Japan Releases National Test Results Showing Elementary Declines and Junior-High Gains

The Japanese education ministry on July 16 released results from the annual national assessment of academic ability and learning conducted in April and May. Sixth-grade elementary students recorded an average correct answer rate of 61.1 percent in Japanese, down from 67.0 percent the previous year, and 56.2 percent.

Third-year junior high students posted 64.6 percent, and 57.4 percent in mathematics, up from 48.8 percent.

The ministry noted persistent weaknesses in proportional reasoning among elementary students and reading comprehension among junior high students. Sixth graders struggled with questions such as selecting a tape measuring 1.5 times a given length. Junior high students had difficulty explaining the effect of the mimetic expression “Kippari” in a reading passage.

The nationwide average scaled score was 499. All other subjects remained in paper format.

Ministry officials said similar question types have produced low correct answer rates in prior years and urged schools to use individual results to improve classroom instruction. All subjects are scheduled to shift to computer-based testing starting in fiscal year 2027, enabling year-to-year comparisons of student performance based on score changes from fiscal 2028.

A detailed analysis of the results will be released on August 3, with prefecture and major city breakdowns to follow in autumn.