There are final exams at the end of each term. There are also midterm exams in the first and second terms but not in the third, which is shorter than the other two. May. Tests are usually held in Japanese, mathematics, science, social studies, and English. Because students usually begin studying English in middle school, the midterm in English is generally their first test in this subject. A week before midterms, all club and other extracurricular activities are cancelled so that students can concentrate on preparing for the tests.
Tension grows as test day approaches.
Instead of hanging around school after classes are over, students rush home to study. Some kids study with friends, teaching each other things that are hard to understand. That's the reason middle-school students, especially eighth and ninth graders, take these midterm exams seriously. On May 29, seventh graders took exams in Japanese, science, and English. The next day they took their social studies and mathematics tests.