Tochigi Public High School Entrance Examination - Science exam-day guide
Tochigi Public High School Entrance Examination - Science · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
受験票（受検票）
Tochigi Prefecture's public high school entrance exams use an admission ticket issued through your junior high school. Check your name, school, and exam venue on it. If it is lost or misprinted, ask your junior high school teacher immediately - do not try to fix it yourself. Confirm the exact handling procedure with your school.
筆記用具（HBまたはBの鉛筆・シャープペンシル、消しゴム）
Bring several sharpened pencils or a mechanical pencil plus a spare lead and a clean eraser. Confirm with your school or the exam guidelines whether mechanical pencils are permitted at your venue, as some venues restrict them.
時計（アナログ式）
Many exam rooms do not provide a clock visible from every seat. Smart watches and any device with communication or calculation functions are not allowed; use a simple analog watch. Confirm the venue's rules on watches with your school.
上履きと靴袋
Most Japanese school venues require you to change into indoor shoes. Check with your junior high school whether the venue specifies this; if unsure, bring them anyway.
昼食と飲み物
Exams may include multiple subjects across a long day. Bring a lunch that does not need preparation and a drink. Keep it simple to avoid stomach trouble.
防寒・雨具
February in Tochigi is cold, and venues may not be fully heated. Wear layers you can adjust and bring an umbrella and a spare pair of socks in case of snow or rain.
現金（交通費・緊急用）
Bring enough for train or bus fare and a small reserve. Do not rely on being able to use a phone to call home.
携帯電話の扱いを確認する
Mobile phones must normally be switched off and stored in your bag, not on your person. Confirm the exact rule (power off vs. silent, where to place it) with your school before the day.
当日の集合時刻・会場までの経路を確認する
Check the meeting time and route in advance, and do a practice run if the venue is unfamiliar. Arrive with time to spare; being late can affect your eligibility to sit a subject. Confirm the late-arrival policy with your school.
健康管理（前日までの体調）
Avoid late nights in the final week and keep meals regular. If you have a fever or symptoms on the day, do not decide alone - contact your junior high school and follow their instruction, and confirm the supplementary exam policy with them.
問題用紙への記入ルールを確認する
Rules about writing on question papers, using scrap paper, and where answers must be written can vary by venue. Confirm with your school or the exam guidelines rather than assuming.
合格発表・入学手続きの日程を確認する
Check the dates and method for result announcement and for admission procedures, and confirm them with your school, since these details are set by the provider each year.
Plan the day
Stop starting new topics. Review your error notebook for science: focus on the areas you repeatedly miss, such as calculation questions in physics (speed, pressure, current, resistance) and balancing chemical equations. Re-read the experimental setups you found confusing, and be able to state what each control and variable is for.
Rehearse the practical side: lay out your admission ticket, pencils, eraser, watch, indoor shoes, and lunch on a desk. Check the route and travel time to the venue, and decide what time you will leave home.
Do one timed practice set under exam conditions - no phone, analog watch only - so you get used to pacing. For science, practise allocating time across the paper and note how long you spend on multi-part questions with graphs or tables.
Light review only. Go over the key facts you tend to forget: the difference between mitosis and meiosis, how to read a graph of current versus voltage, the products of photosynthesis and respiration, and the rock types and their formation. Pack your bag and place it by the door.
Confirm the meeting time and place with your school, charge nothing that needs charging (phone stays off), and set two alarms. Sleep at your normal time - do not stay up late cramming.
Eat a normal breakfast, leave early enough to absorb any delay, and arrive at the venue with margin. Switch your phone off and put it away before entering the building. Use the toilet before the exam begins.
Read the whole paper briefly, then work through the questions you can answer confidently. For science, write units on numerical answers, show the equation before substituting numbers, and label graphs with axes and units. If a question stalls you, mark it and move on, then return.
Do not discuss your answers with others between subjects; it only raises anxiety. Use breaks to drink water, stretch, and check the clock for the next start time.
Note the result announcement date and admission procedure deadline, and follow your school's instructions. Do not try to reconstruct your score from memory - it does not change the outcome.
Rules to check
Bring and display your admission ticket as instructed; if you forget it, report to the staff immediately rather than sitting without telling anyone. Confirm the exact procedure with your school.
Mobile phones and any device with communication, camera, or calculation functions must be switched off and stored away, not kept in a pocket. Confirm the venue's specific rule with your school.
Follow all instructions from the exam staff about seating, starting and stopping writing, and handling of answer sheets. Writing after the stop signal or before the start signal can invalidate part of your paper.
Do not talk, pass materials, or look at another candidate's paper during the exam. If you need something, raise your hand and wait for a staff member.
If you feel unwell during the exam, raise your hand and tell the staff rather than enduring it silently; the response and any provision for a supplementary exam are set by the provider, so confirm them with your school in advance.
Arrive by the designated meeting time. Late arrival may mean you cannot sit a subject, and the exact cut-off is set by the provider - confirm it with your junior high school.
Scoring and admission decisions are made by the provider. Do not assume how marks are weighted or how internal records are combined; if you need to know, ask your school rather than relying on rumour.
Bring nothing that could be seen as a cheat sheet, including notes written on your hands, pencil case, or watch strap. Keep only approved items on your desk.