Ibaraki Entrance English

Ibaraki Prefectural High School Entrance Examination - English

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About this exam

The Ibaraki Prefectural High School Entrance Examination in English (茨城県立高等学校入学者選抜 英語) is the English paper inside the academic achievement test that Ibaraki Prefecture administers for admission to its public high schools. It is taken by students completing the third year of junior high school, alongside Japanese and mathematics, and its results are used together with the school record, interviews and each school's own selection method. The paper is written to the national Course of Study, so it assumes the full three years of junior high English: tense and aspect, comparatives, infinitives and gerunds, relative pronouns, indirect questions and the vocabulary of the standard textbooks. It examines all four skills in one sitting. The listening items come first, with audio played in the room under the instructions given; in the written section you meet a short situational or practical text, a longer expository or narrative passage, grammar and vocabulary in context, ordering and completion items, and a guided composition in which you write a short English text to a stated task and conditions. Preparation that works is cumulative: textbook vocabulary and sentence patterns, timed listening with voices you have never heard, and regular free writing that a teacher marks against the task conditions, not grammar alone. The prefectural board publishes the current year's format, timing and selection rules, so check those documents before planning.

What you'll study

Common questions

About Ibaraki Entrance English preparation

What does the English paper actually look like?

Expect a listening block, then reading and language items, then a writing task. In the reading and language part you meet a short dialogue or notice, a longer passage, contextual grammar and vocabulary, and ordering or completion items. The board publishes the year's exact structure in its official guidance, and it can shift, so read the current document rather than last year's.

How difficult is it compared with other tests?

It is set to the junior high Course of Study, so nothing falls outside the three years of textbook English. Many teachers use Eiken grade 3 as a rough checkpoint, but the better measure is how well you handle the long passage and the guided composition, which is where most candidates lose marks. Breadth of textbook vocabulary matters more than obscure words.

Do I answer in Japanese or in English?

Follow the instruction printed with each item. Reading comprehension items often ask for a short answer in Japanese, while the composition task is written in English. Writing English where the item asks for Japanese, or the reverse, usually scores nothing even when the content is right, so underline the language demanded before answering.

Is there a listening section, and how is the audio played?

Yes. Listening is a substantial part of the paper, and the audio is delivered in the room under the instructions on the recording. You cannot ask for a replay, and once an item has passed you must move on immediately. Practise with recordings you have never heard, at natural speed, and train yourself to keep writing after a missed word.

Can I retake the exam if I do not pass?

Ibaraki runs its public school selection in rounds, and whether a further opportunity exists for you depends on that year's rules and on your own eligibility. There is no universal free retake. Read the current 募集要項 and the board's guidance, and speak to your junior high school's guidance teacher, who knows your situation.

How long is the exam, and how many marks is it worth?

Neither figure is stable enough to quote here. The number of items, the total marks and the time allowed are set each year and printed by the Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education in the official examination guidance. Get the current year's document, and do not plan your pace from a figure found in an old book.

How heavily is English weighted in the selection?

It depends on the school. Each public high school publishes its own selection method, and some weight particular subjects, fix a ratio of examination score to school record, or apply minimum scores in specific subjects. Those details appear in the school's and the board's current admissions documents. Check the schools you actually intend to apply to.

What order should I study in?

Build vocabulary and sentence patterns from your textbooks first, because every other section depends on them. Add listening practice early rather than late, since it improves slowly. Then work on reading a long passage quickly for structure. Start graded composition months ahead, because writing improves only with repeated marking and rewriting.

What are the most common ways candidates lose marks?

Three failures recur. Candidates spend too long on one passage and run out of room for the composition. They ignore the writing conditions, such as the number of points to use, the length required or the reason to give, and lose marks they could have earned. And they fall behind in listening after one missed word. Rehearse the clock and the conditions, not just the content.

May I use a dictionary during the paper?

Assume you cannot. The paper is designed to be answered with the vocabulary a junior high graduate already has, and dictionaries are normally not permitted in the room. If you lean on one during practice, you will not build the reading speed the paper needs. Confirm the rules in the current official instructions.