Another error in an entrance examination question at a principal national university has been revealed. This is truly regrettable.
The error was found in a physics question of the second-round examination held by Kyoto University last February.
Due to the mistake, the university erroneously failed 17 examinees who would otherwise have been admitted to the engineering and two other faculties. Eleven students could not enter the departments they wanted to be enrolled in. Kyoto University should seriously accept the fact that this error had a major impact on the path of those examinees.
As countermeasures, the university will admit the affected students, who will transfer from other universities and departments. It will contemplate paying compensation and consolation money. Nearly one year has passed since the successful examinees were announced. The university must work out relief measures that meet the individual needs of the affected students.
The question was related to sound waves, and called for selecting the correct answer from among two choices for the latter half of a mathematical formula. Both answers could have been correct, because the conditions set in the examination sentence were inadequate. Three points from the full 100 points were allocated to the question.
The questions were examined by 14 question-making committee members -- who held as many as 11 meetings when proposing the original questions. On examination day, the questions were finally checked by three teaching staff members who were not question-making committee members. But the question concerned was only solved by one of them.
Kyoto University explained that "as far as physics is concerned, there are pitfalls anyone can fall into." The university is called on to use this opportunity to reexamine whether there were any flaws in its question-making and checking methods.
Last month, several officials at university cram schools reported the error to the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry and Kyoto University, resulting in the error finally being recognized.
Prompt relief steps vital
Kyoto University attaches importance to the process leading to an answer, as well as thinking power. Considering the possibility that there could be methods for solving questions that go beyond what is assumed, the university had not publicized example answers and scoring criteria. This could have been a factor in the delay in the error's discovery.
The university said it would take into consideration such information as example answers by university cram schools in future point-rating, and rectify scoring standards if an error is found. Relief measures to deal with any flaws to questions must be carried out promptly. Disclosing example answers could be something to consider.
Kyoto University's error follows the recent revelation of a similar case in a physics question posed by Osaka University about sound waves. According to the education ministry, about 290 errors were discovered in entrance exams given by more than 150 universities in fiscal 2017.
In the new unified examination system for university entrance that will start in fiscal 2020, importance is attached to thinking power and the ability to express. A similar tendency is likely to become stronger in second-stage exams at national universities and private university exams. Question-making and scoring will most certainly become more difficult.
The education ministry has established a special office for accepting information about exam errors. It will inspect the countermeasures to be taken by universities and start working out new rules, including calling on them to disclose example answers.
Promoting public disclosure will increase the amount of errors that are pointed out. All universities are called on to take measures that minimize what could be detrimental to exam takers.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 3, 2018)
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