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Anzan Kentei 3 kyu and pre-3 kyu mock exam

On the anzan exam of the League of Japan Abacus Associations (Nishuren), 3 kyu is the grade where every section reaches three digits: each column problem has five 3-digit rows, and on the official sample every multiplication is a 3-digit number times a 1-digit number and every division is by a single digit with a 3-digit answer. Pre-3 kyu, one step below, is the halfway paper, with half of each section still at 4 kyu size.

  • 80 questions
  • 12 minutes for the whole paper
  • Pass: 400 of 500
  • Multipliers and divisors: 1 digit (official sample)

Free, no sign-up, no download

Which paper?

Clock

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The mock exam builds a fresh paper to the published 3 kyu or pre-3 kyu specification each time you start: all 80 questions, in the same three sections. Run it on the official 12-minute clock or untimed, answer in any order, and it marks the paper as the real one is marked, 10 points per column problem and 5 per multiplication or division, with 400 to pass. It is a practice paper, not an official one.

Built to the published format

Every paper follows the question counts, digit widths and question shapes of the published specification and sample papers, and a new paper is written each time you start.

The real clock

One 12-minute clock for a kyu paper, 3 + 3 + 4 minutes for dan, or untimed while you are learning. Answer the questions in any order, as in the exam.

Marked the way the paper is marked

Points per question, the pass mark or grade reached and, for dan, the rule that the lowest section decides the rank, then every wrong answer next to the right one.

The official format

3 kyu paper (Nishuren)

SectionQuestionsContentPoints
A: Mitori anzanNos. 1–203 keta, 5 kuchi, 15 ji: five 3-digit rows, all added on the official sample200 (10 each)
B: Kake anzanNos. 21–50Jitsuho 4 keta, every question 3-digit × 1-digit on the official sample, such as 506 × 8150 (5 each)
C: Wari anzanNos. 51–80Hosho 4 keta, every question a 1-digit divisor with a 3-digit quotient on the official sample, such as 8,154 ÷ 9 and 724 ÷ 2150 (5 each)
Whole paper80 questionsOne 12-minute clock, sections in any order500; pass at 400

Section totals are as printed on the official sample paper; the points per question are worked out from them. Every division on the official samples comes out exact.

Pre-3 kyu (jun-sankyu) paper (Nishuren)

SectionQuestionsContentPoints
A: Mitori anzanNos. 1–102 keta, 5 kuchi, 10 ji: five 2-digit rows, the 4 kyu shape100 (10 each)
A: Mitori anzanNos. 11–203 keta, 5 kuchi, 15 ji: five 3-digit rows, the 3 kyu shape100 (10 each)
B: Kake anzanNos. 21–35Jitsuho 3 keta: 2-digit × 1-digit on the official sample75 (5 each)
B: Kake anzanNos. 36–50Jitsuho 4 keta: 3-digit × 1-digit on the official sample75 (5 each)
C: Wari anzanNos. 51–65Hosho 3 keta: a 1-digit divisor with a 2-digit quotient on the official sample75 (5 each)
C: Wari anzanNos. 66–80Hosho 4 keta: a 1-digit divisor with a 3-digit quotient on the official sample, such as 1,705 ÷ 575 (5 each)
Whole paper80 questionsOne 12-minute clock, sections in any order500; pass at 400

The spec lists 15 questions of each size in the multiplication and division sections; the official sample puts the smaller size first. Points are worked out from the section totals, as on the 3 kyu paper. Nishuren added the three pre-grades in fiscal 2014.

Sample paper

The sample below is a shortened 3 kyu paper written to the published specification: ten column problems of five 3-digit rows, then ten multiplications of a 3-digit number by a 1-digit number, then ten divisions by a 1-digit number with a 3-digit quotient, numbered 1 to 30. The real paper has 20, 30 and 30 of these, numbered 1 to 80. Marked the real way the sample is worth 200 points, and 160 is 80 percent of that, the same share as 400 of 500. It uses 3 kyu shapes only; pre-3 kyu is in the mock exam. It is not an official paper, and Kani Math is not affiliated with any exam body.

3 kyu & pre-3 kyuSample paper

The sample below is a shortened 3 kyu paper written to the published specification: ten column problems of five 3-digit rows, then ten multiplications of a 3-digit number by a 1-digit number, then ten divisions by a 1-digit number with a 3-digit quotient, numbered 1 to 30. The real paper has 20, 30 and 30 of these, numbered 1 to 80. Marked the real way the sample is worth 200 points, and 160 is 80 percent of that, the same share as 400 of 500. It uses 3 kyu shapes only; pre-3 kyu is in the mock exam. It is not an official paper, and Kani Math is not affiliated with any exam body.

