中学受験: when do we start, and are we in time?
Shingaku Map walks your family through 中学受験 from 年中 to exam day. Pick your child's class and see the road to the exam and this week's tasks, right here.
Built on the 2027 80% lines of 176 schools around Tokyo, the days and intake dates of 8 big juku, and 41 dates from 年中 to the February exam. Checked Oct 22, 2026. Where the numbers come from
What the road is built from
The road is assembled from published 中学受験 data for the Tokyo area. Every number has its source and the day we checked it.
Top private 36 schools
University-affiliated 31 schools
Mid-level private 70 schools
Public 中高一貫 22 schools
Returnee / English 17 schools
- 80% lines for the 2027 exams
- 176 schools
- Mock tests (模試) the lines come from
- 首都圏模試, Yotsuya Otsuka 合不合判定テスト
- Big juku with their days a week and intake dates
- 8 juku
- Dates from 年中 to the February exam
- 41 dates
- Instructions behind “this week's tasks”
- 145 kinds
- Checkpoints
- 55
- Practice questions in 算数, 国語 and 英検
- 8042 questions
Every date, instruction and checkpoint names its source page, or says it is our judgement (編集部の判断). Where the numbers come from
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 . 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.
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 weekTop 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 daysUniversity-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 daysMid-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 46Most common first exam dayFeb 1 (51 of 70)Big juku, days a weekGrade 4 2–3 days → grade 6 3–4 daysPublic 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 58.5, 22 schools)Most common first exam dayFeb 3 (15 of 22)Big juku, days a weekGrade 4 2.5 days → grade 6 4 daysReturnee 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）
The road
Worked back from the February exam in six stages, each with what to do and its dates.
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.- 全国統一小学生テスト (November)
- Entrance tests for new first-graders (if you choose an early-grades juku)
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.- 全国統一小学生テスト (grade 1, June)
- 全国統一小学生テスト (grade 1, November)
- 全国統一小学生テスト (grade 2, June)
3 more
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.- 全国統一小学生テスト (grade 3, June)
- 全国統一小学生テスト (grade 3, November)
Grade 4
The juku rhythm
April 2030 to March 2031
Grade 4 is the year the juku week becomes a household habit.- Private junior-high joint fair (May)
- Tokyo private schools fair (August)
Grade 5
The hardest year
April 2031 to March 2032
Grade 5 is the heaviest year of the junior-high exam road.- Private junior-high joint fair (May)
- Tokyo private schools fair (August)
- Yotsuya Otsuka target-school test (grade 5: September and January)
Grade 6
The exam year
April 2032 to March 2033
Grade 6 is the exam year.- First-half pass/fail mock tests (April and July)
- ONETES's 合格ONEテスト: the year's dates
- Second-half pass/fail mock tests (September–December, monthly)
5 more
Exam
Each date comes from its official page. Dates worked out from last year's schedule say “around”. See the date sources
This week
Every week: what to do with your child, how, and why.
The week from 10 tasks, about 179 minutes in all 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）
56 minutes a week
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）
35 minutes a week
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.
25 minutes a week
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.
20 minutes a week
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
30 minutes a week
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
10 minutes a week
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
- DecisionDecide whether to start a juku from grade 1
- 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).
Checkpoints
At each milestone, a number to check. From grade 4 the yardstick is the school's 80% line on the same 模試.
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) 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） How 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
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.
Steering
When your child falls short, we say so plainly and change the plan.
- 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.
The exams cluster on 1 February
The first exam day of 176 schools around Tokyo. Tokyo and Kanagawa private schools: 95 start on 1 February. Saitama and Chiba come before, in January; returnee exams in November and December.
| Exam day | Tokyo | Kanagawa | Chiba | Saitama | Schools |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 schools | |
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 schools | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 school | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 school | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 school | |
| 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 schools | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 school | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 school | |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 11 schools | |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 school | |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 school | |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 schools | |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 schools | |
| 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 schools | |
| 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 schools | |
| 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 schools | |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 school | |
| 72 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 95 schools | |
| 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 11 schools | |
| 15 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 21 schools |
What the road tells you in October and November of grade 6
Build the back-up plan: a January warm-up exam and 1–5 February
- Draw a table for 1–5 February and put candidate schools into each morning and afternoon.
- Besides the first choice (reach to fit), always include one "safe" school, whose 80% line is at least 5 below the current score, on 1 or 2 February.
- In January, sit one school in Saitama or Chiba to feel a real exam (dates in the milestones).
- Decide in advance how 2 February onward changes on 1 February's result — the "if yes" and "if no" branches.
- Add fees, results times, and enrolment deadlines and amounts to the table.
How to build the plan (a safe school, branches decided in advance) is our judgement (編集部の判断). The exam days are the schools' published dates.
See your child's road now
Pick the class: the road to the exam and this week's tasks, free, no account needed.
See your child's road (free)
The road for the parent, the practice for the child
中学受験 preparation is two jobs: what the parent does and what the child does. Shingaku Map runs both on the same road.
What the parent sees
- The road to the exam, and what this stage asks
- This week's tasks every Monday, with how and why
- Each checkpoint's result against the school's 80% line
- Steering when it slips, and a goal in reach
- The Monday mail: last week done, this week next
- A chat that answers “what do we do next?”
