Admission Instructions (updated 2020/9/28)


Overview of the entrance exam for the academic year 2021. All of the exams, except for Document Screening, are done online using Zoom. The applicant needs a PC with a microphone and a webcam. The connection method and the schedule of the online test will be informed by email.

Courses Master course (Quota) Only Schedule A (25)
Doctoral course (Quota) Schedule A and Schedule B (11 and a few)
Application Period Schedule A 2020.6.11(Thu)-6.17(Wed)
Note earlier application is required for individual screening of entrance qualifications.
Schedule B 2020.11.17(Tue)-11.24(Tue)
Note earlier application is required for individual screening of entrance qualifications.
Examination Period Schedule A 2020.7.20(Mon)-7.27(Mon): Submission of essays (M. C.)
2020.8.7(Fri): Announcement of the Results of the Document Screening (M. C.)
2020.8.17(Mon): Online connection test
2020.8.18(Tue), 8.19(Wed), [backup] 8.20(Thu): First-stage Test (M. C.)
2020.8.20(Thu): Oral Exam. (D. C.)
2020.8.21(Fri): Announcement of the Results of the First-stage Test (M. C.)
2020.8.23(Sun)-8.24(Mon): Second-stage Test (M. C.)
2020.9.1(Tue): Announcement of the Results
Schedule B 2021.1.29(Fri): Online connection test
2021.2.1(Mon): Exam. (D. C.)
2021.2.15(Mon): Announcement of the Results
Examination Subject Master Course The applicants go through the following three-step screening process. No written test on English is done.

Document Screening

The screening is based on a comprehensive evaluation of the following essays and the documents submitted at the time of the application.

Format and submission procedure of the essays
Write the following two essays in English or in Japanese and combine them to a pdf file with the file name E_xxxxxx.pdf. Here, xxxxxx denotes your examinee's ID number. Upload the file via online application site of the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences during the period: July 20 0:00 (JST) - July 27 23:59 (JST).
  • The first page: Essay1. Explain logically the subjects or themes you have studied by yourself with particular interest. You may add minimum equations and figures. Within about 600 words in English. Write your examinee's ID number and name on the first line.
  • The second page and beyond: Essay2. Explain the motivation of the application and the research plan after entering the graduate school. Within about 1200 words in English.

First-stage Test (online)

Applicable to those who passed the Document Screening. The test takes about 30 minutes per person. First, the applicant chooses the language to be used from Japanese and English, and the examinee’s ID number and name are checked. Then, a total of about three basic problems on differential/integral calculus and linear algebra are given (compulsory). The scope of the problems is the same as the first and second problems in the past examinations. Prepare writing utensils and blank calculation sheets. Answers should be given orally.

Second-stage Test (online)

Applicable to those who passed the First-stage Test. The test takes about 10 minutes per person. First, the applicant chooses the language to be used from Japanese and English, and the examinee’s ID number and name are checked. The applicant is then requested to explain the submitted two essays orally in English within three minutes and asked about their content for one minute in English. After that, the applicant is asked about the content of the essays, the basic academic ability, and the research motivation using the language the applicant chose.
Doctoral Course

Oral Examination (online)

The test takes about 30 minutes per person. First, the applicant chooses the language to be used from Japanese and English, and the examinee’s ID number and name are checked. The applicant is then requested to explain the progress of the research in the master’s course using presentation materials within about 20 minutes, and is asked about the basic academic ability, research themes, and the research motivation. The applicants who are not writing and have not written a master’s thesis or those who have completed the master's course long time ago should contact the person in charge of the entrance examination in the department. The TOEFL score sheet is not required.

Additional information
  • Those who does not have or are not going to have a Master’s degree of The University of Tokyo: Presentation in English, followed by a three-minute Q & A session in English. The remaining oral test is done using the language the applicant chose.
  • Those who have or are going to have a Master’s degree of The University of Tokyo: Presentation, Q & A session and the remaining oral test are done using the language the applicant chose.

If there are any differences between the information in this page and that in the printed materials (guidebook, guidelines for M.C. and D.C.), rely on the latters.