2015 Fiscal Year

National Center for University EntranceExaminations

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The aim of the National Center for University Entrance Examinations (NCUEE) is

to improve the selection of candidates for admission to Japanese universities, and

thereby to promote education at universities, high schools, and other educational

institutions, through our work related to the National Center Test for University

Admissions (hereafter, “The National Center Test”).

The National Center Test is given to individuals who wish to enroll at a national,

public or private university in Japan. The NCUEE cooperates with universities

to give the Test, which is conducted countrywide on the same day with the

same questions. The main objective of the examination is to assess the level of

fundamental academic achievement attained by the applicant at the high school

stage. When individual universities select students to admit, they apply their

own criteria to the results and take a multifaceted approach to determining the

ability and aptitude of each person.

Reform of university entrance examinations is a key component of the Japanese

government’s initiatives to strengthen the connections between high school and

university education. Accordingly, we are engaged in research and investigation

that will contribute to improving the admissions process; this is our role as a core

site for research related to university admissions. As a part of these efforts, we

have hosted meetings of the National Research Council for University Admissions

and other events. We hope that these activities will lead to even more active

joint research with universities, and contribute to further improvement of the

university admissions selection process.

We will continue to engage in broad exchange of opinions with relevant

organizations, and will strive to correctly analyze, assess, and proactively improve

the current situation. Through this, we will help promote education at universities,

high schools, and other educational institutions. It is our intention to work toward

the implementation of even better examinations in the future. To this end, we

request your continued understanding and cooperation.

June 2015

Message from the President

President of the National Center for

University Entrance Examinations

Hiroki Yamamoto

National Center for University Entran ce Examinations

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Aim of the CenterThe National Center for University Entrance Examinations aims to improve the university admission selection process and thus contribute to the advancement of university and high school education (including the latter courses of secondary schools and high school courses of schools for special needs education) by working with universities to provide testing services for university applicants.

Plans for the Third Medium-Term Goal Period (2011-2015)*

❶The National Center TestThe NCUEE will ensure that test development, testing procedures, scoring, and score notifications for the National Center Test, which are offered in collaboration with universities throughout the country to assess basic academic achievement at the high school level for university applicants, are performed and processed smoothly, appropriately, and in a timely fashion.

❷ Research on the Improvement of University Applicant

Selection MethodsAs a major force in research on the improvement of university admission selection methods in Japan, the NCUEE will take the initiative to work with universities on relevant research projects.

•��Research on the National Center Test Based on the suggestions and recommendations of national advisory

councils and committees, the Center will conduct organized research and apply as many findings as possible toward facilitating further improvements in the National Center Test.

•��Study and research on the improvement of university admission selection methods

* The Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology sets targets to be

achieved by NCUEE for the five-year period with regard to its operation (medium-term

goals). In response, NCUEE draws up a plan to achieve the medium-term goals (medium-

term plan) and obtains approval from the Minister.

Medium-term goals for NCUEE are established every 5 years from fiscal 2001, and

based on these goals, a medium-term plan is formulated. This term falls under the Third

Medium-Term Goal Period.

Outline of the National Center for University Entrance Examinations

Message from the President …………………………… 1

Outline of the National Center for University Entrance Examinations ………………………………… 2

Outline of the National Center Test for University Admissions

University Admissions System Combined with the National Center Test ……………………………………… 3

Roles of the National Center Test ……………………… 4

Operations Procedures and Schedule (NCUEE and Universities using the National Center Test) …………… 5

Subject Areas and Subjects of the National Center Test for the 2016 school year …………………………… 6

English Listening Test …………………………………… 7

Average Scores …………………………………………… 8

Research on the Improvement of University Applicant Selection Methods

The Research Division and Academic Activities ……… 9

Symposiums ……………………………………………… 10

National Research Council for University Admissions … 10

Organization and Administration

NCUEE Data ……………………………………………… 11

NCUEE Chronology ……………………………………… 12

Organization ……………………………………………… 13

Administrative Committees ……………………………… 14

National Center for University Entran ce Examinations

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The National Center Test is carried out by each university in conjunction with the National Center for University Entrance Exams. The National Center Test is the driving force behind the diversifi cation of university admission selection methods.

The National Center Test primarily aims to measure basic academic achievement by applicants to universities upon concluding a high school level education. National, local public and private universities use the test scores by applying their own criteria and using a multifaceted approach to judge the ability and aptitude of the examinees to receive higher education.

