Before the Central Council for Education undertakes the formidable task of revising Japan's university entrance exam, it needs a refresher course in assessment. That's because standardized tests are poorly understood.
To begin with, there is a fundamental difference between an aptitude test and an achievement test. Although scores sometimes correlate, the former is designed to predict how well a test-taker is likely to perform in a future setting. In contrast, the latter is designed to measure the knowledge and skills a test-taker possesses in a given subject.
By indicating that the current unified exam for admission to public universities in Japan places too much emphasis on mere academic knowledge, an education ministry council implies that the new instrument should be an aptitude test. But the history of the SAT in the U.S. shows that changing the focus produces confusion and resentment.