Why has ICU introduced test subjects that include Japanese listening comprehension, even though it is a Japanese university?

A feature of classes at ICU is the dialogue that takes place between faculty and students. The foundation of that dialogue is "the ability to listen." This test was introduced with the aim of measuring that listening ability and students' aptitude to liberal arts education.

This test subject, known as "Aptitude Test for Liberal Arts (ATLAS)," is not simply a test of how much applicants have memorized, such as facts and formulae. Instead, applicants are asked to read the document booklet, listen to the lecure, and solve questions related to the material and the lecture. In this way, we assess their ability to make swift, appropriate judgments, their logical thinking skills, their ability to draw out an answer from a variety of contexts, and their ability to apply the facts they have learned and the way they think to problem solving.