●Test Fees For 3 subjects or more : 18,000 yen For 2 subjects or less : 12,000 yen 800 yen to receive Test Score Notifi cation (Those who wish to receive notifi cation of their

examination results are required to pay an additional fee at the time of application.)

●Application Procedures· Students expecting to graduate from high school can

apply through their schools.· Applicants who have graduated from high school will

send their application forms directly to the NCUEE.

●Examination Sites· Students expecting to graduate from high school will

take the exam at the appointed site within the area where their school is located.

· Applicants who have graduated from high school will take the exam at the appointed site within their residential area.

Administration of the National Center Test The National Center Test is conducted at various sites throughout the country on the same days and using the same test items, by the NCUEE in cooperation with participating universities including national, local public and private universities.

●Roles of NCUEE• Test development, printing and delivery of test papers • Preparation of an examination guidebook for applicants

and a manual for administrators• Receipt of applications, appointment of test sites, and

issue of admission tickets for the examination• Scoring and aggregation of the test results• Provision of the test results to the universities• Notifi cation of individual test scores to the examinees

●Roles of Participating Universities• Announcing the subject areas and subjects to be adopted from the

National Center Test, and the examinations prepared by the univer-sities themselves

• Providing test sites and examiners on the test day• Distributing the examination guidebook to applicants• Implementation of the examination, management of the test pro-

cessing (collecting and sending test booklets and mark cards), and requests for test scores

• Providing test developers• Archiving and managing test questions

University Admissions System Combined with the National Center Test

The NationalCenter forUniversityEntrance

Examinations

Applicant

Participating Universities

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Providing the Optimal University

Entrance Exam

Receipt of exam results (Applicants)

Notification of results

Participation in Test

Application/ Taking exam

Application/ Taking exam

Pass/Fail result

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Merits of Using the National Center Test Examples of University Use of the National Center Test

The National Center Test has been conducted for admissions to national, public and private universities since the 1990 school year, replacing the Joint First-Stage Achievement Test, which was implemented from the school years 1979 to 1989.From 2011 and onwards, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)’s implementation guidance on university admissions, a notification by the MEXT Higher Education Bureau Director-General, clearly specifies that the use of the National Center Test scores are recommended as one of the application requirements and/or admission criteria when conducting admissions office entrance examinations.

Prior to the 1978 school year, some difficult and ambiguous items beyond the scope of high school education were included in some university entrance examinations. Since the introduction of the Joint First-Stage Achievement Test and the National Center Test, which have been highly evaluated by those involved in higher education, the high quality of the test items has been maintained.

The number of private and local public universities using the Test has been increasing every year: For the 2015 school year, 767 four-year and two-year private and local public universities used the National Center Test. The Test has been highly evaluated by these participating universities.

An increasing number of universities are conducting essay writing tests and interviews, and have special admissions procedures when admitting students who have been recommended by their high school, students who have received higher education outside Japan, and adults. The National Center Test contributes to the diversification and individuality of universities in their applicant selection methods.

Since the establishment of the National Center Test, an “a la carte” optional method has been employed, which allows universities to specify the subject areas and subjects to be used for their admissions procedures.

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Ensurethehighqualityoftestsbyexcludingtoodifficultandambiguousitems

Promoteadmissionsystemsreformforalltypesofuniversities(public,private,two-yearandfour-yearcolleges)

Promoteindividualityanddiversificationoftheadmissionssystemsbyuniversities,throughintegrationoftheNationalCenterTestandrespectiveuniversityexaminations

Appropriateusageateachuniversitybyan“alacarte”method

Roles of the National Center Test

Adoption of the National Center Test offers numerous merits including allowing participating universities to attract new types of students, promote themselves on a national scale, and focus more on interviews.

• Use of the National Center Test enables all-round type students with average achievements in all subjects to be admitted, thus helping to expand the range of students.

• Adoption of the National Center Test allows university personnel to use short essays and interviews for the second-stage examinations.

• Allows for a wider geographic distribution and greater number of applicants.

• Facilitates promotion of the university’s name and improves its image.

• Allows for a wider assessment of the applicants’ qualifications than if only the university’s own examination is used.

• Being given another opportunity to be tested for the same university/department is highly evaluated by examinees.

• The Test is adopted in all subject areas and subjects to assess the general basic academic ability of the applicant.

• The designated subject areas and subjects covered by the Test are selected for some applicants taking the general entrance examination.

