If you can’t handle wearing a mask properly, you’re probably not ready for higher education.

It might mentally feel like we’ve been living under the pandemic for an eternity, but the reality is that it’s been less than a year since Japan started seeing significant coronavirus infection numbers. Because of that there are still annual events that are occurring for their first time under coronavirus concerns, and this month it’s been university entrance exams’ turn.

While some schools have their own tests, there’s also a semi-standardized one called the National Center Test for University Admissions, also known as the “Center Test,” that multiple universities use (it’s essentially Japan’s equivalent to the U.S. SAT). The exam, which was held nationwide last weekend, tests examinees on a variety of subjects, but for one man in Tokyo it wasn’t the questions that tripped him up, but the requirement to wear a mask.

The exam organizers had informed all examinees sitting for the exam that they would be required to wear masks while taking the test, and the man, who we’ll call A-san, did at least show up wearing one. During the test, though, A-san slipped the mask down below his nose. An administrator cautioned the man several times during the test’s geography and history sections, instructing him to raise the mask up and cover his nose, only for the man to later lower it again. During a break between sections, A-san was again told to keep his mask over his nose, his sixth warning up to that point, and told that one more failure to comply would result in disqualification.

Sure enough, though, during the test’s English section A-san once again slipped the mask down under his nose. The man was removed from the venue for improper conduct and his score thrown out, effectively giving him an exam score of zero in the eyes of college application evaluations.

While the vast majority of Center Test examinees are teenagers (since the test is for those hoping to start college), A-san is a man in his 40s, which seems plenty old enough to be able to wear a mask properly.

▼ Even little kids can handle this, after all.

As mentioned above, many universities in Japan have their own entrance exams which are held on separate days from the two-day Center Test, but for those that do require a Center Test score, A-san may be out of luck until 2022 when the test is offered again, and may possibly be spending the next year as a ronin, as a person who fails to earn admission to a school and has to wait until the next round of entrance exams to try again is called.

It’s worth noting that examinees were informed ahead of time that they’d be required to wear a mask, and any examinees for whom that would be difficult to comply with (due to respiratory issues, for example) were asked to contact the test administrators prior to the exam so that special seating arrangements that would not require a mask could be made. However, A-san did not do this, so between that and not putting his mask over his nose after being directly told to six times, a bit of reading/listening comprehension practice might be in order before next year’s test.

Correction history: This article previously referred to A-san as a teenager. SoraNews24 apologizes for the mistake and any confusion caused.

Sources: NHK News Web, Nihon Keizai Shimbun via Jin, Mainichi Shimbun
Top image: Pakutaso (edited by SoraNews24)
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