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Yomiuri Shimbun
12 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
TOEIC Cheating: Significant Impact on Admission Process, Employment
Suspicions have emerged that cheating has been rampant on the TOEIC English proficiency test. The test results are used for entrance exams and employment; test administrators must make every effort to prevent cheating. The Institute for International Business Communication, which administers TOEIC, has announced that 803 test takers are suspected of cheating over a two-year period through June this year. The results of all the test takers in question have been invalidated, the institute said. The incident unfolded when the Metropolitan Police Department arrested a Chinese graduate student at Kyoto University in May for entering an exam venue using someone else's name. The man had taken the exam in March using a false name and scored 945 out of 990 points, demonstrating exceptional English proficiency. At the time of his arrest, he was found to be wearing a small microphone inside his mask and in possession of three smartphones and a pair of smart glasses, an electronic device resembling eyeglasses. The institute had been in consultation with the MPD, telling the police, 'There was a person mumbling in Chinese during the exam.' The man is suspected of providing answers to other examinees through the microphone and other methods. It is essential to clarify the full details of the incident, including whether there were intermediaries who facilitated the cheating. The 803 individuals in question gave addresses identical or nearly identical to that of the arrested man when applying for the exam. It is highly likely that the routine of choosing exam venues based on residential addresses was exploited. The institute checked the identities of test takers during the exam but did not verify their addresses. While the cheating is utterly unacceptable, there may also have been lapses in oversight by the institute, which sent out multiple test vouchers to a single address. TOEIC scores are not merely an indicator of one's English proficiency. They are used to exempt candidates from English exams in university and graduate school admissions, or to determine whether someone passes or fails the admission process. TOEIC is also being used to a greater extent in corporate hiring and has become a criteria for promotion, so the importance of the proficiency test is increasing. More young people in China are believed to be aiming to study or work in Japan, and posts offering to assist with cheating for a fee are circulating on social media. If such misconduct continues, it could erode trust in the test. The impact of this on university admissions and corporate hiring cannot be taken lightly. The institute will revise its procedures to assign different test venues to applicants with the same address. It said it will also check before the test whether people's glasses have a camera function and whether electronic devices are turned off. Organized proxy test-taking by Vietnamese nationals was also uncovered in Japanese language exams required for obtaining the 'specific skilled work' residence status. Even if someone passes an exam through cheating, it is that person who will struggle at their educational institution or workplace due to insufficient ability. (From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 22, 2025)
Japan Forward
3 days ago
- Sport
- Japan Forward
Inspired by 'Just a Man'
このページを 日本語 で読む JAPAN Forward has launched "Ignite," a series to share the voices of students in Japan in English. Inspired by their own experiences, what do they see beyond our obvious differences, disabilities, and insecurities? Individually and collectively, today's students will shape our global future. Let's listen. This fifth essay introduces another winning work of the Institute for International Business Communication (IIBC) high school student English essay contest. In the following essay, high school student Shigeo Nonaka credits a perfect stranger with one leg and twin children for helping him overcome his fears and insecurities. The encounter, in Vietnam, changed his outlook and may change yours. Fifth in the Series, 'Ignite' Shigeo Nonaka, Winner of the 2024 IIBC Superior Essay Award for his English essay. Always worried and embarrassed about what people think of me, I couldn't be friends with the ball. The sweltering heat in Vietnam distorted the air in the distance. With the enemy in front of me, I had to beat him to a pulp somehow. As I had stylishly demonstrated during recess, I straddled the ball a couple of times, got my feet tangled up, and fell over. The rubber chips of the artificial turf bounced off into my mouth, which felt disgusting. I looked up to see my adversary smirking with a thin smile that held a touch of disdain. "Embarrassing," I thought, "I'm done." I wanted to run away already. So I quit the Japanese football club and joined a team with only Vietnamese players. I crouched down between the messy protective netting, and it was a small futsal-size court. A red motorbike was perched at the foot of a lamppost outside. It was a large one, carrying what looked like iron bars on either side. A small man with a shaved head was carrying two twins in the red uniform of the Vietnamese national football team on a motorcycle. They were a father and his kids, very Vietnamese. However, the moment the man got off the bike and put his feet on the ground, my eyes were glued to his lower body. I could see the ground where his left leg should be, and I realized the man was missing one leg. He was approaching me, flanked by crutches that I had earlier mistaken for iron bars on the bike's decoration. "Nihonjin-desu-ka?" the man asked in Japanese. When I said yes, he smiled and said, "Nakata!" — a Japanese footballer from some time ago. The man's name was Duc. He was one half of a conjoined twin, so he had only one leg. He became famous after undergoing surgery in Japan, which is why he could speak Japanese. When I was surprised by this unexpected encounter, he asked me to practice passing together. "Nakata! Pass!" he laughed. He stood confidently in front of