Exit Examination in Action: The case of japan


Publication permission was granted on July 13, 2022.

Author: Iori Harada

First-year student at the University of Tsukuba


Reading the class material, the stressful memory of preparing for the entrance examinations of universities was brought back. Thus, I immediately felt hesitant about the idea of exit examinations. To learn more about them, I researched exit examinations all over the globe and hypothesized Japanese universities conducting them. All things considered, I believe that the exit examination should not be conducted at least in the near future.


In a few American universities, exit examinations are already normalized. However, the scores of these tests do not determine a  student’s qualification for graduation. It is said that these tests are conducted just for measurement. In “Can University Exit Exams Fix Some Systemic Problems?,” written by Wondwosen Tamrat (2022), I found that Ethiopian universities are now required to conduct exit examinations. For this exam, a passing grade is necessary to graduate, which is similar to the exit exam simulated in the essay. In addition, the article says that this scheme has the purpose of creating attitudinal changes. These are things such as discouraging cheating and encouraging students to work hard on their own. Because this requirement is still new, we cannot know whether it is successful. However, you can say that there may be positive outcomes to these examinations.


Now, let us imagine exit examinations being normalized in Japanese universities. These exams are given to encourage a well-rounded education. This means that one is not studying for the tests but for one’s understanding; It means not seeking one-off high grades but seeking overall knowledge by accumulation. However, the scoring system probably would not change. This causes a contradiction because students are likely to study to get a high grade. How would we measure the “well-roundedness” if the system won’t change? How would we know that we can successfully differentiate “knowledge earned just for the exam” and “knowledge gained through persistent work”? 


Of course, I definitely agree that we students should strive to maintain a high-quality education. However, I do not think that exit examinations are a valid way for universities to measure students’ knowledge. University life offers so much more than sitting at a desk for hours preparing for tests. Most Japanese students have already experienced this ‘rigid’ studying culture during the preparation period for entrance examinations. Do you think that such daily life will be fulfilling? Opportunities like volunteering, traveling, working a part-time job, and taking part in internships are open to university students. We should be able to take advantage of these chances. Therefore, I believe that exit examinations are untrustworthy in terms of measurement and could be an unfit burden for university students. 


To finish this off, I will present an alternative idea for the exit examinations. I suggest creating a portfolio of all classes taken during the four years. These portfolios will be an accumulation of tests and reports done by the student themselves. It could also include a mini agenda concluding what they learned through the lectures. This creates an opportunity for students to review the class as an entirety and take the holistic approach to the grand university education.

(500 words)


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