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PART Issues and Developments of Policies in Education, Science and Culture

From 1979 to 1989, the Joint First-Stage Achievement Test was given to applicants to national and local public universities. This test contributed to the securing of the quality of test questions and the improvement of examinations held by each university in the final selection, but on the other hand it was also criticized for having exacerbated the ranking among universities and having little to do with the improvement of the entrance examinations of private universities. The introduction of the joint First-Stage Achievement Test was accompanied by the abolition of a system under which universities were grouped into two and entrance examinations were administered in two sessions accordingly. This was also criticized for reducing opportunities for taking examinations.

Paying attention to past developments and the first report of the National Council on Educational Reform, a new examination system administered by the National Center for University Entrance Examination was begun in 1990 academic year. It is expected that an appropriate use of this test will help universities develop unique selection devices of their own. Also in order to give multiple opportunities to apply to national and local public universities, two new examination systems were introduced in 1987 and 1989 respectively. Under the first one, universities and faculties are grouped into two in terms of the date of examinations so as to enable students to take examinations twice. The second system devides the number of entrants to be admitted by individual universities into two for both of which applicants can take examinations. Long range aspects concerning university entrance examinations are being studied at the University Council.