Tochigi Prefecture announces 2027 high school admission reforms

The Tochigi Prefectural Board of Education has released the implementation details for the 2027 academic year high school entrance examinations. A major reform will see all applicants for full-time courses undergo a general selection process involving five academic subjects: Japanese, Social Studies, Mathematics, Science, and English.

Under the new system, the capacity for special selection (tokushoku senbatsu) will increase, with a cap of up to 50% of enrollment capacity. Applicants may apply for both general and special selection, with the results of a single academic exam being used for both. Additionally, English listening assessments will introduce questions where audio is played only once, in addition to the current twice-played format. The prefecture is also introducing internet-based application procedures.

Separately, Tochigi's private high school sector is seeing a decline in capacity. The total enrollment capacity for 14 private full-time high schools in the prefecture for the 2027 academic year is set at 6,575 students, representing a decrease of 350 students compared to the previous year.