Ojuken: Entrance Exams for Japanese Schools

Find out which Japanese schools hold entrance exams, when the busiest exam seasons fall, and how overseas families can understand and plan around them.

Published October 19, 2026 at 11:53 AM JST | By Tokyo Paul

Quick answer: Ojuken is the Japanese word for entrance exams, most often used for admission to private or national kindergartens, elementary schools and junior high schools. Public elementary and junior high schools admit children by home address without exams. Exams appear mainly for private and national schools at junior high level, and for almost every high school, since high schools generally admit students by exam.

What ojuken means

Ojuken is a polite, slightly softened way of saying juken, which simply means taking an entrance exam. In everyday speech it is most often linked to families applying to a private or national kindergarten or elementary school. People also use juken for the exams that come later: chugaku juken for junior high, koko juken for high school and daigaku juken for university.

Most children in Japan never sit an exam to enter elementary or junior high school. Public elementary schools take children who live in the school's catchment area, and public junior high schools follow the same pattern. Children enter elementary school in April after they turn six, study there for six years, and then spend three years in junior high school.

So ojuken describes a choice some families make rather than a rule for everyone. It is one pathway among several, and many children move through public schools all the way to high school with their neighbors.

Exams for kindergarten and elementary school

Some private and national schools run their own admission process for kindergarten and for the first year of elementary school. Because the applicants are very young, these processes often look different from a written test. Schools may observe children in group activities, simple tasks and conversation, and they often meet the parents too. The exact format varies from school to school, and each school publishes its own application guide.

Autumn is the usual season for these exams, ahead of the April start of the school year. Popular schools can receive many applicants for a small number of places, so families often start preparing a year or more ahead. Some enroll their children in preparatory classes for young children, which are a form of juku.

Since formats and dates are set school by school, the best step is to read each school's current admission guide and attend an open day if one is offered. Most such events are in Japanese, so bring a Japanese-speaking friend if needed.

Junior high school entrance exams (chugaku juken)

The largest group of exam takers is sixth graders applying to private or national junior high schools. In 2025, about 52,300 sixth graders in the Tokyo area sat these exams, equal to 18.1 percent of all students that age, according to figures reported by nippon.com. The share had risen for a decade before leveling off.

The level of interest differs a lot by neighborhood. In some central Tokyo wards, a much larger share of sixth graders go on to private or national junior high schools than the national average, while in many regional areas almost every child continues to the local public junior high. Families who move within Japan often find that the exam culture around them changes with the address.

Timing is concentrated in winter. Schools in Saitama Prefecture begin testing around January 10, and most Tokyo-area schools hold their exams from early February. Many children take several exams over a few weeks, so the schedule of a family in January and February can be busy.

How exams are changing

Admission formats have been widening. Some schools allow applicants to sit the same school's exam several times in one season, and one school group has offered up to 11 attempts for a single application fee. Others give bonus points for retakes, relax photo or transcript requirements, or accept applications on the morning of the exam. A number of schools have added English presentations, group work or aptitude tests alongside the traditional subject papers.

University connections also influence choices. Several schools have announced guaranteed places or priority access at affiliated universities for their graduates, and these announcements have been followed by sharp rises in applications. Interest in schools with an international or science focus has grown as well.

Mock exams are another common feature. Organizations run practice tests so that families can see where a child stands, and some schools use mock results in their own admissions. The flexibility means there are more ways in than before, which many families find reassuring.

High school and beyond

Upper secondary school is not compulsory in Japan, yet around 98.8 percent of junior high graduates enrolled as of 2020. Applicants sit an admission exam (for public schools, usually one set at the prefecture level), and most families choose a few schools that match the child's results and interests. Since 2010, public support has covered much or all of public high school tuition for many families, and some prefectures also support private high school costs (check current eligibility rules), so the choice is not only about money.

Entrance exams for universities are the next stage. Many students use a mix of national tests and school-specific exams, and some universities offer recommendation or interview-based routes as well. The details change from year to year, so families usually look at each university's current admission guide.

Seen across a whole school life, the number of exam points depends on the path. A child who attends public schools meets a first big exam at the end of junior high. A child who applies to private schools may meet one at kindergarten, elementary or junior high.

Tips for overseas parents

Begin by finding out which school the child is assigned to by address. Municipal offices send enrollment information to families who are registered as residents, and for most families this is the simplest route with no exam involved. Foreign children are not covered by compulsory education rules, but local boards of education accept them in public schools on request.

If a private or national school interests you, ask the school directly about foreign-resident applicants and about the language level needed. Some schools offer special admission routes for children who have lived overseas, and others do not, so ask each one. Application guides, dates and fees are updated each year; check the current guide rather than relying on last year's figures.

Preparation does not need to be intense to be helpful. Keep a steady sleep and meal routine, practice reading in Japanese, and talk with the child about what the exam day will involve. For younger children, familiarity with group play and following simple instructions is often what schools look at.

Related terms and ideas

Several words appear in exam conversations. Juken seikatsu means the exam-preparation period, and shiboko means the school a child hopes to enter. Mogi means a mock exam, goukaku means passing, and suberidome (literally "stopper against slipping") is a safety school that serves as a reliable backup. The phrase juken jigoku, or exam hell, appears in older media, though many schools and families today describe the process in more varied terms.

Some areas also have public junior-senior high schools that combine the two stages in one school, usually with a selection based on an aptitude assessment rather than a traditional subject exam. Availability differs by prefecture and city, so the local board of education can say what exists nearby.

Policies and dates change every year, so check each school's current guide. This guide shares general cultural information and published figures, not professional advice; for decisions about a child's schooling, talk with the school or the local board of education.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do all children in Japan take entrance exams?

No. Public elementary and junior high schools admit children from their local area without exams. Exams are mostly used by private and national schools at kindergarten, elementary and junior high level, and by almost every high school. In the Tokyo area in 2025, about 18 percent of sixth graders sat junior high exams.

When are junior high entrance exams held?

Most Tokyo-area private junior high schools hold exams from early February. Schools in Saitama Prefecture begin around January 10. Because many children sit several exams over a few weeks, families often plan the winter months around the schedule. Each school publishes its own dates, so check its current application guide.

Can a foreign child apply to a Japanese private school?

Many private schools accept applications from foreign residents, but policies differ. Ask each school about the language level expected, the exam format and any special routes for children who lived overseas. Public schools are an alternative: boards of education enroll foreign children on request, with no entrance exam.

Want to go deeper? Tokyo Paul's book Japanese Parenting Secrets That Create Calm, Independent Children is available on Amazon.

Keep Exploring

More guides from Tokyo Paul: Juku: Cram Schools and the Japanese After-School Study Culture, International vs Local Schools in Japan: How Families Choose and The Japanese School Year: April Starts and Cherry Blossoms.