Shizuoka Public High School Entrance Examination - Science exam-day guide
Shizuoka Public High School Entrance Examination - Science · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
受験票 (admission slip)
Most prefectural exam systems require the admission slip at the door. Keep it in the same plastic folder as your pens and check it the night before and again at the school gate. If you lose it, contact your junior high school immediately; the exact reissue procedure is set by the prefecture, so confirm with the provider (your school or the prefectural board of education).
筆記用具の予備 (spare pencils and eraser)
Bring at least three sharpened pencils (or two mechanical pencils plus spare lead), a clean plastic eraser, and a pencil sharpener. Mark sheets are machine-read, so avoid hard pencils that dent the paper; HB or B is the usual recommendation. Confirm any prohibited items with the provider.
時計 (wristwatch, no smart functions)
Many venues have a wall clock but not always in a readable position. Bring a simple analogue or digital wristwatch with alarms and communication functions switched off. Smartwatches are commonly banned; confirm the specific rule with the provider.
上履きと靴袋 (indoor shoes and shoe bag)
Exams held in a high school building often require you to change shoes at the entrance. Bring clean indoor shoes and a bag for your outdoor shoes. Whether this is required at your assigned venue should be confirmed with the provider.
昼食と飲み物 (lunch and drink)
The science exam is usually one of several subjects on the same day, so a packed lunch and a bottle of water or tea are standard. Keep it simple and familiar to avoid stomach trouble. Check whether eating in the classroom is permitted at your venue.
防寒・暑さ対策 (layers for temperature)
February exams in Shizuoka can be cold, and heating in large rooms is uneven. Wear layers you can remove, and consider a coat that is easy to hang on the chair. Confirm whether outerwear may be worn during the test with the provider.
健康管理と当日の体温 (health check)
Sleep normally for the last two nights rather than cramming. If you have a fever or feel unwell, follow your school's guidance; special consideration rules differ by year and prefecture, so confirm with the provider rather than deciding on your own.
会場への経路と時間 (route and timing)
Do a practice run to the assigned school, or at least check the bus and train times, and plan to arrive 30 to 45 minutes before the reporting time. Confirm the exact reporting time and entrance to use with the provider.
理科の最終確認カード (one-page science review sheet)
Prepare a single A4 sheet of your own weak points: circuit rules, chemical equations, formulas for density, pressure, current, and the names of key experiments. Read it in the final 24 hours and leave it at home on exam day if the provider bans notes.
鉛筆の字の濃さの確認 (mark-sheet practice)
Practise filling a mark sheet with your chosen pencil so the marks are dark enough to read but easy to erase. A common avoidable error is a faint mark that the scanner misses; the exact marking instructions are printed on the answer sheet.
携帯電話の扱い (phone handling)
Phones must usually be switched off and put away as instructed, often in a bag at the front or in your bag. Do not keep a phone in your pocket. The precise rule is set by the venue, so confirm with the provider.
Plan the day
Finish new material and switch to review. Go through your science notebook and mark the three or four units where practice-test scores were lowest, typically electricity and magnetism, chemical reactions, or calculation-heavy mechanics. Solve two or three past-style questions on those units only, and write the correct reasoning next to each mistake.
Do one timed science paper under exam conditions: same start time as the real test, no phone, mark sheet filled in properly. Afterwards, sort errors into 'did not know', 'misread', and 'calculation slip'. Only the first category needs new study; the other two need a checklist habit.
Light review only. Read your one-page card, check the formulas and units (N, Pa, J, W, Ω, A, V, mol, %, g/cm³), and confirm equipment in your bag. Check the route and the weather forecast. Set two alarms and go to bed at a normal hour; do not stay up late.
Eat a normal breakfast, leave early enough to arrive with margin, and avoid last-minute cramming that raises anxiety. At the venue, check the admission slip, switch off your phone as instructed, and sit quietly. Read the printed instructions on the answer sheet before the start signal.
Read the whole science paper briefly to see the structure and the point allocation. Answer the questions you are sure of first, then return to the harder ones. Write units in every calculation and keep the number of significant figures consistent with the question.
For explanation questions, write in the form 'condition → what happens → why', using the scientific terms the question asks for. If a question says 'write the reason', a one-word answer earns nothing. For experiment questions, state the control variable explicitly.
Check that every mark-sheet number matches the question number, that no answer is left blank where partial credit is possible, and that units and negative signs are correct. Erase stray marks completely; do not leave double marks.
Do not spend the afternoon comparing answers, because the next subjects are still ahead. Follow your school's guidance on the score review and any appeal or special-consideration procedure; the deadlines are set by the provider, so confirm them in advance.
Rules to check
Confirm with the provider which items are prohibited (phones, smartwatches, calculators, notes, dictionaries). Bringing a banned item, even switched off, can be treated as a conduct issue.
Bring your admission slip and follow the identity check as instructed. The exact ID and reissue procedure is set by the prefecture, so confirm with the provider if anything is unclear.
Enter only after the permission-to-enter signal and stop writing immediately at the end signal. Continuing after the stop signal is commonly treated as cheating.
Breaks and leaving the room during the test are usually restricted; ask the invigilator before the test if you expect to need this, and confirm the venue rule with the provider.
Sit at your assigned seat, keep your answer sheet visible to the invigilator, and do not look at other candidates' papers or communicate in any way during the test.
Scoring and question allocation are set by the prefectural board of education; do not rely on rumours about which units carry more marks. Confirm the official structure with the provider.
If you feel unwell or an emergency occurs, raise your hand and tell the invigilator rather than leaving on your own; special consideration rules differ by year, so confirm with the provider.