The was a standardized test

Standardized test

A standardized test is a test that is administered and scored in a consistent, or "standard", manner. Standardized tests are designed in such a way that the questions, conditions for administering, scoring procedures, and interpretations are consistent and are administered and scored in a...

 administered in Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 and used for university

University

A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...

 admissions from 1979 to 1989.

The subjects tested basic skills and were available were Japanese literature

Literature

Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...

, mathematics

Mathematics

Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...

, English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

, social studies

Social studies

Social studies is the "integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence," as defined by the American National Council for the Social Studies...

 and science

Science

Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...

.

The exam was administered by National Center for University Entrance Examinations

National Center for University Entrance Examinations

The National Center for University Entrance Exams or colloquially is an Independent Administrative Institution that administers the National Center Test for University Admissions and law school entrance exams in Japan.It is under the control of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science...

, an Independent Administrative Institution

Independent Administrative Institution

An Incorporated Administrative Agency or in lay terms an Independent Administrative Corporation or Independent Administrative Institution is a newly designed type of legal body for Japanese governmental organizations regulated by the Basic Law on Reforming Government Ministries of 1998...

. The test was superseded by the National Center Test for University Admissions

National Center Test for University Admissions

The is a type of standardized test used by public and some private universities in Japan. It is held annually during a weekend in mid-January over a period of two days....

.

Origins

The idea of a standardized test was discussed in the 1960s by the then-Ministry of Education. In the 1970s, the exam became a reality following approval by the government

Government of Japan

The government of Japan is a constitutional monarchy where the power of the Emperor is very limited. As a ceremonial figurehead, he is defined by the 1947 constitution as "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people". Power is held chiefly by the Prime Minister of Japan and other elected...

 and ruling party

Ruling party

The ruling party or governing party in a parliamentary system is the political party or coalition of the majority in parliament. Within a parliamentary system, the majority in the legislature also controls the executive branch of government, thus leaving no possibility of dueling parties...

. It was intended to reduce the exam stress encountered by high school

High school

High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

 seniors battling for a place in their choice college

College

A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...

.

A decision was made in 1988 to change the name of the exam, and this was implemented in 1990.