• Examinees are allowed to select their preferred subjects from among a wider range of subjects.

• The high school reports and National Center Test results of the applicants are used as the primary selection criteria. The university then conducts interviews with those applicants who have passed.

• The mathematics and foreign language sections of the National Center Test are used for applicants to the faculty of engineering. The university gives a test only in the subject of science.

• The National Center Test results, or the university’s examination results, whichever is higher, are used when making decisions for some of the university applicants.

• Only the Japanese and foreign language sections of the National Center Test are used for applicants of admission upon recommendation. The interview test is conducted by the university.

• After clearly stipulating the required score for the National Center Test, an examination conducted by the university is given to candidates who have met that required score. The decision for admission is based only on the results of the examination conducted by the university, excluding the results of the National Center Test.

• The results of the previous year’s National Center Test may be used by the university, upon the discretion of the university, to select applicants.

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Operations Procedures and Schedule (NCUEE and Universities using the National Center Test)

Drawing up and Adjustment of Specific Plans

Preparation, checking and printing of test questions

Securing, setting, and preparingthe exam

ination site/room

Examination O

perations Com

mittee

Examination

Operations

Preparation

Distribution of Admission

Guide

Notification of Estimated Number of Applicants

Notification of Operation Procedures

Request to Set & Prepare Examination Hall / Room

Preparation of Admission Guide

Briefing Session for High Schools

Receipt of Applications

Registration of Applicants

Sending of Confirmation Postcards

Finalize Examination Site & Number of Examinees

Sending of Examination Entrance Ticket

Announcement of Correct Answers, etc.

Midterm Announcement of Average Scores, etc.

Announcement of Score Adjustment

Provision of Test Scores

Final Announcement of Average Scores, etc.

Acceptance/Registration

Sending of Test Score Notifications to the examinees

Discussion at the Committee Meeting regarding Location Assignment

Announcement of Selection Criteria, incl. Individual Achievement Tests

Response on Setting and Preparation of Examination Site/Room

Setting of Examination Site/Room

Receipt of Admissions Applications for National, Local Public and Private Universities

Request for Test Scores

Implementation of Individual Achievement for National, Local Public and Private Universities

Announcement of Applicants who Passed

Submission of Data on Applicants who Passed

Sending Test-related Materials (First time) Receipt of Materials

Sending of Test-related Materials (Second time) Receipt Announcement of Admissions Requirements, such as individual achievement tests

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Month NCUEE Participating Universities Month

Meeting of the Representatives of the Council (First Meeting)

Test Run of Communications Systems for Implementing the National Center Test

Meeting of the Representatives of the Council (Second Meeting)

National Center Test (Main Test)

National Center Test (Supplementary)

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Subject Areas and Subjects of the National Center Test for the 2016 school year

The National Center Test consists mainly of objective items in a multiple choice answer format. Examinees mark their answers on an answer sheet in pencil. Research and experience accumulated over the years have facilitated improvements in the style and content of the items, in order to better evaluate the ability of the examinees to think logically and make judgments instead of just providing memorized information. Participating universities may specify the subject areas and subjects from within the National Center Test to be administered to the applicants. Applicants confirm the subject areas and subjects that require testing as per the application guidebook published by the respective universities, and submit their applications accordingly. The Test in the 2016 school year will cover 30 subjects in 6 subject areas (plus Basics in Mathematics and Industrial Science for applicants who completed the previous curriculum) in accordance with the latest MEXT guidelines on high school curriculum revised in March 2009.

Date Subject Area and Subject Time Frame (Scores) Remarks

Jan. 16 (Sat.),2016

Geography and History

World History AWorld History BJapanese History AJapanese History BGeography AGeography B

Two subjects9:30–11:40

(Answer time: 120 min.)(200) Select up to two from the ten

subjects to answer. Examinees may not choose two subjects containing the same name.Civics

Contemporary SocietyEthicsPolitics and Economics“Ethics, Politics, and Economics”

One subject10:40–11:40

(100)

Japanese Language

Japanese Language

13:00–14:20(200)

Foreign Languages

EnglishGermanFrenchChineseKorean

【Written】15:10–16:30

(200)Select one from the five subjects to answer.【Listening for English only】

17:10–18:10（Answer time: 30 min.）

(50)

Jan. 17 (Sun.),2016

Science ①Basic Physics Basic Chemistry Basic Biology Basic Earth Science

9:30–10:30(100)

Select two from the four subjects to answer.

