Abstract
There have been a number of studies on the competition in entrance examinations, but very few studies have empirically examined the middle school entrance examination, which is qualitatively different from senior high school and university entrance examinations because children must have parental support. The scope of the examination is beyond the knowledge acquired in school, and parents must be proactive in choosing whether their children should take the examination. In this study, an online survey was disseminated to Tokyo metropolitan area residents with children in the sixth grade (N = 800) to clarify the differences between families whose children took or did not take the middle school entrance examination. Reasons for allowing children to take the examination (or not) were also explored. Results indicated that a region with a perceived high examination rate, the mother's high level of education, and the child's same-sex parent had taken the exam increased the probability that children would take the middle school entrance examination. Additionally, an early birth order and higher parental age for parents of female children, along with the full-time working status of mothers of male children, were factors in favor of taking the middle school entrance examination.
