examinees know in advance and asked them to keep themselves warm.
The University of Hyogo canceled a group interview scheduled for its nursing department, instead conducting individual interviews for longer than usual.
"We have no choice this time. We must assess examinees' aptitude through individual interviews," a university official said before the test.
Tokyo Institute of Technology, which will administer its exam on Friday, will double the number of test rooms to 10.
"We want to avoid close contact as much as possible by having students sit in every other seat, both beside and behind them," an official said.
According to the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry, 442 faculties of 141 universities solicited applications for the second-stage exams.
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