[/floatr]On the 16th November, the Transport Timetable Test will be held for the 14th time in several locations around the country. It began in 1999 and used to be held twice annually but moved to only once a year from 2004. There are two tests, and a top score in the easier one will earn you a level three ranking, while a passing score will be graded at five, which is the lowest level. A top score in the harder exam will get you a "Ph.D in timetables" but lower scores are also graded at levels one and two. All exam entrants are allowed a copy of the current JR timetable and a calculator but the tests are certainly no pushover. Of the 1,361 people who attempted the harder exam last year, 66% failed completely and only 0.2% (presumably 2 or 3 people) earned a Ph.D. Salarymen and public sector employees made up about half of the combined total of 3,240 people who registered for the two tests in 2007 with students also a large group. Only 289 were women but, this year, the organizers hope that female trainspotters, known as "tetsuko", might be on the rise following increased media coverage over the last twelve months. However, it's not enough to be simply a doyen of denshas; the test poses questions on buses, airline and ferry services and also requires detailed knowledge of rules, fares, place names and ticket types. If the information is in the published timetables, then the question-setters see it as fair game. Achieving the doctorate level on one test will still only get you a silver certificate. If you want the ultimate gold certificate, you'll have to make the same grade three times.
