40% of University Entrance Exam Students Complete Less Than Half of Purchased Reference Books. Survey on Study Material Utilization Among University Entrance Exam Students. Real Voices Say "Perfecting One Book is More Efficient."
A survey conducted in March 2026 by Hanji Inc.'s "Knock Education AI Lab" revealed that approximately 40% of university entrance exam students complete less than half of the reference books they purchase. Many students face challenges with the sheer volume of materials and difficulty understanding content, highlighting the need for efficient learning methods.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 30, 2026 at 17:18
- 🔍 Collected: April 30, 2026 at 09:01
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 30, 2026 at 10:49 (1h 47m after Collected)
Hanji Inc. (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director CEO: Yosuke Murata), which operates the AI tutor "Knock," conducted a survey in March 2026 among current university students regarding the reference books and study materials they used for their university entrance exams, through its "Knock Education AI Lab" (https://note.com/knock_lab). Below is an overview of the results.
**Background of the Survey**
In recent years, self-study for university entrance exams has diversified. In addition to traditional learning methods using materials from schools and cram schools, and self-study reference books, it is now possible to study using video sites, social media, and generative AI. This time, we conducted a survey focusing on reference books and other study materials, which still hold a strong presence in self-study, to understand how much students actually use them and what percentage of students are able to complete them.
**Summary of Results**
This survey primarily investigated how much current university students utilized study materials other than those from school or cram school for "English" and "Mathematics," for what purpose, and to what extent.
**[Number of self-obtained study materials*1]**
* Among respondents whose English was an exam subject, 50% answered that they obtained 2-4 English study materials, which was the most common. Meanwhile, 15% had 5-9 books, and 11% had 10 or more.
* Among respondents whose Mathematics was an exam subject, 38% answered that they obtained 2-4 Mathematics study materials, which was the most common. The second most common was 5-9 books at 17%, and 20% had 0 books.
*1 Compiled excluding "don't remember" and no responses.
**[Completion status of study materials]**
* When asked "What percentage of the total number of English/Mathematics study materials were you able to complete?", approximately 25% of respondents for both English and Mathematics answered that they were able to complete a considerable number (75% or more) of materials.
* Approximately 40% of respondents for both English and Mathematics answered that they were able to complete less than half of their study materials. This means, for example, that if a student bought 4 books, 40% of them completed 2 books or less.
**[Reasons for not completing study materials]**
* For English study materials, the most common reasons for not completing them were "I was too busy with school assignments and cram school materials" (27%) and "I gave up because I couldn't understand the explanations" (19%). For Mathematics, the top reason was "I gave up because I couldn't understand the explanations" (28%), followed by "I was too busy with school assignments and cram school materials" (25%).
* In free answers, opinions such as "It's difficult to use too many, and it's more efficient to perfect one," "I thought repeatedly solving one material would help me learn better," and "It's better to have fewer because I can't complete them all" were observed.
**Analysis of Results by Naoto Tsujimoto, Director of Knock Education AI Lab**
This time, we conducted a survey focusing on study materials for university entrance exam students' self-study.
What emerged was the reality that over 70% of students do not actually complete the study materials they chose themselves. Approximately 25% of students for both English and Mathematics answered that they were able to complete most of their study materials, while conversely, 40% of students for both English and Mathematics answered that they were able to complete less than half of their study materials.
There are two major factors that emerged from the survey.
The first is that students are already overwhelmed with other study materials. "I was too busy with school assignments and cram school materials" ranked first for English and second for Mathematics as a reason for not completing study materials. Also, in free answers, comments such as "It's difficult to use too many" and "It's better to have fewer because I can't complete them all" were seen.
The second is cases where students give up midway due to insufficient understanding of the content. The top reason for not completing Mathematics study materials was "I gave up because I couldn't understand the explanations," and this reason also ranked second for English. It suggests that many students stopped utilizing reference books effectively when their solutions didn't match the explanations, or when they couldn't understand what they read.
