Admissions Guideline

NIC welcomes students from all backgrounds who have a strong belief in their capacity to learn and grow and are motivated to reach their highest academic and individual potential. Ideal candidates will be highly inquisitive and positively inclined towards learning from and working with a diverse cohort of students and teachers. The Admission process and entrance examinations are described below.

Enrolment

75 students (Grade 10)

Admissions Process & Timelines

Applications start from 1 October 2023 (Applications will be reviewed as they arrive on a rolling basis)

Admission Pathways & Application Stage Options

Applicants should commence applications according to the applicant type status and refer to the application stages in the table below. Important note: Stage 2 and Stage 3 may not
open if the full capacity is reached before the start of each respective stage.

Eligibility

Applicants must satisfy at least one of the following requirements for admission. Meeting these conditions does not guarantee admission.

• The Applicant must have graduated from a Japanese middle school or its equivalent.
• The Applicant must have completed at least 9 years of formal education at primary and secondary levels by August in the year of admission
• The Applicant meets other high school entrance requirements set by the Japanese Ministry of Education.

If you are currently enrolled in a school that is different from the Japanese education system, please refer to the grade comparison table below.

Admission of returnees and transfers

NIC accepts admissions of children returning to Japan outside of the official admission dates quoted above. The admission process, from application to entrance examination is conducted online and can be taken from abroad. For transfer enrolment, please contact us for individual enquiries as we are open for consultations throughout the year.

English Proficiency

Non-native English speakers are recommended to have, at the time of admission, a minimum language proficiency level according to their entry point as indicated in the internationally recognized standardised tests table below;

Application fee

JPY 20,000

Admission Selection

1. Application documents screening

2. Online cognitive ability test [CAT4] (approximately 2 hours 35 minutes). This is accessed via a link sent to the applicant’s email account. For applicants in a similar time zone to Japan, the test time is established and the test is invigilated via an online streaming service such as Zoom or Skype. For those applicants who wish to access the test in a timezone that is quite different to Japan, the test will need to be invigilated by one of the applicant's current teachers. In this case, the test invigilator must send a signed statement, written on the home school letterhead, with contact details, confirming the integrity of the examination process on behalf of the applicant.

3. Online or on-campus interview. The applicant and parent/guardian have the option of either coming to the NIC campus or taking their interview online via Skype or Zoom. During the interview, the applicant and parent/guardian may be asked questions pertaining to their capacity to complete the programme, ideals, values, motivations and the written statement.

Admission Procedure

1.    Applicant confirms enrolment with NIC via payment of the admission fee prior within 14 working days of receipt of the acceptance notification via email
2.    NIC commences the Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) application process for non-Japanese visa or passport holders*
3.    Student arrives on campus in late August and is assigned a dormitory room
4.    Student attends the orientation session
5.    Classes commence in week one of September

*NIC will handle the application process for the CoE, but will not be held responsible for any reason if the applicant’s application is rejected by the Japanese Embassy and if the applicant is denied entry to Japan.

Bridging Programme - Pre-College Programme Option

What is the Bridging Programme?

For applicants graduating from Grade 9, between December and March, NIC offers study options via the Bridging Programme (BP)*, prior to the official commencement of the high school programme, to enable the most effective use of the gap time. The BP is designed to support the individual circumstances of applicants following their acceptance into the high school programme proper via the standard entrance examination process. BP courses run from the early April until the end of June and classes are conducted over a normal school day period from Monday to Friday. Courses available in the BP are outlined in the table below and they are run on a differentiated basis according to the needs of individual students. For example, advanced English students study may academic English and intermediate level English students may study communicative English on a more fundamental language-building basis. The Japanese language BP option will allow students coming from overseas to both adjust to the culture in a more expedient manner and also better prepare the student for that language option in the international programme. Entry into the BP is restricted to the Grade 10 entry point and those applicants graduating from Grade 9 between December and March.
*In some cases, participation in the BP may be a requirement for enrollment.