the goal on crutches. And when I hesitantly kicked a soft pass to him, he slapped me with a powerful pass, as if to kick away my hesitation. I responded with a strong ball this time. As we exchanged passes, his face came alive. His passes were inevitably rough, but he didn't care about that — he simply loved the game. Seeing him happy made me feel ashamed of having been reserved toward him. Before he is disabled, he is just a man. He bounced around on crutches, gamely chasing the ball and passing to me. His honest, powerful passes seemed to inspire me to be myself. I felt the impact of the ball through my ankles and across my body and thought, "I love football." When we finished practicing passes, he said, "I haven't had this much fun playing football in a long time, Nakata!" He then got on his bike and dashed back home with the twins. Outside, where thousands of power lines were tangled, a horde of motorcycles roared in disorder, and he was among them. He was able to bring his children to this futsal court because, despite his missing leg, he was allowed to drive a motorcycle. In Japan, people are protected by regulations. But in Vietnam, this free-spiritedness allows people like Duc to live freely. From that day on, we played football together every week. Six years later, I'm in Japan now. I have retired from football, just as Nakata did. [And] I have found something new that I like. You're the one who taught me to love something. Just the other day, I saw you again on the cinema screen in a film about your life. So, I'm writing this now because I can't help the memories from pouring out of me. You look a little older now, but you're smiling like you did then. Your twins, Fuji and Sakura, are much taller now. They grew up fine, didn't they? You must be a good dad. Well, even in the cinema, you're still just a man to me. But hey, because of you, I can walk on these two legs today, Duc. Shigeo Nonaka is a student at Seigakuin Junior & Senior High School in Tokyo. Upon receiving the IIBC Superior Essay Award, he commented: This essay was a challenge for me. I deliberately used a slightly casual colloquial style to portray the way of life of a man named Duc in the Vietnamese landscape. Later, I left Vietnam, lived in Myanmar, encountered a military coup, and returned to Japan without even saying goodbye to my friends. I learned that peace is not something to be taken for granted. Because I know the breathing of people who live strong lives within barriers, I want to put that into words and convey it. Hopefully, that is a small step towards creating a society without borders. I am grateful that my humble thoughts were accepted, and I will continue to learn and grow. Author: Shigeo Nonaka Seigakuin Junior & Senior High School このページを 日本語 で読む
Japan Forward
13-07-2025
- Japan Forward
Opening the 'Power of 'Why'
このページを 日本語 で読む JAPAN Forward has launched "Ignite," a series to share the voices of students in Japan in English. What do they see beyond our obvious differences, disabilities, and insecurities? Individually and collectively, today's students have the power to shape our global future. Let's listen. This fourth essay introduces another winning work of the Institute for International Business Communication (IIBC) high school student English essay contest. In the following essay, Lynne Mizushima, a high school student in Kanagawa Prefecture, recounts the disruption she felt at the way a foreign exchange student staying with her family embraced life to the fullest. In addition to learning about Japan, the visitor enthusiastically shared her own culture and values, leaving her host family with a new perspective on the meaning of "cultural exchange." Fourth in the Series, 'Ignite' Dark clouds hung over us and raindrops pattered on our umbrellas as we approached Enoshima Beach. It was an unusually cold day in June and I shivered as the wind chilled my damp clothes. The next moment, my friend gave me a mischievous smile. "Let's swim in the ocean!" I gaped at her. She would surely catch a cold. However, she ignored my pleas and sprinted into the water before I knew it. I was left stranded on the beach yelling at her to come back, helpless and exasperated. It was only after twenty minutes that she finally came back to shore with her clothes dripping wet. She's crazy , I thought to myself. "Why? Why did you go in?" She met my incredulous eyes with a smile and replied, "Because, fear is temporary but regret is forever." She explained that she would have regretted not going in despite the weather, and told me she would remember this moment forever, even when her hair turns gray. While I was hesitant in accepting that reasoning, I conceded that I too would likely remember this moment for the rest of my life. Lynne Mizushima, Winner of the 2024 IIBC Excellence Award for her English essay. This is the absolute whirlwind that is my Moroccan friend Noha, who my family hosted as part of an exchange program last summer. Lively and unpredictable yet one of the most considerate people I have ever encountered, Noha left a profound impact on me during her two-week stay in Japan. "Let me take you to a Moroccan restaurant," she said to me and my friends one day. I was perplexed by her sudden proposal. "Why? You're in Japan, wouldn't you rather eat Japanese food?" She eagerly explained that she wanted to introduce us to Moroccan food. At the restaurant she taught us Arabic words like shukran which means "thank you" and I tried Moroccan dishes like Briwats (a triangle-shaped savory pastry) and Tagine (a slow-cooked stew). Over the course of that dinner, I gained insight and understanding about Moroccan cuisine and culture. I recognized that Noha was not only eager to immerse herself in the Japanese experience, but also excited to share her own cultural heritage with us. Furthermore, I was struck with the realization that all the times I had been abroad, I had always been solely intent on absorbing foreign culture. Noha inspired me to devote more effort to sharing my own culture on future occasions. "I want to get flowers for everyone in our class," Noha said to me the evening before her departure. "Why? Is that even possible?" I was in disbelief at her grand and