Nagasaki Public High School Entrance Examination - English exam-day guide
Nagasaki Public High School Entrance Examination - English · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Admission ticket (受験票)
Your school or the prefectural board issues this; check your name, the venue, and the start time the day you receive it. If anything is wrong, tell your teacher immediately rather than correcting it yourself. Keep it in the same folder as your writing tools so it cannot be left at home.
Student ID or school identification
Bring whatever your school tells you to bring. The exact document accepted at the venue varies by year and by whether you apply through your school; confirm with your school or the provider which identification is required.
Writing tools: pencils, eraser, sharpener
Use pencils for machine-scored answer sheets. Bring two or three sharpened pencils and a good eraser. Confirm with the provider whether mechanical pencils are permitted, since some venues restrict them.
Watch without communication or calculation functions
A simple analog or digital watch is useful because room clocks may be hard to see. Smartwatches and any device with a calculator, alarm, or communication function must stay off and in your bag. Confirm with the provider which watch types are allowed.
Lunch and a drink
The English test is usually one part of a full day of subjects, so bring a lunch you can eat quickly and quietly. Avoid noisy packaging. Confirm with the provider whether eating is allowed in the waiting room and whether a break is scheduled.
Indoor shoes or the footwear your school specifies
Many Japanese schools require a separate pair of indoor shoes. Check your school's instructions; if your school has no rule, confirm with the provider what footwear is acceptable at the venue.
Directions and travel plan to the venue
Write down the route, the line, the exit, and the walking time. Do a practice run in the final week if possible. Plan to arrive well before the meeting time, since a delay on one train can ruin the morning.
Review of listening-test conditions
The English paper typically includes a listening section played from a recording. Ask your teacher how the recording is played at your venue and whether you may ask for a repeat. Do not assume; confirm with the provider.
Marking rules for the answer sheet
Practise filling in the answer sheet the way the instructions require: fill the circle completely, erase cleanly, and do not write outside the designated box. Confirm with the provider how free-writing sections must be written, for example in pencil or pen.
A short, calm pre-test routine
Decide in advance what you will do in the five minutes before the English paper: breathe slowly, read the instructions, and look over the section headings. A fixed routine reduces panic and saves time.
Sleep and health plan for the last week
Shift to a morning schedule several days before the test so your reading and listening are sharpest when the paper starts. Avoid new study material the night before; review only notes and vocabulary you already know.
Emergency contact and money for transport
Carry a charged phone for the journey only, kept off and out of reach during the test, plus enough money for a train or bus in case of a delay. Note your school's contact number in case of illness on the day.
Plan the day
Stop starting new topics. Rework your error notebook: list the reading question types you miss most (main idea, detail, inference, vocabulary in context) and the grammar points that keep appearing. Do one full past paper under timed conditions, then mark it and write down why each wrong answer was wrong, not just the correct letter.
Practise the listening section once at full volume with no pausing, and once more while reading the transcript to catch words you misheard. Note common traps: numbers, times, negation, and words that sound similar. Confirm with your teacher how the recording is played at the venue.
Check the admission ticket, the venue route, and the meeting time. Prepare the bag and put the ticket, identification, pencils, eraser, and watch in one place. Confirm with the provider any rule you are unsure about, such as watch type, indoor shoes, or whether a dictionary is ever allowed (assume it is not unless told otherwise).
Do light review only: vocabulary lists, fixed expressions, and a short reading passage to keep your rhythm. Read the instructions for the writing or free-response section once so the format is fresh. Set out clothes and the bag by the door, set two alarms, and go to bed at a normal hour rather than very early.
Eat a normal dinner, avoid heavy caffeine in the evening, and do not discuss the test with friends online late at night. If you feel anxious, write down your three biggest worries and one concrete action for each; this reduces circling thoughts and helps you sleep.
Eat a normal breakfast, arrive at the venue with time to spare, and use the waiting time for calm review of vocabulary and the section order, not for a new practice test. Keep your phone off and in your bag. Use the toilet before entering the room even if you do not feel the need.
Read the instructions and check the number of pages and questions. Fill in your name and any required numbers on the answer sheet first. Skim the reading passages to see their length and topic so you can decide the order in which to answer.
Answer the questions you can do quickly first, then return to harder items. For each reading question, find the sentence in the passage that supports your answer before choosing. Watch for paraphrased options: the correct answer often restates the passage in different words, while wrong options repeat exact words out of context.
Read the questions and options before the recording starts. Write brief notes, not full sentences, and keep writing while the audio continues; do not stop to complete an answer. If you miss a word, let it go and rejoin at the next question rather than losing the rest of the section.
Check that every answer is marked on the answer sheet, not only in the question booklet. Erase stray marks, confirm your name, and check that you have not left a whole section blank. Do not change answers on a hunch unless you can point to evidence in the passage.
Do not compare answers in the corridor; it raises anxiety and cannot change your score. Note briefly what felt difficult while it is fresh, then focus on the remaining subjects or, if the day is over, rest and wait for the school's guidance on results and next steps.
Rules to check
Follow all instructions given by the proctors and printed on the answer sheet. If an instruction conflicts with what you expected, ask the proctor before the test begins rather than acting on an assumption.
Bring the admission ticket and the identification your school specifies, and place them on the desk if asked. The exact identification requirement can change, so confirm with your school or the provider in advance.
Keep phones, smartwatches, and any communication or calculation device switched off and inside your bag, not in your pocket or on the desk. Even a silent device discovered during the test can be treated as a serious violation.
During the test, do not talk, pass notes, look at another candidate's paper, or leave your seat without permission. Raise your hand and wait for the proctor if you need help or feel unwell.
Breaks between subjects are usually short and may be supervised. Stay in the designated area, keep your voice low, and use the time for the toilet and a drink rather than for discussing answers. Confirm with the provider where candidates may wait between subjects.
Scoring is based on the marked answer sheet, so answers written only in the question booklet may not be counted. Confirm with the provider how free-writing sections are scored and whether partial credit is given.
If you are ill or cannot arrive on time, contact your school immediately. Rules on late entry and on taking the test on another date vary, so confirm with the provider rather than assuming you will be admitted late.
Do not share or request test content online during or after the test. Candidates who disclose questions may face consequences, and the safest habit is to say nothing about specific questions.