Japan’s University Entrance Exam Ends Smoothly, Seven Disqualified for Cheating

Jan 19, 2026 | News On Japan

TOKYO - Japan’s two-day nationwide university entrance exam has concluded without major disruption, even after introducing its first online application system and requiring students to print their own admission tickets.

The University Entrance Examination Center said about 496,000 people applied for this year’s University Entrance Common Test. Starting this year, applications were moved online in principle, and examinees were required to bring a printed exam admission ticket along with identification documents for verification.

Despite the changes, the center said there were no significant problems linked to the new procedures. However, seven examinees were disqualified and had their tests invalidated for misconduct.

In one case in Fukuoka Prefecture, around 200 photos that included exam questions were found on an examinee’s smartphone, and the university hosting the test site has reportedly consulted police.

Meanwhile, 116 people nationwide will be required to take a make-up exam on January 24th and 25th after issues such as alarms sounding during the English listening test.

Source: TBS

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