追試

• Reading: ついし
• Romaji: tsuishi
• Kanji breakdown: 追 (follow-up/chase) + 試 (test, from 試験) → follow-up test / make-up exam
• Pronunciation: /tsɯ.i.ɕi/

Meaning

A make-up exam or retest — a second chance given to students who missed or failed the original test.

追試 is the safety net of Japanese university life. It is offered to students who missed the original exam due to illness or other legitimate reasons, or sometimes to those who failed and need one more attempt to pass. The rules vary by professor — some are lenient, offering 追試 freely, while others are strict, requiring doctor's notes or capping the maximum score. 追試 is often rumoured to be harder than the original, though this varies. Being in '追試 territory' is a source of stress and shame.

Examples

1. 本試落ちたから追試受けないと単位やばい。 I failed the main exam, so I need to take the retest or I'll lose the credit.
2. 追試って本試より難しくなるって噂、本当かな。 Is it true that the retest is supposed to be harder than the original?
3. インフルで試験受けられなかったから追試申請した。 I couldn't take the exam because of the flu, so I applied for a make-up test.

Usage Guide

Context: university, academic, friends

Tone: anxious, desperate

Do Say

• 追試あるから勉強しなきゃ。 (There's a make-up exam so I need to study.)
• 追試認めてもらえるか先生に聞いてみな。 (Ask the professor if they'll allow a make-up exam.)

Don't Say

• 「追試余裕でしょ」は落ちた人に言ってはいけない (Saying 'the retest should be easy' to someone who failed is insensitive)

Common Mistakes

• Assuming all professors offer 追試 — some courses have a strict no-retake policy, and missing the exam means an automatic fail

Origin & History

Academic term from 追 (follow-up/additional) + 試 (test/exam, shortened from 試験). Standard part of the Japanese university examination system.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern university system, ongoing

Generation: University students (term understood by all ages)

Social background: Universal in academic contexts

Regional notes: Used at all Japanese universities. Policies on 追試 vary significantly between institutions and individual professors.