The
It also marked the first time in
Scores for Sunday's English speaking test, developed jointly with
The aggregate scores will determine which high schools students can attend in the next school year starting
Some parents and educators had criticized the speaking portion of the entrance exam for metropolitan government-run high schools, saying it is similar to an English language proficiency test by
They also said the grading criteria are not clear.
Roughly 69,000 third-grade junior high school students took Sunday's oral test. About 95 percent of all students in this grade who attend the metropolitan government-run junior high schools, or 76,000 students, had initially applied to take the test.
Because some were absent due to sickness, including COVID-19 or the flu, the
The speaking portion will be graded by the staff of a
Lasting around 15 minutes, students recorded verbal answers to eight questions on a tablet, wearing headsets with microphones and ear muffs to shut out noises.
Some complained they could hear other people's answers, but the board of education said it is unaware of major problems.
Last week, a group of 17 parents and university professors filed a suit against the
The
==Kyodo
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