TOKYO — Japan’s National Center for University Entrance Examinations has banned students and others sitting the annual standardized test from posting exam questions on social media.
The move could end the now annual trend of test-takers sharing unique or difficult questions and images on X after the Common Test for University Admissions and making them hot topics online.
In a notice for exam-takers released in December 2025, there was a new item added to the instructions: “Even after the exams are over, please refrain from posting the questions of the Common Test online, such as by sharing them on social media.” According to the center, if images of exam questions or posts related to their content are found on social media, it may request their removal depending on the situation.
The copyright to the Common Test’s questions belongs to the center, except for novels cited in Japanese language exams and other copyrighted materials. The center says that taking photos of exam questions and posting them on social media may constitute copyright violations.
There have been numerous past cases of posts related to exam questions appearing on social media from accounts apparently belonging to test-takers after the Common Test or its predecessor, the National Center Test for University Admissions. Exam problems featuring popular characters or unexpected topics have often become subjects of fervent online conversation.
For example, in the English listening test of the National Center Test in 2019, illustrations of four characters — such as an apple and a carrot, each with wings and limbs — drew attention. Dubbed “the Four Heavenly Kings for listening” on social media after the four Buddhist gods, the characters became popular for their unique appearances.
There were also posts noting that “Makura no Soshi” (The Pillow Book), a mid-Heian period Japanese collection of short essays by Sei Shonagon, was used in a chemistry exam in the 2025 Common Test, along with its image, eliciting comments such as, “I thought I was solving a Japanese language problem as Makura no Soshi was cited in the chemistry test.”
Copyright issues are not the only reason behind the center’s prohibition. There may be cases where test-takers whose exam start times are delayed due to traffic disruptions or other problems could learn about the exam questions via social media on their way to test venues. The center points out that even posts without images on social media could affect test-takers’ mindset and the fairness of the exams.
Previously, the center had largely remained silent about actions that might violate the Copyright Act. Noting that past posts were “not desirable, either,” a center official explained that the latest ban “was included in the precautions to remind test-takers once again that the center holds the copyright” to exam questions.
Even if posts are confirmed on social media, strict measures such as immediately invalidating the posters’ test results are not anticipated. “To ensure that the tests are administered in a fair and impartial manner, we hope examinees will refrain from posting exam questions or their content online even after their tests are over,” the center said.
(Japanese original by Maki Kihara, Tokyo City News Department)
