Overview

• Descriptive Japanese questions on the middle school test saw correct rates between 17.4% and 31.2%, revealing persistent challenges in evidence-based expression.
• For the first time, the middle school science assessment was delivered online using CBT and IRT scoring, replacing traditional correct-answer rates with scaled performance scores.
• Across most subjects, fewer students reported that lessons were “well understood,” and gender-disaggregated data showed girls had similar scores to boys but lower confidence in their proficiency.
• A clear correlation emerged between students’ enjoyment of reading, the number of books at home, and higher test results across all assessed subjects.
• Reforms include publishing gender-disaggregated performance breakdowns and postponing prefecture- and city-level results to August to reduce ranking pressure and emphasize learning outcomes.