What the child does
- 年中 and 年長 questions are read aloud, so a child who cannot read yet can start.
- Daily practice, 10 questions a round, harder after a run of right answers and easier after misses.
- The right answer and a one-line explanation the moment they answer.
- Missed questions come back after 1 days, after 3 days, after 7 days.
- A check at the end of each unit and timed mock tests.
- Readiness by skill (0–100), from the last 40 answers, shown lower until 20 have been seen.
Read aloud
🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓 🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓 🍓🍓 いちごは いくつ？
- 10
- 11
- 12Right
Explanation
5 と 5 で 10。10 と 2 で 12 です。10 の まとまりを つくると、おおきな かずも かぞえやすいよ。
Read aloud: “いちごは いくつ あるかな。5こずつ まとまって いるよ。”
Our own question, written for the course (never a past paper).
中学受験 prep courses
The four-subject base: 算数 and 国語 by year
年中 and 年長: numbers and ひらがな. School years: the grade's units in order. Every unit is a lesson, practice and a check.
Age 4–5 (年中) to Grade 6: 16 courses, 171 units
Diagnostic and first unit free
中学受験 算数 and 国語
The classic problem types (つるかめ算, 旅人算, 仕事算), shapes and counting; reading stories and essays, written answers and word knowledge.
Entrance exam, grade 4 to Junior-high entrance exam: 5 courses, 71 units
Diagnostic and first unit free
For English and returnee entry: 英検
Vocabulary, grammar, reading and listening. Marked writing from 3級.
Grade 5 to Grade Pre-1: 6 courses, 65 units
Diagnostic and first unit free
The 年中 and 年長 courses come with the Companion Pass.
The first week is free. Then, the Companion Pass.
For a week from the day you set the goal, this week's tasks are yours in full. No card. Nothing is charged when the week ends.
Always free
The whole road, every date with its source, and each course's diagnostic and first unit.
Companion Pass
All three subjects at every level, mock tests, marked writing and unlimited questions.
- This week's tasks, every Monday, set to your child's stage
- Every checkpoint judged against the school's 80% line
- Steering when it slips, and a goal in reach if the gap holds
- The Monday mail: what got done, what is next, how far to the next checkpoint
- A chat that answers “what do we do next?”, without a daily cap
- Every 算数, 国語 and 英検 course, 年中 to 準1級
Cancel any time from Settings.
Full refund within 7 days of your first payment, no questions asked.
Where the numbers come from
The road's bars and dates come from published pages, each with the day we read it. Where a step is our call, the road says so: 編集部の判断 (our judgement).
- 80% lines for the 2027 exams, 176 schools
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） / ONETES（旧 首都圏模試センター）2027年中学入試 予想偏差値（合格率80％）一覧 男子 10月版 / ONETES（旧 首都圏模試センター）2027年中学入試 予想偏差値（合格率80％）一覧 女子 10月版
- Juku days a week and intake dates: 8 juku, from their own pages
- Dates on the road: 8 kinds, from the 全国統一小学生テスト to the February exams
- Every date source
No juku pays to be listed, or for its place in a list.
What is not here yet
- Only schools in the Tokyo area (Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama). Kansai and other regions are not in yet.
- The 80% lines are 首都圏模試, Yotsuya Otsuka 合不合判定テスト. Nichinoken 全国公開模試, SAPIX サピックスオープン lines are not in yet.
- Today's 80% lines are for the 2027 exams. The lines for your child's exam year are not published until that autumn.
- Juku's yearly totals (with seasonal courses) are not here yet: each juku publishes them differently.
What Shingaku Map never does
We read each school's own 募集要項 and each ward's own pages, and quote the Japanese beside every rule. We never promise admission, never rank schools ourselves (the university ranking we show is Times Higher Education's, quoted as published), and never use your printouts to train AI.
About usWhat we checked, and when
43 schools and 72 entry routes. Each rule is quoted from the official 2027 募集要項 (application guidelines).
100 exam dates, and the yearly fees of 30 schools, from the same documents.
201 guides, each linked to the Japanese source it was written from.
Questions parents ask
- When should 中学受験 preparation start?
- The big juku start their full course in February of grade 3 (the new grade 4). The years before are for what that course takes for granted: sitting down to work every day, calculation and reading, and getting used to tests. Starting at 年中 or 年長 is not about juku earlier; it is about using those years well.
- Is 年長 too early to start?
- No, as long as the work is not juku in advance: a short, fixed time at the desk every day, making and breaking 10, reading ひらがな books, puzzles and mazes. In the example on this page the whole week comes to about 179 minutes.
- How is this different from a juku?
- Shingaku Map is not a juku and does not replace one. Before juku (年中 to grade 3) it says what to do at home each week; once juku starts, the home review around the juku week and how to read each 模試 result. Which juku fits is shown from each juku's own published days, fees and intake dates. No juku pays to be listed or for its place.
- What does 中学受験 cost?
- An industry survey puts juku at about ¥2.2 million on average for grades 4 to 6. Private junior-high fees differ by school. Here, the whole road, every date, and each course's diagnostic and first unit are free; the weekly tasks, the checkpoints and every course come with the Companion Pass, whose price is shown on this page.Juku figure: MoneyGeek (PR TIMES, via ReseMom)