Mathematics ①Mathematics ⅠMathematics Ⅰ and A

11:20–12:20(100)

Select one from the two subjects to answer.

Mathematics ②Mathematics ⅡMathematics Ⅱ and BBookkeeping and AccountingBasics in Information Processing

13:40–14:40(100)

Select one from the four subjects to answer

Science ②Advanced PhysicsAdvanced ChemistryAdvanced BiologyAdvanced Earth Science

Two subjects15:30–17:40

(Answer time: 120 min.)(200)

One subject16:40–17:40

(100)

Select up to two from the four subjects to answer.

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Examinees who select “English” as their foreign language on the National Center Test will, as a general rule, receive both a written test and a listening test. For the listening test, examinees will follow the instructions of the examiner and operate an IC audio player that has been distributed to each examinee, listen to the Test audio and then mark their answers. The Test audio is approximately 30 minutes long and a maximum of 50 points is allotted. However, the test time is 60 minutes, including time for operation instructions for the distributed audio player, volume adjustment, etc. After the examination, the audio players, in-ear headphones, and memory cards provided to the examinees are collected for the purpose of efficient use of resources. For the examination in the 2016 school year, the audio player shown in the photographs below will be used.

English Listening Test

Listening Test Procedures

1. Each examinee is given a test questions booklet, an answer sheet, an audio player, in-ear headphones, and a

memory card.

2. Illustrated instructions on how to prepare the audio player are provided on the back of the answer sheet. Each

examinee prepares an audio player by following the illustrations.

3. After the examiner says “Start checking the audio,” each examinee presses the Check button on the audio player

to listen to the Check Audio tape (which is used only to confirm appropriate delivery of the recorded sound and

does not constitute a part of the examination questions) to make sure that it is operated appropriately.

4. After the examiner says “Start answering,” each examinee presses the play button on the audio player to play

the listening test questions and starts to answer them.

5. Each question is played twice.

6. Answers to the questions should be marked on the answer sheet.

Audio memorycard

"On/Off" button

"Play" button

Sliding cover

Protective cover(Memory card insertion slot)

"Check" button

*When the cover is slide down

*When the protective cover is open

The steps for operating the audio player can be simulated on the NCUEE website. Previous listening test questions and

answers, sample questions, and other useful information are also available there.

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Average Scores

Subject Area (Scores) Subject Examinees Average Scores Standard Deviation

Japanese Language (200) Japanese Language 501,415 119.22 (59.61) 33.39 (16.69)

Geography and History (100)

World History A 1,376 47.37 19.46

World History B 84,053 65.64 22.67

Japanese History A 2,409 45.64 17.82

Japanese History B 155,273 62.01 18.16

Geography A 1,843 51.40 15.58

Geography B 146,846 58.59 15.22

Civics (100)

Contemporary Society 76,698 58.99 16.70

Ethics 30,740 53.39 16.45

Politics and Economics 45,300 54.79 15.66

Ethics, Politics, and Economics 48,659 59.57 14.82

Mathematics

Mathematics①

(100)

Mathematics I 5,277 32.38 17.37

Mathematics I and A 338,406 61.27 20.31Mathematics I based on previous curriculum 627 33.18 19.64Mathematics I and A based on previous curriculum 53,118 70.33 21.88

Mathematics②

(100)

Mathematics II 4,944 23.83 13.61

Mathematics II and B 301,184 39.31 20.91Basics in Mathematics and Industrial Science 35 55.03 20.06

Bookkeeping and Accounting 1,266 66.50 19.92

Basics in Information Processing 462 51.95 15.62Mathematics II and B based on previous curriculum 51,700 49.90 23.25

Science

Science①

(100)

Basic Physics 13,289 31.52 (63.04) 11.67 (23.34)

Basic Chemistry 88,263 35.30 (70.60) 11.63 (23.26)

Basic Biology 116,591 26.66 (53.32) 9.91 (19.82)

Basic Earth Science 41,617 26.99 (53.98) 9.18 (18.36)

Science②

(100)

Advanced Physics 129,193 64.31 22.63

Advanced Chemistry 175,296 62.50 22.01

Advanced Biology 68,336 54.99 19.08

Advanced Earth Science 1,992 40.91 17.07

Comprehensive Science A 431 57.77 16.12

Comprehensive Science B 730 55.26 16.07

Physics I 29,832 69.94 20.85

Chemistry I 43,347 66.67 22.20

Biology I 22,026 60.87 19.75

Earth Science I 2,893 58.72 19.61

Foreign Languages

[Written](200)

