31.5% of Parents 'Completely Unaware' of Their Children's Grades: One in Three Exam-Experienced Parents Regret Not Starting Earlier

■ Survey on Parents' Awareness of Children's Regular Tests and Exam Preparation

Many parents feel anxious about their children's academic abilities and entrance exams.

There may be times when parents feel they 'don't have a good grasp of their child's grades' or 'should have started countermeasures earlier.'

What kind of interest and anxiety do parents have regarding their children's learning?

Therefore, this time, in collaboration with Osaka-based individual tutoring school 'Up Gakushukai,' we conducted a survey on the 'Actual State of Parents' Interest and Anxiety Regarding Regular Tests and Exam Preparation' targeting 200 parents nationwide with children.

*When citing the contents of this press release, please comply with the following:

- State that the source is a survey by 'NEXER Inc. and Osaka-based individual tutoring school 'Up Gakushukai''
- Include a link to Up Gakushukai (https://personalsupport.co.jp/)

Survey Overview: 'Survey on the Actual State of Parents' Interest and Anxiety Regarding Regular Tests and Exam Preparation'

Survey Method: Internet survey

Survey Period: May 11, 2026 – May 18, 2026

Survey Target: Parents nationwide with children

Valid Responses: 200 samples

Survey Questions:

Question 1: To what extent do you (or did you) keep track of your child's regular test scores?

Question 2: Do you think (or did you think) studying for regular tests can be sufficiently covered by 'school classes alone'?

Question 3: When did you (or do you plan to) start preparing for your child's high school entrance exams?

Question 4: When did you (or do you plan to) start preparing for your child's university entrance exams?

Question 5: Have you ever felt (or did you feel) that you 'should have started preparations earlier' for your child's exam preparation?

Question 6: Please tell us the specific reasons why you felt you 'should have started earlier.'

*Note: Figures are rounded to the second decimal place, so totals may not equal 100%.

■ 31.5% Responded They Are 'Completely Unaware' of Their Child's Regular Test Scores

First, we asked parents to what extent they keep track of their child's regular test scores.

The most common response was 'completely unaware' at 31.5%.

This was followed by 'somewhat aware (overall scores or grade trends)' at 26.0%, 'vaguely aware' at 20.0%, 'don't pay much attention' at 12.0%, and 'know in detail (down to subject-specific scores and ranks)' at 10.5%.

Combining 'completely unaware' and 'don't pay much attention' totals 43.5%, indicating that over 40% of parents do not have a sufficient grasp of their children's regular test scores.

This may be due to a desire to respect the child's autonomy, or family circumstances such as being too busy with work or housework to find time to check grades in detail.

■ 48.0% Responded That Studying for Regular Tests 'Cannot Be Covered' by School Classes Alone

Next, we asked parents whether they think studying for regular tests can be sufficiently covered by 'school classes alone.'

The results showed that 12.0% responded 'I think it can be sufficiently covered,' and 40.0% responded 'I think it can be covered to some extent.' Combined, 52.0% of parents believe that 'regular test preparation is possible with school classes alone.'

On the other hand, 34.0% responded 'I don't think it can be covered very well,' and 14.0% responded 'I don't think it can be covered at all.' Combined, 48.0% of parents feel that school classes alone are insufficient.

The results show that parental opinions are almost evenly divided.

Perceptions may vary by household depending on factors such as understanding of school classes, the child's study habits, and the difficulty of the tests.

■ For High School Exam Preparation, 'From the Second Year of Junior High' Was Most Common at 30.3%

Next, we asked parents when they started (or plan to start) preparing for their child's high school entrance exams.

The most common response was 'from the second year of junior high' at 30.3%.

This was followed by 'no particular preparation (did not prepare)' at 25.2%, 'from the first year of junior high' and 'from the third year of junior high / just before the exam' both at 16.8%, 'from the upper grades of elementary school (4th-6th grade)' at 7.1%, and 'from the lower grades of elementary school (1st-3rd grade)' at 3.9%.

It appears that the second year of junior high is a common benchmark for starting high school exam preparation.

This may coincide with the time when club activities begin to wind down and students start to become more aware of their internal assessment scores.

■ For University Exam Preparation, 29.4% Responded 'No Particular Preparation'

Next, we asked parents when they started (or plan to start) preparing for their child's university entrance exams.

The most common response was 'no particular preparation (did not prepare)' at 29.4%.

This was followed by 'first year of high school' at 18.2%, 'second year of high school: first semester to summer vacation' at 14.0%, 'second year of high school: second semester to winter vacation' at 9.8%, 'second year of high school: spring break (just before becoming a third-year)' at 9.1%, 'third year of high school: first semester to summer vacation' at 8.4%, 'by the time of junior high graduation (before entering high school)' at 7.0%, and 'third year of high school: second semester onwards' at 4.2%.

Nearly 30% responded 'no particular preparation,' suggesting that for university exams, many families leave it up to the child compared to high school exams.

On the other hand, 18.2% of families started preparing from the 'first year of high school,' and 7.0% started 'by the time of junior high graduation.' It appears that a certain number of families are conscious of university exams from an early stage.

University entrance exams require significantly different preparation depending on the desired school and exam format.

Therefore, the timing of starting preparation may also reflect differences in each family's thinking and policies.

■ 31.2% of Exam-Experienced Parents Felt They 'Should Have Started Earlier'

Next, we asked parents whether they have ever felt that they 'should have started preparations earlier' for their child's exam preparation.

The results showed that 9.9% 'strongly felt that way,' and 21.3% 'somewhat felt that way.'

Combined, this totals 31.2%, indicating that approximately one in three parents who have experienced entrance exams felt they 'should have started earlier.'

On the other hand, 41.8% 'didn't feel that way much,' and 27.0% 'didn't feel that way at all.'

Combined, 68.8% of families had no major regrets about the timing of starting exam preparation.

We also asked about the specific reasons for feeling they 'should have started earlier,' and some are introduced below.

Specific reasons for feeling 'should have started earlier'

- Because advanced high schools are focused on exams from the first year. (Female, 20s)
- Because even a slightly earlier start to exam preparation allows for more relaxed studying. (Female, 30s)
- When I found out that others had started tailored preparation for their desired schools earlier. (Female, 40s)
- I should have gathered more information more thoroughly.