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100+ Free Nara Public High School Entrance Examination — Social Studies Practice Questions

Prepare for the Nara Prefectural High School Entrance Examination — Social Studies (奈良県公立高等学校入学者選抜学力検査 社会) exam with instant access — no signup required.

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Key Facts: Nara Public High School Entrance Examination — Social Studies Exam

Practise for the Nara Prefectural High School Entrance Exam in Social Studies with 100 four-option questions covering the geography of Japan and Nara, Japanese history from the ancient capitals to the postwar period, civics and multiple-source analysis, weighted to the official 50-minute, 50-point paper. The official paper contains multiple-source reading and short written explanations, so this English-language MCQ bank is a study aid, not a format simulation.

Sample Nara Public High School Entrance Examination — Social Studies Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your Nara Public High School Entrance Examination — Social Studies exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which Japanese prefecture is located inland (landlocked) in the Kii Peninsula and contains the old capital Heijō-kyō?
A.Nara
B.Osaka
C.Kagawa
D.Niigata
Explanation: Nara Prefecture lies inland in the Kii Peninsula and contains the site of the old capital Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara City).
2Nara became the site of a permanent capital called Heijō-kyō in which year?
A.710
B.794
C.1192
D.607
Explanation: Heijō-kyō was established as the capital in 710, beginning the Nara period.
3Which body of water lies to the south and east of the Kii Peninsula, near Nara Prefecture?
A.The Pacific Ocean
B.The Sea of Japan
C.The Seto Inland Sea
D.The East China Sea
Explanation: The Kii Peninsula juts into the Pacific Ocean, which lies to its south and east.
4Which of the following is a famous mountain in Nara City that lies near Nara Park and is known for its grass-burning festival?
A.Mount Wakakusa (Wakakusayama)
B.Mount Fuji
C.Mount Asama
D.Mount Hiei
Explanation: Mount Wakakusa (Wakakusayama) is in Nara City near Nara Park and is famous for the Yamayaki grass-burning festival.
5Which region of Japan contains both Nara Prefecture and the major cities of Osaka and Kyoto?
A.Kansai (Kinki)
B.Tōhoku
C.Kyūshū
D.Hokkaidō
Explanation: Nara, Osaka, and Kyoto are all in the Kansai (Kinki) region of Japan.
6Which statement about Nara Prefecture's geography is correct?
A.It is landlocked and much of it is mountainous, with old cultural sites in the northern basin
B.It has a long coastline on the Sea of Japan
C.It is the northernmost prefecture of Japan
D.It is mostly flat desert
Explanation: Nara is landlocked and largely mountainous, with the old cultural sites concentrated in the northern Nara Basin.
7Which area in southern Nara Prefecture is famous for cherry blossoms and cedar forests?
A.Yoshino
B.Hokkaidō
C.Okinawa
D.Niigata
Explanation: Yoshino, in southern Nara, is famous for cherry blossoms and cedar forests.
8Which of the following best describes the climate of most of Japan, including Nara?
A.A temperate climate with four clear seasons and a rainy season in early summer
B.A polar climate with snow all year
C.A dry desert climate
D.An equatorial climate with no seasons
Explanation: Most of Japan has a temperate climate with four seasons and a rainy season (tsuyu) in early summer.
9Which prefecture borders Nara to the north and contains the modern city of Kyoto?
A.Kyoto
B.Osaka
C.Mie
D.Wakayama
Explanation: Kyoto Prefecture borders Nara to the north and contains Kyoto City.
10Which of the following is a major industry in Nara Prefecture, known for traditional crafts such as calligraphy brushes (奈良筆) and ink sticks (奈良墨)?
A.Traditional crafts and tourism
B.Large ocean fishing fleets
C.Offshore oil drilling
D.Large-scale semiconductor factories
Explanation: Nara is known for traditional crafts and for tourism built on its old temples and shrines. Nara fude (奈良筆) brushes and Nara sumi (奈良墨) ink sticks are both nationally designated traditional crafts, and Nara is regarded as the birthplace of Japanese brush making.

About the Nara Public High School Entrance Examination — Social Studies Exam

The Nara Prefectural High School Entrance Examination in Social Studies tests lower-secondary graduates on geography, history and civics. From the 令和8年度 (2026) cycle the former 特色選抜 and 一般選抜 have been merged into a single 一次選抜 held in early March, and the five-subject academic test is scored out of 50 points per subject (250 points total). The Nara paper is notable for multiple-source reading and short written explanations and for a heavy weight on modern (近・現代) history; Nara's heritage as the site of the ancient capitals and of temples such as Tōdai-ji and Hōryū-ji appears in local-context items.

Assessment

50-minute paper worth 50 points, set as several 大問 across geography, history and civics, with multiple-source reading and short written explanations. The five academic-test subjects together total 250 points.

