passed.jp

Don't Save Past Papers for a Final Test of Ability — Open Them on Day One: When to Start, How Many Years, How Many Passes

2026-07-23 18:00:00 · Exam Prep

This column replaces the received wisdom that past papers are something you solve in the final stretch, as a test of ability, once your skills have matured. A past paper is not a scoring device to place at the end of your studies — it is a map to open on day one. How to extract the question format, point weighting, and time limit from the most recent year on your very first day; benchmarks for how many years to work through for university entrance exams, TOEIC, Eiken, and professional certifications; a three-pass design that separates measurement, execution practice, and error recovery; a backward-planning formula from exam day; a year-by-section score matrix for locating weaknesses; and the three things you must not do. Every step comes with the reason it works.

Read more

How to Spend the Night Before an Exam: What Not to Do, and How to Set Up for Your Best Performance

2026-06-22 20:35:00 · Exam Prep

A concrete, operator's-eye guide to spending the night before an exam. For the eve of a university entrance exam, TOEIC, Eiken, or any certification test: how to wrap up studying, how to sleep, packing your bag, confirming the route to the venue, rehearsing the morning, and the things you must not do. Every step comes with one line on why it works — a setup you can use tonight.

Read more