English 523,354 116.17 (58.08) 40.96 (20.48)

German 135 144.78 (72.39) 46.76 (23.38)

French 142 148.28 (74.14) 38.05 (19.02)

Chinese 427 158.63 (79.31) 32.27 (16.13)

Korean 143 139.05 (69.52) 38.84 (19.42)

[Listening](50) English 516,429 35.39 (70.78) 9.77 (19.54)

Note 1: Converted to 0-100 scale (language subjects)Note 2: The figures in the table above represent adjusted scores.

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The Research Division and Academic Activities

The NCUEE Research Division conducts a broad range of research designed to improve the National Center Test and the admission methods used by individual universities. The National Center Test has been conducted for more than 20 years, during which it has undergone various revisions and improvements. The Research Division promotes these efforts by carrying out research in test development, analysis and evaluation of tests/items properties, and storing these research findings into a database. Through these efforts, the Research Division contributes to the implementation and improvement of the National Center Test. Although the main aim of the Test is to measure basic academic achievement at the high school level, there are also calls for its use as a valuable resource for selecting applicants at individual universi-ties. The Research Division thus concentrates on research and development in areas that play vital roles in improving admission selection methods, such as non-curriculum-based testing, test score adjustment methods, applications of test theory, and articulation between high school and universities. Today, in an era of increasingly “non-selective admissions,” this research is anticipated to contribute to the establish-ment of more appropriate admissions.

Research Divisions, Fields of Research, and Research TopicsThe Research Division comprises of the Department of Test Design and Development, and the Department of Test Analysis and Evaluation. The research activities in the Division are supervised by the Director of the Research Division and a Chief Researcher from each Department.

Department and members Fields of research Research Topics

Department of Test Design and DevelopmentProfessor Shigeru YAMAMURA 2)Professor Kumiko SHIINAAssociate Professor Kei ITOAssociate Professor Hirohito SAKURAIAssociate Professor Junko HAMANAKAAssociate Professor Kazunori MINATANIAssistant Professor Sayaka ARAIAssistant Professor Yosuke TATEWAKI

Educational AdministrationCognitive ScienceEducational TechnologyStatisticsSociology of EducationResearch on Visual disablityPsychometricsSocial Psychology

• Study on articulation between high schools and universities

• Development of non-curriculum-based tests• Study on developing the National Center

Test through the use of designed test-takers surveys

• Study on university admission systems that provide due consideration to applicants with disabilities

Department of Test Analysis and EvaluationProfessor Tatsuo OTSU 1)Professor Tsunenori ISHIOKA 2)Associate Professor Teruhisa UCHIDAAssociate Professor Kojiro SHOJIMAAssistant Professor Takamitsu HASHIMOTOAssistant Professor Tomoya OKUBO

PsychometricsInformation ScienceEducational PsychologyPsychometricsEducational PsychologyPsychometrics

• Study on the development and use of test-related information technology

• Study on the standardization of tests relating to score adjustment

• Experimental study on CBT using statistical theory and information technology

• Study on developing the National Center Test through the use of test-takers surveys

1) Director 2) Chief Researcher

●WebsiteSelections from the Research Bulletin and the Journal of University Entrance Examination Research are available on the NCUEE website. (available only in Japanese)(The Research Bulletin is available at http://www.dnc.ac.jp/research/kenkyukaihatsu/kiyou.html, and the Journal of University Entrance Examination Research is found at http://www.dnc.ac.jp/research/nyukenkyou/kankoubutsu.html).

(As of April 2015)

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The National Center for University Entrance Examinations hosts symposiums each year to communicate to society the results of research on university entrance exams.In the 2014 school year, our Investigation Section Related to Research on Admissions* held the following symposium as described below. * The Section was established in the 2013 school year to conduct specific research projects and develop and plan related events and initiatives toward improving university admissions, exploring how research organizations should be conducted, and addressing other related issues.