Time Limit

50 minutes (the academic test is sat on a single day in early March, with a school-set examination on the following day where applicable)

Passing Score

No fixed pass mark. Admission is decided by each school from the 250-point five-subject academic test, the report card (調査書, 144 points in the standard pattern ①, rising to 234 in pattern ②, 198 in pattern ③ and 180 in pattern ④), and any school-set examination, with weights and 加重配点 set school by school.

Exam Fee

2,200 yen for a full-time (全日制) course (入学検定料); the part-time (定時制) fee follows the national standard of 950 yen. A separate 入学料 of 5,650 yen is due at enrolment. Confirm all figures in the current 実施要項. (Nara Prefectural Board of Education (奈良県教育委員会))

Nara Public High School Entrance Examination — Social Studies Exam Content Outline

25%

Geography of Japan & Nara (地理・奈良県)

Physical and regional geography of Japan and Nara Prefecture, including the Yamato highlands and historic monuments.

15%

World Geography & Global Systems (世界地理)

Continents, oceans, climate regions, resources and population.

25%

Japanese History: Ancient to Edo (日本史 古代〜江戸)

Chronology from Jōmon to Edo, with Nara's central role in the Asuka, Nara (Heijō-kyō) and Heian capitals.

20%

Modern & Postwar History (近・現代史)

Meiji modernization, the Pacific War and postwar recovery — a recurring high-weight area on the Nara paper.

15%

Civics: Constitution, Democracy & Economy (公民)

The Constitution of Japan, rights, the Diet, Cabinet and Courts, local self-government and the economy.

How to Pass the Nara Public High School Entrance Examination — Social Studies Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: No fixed pass mark. Admission is decided by each school from the 250-point five-subject academic test, the report card (調査書, 144 points in the standard pattern ①, rising to 234 in pattern ②, 198 in pattern ③ and 180 in pattern ④), and any school-set examination, with weights and 加重配点 set school by school.
  • Assessment: 50-minute paper worth 50 points, set as several 大問 across geography, history and civics, with multiple-source reading and short written explanations. The five academic-test subjects together total 250 points.
  • Time limit: 50 minutes (the academic test is sat on a single day in early March, with a school-set examination on the following day where applicable)
  • Exam fee: 2,200 yen for a full-time (全日制) course (入学検定料); the part-time (定時制) fee follows the national standard of 950 yen. A separate 入学料 of 5,650 yen is due at enrolment. Confirm all figures in the current 実施要項.

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

Nara Public High School Entrance Examination — Social Studies Study Tips from Top Performers

1Practise reading two or three sources together and stating the answer in your own words, since multiple-source reading items are a recurring Nara tendency and a place where marks separate.
2Build a single timeline from Meiji modernization through the Pacific War to postwar recovery, since modern (近・現代) history is a heavy area with many events to order.
3Learn the ancient capitals of the Yamato region — Asuka, Fujiwara-kyō and Heijō-kyō — together with the building of Tōdai-ji and Hōryū-ji, since local-context items recur.
4Drill the structure of the Constitution of Japan: the three principles of popular sovereignty, respect for fundamental human rights and pacifism, and the organs of government.
5Be able to read a climate graph, a population pyramid and a land-use map quickly, since geography items pair a map or chart with a question.
6Check whether your target school applies 加重配点 to social studies (for example 法隆寺国際 歴史文化科 doubles the social-studies score), since this changes how much social-studies weight matters.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the Nara social studies paper and what is it worth?

It lasts 50 minutes and is scored out of 50 points, one of five subjects that together total 250 points. Some schools then multiply the five-subject total by 1.2 to 1.6, or social studies alone by 2, under 加重配点.

What kind of items appear on the Nara social studies paper?

Items that ask you to read several sources and write a short explanatory answer recur, and a heavy weight falls on complex modern (近・現代) history; Nara's heritage as the site of the ancient capitals and of Tōdai-ji and Hōryū-ji appears in local-context items.

How is the 令和8年度 selection different from before?

From the 令和8年度 (2026) cycle the former 特色選抜 and 一般選抜 have been merged into a single 一次選抜 held in early March, and candidates may apply to a first- and a second-choice school.

When were the 2026 papers sat?

The 令和8年度 一次選抜 academic test (学力検査) was held on 4 March 2026, with the school-set examination on 5 March and results announced on 13 March 2026.

How much is the examination fee?

The 入学検定料 is 2,200 yen for a full-time (全日制) course, paid through the Nara Web 出願 system. A separate 入学料 of 5,650 yen is due at enrolment after passing.

Is this question bank the same as the real exam?

No. The official paper is written in Japanese with multiple-source reading and short written explanations. This bank is an English-language multiple-choice study adaptation of the same syllabus content and cannot replace document analysis or written-response practice.