Tokyo public combined schools, April 2027: the aptitude test, the school report and the waiting list

On the general track, Tokyo's ten public combined junior-and-senior high schools (都立中高一貫教育校) use an aptitude test (適性検査, tekisei kensa) and the elementary school's report (報告書, hōkokusho). The Tokyo Board of Education's rules for April 2027 entry (実施要綱, jisshi yōkō) explain what those are. Each school's guidebook (募集要項) fills in its own details. You must live in Tokyo to apply; see the eligibility article.

What the test looks for

The rules say the checks look at, in light of each school's character: the child's sense of purpose about her or his future path, the wish to learn in a six-year program, the ability to find and solve problems, fitting in with a group, and creativity and cooperation.

How questions are set:

• They build on everyday learning in the elementary curriculum and the wish and aptitude to learn at a combined school.
• They test cross-subject ability and problem finding and solving, not one school subject at a time.
• Each school shapes them to the kind of student it wants to raise.

Two kinds of question are used. Joint questions (共同作成問題, kyōdō sakusei mondai) are written by a committee of all the schools together. School questions (各校独自問題) are written by each school.

How the general track is judged

Each school combines the report with some mix of interview, essay, aptitude test (joint and school questions) and practical test. How each part is scored and weighted is decided by the school's principal, and so is the length of each test ("so it is not an excessive burden for the child"). Read the school's guidebook for its weighting.

Places are given in order of the total result (総合成績), the report and the tests together, with no tied ranks.

The school report (報告書)

The child's elementary school writes it, other teachers check it against the official record, and the principal seals it. Grade 5 is copied from the official school record (指導要録). Grade 6 is the child's standing as of 31 December 2026, drawing on the first and second terms. It holds subject grades (three viewpoints as A, B or C and an overall 3, 2 or 1 per subject), the integrated-study record, activities, behaviour and an overall comment. A child who returned from a school abroad on or after 1 April 2025 may get a partly blank report with a note explaining the blanks. How to send it, and the rest of the paperwork, is in tokyo-combined-school-application-papers.

The statement of reasons (志願理由書), special track only

Only Koishikawa (小石川) and Hakuo (白鷗) run the special track (特別枠). It needs a statement of reasons (志願理由書, shigan riyūsho) and an activity record (活動実績報告書) with proof such as certificates. The board's reference form for the statement asks the child to write, in pencil:

• why she or he is applying;
• what she or he wants to work on in the six years;
• future dreams and hopes;
• what she or he put most effort into at elementary school (class activities, student council, clubs or school events, mainly in grades 5 and 6), what it involved, and what she or he especially wants the school to know;
• favourite subjects, activities outside school, hobbies and talents.

Each school may set its own items on the form.

Applying: one school only

You may apply to one Tokyo public combined school, and not also to Chiyoda ward's Kudan secondary school (九段中等教育学校). At a school that runs both, a child may enter the special and the general track, but a child who passes the special track cannot sit the general one.

Help on the day

A child with a disability can ask for adjustments, such as enlarged papers, an ICT device, a helper (including a writer or reader), a separate room, or up to 1.5 times the normal time. Apply through the elementary school's principal on the board's form by Fri 18 December 2026. After a sudden accident or illness, apply straight away through the same route.

Results, enrolment and the waiting list

• General-track results: Tue 9 Feb 2027, 9:00, at the school and on the results website.
• To accept, hand in the intent-to-enrol form (入学意思確認書) at the school: 9 Feb, 9:00–15:00, or 10 Feb, 9:00–12:00. Not handing it in means giving up the place. If something outside your control (a train delay, sudden illness) makes you late, contact the school within that period.
• Besides those who pass, each school names a number of waiting-list candidates (繰上げ合格候補者, kuriage gōkaku kōhosha) in order of total result. They receive a notice by post showing their waiting-list rank (繰上げ順位).
• If fewer pass-holders enrol than there are places, the school phones waiting-list candidates in rank order, at the number on the application, and asks whether they will enrol. The school aims to finish by about the end of February. Those not reached get a notice by post that selection has ended.

Seeing your own scores

After the results, the child or a parent can ask the school for the child's test scores (検査得点表), at the school or online. Under these rules requests close on Tue 31 August 2027.

Nothing in these rules predicts a result. Read the school's guidebook and ask the school.