Week in review: Reiwa 8 exam week

RETIO's schedule page confirms the sitting on Sunday, October 18, 2026, from 13:00 to 15:00 (2 hours), with registration-training completers sitting from 13:10 to 15:00 (1 hour 50 minutes) for their 45-question paper. Results are set for Wednesday, November 25. Applicants who used internet application are due to be able to see their own scores on the exam My Page on or after results day; RETIO says the date and time are not fixed.

Why it matters to trainees: mark November 25, and check that your My Page login works before then. See the RETIO schedule page.

On October 19, RETIO published preliminary attendance figures. Of 307,254 applicants, 246,422 sat the exam, an attendance rate of 80.2%. General candidates were 194,606 of 249,092 (78.1%), and registration-training completers 51,816 of 58,162 (89.1%). The same kind of preliminary table a year earlier showed 245,463 of 306,099, also 80.2%.

Why it matters to trainees: the field is about 1,000 larger than last year's, at the same attendance rate. Attendance does not set the pass mark, and these figures are preliminary. See RETIO's preliminary attendance table (2026-10-19).

As of 18:00 on October 18, the answer keys on TAC's page and in LEC's PDF agree on every one of the 50 questions, and both put the estimated pass mark at 34±1. U-CAN, publishing at 20:05 that evening, estimates 32±1, one point under last year's 33.

Why it matters to trainees: a school estimate is a forecast from sample answers, not a result. Score yourself on our provisional answer key and read it against what past pass marks imply. Sources: TAC, LEC, U-CAN.

U-CAN's review reports 10 count questions (asking how many statements are correct or incorrect) and 5 combination questions, which it calls the most ever. It says 9 of the count questions and 4 of the combination questions sat in the Brokerage Act block. These are U-CAN's counts; another school may count differently, and RETIO’s public past-paper archive did not yet list the 2026 booklet.

Why it matters to trainees: both formats punish guessing from one statement. In RETIO's 2025 paper we counted 11 count questions and 2 combination questions, so ten is not unusual. See U-CAN's analysis.