Is an A3 Printer Necessary for Middle School Entrance Exams? Cutting and Digitizing | Epson vs. Brother

Is an A3 printer necessary for middle school entrance exams?
I will explain based on our family's experience.

This article is part of the [Middle School Entrance Exam Series].
Read from the beginning ↓
① Total of 1.2 million yen spent on middle school entrance exams

1. An A3 printer is necessary for families preparing for middle school entrance exams

It was especially necessary for us because we used the Shingaku Club.
Yotsuya Otsuka's Shingaku Club is a correspondence course with web-based lessons.
Since exams are taken at home, they don't count toward deviation scores, but there are:
・Weekly tests
・Grouping tests
and the process of
printing problems → scanning answer sheets → uploading
is essential.

In other words,a printing and scanning environment is indispensable.

Since it is easier to solve problems printed on B4 paper, anA3compatible machine is preferable.

Shrinking them makes them harder to see, and accuracy drops, especially in math.
Just as you would use a notebook generously, it is better to solve on large paper.

And splitting a two-page spread text stops your thinking process.
It is important to solve past exam papers in the same size as the actual test.

2. Our method

We took it a step further.
We used the "Yoshi-ri" (Yotsuya Otsuka series) main books as textbooks as they were, but we cut all the "Practice Problem Collections" and "Kanji and Vocabulary" books.

Cut → Scan → Save to Dropbox

You can access Dropbox from anywhere: PC, iPad, or iPhone.

Why go that far?
・Problems you got wrong
・Weak units
・Areas with shallow understanding
To make theseavailable for re-practice as many times as needed.

If you write "Question 1 (1)" in a notebook, you won't know which problem it is connected to.
It is better to solve directly on the paper where the problem is printed.

Math, in particular, is a battle of speed.
In geometry, you need to write what is necessary for the figure and solve it quickly.
For Japanese, there are descriptive questions, so you should print and use the answer sheets.

Paper is a consumable, data is an asset

This practice has continued even after the middle school entrance exams ended.
・Toshin textbooks
・Eiken Pass-Tan
・Various past exam papers
We digitize as much as possible so that we can
"re-print only the necessary parts."

You might think, "There is only time to go through the problems once."
But when you reach the 6th grade,you will need to redo weak units.
That is why you should create a design that allows for redoing from the start.
Precisely because "there is no time," you needan environment where you can re-practice without waste.

3. How to cut

This is the paper cutter we use.
It is large and quite expensive, but it is still very useful.

Cutting procedure
① Remove the cover
For the spine, put the book in themicrowave for about 30 secondsto loosen the glue and make it easier to peel off.
② Divide if it is thick
To cut cleanly, reduce the number of sheets.
Split it into half or one-third thickness.
③ Cutting
It is easier with a paper cutter, but it is also possible to cut with a utility knife.

4. Epson vs. Brother

We chose Epson.
The reason is simple: "It looks white."
Since we planned to put it in the living room, we chose white, which blends into the interior better than the grayish Brother.

The model used is the Epson M6010F (1-tray).
If you want a 2-tray model, I recommend the M6011F.
※ There is a paper feed slot at the back, so you can use two types of paper even with a 1-tray model.

However, in terms of practicality,I felt later that the Brother MFC-J7300CDW was superior.
The reason is
"because it can scan both sides simultaneously."※ There are some Brother models that cannot perform double-sided scanning.

I have used both Epson and Brother.
Most problem collections are double-sided, and when you perform double-sided scanning,

Epson
scans the front → flips internally → scans the back
Paper jams are likely to occur during this flipping process.

With the Brother one,
it scans the front and back simultaneously, so paper jams are less likely to occur.
Paper jams are quite stressful, so this difference is significant when performing automatic scanning.

5. Get an extended warranty

If you are serious about completing your exam preparation at home,
you will end up printing a massive amount of material.
Naturally, the risk of breakdown also increases.

Since buying a new one can sometimes be cheaper than the cost of repairs,
it is reassuring to have an extended warranty.

Next time, I would like to write about getting a head start in mathematics.

[Middle School Entrance Exam Series]
① 1.2 million yen: The total cost of middle school entrance exams
② From Hama Gakuen to Shingaku Club | Changing our family's plan
③ September of 4th grade: From 20 weeks behind to the S-Course
④ What I learned from taking 'Zukei no Kiwami' at three different cram schools
⑤ Is an A3 printer necessary?
⑥Should you use algebraic equations for middle school entrance exams?
⑦Aptitude test cram school vs. Shingaku Club: Which one? (Preparation for public integrated middle/high schools)
⑧Why public integrated middle/high schools require 'top-tier private school level' academic ability
⑨Strategy for 6th grade without a cram school - Part 1: Summer and the 'Tennozan' peak
⑩How to master history: 'Taiga Dramas'
⑪Strategy for 6th grade without a cram school - Part 2: From September to the actual exam