Description: Aiming to achieve drastic changes to improve university entrance examinations in Japan, many discussions have been held mainly through the Council for the Implementation of Education Rebuilding and the Task Force on the Connections between High School and University Education under the Central Council for Education (CCE). These discussions have generated various proposals, including those calling for taking examinations multiple times, evaluating applicants from various angles with a focus on their capability to use knowledge, etc., developing cross-subject tests, introducing evaluation grades as a replacement for raw scores (with 100 points as the maximum grade), and introducing computer-based testing (CBT). While all the proposals are of great value and present important discussion points, they entail many challenges in terms of assessment theory. In addition, it is unlikely that such proposed initiatives could be implemented smoothly due to the cultural impediments associated with entrance examinations in Japan. To address such issues, this symposium delved into these topics from the perspective of educational assessment specialists, and identified which issues remain unsolved and what actions are necessary to address them.

Symposiums

National Research Council for University Admissions

●SeminarTitle: NCUEE Symposium 2014 “Can the Culture Surrounding the University Entrance Examination in Japan Be Changed?”

1 Purpose The purpose of the National Research Council for University Admissions is to contribute to the further promotion of research exchange regarding investigation and research related to the improvement of university admissions methods.

2 Activities ❶Hosting of annual conference of the National Research Council for University

Admissions to facilitate research discussions between universities❷Joint research on university admissions❸Editing of reports, etc., related to the activities indicated above - The Journal of University Admissions Research - Trends in University Admissions Research

3 Overview of the 2015 Conference of the National Research Council for University Admissions From May 27 through May 29, 2015, NCUEE and Tokyo Denki University jointly hosted the 10th conference of the National Research Council for University Admissions (NRCUA) at the Tokyo Senju Campus of Tokyo Denki University. The purpose of the NRCUA conference is to contribute to the further promotion of research exchange by hosting discussions and workshops in which researchers and admissions staff members from public and private universities, etc., participate as a unified group to address investigations and research related to improvement of the method by which students are admitted to universities.

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Org

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●Facilities

Facility Name Site Area Total Floor Area

NCUEE main building, etc. 16,275 m2 15,035 m2

NCUEE Data

148 155 166192 214

247 269300 322

373 403433

478518

640675

727755 777

811 828797840835 843 849 850

42.5

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27

1,070,553

559,132

Number of ApplicantsNumber of New High school Graduates

Percentage of Prospective Graduates who apply

Private 2-year Colleges

Local Public 2-year Colleges

Private 4-year Univ.

Local Public 4-year Univ.

National 4-year Univ.

Percentage of Prospective Graduates who ApplyNumber of Applicants Number of Universities and Colleges

0

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

1,400,000

1,600,000

1,800,000

2,000,000

School Year

45.0

40.0

35.0

30.0

25.0

20.0

15.0

10.0

5.0

0.0

％

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 2321 2524 26 27 28School Year

● Number of Participating Universities and Colleges

● Transitions in the Number of Applicants and the Percentage of Prospective Graduates who Apply

●Full time Staff of 94 Persons (As of April 1, 2015)

President Vice President(Administration)

Vice President(Academic)

Inspector Deputy VicePresident

Secretaries in Admin.and Test Admin. Division

Research Division Specially Appointed Educator

TotalProfessor Associate

ProfessorAssistantProfessor

1 1 1 1 (1) 1 76 4 6 4 (4) 94 (5)

Note1: The numbers in parentheses ( ) indicate part-time executive officers or specially appointed educators; they are in addition to the numbers not enclosed in parentheses.

Note2: One of the professors concurrently serves as Deputy Vice President.

*In the fiscal year 2015 budget, total expenditure surpasses total revenue due to a special one-off factor (i.e., expenditures associated with the revision of the MEXT guidelines on the high school curriculum). The deficit will be funded by the reserve which has been set aside for this purpose. Note: The sum of the individual budget items in the tables above (shown in million yen) may not equal the relevant total amounts due to rounding.

●Budget for the 2015 Fiscal Year

(million yen)

Revenue Breakdown

Examination FeesTest Results Issuance Fees Test Results Notification FeesOthersUniversity reform promotion subsidy

9,967837335

1990

Total 11,248

(million yen)

Projected Expenditure Breakdown

Work-related Costs· Personnel· Test Administration· Provision of Information on the National Center Test· Research on Improving University Admissions

Selection MethodsGeneral Administration Costs· Personnel· OthersReserve FundsSubsidized projects for promoting university reform

11,991711

11,13314

133

361191169

2090

Total 12,462

■Examination Fees■Test Results Issuance Fees ■Test Results Notification Fees■Others■University reform promotion

subsidy

■Personnel (Work-related Costs)■Test Administration■Provision of Information on the

