An entrance examination is an examination that many educational institutions use to select students for admission. These exams may be administered at any level of education, from primary to higher education, although they are more common at higher levels.

Asia

India

When the University of Calcutta was established in 1857, it introduced the Entrance Examination, primarily to decide as to who was eligible for admission to the University. The examination attained the status of a school leaving examination. Subsequently, the name was changed to Matriculation. After independence of India in 1947, the examination system was further revised: the secondary examination after class X was called the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) exam and the examination after class XII was called Higher Secondary Examination.

Japan

In Japan the National Center Test for University Admissions is an nationally standardized entrance exam for higher education that 3rd year high school students or high school graduates take in an attempt to meet admission requirements of the school or schools of their choice. High school students, especially 3rd year students focus almost solely on preparations for the exam, in an attempt to enter the most prestigious universities in the country. Often students attend a cram school which is also known as juku in Japan in order to prepare as much as they can for the exam.

South Korea

In order to understand entrance examinations in Korea, one must first understand the "Triangle of Death." This imaginary "triangle" refers to three key areas: GPA, Suneung (a standardized test), and Nonsul. In Korea, high school GPA is divided into nine ranks. In order to maintain a Rank 1 GPA, one must average in the top 4% of one's school. Unlike the United States, GPA in Korea depends on one's school rank. For example, one must score within the Top 10 out of 400 students in order to achieve a Rank 1 GPA. Because of this, every exam question counts. One's rank can drop like a rock if one gets a question wrong.

Suneung is a government-run standardized test that is taken in autumn every year. Unlike the SAT or the ACT, Suneung can only be taken by 12th graders, in their final year of high school. Mathematics, Korean and English are mandatory, and one must choose from either Social Studies or Science. Some students take a fifth test, the 2nd Foreign Language test (One can choose from a variety of foreign languages, such as Japanese, French, and Arabic). Some students, after having taken Suneung, decide to flunk a year and take it again. Many argue that this exam is a poor indicator of students' skills, and complain that it has too much influence on entering college for a test that is decided in a single day. Because it is so massively influential and decided in a single day, Suneung is a big deal in Korea. On the day of the exam, TV and radio broadcasting stations wish test-takers good luck. On TV, a live commentary regarding the difficulty and overall characteristics of the exam is aired. The test takes up a whole day.

Nonsul is an exam that tests the writing and logical thinking abilities of students. It is the last test to be taken, several weeks after Suneung. Unlike the Suneung, it is not government run. Rather, it is made separately by universities, and is not standardized. Each university is responsible for creating test questions for those who apply. Seoul National University is infamous for creating extremely difficult nonsul questions that require planned thinking, and advanced knowledge in all areas of academics. Students who apply for majors in the fields of science and mathematics must be prepared to solve unorthodox math/science problems and present their solutions orally to professors who supervise and evaluate students. In many aspects, nonsul is the most decisive and rigorous part of the entrance examinations.

North America

United States

For most universities in the United States, the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and ACT are considered the examinations of choice for admissions at the undergraduate level. Universities do not administer their own entrance exams. Admissions into certain North American graduate schools are often partly determined by the results of the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) or Law School Admission Test (LSAT).

Some American universities and many lower schools have rejected entrance exams. Instead, they evaluate prospective students solely through other means, such as an original essay or the marks the student received in a previous school. Others make the test optional, or require students to take the test but do not consider its results in the admission process.

See also

• Selective education
• Vestibular, the entrance exams in Brazil
• Competitive examination
• Standardized test
• Aptitude test
• High-stakes test

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