With
the National Center Test season it is time when people like to say college
entrance is harder in Japan because of the senta shiken. However, as with all
aspects of our lives across cultures, things are not “black or white.” In
Japan, the senta exam used as the criteria for university admission is given
only once a year. In the US there are two comparable exams, SAT and ACT, which
assess how students analyze and solve problems and are not achievement tests,
though they provide separate achievement tests in certain subjects. The SAT is
the older of the exams (used since 1901) and is given 7 times a year! There are
practice test versions students take before senior year which help in choosing a
college or winning scholarships. But, American colleges don’t rely on test
scores alone. They are usually looking for well-rounded students so applicants
must provide written recommendations, have good grades, show they are leaders in
clubs, sports or volunteer activities, and are self-motivated.
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There are no institution-specific exams as
in Japan so students can apply to many colleges and then choose from among those
which accept them. Since there are great differences in curricula, grading, and
difficulty among US high schools due to local control, and the large number of
private, correspondence, and home schooled students, the test makers say ACT/SAT
scores help colleges see grades and class rank in a national perspective to
predict success. Admissions officers in America might say entrance is easier in
Japan where universities simply set a cut-off test score.
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