National Center Test■Research on Improving University

Admissions Selection Methods■Personnel (General Administration Costs) ■Others■Reserve Funds■Subsidized projects for promoting

university reform

ExpenditureRevenue

■Examination Fees■Test Results Issuance Fees ■Test Results Notification Fees■Others■University reform promotion

subsidy

■Personnel (Work-related Costs)■Test Administration■Provision of Information on the

National Center Test■Research on Improving University

Admissions Selection Methods■Personnel (General Administration Costs) ■Others■Reserve Funds■Subsidized projects for promoting

university reform

ExpenditureRevenue

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NCUEE Chronology

●The Joint First-Stage Achievement Test for National and Local Public Universities Implementation

1976 (May) The National University Entrance Examinations Research and Improvement Institution is established in the University of Tokyo to consider the proposed Joint First-Stage Achievement Test for national universities.

1977 (May) The National Center for University Entrance Examinations (NCUEE) is established. Preparations are launched for the Joint First-Stage Achievement Test.

1979 (January) The first Joint First-Stage Achievement Test is conducted.

1983 (March) Construction of a new office building is completed.

1988 (May)

Changes in clerical operations at the Center are made in accordance with the revision of the Act of Establishment of National Schools. The Center is positioned as an organization in charge of collectively handling business activities for the National Center Test, and is also assigned with the provision of information on university entrance examinations, in addition to existing research and study on university entrance examinations.

(October)The HEART system (Higher Education Articulation Support System) is developed and begins to provide information on the admissions of individual universities. The system uses an information network system accessible through telephone lines.

●Independent Administrative Organization Institution Timeline

2001 (April) The National Center for University Entrance Examinations (NCUEE) becomes an independent administrative organization instead of a national agency.

2003 (August) The first Admissions Test for Law Schools is conducted in the 2003 school year.

2006 (January) The English Listening Test is introduced to the National Center Test (17th) .

2006 to 2010

2010 (April) The NCUEE Organization for the Study of College Admissions is established.

2011 (March) The HEART system is discontinued.

2011 to Present

2011 (May) An agreement is signed with KICE (the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation).

2013 (March) NCUEE Organization for the Study of College Admissions is abolished.

2013 (April) Investigation Section Related to Research on Admissions is established.

●The National Center Test Timeline

1990 (January) The first National Center Test is conducted.

1992 (June) Events are organized to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the NCUEE.

●Presidents

Year Name Last Position

1977.5 - 1982. 31982.4 - 1985. 31985.4 - 1988. 31988.4 - 1992. 31992.4 - 1996. 31996.4 - 1999. 31999.4 - 2003.112004.1 - 2007. 32007.4 - 2013. 32013.4 -

Mutsuo KATO Kiyowo KOSAKA Yoshihisa GYOTEN Mikio ARIE Ryohei TAKAHASHI Tsutomu HIROSHIGE Kosaku MARUYAMA Masaaki ARAKAWA Takashi YOSHIMOTO Hiroki YAMAMOTO

President of Tohoku UniversityPresident of Okayama UniversityPresident of Kobe UniversityPresident of Hokkaido UniversityPresident of Kyushu UniversityPresident of Hokkaido UniversityPresident of Chiba UniversityPresident of Niigata UniversityPresident of Tohoku UniversityPresident of Shimane University, Auditor at Kumamoto University

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●Executives (As of April 1, 2015)President Hiroki YAMAMOTO

Vice President (Administration) Junichi KATAYAMA

Manager of Testing and Research, Vice President (Academic) Yusaku OTSUKA

Inspector (full-time) Akira SAITO

Inspector (part-time) Naohito MIYA

Deputy Manager of Testing and Research, Deputy Vice President Tatsuo OTSU Director of Research Division

Organization

Operations Planning Division Test Administration Division Research Division

National Research Council for University Admissions

Deputy Vice President (Director of Research Division)

Test Items Adjustment Officer

Inspector President Advisory Board

Dept. of Test Design andDevelopment

Dept. of Test Analysis andEvaluation

General Affairs Section

Managing Unit

Financial Affairs Section

Test Administration Section I

Test Administration Section II

Test Administration Section III

Working Committee on Score Adjustment

Committee on Score Adjustment

Working Committee on Databases of Japanese Test Sources

High School Committee on Evaluating the National Center Test

High School Committee on Moderating the National Center Test

Committee III on Test Development

Committee II on Test Development

Committee I on Test Development

Committee on Considering and Reviewing Special Points ofConsideration for Disabled Applicants

Executive Committee on Test Administration

Committee on Planning the National Center Test

Vice President （Administration） Vice President （Academic）

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Advisory BoardThis is an advisory body to the NCUEE President, and examines the plan of activities and other important matters of the NCUEE. The Board is comprised of representatives from national, local public and private universities, academics and representatives from high schools.

