中学受験: when do we start, and are we in time?

From the goal to this week's tasks

We ran the road for a 年長 child aiming at Meisei Junior High School (a mid-level private school), as of Nov 4, 2026. Everything below is what the road actually gives that family.

The example school is the Tokyo coed school whose 四谷大塚 80% line is nearest the median (46) of 67 mid-level private schools. No school paid to be the example.

1. 1

   The goal

   The kind of school decides when juku starts, how many days a week, and the bar to meet. Name a school and its own 80% line becomes the bar.

   Kind of school80% line (四谷大塚)Most common first exam dayBig juku, days a week

   Top private schools (最難関・難関私立)

   御三家, 筑駒, 渋幕 and similar schools. Plan for subject depth and school-specific questions, choosing instruction and support to fit your child.

   80% line (四谷大塚)

   57–74 (median 64, 33 schools)

   Most common first exam dayFeb 1 (23 of 36)

   Big juku, days a weekGrade 4 2–3 days → grade 6 3–4 days

   University-affiliated schools (大学附属)

   Schools that lead on to their university (早慶, MARCH). Four subjects, some two or three. Most go on without a university entrance exam.

   80% line (四谷大塚)

   45–65 (median 56.5, 26 schools)

   Most common first exam dayFeb 1 (21 of 31)

   Big juku, days a weekGrade 4 2–3 days → grade 6 3–4 days

   Mid-level private schools (中堅私立)This example

   Compare everyday support and school fit. Confirm each school's subjects and build the basics through home study, juku or a mix.

   80% line (四谷大塚)

   37–57 (median 46, 67 schools)Example: Meisei Junior High School 46

   Most common first exam dayFeb 1 (51 of 70)

   Big juku, days a weekGrade 4 2–3 days → grade 6 3–4 days

   Public combined schools (都立・区立中高一貫)

   An aptitude test (適性検査) and an essay, plus the school report from grades 5 and 6. Preparation from grade 4 or 5.

   80% line (四谷大塚)

   50–66 (median 58, 23 schools)

   Most common first exam dayFeb 3 (16 of 23)

   Big juku, days a weekGrade 4 2.5 days → grade 6 4 days

   Returnee and English entry (帰国生・英語入試)

   Returnee eligibility and English, usually around 英検 2級 to 準1級.

   80% line (四谷大塚)

   33–67 (median 50, 17 schools)

   Most common first exam dayNov 20 (6 of 17)

   Big juku, days a week—

   Juku on average: about ¥2.2 million for grades 4 to 6 (¥45,000 to ¥77,000 a month).

   Source: MoneyGeek (PR TIMES, via ReseMom)、四谷大塚 中学校偏差値一覧（2027年度用 第2回合不合判定テスト・2026年7月5日実施／Aライン80・Cライン50） checked Oct 24, 2026

2. 2

   The road

   Worked back from the February exam in six stages, each with what to do and its dates.

   1. 年中 (age 4–5) to 年長 (age 5–6)Now

      Foundations

      April 2025 to March 2027

      年中 and 年長 are the two years that build the base for elementary school and for 中学受験: 15–20 minutes a day at home, plus experiences in everyday life.

   2. Grade 1 to Grade 2

      Habit and fluency

      April 2027 to March 2029

      Grades 1 and 2 are the two years that make daily home study ordinary.

      • around June 2027全国統一小学生テスト (grade 1, June)
      • around November 2027全国統一小学生テスト (grade 1, November)
      • around June 2028全国統一小学生テスト (grade 2, June)

      3 more

   3. Grade 3

      Choosing the juku

      April 2029 to March 2030

      Grade 3 is the year to choose a juku that fits the goal and to enter it, through its entrance test, at a level that matches the goal.

      • around June 2029全国統一小学生テスト (grade 3, June)
      • around November 2029全国統一小学生テスト (grade 3, November)

   4. Grade 4

      The juku rhythm

      April 2030 to March 2031

      Grade 4 is the year the juku week becomes a household habit.

      • around May 2030Private junior-high joint fair (May)
      • around August 2030Tokyo private schools fair (August)

   5. Grade 5

      The hardest year

      April 2031 to March 2032

      Grade 5 is the heaviest year of the junior-high exam road.

      • around May 2031Private junior-high joint fair (May)
      • around August 2031Tokyo private schools fair (August)
      • around September 2031Yotsuya Otsuka target-school test (grade 5: September and January)

   6. Grade 6

      The exam year

      April 2032 to March 2033

      Grade 6 is the exam year.

      • around April 2032First-half pass/fail mock tests (April and July)
      • around April 2032ONETES's 合格ONEテスト: the year's dates
      • around September 2032Second-half pass/fail mock tests (September–December, monthly)

      5 more

   Exam Feb 1, 2033

   Each date comes from its official page. Dates worked out from last year's schedule say “around”. See the date sources

3. 3

   This week

   Every week: what to do with your child, how, and why.

   1. Take turns: your child reads a page, you read a page

      56 minutes a week

      Why: The more your child reads aloud, the sooner they move from sounding out one ひらがな at a time to reading whole words. The national curriculum asks grades 1 and 2 to read aloud paying attention to word groups. This moves the end-of-年長 Japanese checkpoint: reading ひらがな fluently.