ambitious idea. She said, "I just really want to thank everyone." While I still had doubts, we went to a flower shop and picked out over 50 flowers of different kinds. We brought home an enormous bouquet which stunned both my parents. I then opened my eyes the next day to see that Noha had spent the entire night neatly wrapping the flowers one by one. I was in absolute awe. Noha was one of the most unique people I had ever encountered, and I followed nearly everything she did with one question: "Why?" To my conventional ways of thinking, her actions often left me baffled. However, uncovering her underlying rationale helped me understand and accept her actions completely. It is common for people to judge others when they are acting in a way that is not normal to them, especially if they are of different backgrounds. However, asking a simple "Why?" can alter conventional thinking and offer fresh perspectives. Noha was wild but always very sure of her actions. She had pride in her cultural heritage and didn't fail to show it. [And] she had great kindness in her heart and would always find a way of expressing it. She always took action in what she believed to be important, and spending time with her completely transformed the norms I previously held. I feel very lucky to have met someone like her, and I hope to be equally inspiring to others in my own unique way in the future. Lynne Mizushima is a student at Keio Shonan Fujisawa Junior and Senior High School in Kanagawa Prefecture. She delivered this comment upon receiving the IIBC Excellence Award for her essay submission: I am truly honored to receive the Excellence Award. In this essay, I wrote about my memories of a friend from Morocco whom I met during an exchange program. Being exposed to different cultures and ways of thinking has greatly changed my own values. I am happy to be able to share my precious memories with her with so many people. In writing the essay, I went through a lot of trial and error to make sure that the reader would find it interesting. Improving the essay was fun and a very good experience. Finally, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the teachers who guided me. Author: Lynne Mizushima Student, Keio Shonan Fujisawa Junior and Senior High School このページを 日本語 で読む
Asahi Shimbun
08-07-2025
- Asahi Shimbun
TOEIC records nulled for 803 over ties to cheating group
A Chinese graduate student is believed to have been hired to help others cheat at this venue in Tokyo's Itabashi Ward on May 18 for the TOEIC English proficiency test. (Noriki Nishioka) Organizers of the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) have invalidated the exam records of 803 individuals who are believed to have cheated through a hired imposter. The Institute for International Business Communication will also disqualify those individuals from taking a TOEIC for five years, officials said July 7. Wang Likun, a Chinese graduate student at Kyoto University, was arrested in May on suspicion of trespassing at a TOEIC exam venue in Tokyo's Itabashi Ward by impersonating a test-taker. The Metropolitan Police Department believes Wang was expected to mumble out the correct answers to other test-takers engaged in cheating. The 803 individuals applied for TOEIC using the same or near-identical address as Wang's since May 2023, according to the organizers. TOEIC exam venues are assigned based on test-takers' addresses. Applicants from the same neighborhood sit for the test at the same place. The institute also said it ensures that test-takers have turned off their cellphones before the exam to prevent cheating. Wang, 27, was hiding a small microphone with an antenna in his mask and wearing a pair of smart glasses with camera functions when he was arrested in May. He was rearrested twice on suspicion of forging admission tickets to enter other TOEIC exam venues in Tokyo in February and March. The suspect has refused to discuss the cases, according to investigative sources. Wang initially told police that he received a message in Chinese around winter 2024 and was told he would be paid if he took the test. The MPD believes others have provided correct exam answers in similar arrangements. After Wang's arrest, police found that 77 Chinese nationals who were scheduled to take TOEIC at a venue in Tokyo's Nerima Ward on June 7 used the same address in their applications. Also, 18 people who were to sit for the exam at a venue in Tokyo's Minato Ward on June 22 used the same address. Six of those test-takers told police that they were trying to cheat on TOEIC. One admitted to applying for a fraudulent arrangement through social media and paying 50,000 yen ($340). The MPD suspects that masterminds in China are leading an organized cheating scheme.
The Mainichi
08-07-2025
- The Mainichi
Over 800 suspected of cheating on TOEIC English exam in Japan
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- At least 803 people in Japan are believed to have cheated on an English proficiency test between May 2023 and June 2025, the test's administrator said Monday, adding it has notified the examinees of the nullification of their exam results and a five-year ban on retaking the test. The findings by the Institute for International Business Communication come after Wang Li Kun, a Chinese graduate student at Kyoto University, was arrested for allegedly trying to take TOEIC -- the Test of English for International Communication -- using another person's ID in May. The examinees in question are believed to have taken advantage of the exam system that uses applicants' addresses to allocate testing sites, as they used the same or similar addresses as written on Wang's application. Wang has allegedly told police that he received a message in Chinese around last winter that he would be paid for sitting the exam. The widespread fraud is suspected to have been organized by a Chinese group. The 27-year-old allegedly hid a microphone inside a face mask, apparently to share his answers with other test takers. Around 40 people applied to sit the May exam using the same address as Wang. The suspect has already been indicted on suspicion of forging a private document for sitting exams on another occasion in Tokyo.