Mitori anzan: columns

  1. No. 1177506692246933
  2. No. 2701942156993166
  3. No. 3947486207699976
  4. No. 4280310224986496
  5. No. 5720508673206346
  6. No. 6259681295130707
  7. No. 7145943217253637
  8. No. 8467801286858425
  9. No. 9615258507393979
  10. No. 10234146665133369

Kake anzan: multiplication

  1. No. 11237 × 3 =
  2. No. 12828 × 5 =
  3. No. 13167 × 4 =
  4. No. 14190 × 8 =
  5. No. 15353 × 6 =
  6. No. 16302 × 3 =
  7. No. 17752 × 4 =
  8. No. 18330 × 3 =
  9. No. 19465 × 5 =
  10. No. 20194 × 5 =

Wari anzan: division

  1. No. 212,925 ÷ 9 =
  2. No. 225,810 ÷ 7 =
  3. No. 233,582 ÷ 9 =
  4. No. 245,032 ÷ 8 =
  5. No. 25660 ÷ 2 =
  6. No. 267,016 ÷ 8 =
  7. No. 27513 ÷ 3 =
  8. No. 283,704 ÷ 4 =
  9. No. 29440 ÷ 4 =
  10. No. 30708 ÷ 4 =

Kani Math is not affiliated with, endorsed by or licensed by the League of Japan Abacus Associations (Nishuren), the League for Soroban Education of Japan (Zenshuren), the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry or any other exam body. The sample papers and mock exam on these pages are written to the published specification; they are not official papers, and a mock result is not a certification. Flash Anzan is a trademark of its owner. Exam details can change, so confirm them with whoever runs your sitting.

Answer key
  1. 2,554
  2. 2,958
  3. 3,315
  4. 2,296
  5. 2,453
  6. 2,072
  7. 2,195
  8. 2,837
  9. 2,752
  10. 1,547
  11. 711
  12. 4,140
  13. 668
  14. 1,520
  15. 2,118
  16. 906
  17. 3,008
  18. 990
  19. 2,325
  20. 970
  21. 325
  22. 830
  23. 398
  24. 629
  25. 330
  26. 877
  27. 171
  28. 926
  29. 110
  30. 177

How it is scored

The whole paper is worth 500 points: 200 for the 20 column problems, 150 for the 30 multiplications and 150 for the 30 divisions, as printed on the official sample. That works out to 10 points per column problem and 5 per multiplication or division.

The pass mark of 400 is a total for the whole paper, so a quick, accurate multiplication section can make up for a column section that ran short of time.

Scoring 400 of 500 leaves room for 100 points of mistakes and blanks: ten column problems, or twenty multiplication and division questions, or any mix that adds up to 100, such as four column problems and twelve divisions.

Pre-3 kyu is marked the same way and also needs 400. It is a grade of its own, between 4 kyu and 3 kyu, not a partial pass of 3 kyu.

What changes at this level

  • Columns: the 4 kyu column problems have five 2-digit rows (2 keta, 5 kuchi, 10 ji). At 3 kyu every row has three digits, so the same five rows now carry 15 digits instead of 10.
  • Multiplication: 4 kyu is jitsuho 3 keta, a 2-digit number times a 1-digit number on the official sample. At 3 kyu (jitsuho 4 keta) the official sample's multiplicands grow to three digits, as in 506 × 8 = 4,048, so an answer to hold can now run to four digits.
  • Division: 4 kyu is hosho 3 keta, a 1-digit divisor with a 2-digit quotient on the official sample. At 3 kyu (hosho 4 keta) the sample's divisors are still one digit but the quotients have three: 8,154 ÷ 9 = 906 and 724 ÷ 2 = 362 on the official sample. The zero inside 906 has to be kept in its place.
  • What does not change: every multiplier and every divisor on the 3 kyu sample is a single digit. On the official samples, 2-digit × 2-digit multiplication and 2-digit divisors first appear at pre-2 kyu, the next paper up.
  • Pre-3 kyu splits the step in two: in each section half of the questions keep the 4 kyu size and half move to the 3 kyu size.

Pacing

Twelve minutes for 80 questions is 720 seconds, an average of 9 seconds a question. That average is misleading, because the questions are not the same size.

A 3-digit × 1-digit multiplication or a division by one digit is short work. If a student can answer each in about 5 seconds, the 60 of them take 300 seconds, which leaves 420 seconds for the 20 column problems: 21 seconds each, or about 4 seconds per 3-digit row.

The rules let candidates answer in any order, so there are two sensible plans: start with the 60 short questions and bank up to 300 points, or start with the columns while attention is fresh, since each is worth two multiplications. Try both on full practice papers and keep the one that scores more.