So, why do students try to study with new materials even though they already have many? One reason might be the lack of immediate solutions when they stumble upon understanding their usual materials or classes. Nowadays, students tend to be overloaded with information due to recommendations from influencers and information spread on social media. There is a possibility of a vicious cycle where students start new reference books without completing their current studies, leading to indigestion.
These results indicate the importance for students to accurately grasp their current situation and select learning methods and materials that match their level of understanding.
**Background of the Survey**
In recent years, self-study for university entrance exams has diversified. In addition to traditional learning methods using materials from schools and cram schools, and self-study reference books, it is now possible to study using video sites, social media, and generative AI. This time, we conducted a survey focusing on reference books and other study materials, which still hold a strong presence in self-study, to understand how much students actually use them and what percentage of students are able to complete them.
**Summary of Results**
This survey primarily investigated how much current university students utilized study materials other than those from school or cram school for "English" and "Mathematics," for what purpose, and to what extent.
**[Number of self-obtained study materials*1]**
* Among respondents whose English was an exam subject, 50% answered that they obtained 2-4 English study materials, which was the most common. Meanwhile, 15% had 5-9 books, and 11% had 10 or more.
* Among respondents whose Mathematics was an exam subject, 38% answered that they obtained 2-4 Mathematics study materials, which was the most common. The second most common was 5-9 books at 17%, and 20% had 0 books.
*1 Compiled excluding "don't remember" and no responses.
**[Completion status of study materials]**
* When asked "What percentage of the total number of English/Mathematics study materials were you able to complete?", approximately 25% of respondents for both English and Mathematics answered that they were able to complete a considerable number (75% or more) of materials.
* Approximately 40% of respondents for both English and Mathematics answered that they were able to complete less than half of their study materials. This means, for example, that if a student bought 4 books, 40% of them completed 2 books or less.
**[Reasons for not completing study materials]**
* For English study materials, the most common reasons for not completing them were "I was too busy with school assignments and cram school materials" (27%) and "I gave up because I couldn't understand the explanations" (19%). For Mathematics, the top reason was "I gave up because I couldn't understand the explanations" (28%), followed by "I was too busy with school assignments and cram school materials" (25%).
* In free answers, opinions such as "It's difficult to use too many, and it's more efficient to perfect one," "I thought repeatedly solving one material would help me learn better," and "It's better to have fewer because I can't complete them all" were observed.
**Analysis of Results by Naoto Tsujimoto, Director of Knock Education AI Lab**
This time, we conducted a survey focusing on study materials for university entrance exam students' self-study.
What emerged was the reality that over 70% of students do not actually complete the study materials they chose themselves. Approximately 25% of students for both English and Mathematics answered that they were able to complete most of their study materials, while conversely, 40% of students for both English and Mathematics answered that they were able to complete less than half of their study materials.
There are two major factors that emerged from the survey.
The first is that students are already overwhelmed with other study materials. "I was too busy with school assignments and cram school materials" ranked first for English and second for Mathematics as a reason for not completing study materials. Also, in free answers, comments such as "It's difficult to use too many" and "It's better to have fewer because I can't complete them all" were seen.
The second is cases where students give up midway due to insufficient understanding of the content. The top reason for not completing Mathematics study materials was "I gave up because I couldn't understand the explanations," and this reason also ranked second for English. It suggests that many students stopped utilizing reference books effectively when their solutions didn't match the explanations, or when they couldn't understand what they read.
So, why do students try to study with new materials even though they already have many? One reason might be the lack of immediate solutions when they stumble upon understanding their usual materials or classes. Nowadays, students tend to be overloaded with information due to recommendations from influencers and information spread on social media. There is a possibility of a vicious cycle where students start new reference books without completing their current studies, leading to indigestion.
These results indicate the importance for students to accurately grasp their current situation and select learning methods and materials that match their level of understanding.