      Source: 小学校学習指導要領（平成29年告示）（文部科学省） checked Oct 22, 2026

      56 minutes a week

   2. Five minutes of numbers (our 算数 年長 course) and making 10

      35 minutes a week

      Why: The national curriculum expects grade 1 to add single-digit numbers and do the matching subtraction reliably, and to see one number as the sum or difference of others. If making and breaking 10 is instant by the end of 年長, early school arithmetic will not trip your child up. This moves the end-of-年長 maths checkpoint.

      Source: 小学校学習指導要領（平成29年告示）（文部科学省） checked Oct 22, 2026

      35 minutes a week

   3. Reading and writing ひらがな (our 国語 年長 course, 5 times a week)

      25 minutes a week

      Why: SAPIX states that its entrance test for new first-graders is not read aloud, so children need to read and write ひらがな and read and write the numbers 1 to 10. Whether or not you choose a juku, that is a concrete marker for the months before school. This moves the end-of-年長 Japanese checkpoint.

      Source: SAPIX小学部 | 入室テストのお申し込み（11月実施 新学年第1回入室テスト 実施要項） checked Oct 22, 2026

      25 minutes a week

   4. A 20-minute 'work time' at the weekend

      20 minutes a week

      Why: SAPIX's entrance test for new first-graders (the November 2026 sitting) gives 25 minutes each to maths and Japanese. Being able to sit and keep thinking for 20 minutes is exactly the end-of-年長 habit checkpoint, and it carries straight into school lessons.

      Source: SAPIX小学部 | 入室テストのお申し込み（11月実施 新学年第1回入室テスト 実施要項） checked Oct 22, 2026

      20 minutes a week

   5. Take the 全国統一小学生テスト (November) and record it

      30 minutes a week

      Why: A 年長 偏差値 is not yet something to compare with the goal. Recording it lets you see growth through grades 1 and 2 on the same scale (the 年長 November checkpoint: record only).

      Source: 【公式】全国統一小学生テスト｜中学受験の四谷大塚 checked Oct 22, 2026

      30 minutes a week

   6. Numbers in daily life: cooking, shopping, the clock (once a week, 10 minutes)

      10 minutes a week

      Why: Yotsuya Otsuka's 年長 course also builds in learning close to daily life, such as reading a clock and counting money. Using numbers and amounts in everyday life deepens number sense and moves the end-of-年長 maths checkpoint.

      Source: リトルくらぶ「年長生コース」｜中学受験の四谷大塚 checked Oct 22, 2026

      10 minutes a week

   7. One outing a month: museums, zoos, nature through the seasons

      90 minutes a week

      Why: The national kindergarten guidelines value being moved by nature and by the plants and animals around us. Seeing the real thing and putting it into words becomes background knowledge for life studies at school and, later, for science and social studies.

      Source: 幼稚園教育要領（平成29年告示）（文部科学省） checked Oct 22, 2026

      90 minutes a week

   8. A 3-minute weekly family review

      3 minutes a week

      Why: Separate effort from learning evidence and keep the plan manageable.

      Our judgement (編集部の判断), not a published figure.

      3 minutes a week

   Also this week

   • To arrangeCheck the notice for the pre-entry health check
   • To arrangeApply for an after-school club (学童クラブ) for after school starts

   On the road page every task is given in full, with its source or our judgement (編集部の判断).

   

4. 4

   Checkpoints

   At each milestone, a number to check. From grade 4 the yardstick is the school's 80% line on the same 模試.

   Meisei Junior High School 80% line 46

   40

   41

   42

   44

   46

   Grade 4Jul to Jan−6

   Grade 5Jul−5

   Grade 5Nov to Jan−4

   Grade 6Apr to Jul−2

   Grade 6Sep to Dec±0

   The bar on the Yotsuya Otsuka 合不合判定テスト: up to Meisei Junior High School's 80% line (2027 exams)

   When	Bar (偏差値)	Below the 80% line by
   Grade 4 Jul to Jan	40	−6
   Grade 5 Jul	41	−5
   Grade 5 Nov to Jan	42	−4
   Grade 6 Apr to Jul	44	−2
   Grade 6 Sep to Dec	46	±0
   Meisei Junior High School 80% line 46	46

   A 模試 result above the bar means on track.

   Source: 四谷大塚 中学校偏差値一覧（2027年度用 第2回合不合判定テスト・2026年7月5日実施／Aライン80・Cライン50） checked Oct 22, 2026How far below the 80% line still counts as on track (Grade 4: 6; Grade 5: 4〜5; Grade 6: 0〜2) is our judgement (編集部の判断).

   The next checkpoint

   Checkpoint by Feb 1, 2027

   End of 年長: 20 minutes on one task

   The share of weekly items done over 年長 (bar: 80%). Also check once at home: 20 minutes on one task (a puzzle or a worksheet) with the timer; if your child drifts off but returns after one reminder, it counts.

   Bar: 80% of the set weekly instructions done

   Our judgement (編集部の判断), not a published figure.

5. 5

   Steering

   When your child falls short, we say so plainly and change the plan.

   WhenWhat changes

   Two weeks running, less than half of the week's tasks done

   A lighter week. The goal stays.

   One 模試 below the bar

   Review of the missed units only. No talk of the goal.

   Two in a row below the bar, grades 4–5

   What has to change to hold the goal, or a goal one band lower of the same type, with its numbers.