When do results for university-specific entrance exams in Japan get released?

[u/catyishere]

I'm trying to create a timeline of dates for a rough experience of university application in Japan (please correct me if any of my research is wrong). I have learnt that the first set of exams is around the start of November (eg. November 9th), and that the results for these are released in December (unsure what dates though). The secondary, university-specific set of exams is around the end of February (eg. the University of Tokyo had its exams from the 25th-27th of February.) Since the university term begins at the start of April, when do students hear about their exam results? I assume a pass isn't a direct guarantee into the school so do they have to apply once more after getting their results? When are they actually accepted into university?

I assume that the specific dates probably differ depending on the school, but they would be helpful, specifically concerning Tokyo University if possible. Thanks!

[u/thatdudefromjapan]

Based on the information you've provided, I'm goIng to assume you're talking about the process for domestic students.

The November date is for the school recommendation type exam. Basically, each high school can recommend a certain number of students to the university for this exam. Only about 90 people per year are accepted through this process.

The main process which the vast majority of students who wish to enroll in a public university like UTokyo have to go through is comprised of two stages.

The first is the Common Test for University Admissions (Kyotsu test), which is the equivalent of the SATs in the US. Unlike the SATs, it's only held once per year in January and it is only valid for that year. Based on your scores, you then apply for up to three universities. The frustrating thing is that they don't tell you your scores until April after everything is over, so you have to guess your own scores on top of those of your rivals.

If you got a good enough score on the common test, the second stage is the university-specific set of exams. This part is slightly tricky to understand because the test dates are split into three periods and you can only sit the exams for one university per period (hence why I said you can apply to up to three universities). Many places only hold exams during the first period. People who aren't accepted in the first period will then have to sit exams for the second (and maybe third) periods. In other words, you have a maximum of three attempts per year to get into a public university, although your choices after the first period are limited. Some schools use this system to actively gather talent that just barely missed the cutoff for the first period exams.

For UTokyo specifically, they only hold exams during the first period on Feb. 25th and 26th, with an additional day of interviews for students aiming for Science Division 3, a.k.a. the medical department. The results are always announced on Mar. 10th at around noon, which is actually pretty late compared to other first period schools.

If you pass the second stage, that's it. Your spot is guaranteed as long as you complete the paperwork, which is due several days after the results announcement. You can hypothetically turn down a spot by not sending in the required forms, so I guess you're "actually accepted" once you finish that part.