Testing

From Secondheaven

Revision as of 23:52, 31 March 2007

The Entrance Exam

In Japan, after middle school, students are put through gobs of rigorous testing designed to determine which high school is best suited for them to continue on their paths torward University. This allows high schools to tailor their programs to a general level amongst the students - e.g. in technical schools, designed for students to leave high school and head towards the workforce there might be a practical work-force type course. However, in the most upper level of establishments, having a part-time job - known by Japanese teenagers at baito, a colloquialism of the English to bite - could mean expulsion due to failing to focus on your studies

• Second Heaven High is one of the prestigious level academies. This means all students except a select few, even if they are talented in non-academic areas, had to have at least achieved an 85% on their entry exam.

Normally in Japan this is actually too low, as competition for the upper rate schools can get down to the decimal point of entry, but for sake of diversity within our campus but also for accuracy, we've chosen this number.

This does not mean you character has to pass classes once they are in the school, nor does it mean they have to be very good at anything at all. There are cram schools in Japan, all throughout middle school, just for this reason - they prepare the most lackluster students for the entry exams in hopes to get them into a school that normally they would not pass the tests for.

(As this school is also a private school, for those who are monitarily inclined, there are rumours one could get in on a padded enough checkbook.)

The top application into a school becomes the Class President, a very important position to have! The Class President is a tough set of shoes to fill. The following 19 students on the test are organized into classroom 1-1, and following, the next 20 into classroom 1-2 with student 21 being Class Rep for classroom 1-2.

On the minute scale, the organization of the numbers in your homeroom is according to how you placed on the entry exam, and can also determine the characters your character ends up sitting by!

Tests During the Year

For every major test in a subject, the test scores will be placed in the Center Hallway, a meeting place for all students to gather and depart. The Center Hallway is also where the Morning Assembly is held. This card is organized by grade only, though the classroom the student is in might be mentioned.

It might look like this:

1 Kang Jin Woo 99.3% 2 Sophie Merchant 99.2% 3 Christian Rubyshire 99.1% 4 Matsuura Sei 99.0%

The only time these cards will be organized by Homeroom is when it deals with different levels of Math or Science. Usually Classroom 1 of each year is in advanced math and science. Test scores are very important to a Japanese school! It determines what rank you'll be the following year - Class Presidents can fall out of power!