Committee on Planning the National Center TestThis committee examines the general principles for development of the National Center Test, and sets forth principal policies, such as the schedule, subject areas and subjects, and the range to be covered by the items, as well as general principles for preparing items including wording and composition, and also the method of asking and answering items. The committee is comprised of teachers from national, local public, and private universities, as well as various academic experts.

Executive Committee on Test AdministrationThis committee deals with the methods of test administration and data processing. The committee is made up of teachers from national, local public, and private universities, as well as high school educators.

● Committee on Considering and Reviewing Special Points of Consideration for Disabled Applicants

This committee studies, considers and reviews Special Points of Consideration for physically disabled applicants who will take the National Center Test, and is comprised of teachers and other representatives from national, local public, and private universities.

Committee I on Test DevelopmentThis committee prepares National Center Test questions for 31 individual subjects in 6 subject areas (including one subject for applicants who completed the previous curriculum). Comprising over 500 teachers from national, local public, and private universities and academic experts, the committee is divided into a total of 23 subcommittees that are responsible for proposing questions in the subjects of Japanese, Geography and History (World History, Japanese History, and Geography), Civics (Contemporary Society, Ethics, Politics and Economics, and “Ethics, Politics, and Economics”), Mathematics (Mathematics I and II), Basics in Mathematics and Industrial Science, Bookkeeping and Accounting, Basics in Information Processing, Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Earth Science), and Foreign Languages (English, German, French, Chinese, and Korean) as well as formulating questions for physically disabled applicants.

Committee II on Test DevelopmentThis committee checks and verifies the composition, contents, answers and wording, and the use of characters for the test items prepared by Committee I on Test Development. The Committee has approximately 160 members consisting of national, local public, and private university teachers, who have served as members of Committee I on Test Development, and academic experts. It also has 20 checking groups for each subject area and subjects covered by the test.

Committee III on Test DevelopmentThis committee also checks the test items prepared by Committee I on Test Development, focusing on the formats, expressions and conformity of difficulty levels among different subjects, as well as duplications of similar items. It is comprised of national, local public and private university teachers, and academic experts.

High School Committee on Moderating the National Center TestThis committee examines the level of difficulty and range covered by the items in the respective subjects. The committee is comprised of high school educators.

High School Committee to Evaluate the National Center TestThis committee evaluates the contents of the NCUEE Test items, and is comprised of teachers from national, local public, and private universities, as well as representatives from various high schools.

Working Committee on Databases of Japanese Test SourcesThis committee organizes the source data of Japanese test materials used in the examinations of each participating university, both public and private, and also examines the data and administers the technical aspects of database development.

Committee on Score AdjustmentThis committee analyzes the level of difficulty of the respective subject items in relation to the examination results, and determines whether score adjustment is required for some subjects. Its members are related to national, local public, and private universities.

●Working Committee on Score AdjustmentThis working committee analyzes and prepares basic materials for determining whether score adjustment is required or not, and is comprised of teachers at the NCUEE as well as academic experts.

Planning Committee of the National Research Council for University AdmissionsThis committee considers specific matters related to the implementation of plans for meetings, etc., in order to promote investigative research for the improvement of university admissions by national, local public, and private universities. It is comprised of national, local public, and private university teachers, and academic experts.

Administrative Committees

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Location

NATIONAL CENTER FOR

UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS

2-19-23 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-8501 JAPAN

TEL 03-3468-3311

URL http://www.dnc.ac.jp/

Meguro Ward Komaba Gymnasium

Komaba Gymnasium Tennis Courts

Komaba Todai-maeKeio Inokashira Line

To Shimo Kitazawa West Exit

Todai Exit

University of Tokyo (Todai)Komaba Elementary School

●McDonald’s

●LawsonKomabano ParkTokyo Metropolitan Kokusai High School

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NTT Data Komaba Training Center

Sunkus●

Fujimoto Pharmacy●

Oasis Beauty Salon●

National Center for University Entrance Examinations (NCUEE)Keio Inokashira LineKomaba Todai-mae Station5-minute walk from the West Exit

October 2015