Highlights
- Specialized exams in anime test unique skills, like heroic potential in
My Hero Academia
‘s UA Entrance Exam and magical aptitude in
Black Clover
‘s Magic Knights Entrance Exam. - Joining elite groups, such as the Demon Slayer Corps or Hunters Association, requires passing life-threatening exams with low success rates and grueling challenges.
- In series like
Naruto
and
Black Clover
, exams like the Chunin Exam and Royal Knights Selection Exam test candidates’ leadership abilities and magical prowess against top competitors.
An Exam is held to test one’s aptitude in a given area, or a general range of areas. Throughout many different anime, there have been several exams based on key elements surrounding the world settings of these stories. While not all of them pose the risk of death or bodily harm, there are many factors that can make these some of the hardest hurdles for anyone to overcome.
This could involve needing to prove yourself in a niche area or showcasing a certain level of power among many other powerful individuals. Another factor is how accessible the exam is, or if there are elements hidden from the entrants that they need to become aware of without even knowing they exist.
8 UA Entrance Exam (My Hero Academia)
Testing For Heroic Potential
U.A. High School is the top school for students looking to make it in the world of being a professional hero. In order to get in, middle schoolers will need to pass the U.A. Entrance Exam. This is composed of 2 parts, a written examination and a practical one — the latter being something only those qualified for hero work will be able to score high enough.
The main ways of acquiring points in the Entrance Exam include obtaining Villain Points and obtaining Rescue Points. Villain points are easier for those with combat focused quirks, and will be racked up by defeating robots, while Rescue Points are awarded to those that demonstrate heroic qualities during the examination.
7 Magic Knights Entrance Exam (Black Clover)
Testing Of Magical Aptitude
The world of Black Clover is one utterly filled with magic. Those that inhabit this world are also capable of wielding a wide range of spells thanks to a special book called a grimoire, which they all receive at special event in their lives — all except the story’s protagonist, Asta. This exam consists of various displays of each candidate’s aptitude, from manipulating brooms to mock battles with other candidates.
There is no grading system to pass the exam, but rather each of the nine Magic Knight Squad captains may raise a hand to indicate they wish for that candidate to join their squad. This exam is merely a stepping stone for some of those who would become the strongest magic users within the entirety of the story.
6 Defense Force Exam (Kaiju No. 8)
Testing Combat Skill, But Also Hidden Potential
The Defense Force and the exam to join it is similar to the previous entry. However, it takes place in a setting where all the candidates are completely human, and a lot of the candidates will not have the resources to properly train for the exam. Special suits using kaiju muscle fibers will measure a candidate’s Unleashed Combat Power, which will affect how well they will be able to perform.
To make matters worse, should a highly skilled candidate be among those wishing to join, they can prevent other candidates from being able to showcase their abilities. Even if someone trains their hardest in both physical performance and weapons training, having a low Unleashed Combat Power means other candidates will be able to outperform them. Should the candidate find themselves in a life-threatening situation, they will have a shield deployed and fail the exam.
5 Provisional Hero License Exam (My Hero Academia)
Experience Plays A Big Part In Passing
While the Final Term Exam may have students going up against their teachers, the Final Term Exam also has these teachers providing an opening for the students to exploit. The Provisional Hero License Exam featured in the story has a total of 1540 candidates, but less than 77 are allowed to pass — which is under 5%. Not only that, first-year students have to deal with second-year students who are more experienced and more likely to pass over them.
The exam is broken into two phases, the first being an elimination event that sees a set number of 100 candidates advancing. The next phase features a mock situation where civilians are in a disaster setting and need to be rescued — which can involve a pro-hero acting as a mock villain. Both of these are severe trials, as all the candidates are trying to pass, and this reduces the likelihood of others’ chances. Second years have a particularly larger advantage due to their higher level of experience.
4 Final Selection (Demon Slayer)
7 Days Of Isolation & Danger
In order for one to join the Demon Slayer Corps, one must prove themselves sufficiently skilled. To do this, the candidates need to show that they can survive for the duration of the exam without any help in a demon-infested environment — luckily, these demons are far from the strongest demons in Demon Slayer. This takes place on a mountaintop surrounded by flowers that are deadly to demons.
Members of the corp capture demons alive to relocate them to this mountain specifically for the exam. This makes the entire exam a life-threatening ordeal for the candidates over the course of its duration — which is a length of seven continuous nights.
3 Chunin Exam (Naruto)
Testing Worthiness Of Leading A Squad
The Chunin Exam can fluctuate in difficulty due to it being conducted by different groups, at different villages, each with their own opinions on how it should be conducted. However, the exam itself is designed to test to see if a ninja is ready for the rank of Chunin, which is a squad leader for a group of trained ninjas where the entirety of a mission’s success rests on the choices they make.
The exam showcased in the story of Naruto has the exam broken into various stages, with the second stage posing the risk of death for candidates. While candidates don’t need to pass all 3 stages in order to receive the promotion to Chunin, and just need to demonstrate that they have what it takes, the exam is designed to whittle away candidates before the final portion — significantly reducing the likelihood of success.
2 Hunter Exam (Hunter x Hunter)
Testing To Be A Part Of The Most Elite
The Hunter’s Association holds an annual exam for those who wish to become Hunters. Hunters are the most prominent and powerful individuals to have ever existed — and help push humanity to heights. Although the exam has millions of applicants each year, only a small handful are able to pass — with 7 passing the 287th Hunter Exam and 1 passing the 288th Hunters Exam.
While each exam is different, there is only a 1 in 10,000 chance that an individual will make it to the main exam — which can be comprised of multiple phases of truly grueling challenges. The exam attracts the absolute best of humanity in the hopes of becoming a Hunter, which can mean the possibility of a competitive event destroying all hope of passing.
1 Royal Knights Selection Exam (Black Clover)
Testing For The Best Of The Best
Another prominent exam from Black Clover is the Royal Knight Selection Exam — which is also one of the best arcs in Black Clover. During a time of great crises, the Royal Knight Selection Exam was created as a means to root out the best of its candidates to create an elite squad to defeat the organization known as the Eye of the Midnight Sun.
There are 2 key elements that make this exam harder than any other one mentioned. Firstly, the candidates were all Magic Knights, making the option of being selected extremely niche. Secondly, they are matched up against other Magic Knights, making every team’s opponents composed of some of the best magic users in the kingdom.
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