Graduate from Rote Memorization! The "Thinking Skills" Required in Junior High School English CBT Tests

Rote memorization alone is no longer enough to compete.

That era is just around the corner... no, it is already right in front of us.

Hello! This is Kiko from kiko's english playroom🌸

The other day, I had the opportunity to see the latest academic achievement test for third-year junior high school students.

The moment I glanced at the question paper (screen), I honestly thought to myself:

Oh, there are so few questions! Surely the children can solve this easily, right?😊

...However, as I actually started solving them, I realized that my assumption was a big mistake.

It is not easy at all.

The number of questions is small. But each and every question is packed with a wall of "thinking skills".

Today, I would like to talk about the "drastic change in English tests" that is currently happening in junior high schools.

Table of Contents

1. What exactly is "CBT"?

2. The trap that looks "easy." The decisive difference from old tests

3. Why has "memorization-based English" come to an end?

4. Developing "CBT proficiency" at kiko's english playroom

1. What exactly is "CBT"?

You hear it often lately, CBT. This stands for "Computer Based Testing," and it refers to tests taken using tablets or PCs instead of paper and pencils.

It is being rapidly introduced in junior high schools nationwide, starting with Saitama Prefecture. It is often thought that "you just answer on a screen, right?" but in reality, the content is completely different from previous tests.

2. The trap that looks "easy." The decisive difference from old tests

"Fewer questions does not mean easy." On the contrary, the weight of each individual question has increased significantly.

Previous Tests (Paper) vs. Future Tests (CBT) Number of QuestionsMany (Speed-oriented) vs. Few (Deep-thinking-oriented)ContentTests knowledge and memorizationTests thinking, judgment, and expression Study MethodRote memorization of words and grammar vs. Practice in expressing things in your own wordsDifficulty LevelSolvable if you memorizeCannot move forward without thinking

🔍 How exactly has it changed?

For example, there are differences like these.

• [Old: Knowledge-based Question]

  1. Translate "I went to the park yesterday" into English.

  2. → Answer: I went to the park yesterday. (Just apply the formula and you're done)

• [New: Thinking-based Question (CBT Type)]

  1. "What can you do to make your local community a better place? Write two or more sentences in English, including your reasons."

  2. → Answer: There is no single correct answer. You need to think for yourself and weave it into your own words!

3. Why has "Rote Memorization English" come to an end?

Why have tests changed so much? The reason is clear.

1. Revision of the Course of Study

   1. Since 2021, "thinking, judgment, and expression skills" have become as much a pillar of evaluation in junior high schools as "knowledge and skills." The entire country has shifted its focus from "rote-memorization English" to "practical English."

2. The Arrival of the AI Era

   1. In an age where translation and word searches can be done instantly on a smartphone, human-specific skills—such as "organizing information and conveying one's own opinions"—have become more valuable than simply accumulating knowledge.

3. Integration of the Four Skills

   1. CBT tests include questions that combine listening and writing, such as "listen to this, then write your opinion about the content." You cannot succeed unless you connect "English listening skills × thinking skills" rather than relying on isolated knowledge.

4. "CBT Readiness" Cultivated at Kiko's English Playroom

In fact, what I have always valued in my classroom is directly linked to the skills tested in these CBTs.

• Setting aside time to express "your own thoughts" every time:

  1. We do not practice set phrases like "I like apples." We organize "why I like them" or "what I thought" in our heads before putting them into words. This process is the most effective preparation for the free-response sections of the CBT.

• Not deciding on a single "correct answer":

  1. Designing lessons that do not force everyone to give the same answer is, in itself, practice for confidently answering the question, "What do you think?"

• A combination of English listening skills and thinking ability:

  1. Listen to sounds, understand them, and convert them into your own words. With this "thinking English ear," even if you face a CBT in junior high school, you can calmly tackle it, thinking, "Oh, this is what we always do in class!"

🖋️ Author Profile

Kiko | Director of kiko's english playroom

During her childhood spent at a local school in the United States, she experienced the frustration of being treated as a "troublesome, poor student" by those around her because, although she could hear the language, she could not express her own opinions. This regret of feeling like an "invisible person" became the origin of her current educational philosophy: **"Thinking English Ear."**

As a mother of one child herself, she is currently active in Koshigaya City, working to provide children with "English that becomes a lifelong weapon" rather than "mere rote memorization."

kiko's english playroom

How to cultivate the "thinking power" to survive the CBT era is also being distributed via Official LINE.

[→ Click here to add as a LINE friend]

💡 Finally

Even if tests change, there is no need to panic.

What is important is to sow the seeds of "thinking for yourself" from a young age.

Let's work together to raise children who can say "I'm looking forward to it!" regarding future tests by equipping them with both thinking skills and an English ear 🏆

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I will continue to deliver the latest educational news to parents in Koshigaya!