If the clock runs out with ten column problems untouched, every other answer has to be right to reach exactly 400, so find out before exam day how long ten columns really take.

Pre-3 kyu leaves more slack at the same pace: ten of its column problems have 10 digits rather than 15, and half of its multiplications and divisions are a size smaller.

How Zenshuren's exam differs

The League for Soroban Education of Japan (Zenshuren) also sets a 3 kyu anzan exam, built differently. Its 1 to 6 kyu exams have the same three kinds of work, multiplication, division and mitori, but each section is timed on its own at 3 minutes and marked out of 100.

To pass at Zenshuren a candidate needs 70 or more in every one of the three sections. Nishuren's 400 is a total for the whole paper, so the two exams reward different profiles: at Zenshuren one strong section cannot carry a weak one.

Zenshuren does not publish its per-level question specifications online, so the shapes on this page describe Nishuren's paper only.

From 3 kyu upward, Zenshuren's anzan exams, dan included, carry the backing of Japan's Ministry of Education (MEXT), starting with its 422nd exam on 21 July 2024. Nishuren's anzan kyu page does not name a supporting body. As of September 2026, Zenshuren holds kyu exams every month.

How to prepare

  1. Settle the 4 kyu shapes first

    If five 2-digit rows or 2-digit × 1-digit questions still produce errors, pre-3 kyu is the natural next paper, since half of it is 4 kyu work. Moving to 3 kyu is easier once the smaller shapes are automatic.

  2. Carry across three places

    Most of the multiplication at this level is carrying through a 3-digit number, as in 506 × 8 = 4,048. Include multiplicands with a zero in the middle, like 506, where it is easy to lose a place.

  3. Hold zeros in the quotient

    A quotient such as 906 in 8,154 ÷ 9 is an easy place to drop a digit and write 96. Build a short set of divisions with a zero inside the answer and time them separately.

  4. Build column stamina at five 3-digit rows

    Keep the row count at five and practise until 3-digit rows feel as steady as 2-digit ones did at 4 kyu. Time sets of ten columns and track accuracy alongside speed.

  5. Rehearse the whole paper

    Nishuren publishes official sample papers. Use one, or the mock exam on this page, under the full 12 minutes, and note how many seconds are left or how many questions were not reached.

Common questions

Does 3 kyu include 2-digit × 2-digit multiplication?
Not on the official sample, where every multiplication at 3 kyu is 3-digit × 1-digit and every division has a 1-digit divisor with a 3-digit quotient. On the official samples, 2-digit × 2-digit multiplication and 2-digit divisors first appear at pre-2 kyu.
What does jitsuho 4 keta mean?
It is the spec for the multiplication section: the multiplicand and the multiplier have four digits between them. At 3 kyu the official sample splits that as three and one, as in 506 × 8. The division spec, hosho 4 keta, counts the divisor and the quotient, not the dividend: in 8,154 ÷ 9 = 906 the four digits are the 9 and the 906.
What is the difference between pre-3 kyu and 3 kyu?
Both have 80 questions, 12 minutes and a pass mark of 400. In pre-3 kyu half of each section is at 4 kyu size (five 2-digit rows, jitsuho 3 keta and hosho 3 keta, which the official sample fills with 2-digit × 1-digit multiplications and 1-digit divisors giving 2-digit quotients) and half at 3 kyu size. The 3 kyu paper is 3 kyu size throughout.
How many mistakes can a candidate make and still pass 3 kyu?
Up to 100 points' worth. Since a column problem is worth 10 and a multiplication or division 5, that is ten columns, twenty short questions, or a mix such as six columns and eight divisions.
Can my child go straight to 3 kyu without taking 4 kyu?
Yes. Nishuren's FAQ says candidates may start at any level. If the 4 kyu shapes are secure, 3 kyu is a reasonable first entry; if they are not, pre-3 kyu tests both.
Is the 3 kyu anzan exam backed by the Ministry of Education?
Zenshuren's is: its anzan exams at 3 kyu and above, including dan, have had MEXT support since its 422nd exam on 21 July 2024. Nishuren's anzan kyu page names no supporting body. Neither fact changes what is on the paper.

Sources

Kani Math is not affiliated with, endorsed by or licensed by the League of Japan Abacus Associations (Nishuren), the League for Soroban Education of Japan (Zenshuren), the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry or any other exam body. The sample papers and mock exam on these pages are written to the published specification; they are not official papers, and a mock result is not a certification. Flash Anzan is a trademark of its owner. Exam details can change, so confirm them with whoever runs your sitting.

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