You're sitting in Gekkoukan High, the sun is streaming through the window, and Ms. Toriumi is staring you down. She asks a question about Jomon period middens or some obscure algebraic spiral. Suddenly, your mind goes blank. We've all been there. Persona 3 Reload is a massive game, but surprisingly, some of the hardest "bosses" are the pop quizzes and those grueling week-long exams.
Honestly, it's not just about getting the question right to avoid looking like an idiot.
Every time you nail an answer in class, your Charm goes up. During exams, your Academics rank and your actual answers determine if you’ll be top of the class. If you rank #1, Mitsuru Kirijo usually hands over some pretty sweet rewards (including expensive Incense cards). If you’ve been struggling to keep up with the calendar, here is the cheat sheet you actually need.
The April and May "Welcome to School" Grind
The game starts throwing curveballs early. You’re barely getting used to the Dark Hour and suddenly you're being grilled on 17th-century physics.
April 8th: When asked about the phrase that symbolizes summer, go with Vivid carp streamers.
April 18th: Those trash heaps from the Jomon period? They’re called Middens.
April 27th: This is the one that trips people up because it's a visual question. The answer is A. Just pick A.
May is where the pressure starts mounting because the first midterms hit.
- May 6th: The device for train power is a Pantograph.
- May 13th: Léon Foucault used a Pendulum.
- May 15th: The casual name for May sickness is May Blues.
First Midterm Exams (May 18 - May 22)
Exams are a different beast. You don't just pick one answer; you have to survive several days of testing.
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- May 19th: May Blues.
- May 20th: A pendulum.
- May 21st: Electricity.
- May 22nd: Jomon.
Remember, if your Academics rank is too low, you won't get the top score even if you answer everything perfectly. You need at least Rank 3 or 4 to realistically smell that #1 spot this early.
Summer Heat: June and July Answers
June is mostly about "magic" and math. It’s a weird combo.
June 15th: Seeing things as they are? That’s a Keen eye.
June 17th: Magic’s origin? Shamanism.
June 22nd: The curve question is a classic. It’s the Witch of Agnesi.
June 25th: If you're in a whirlpool bath and it vibrates, it's the Flutter effect.
June 29th: Finding water with a stick is Dowsing.
July feels like a sprint toward summer break, but the Finals are standing in your way.
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- July 3rd: The tale is About romance.
- July 8th: Comma splice? It’s Between "time" and "it's".
- July 9th: The farming problem was Social disparity.
- July 10th: Esoteric Jewish texts are Kabbalah.
- July 11th: Every samurai needs a Katana.
First Semester Final Exams (July 14 - July 17)
Don't let the heat fry your brain.
- July 14th: Dowsing.
- July 15th: An error in translation.
- July 16th: Taira no Masakado.
- July 17th: Comma splice.
If you haven't been visiting the library or the diner at night, your Academics might be lagging. It's sorta vital to fix that before the next big test.
The Autumn Slump: September and October
Once you get back from Yakushima, things get heavy. The plot thickens, and the school questions get even more obscure.
September 1st: Resistance.
September 10th: To reveal a secret (aka spilling the beans).
September 11th: The Renaissance magic book is The Hermetica.
September 14th: Your better half is your Soulmate.
September 26th: The holy numbers name is Tetractys.
October is basically "Midterm Month."
- October 7th: The achievement hormone is Dopamine.
- October 10th: The founder of Theosophy is Helena Blavatsky.
Second Midterm Exams (October 13 - October 16)
- October 13th: Addiction (or "Self-glorification" depending on the prompt variation, but usually Addiction regarding dopamine).
- October 14th: Pythagoras.
- October 15th: Superconductivity.
- October 16th: To reveal a secret.
October 19th: Zero came from India.
October 22nd: April's namesake is Venus.
October 26th: The Izumo province.
October 30th: Beta-amylase.
The Home Stretch: November to January
By now, you're probably powerful enough to crush shadows with a sneeze, but you still have to pass Japanese history and literature.
November 7th: The Indian magical text is The Upanishads.
November 12th: The sparse line describes Her favorite time in winter.
November 30th: Genji compares her to the Cherry blossom.
December is the final hurdle.
- December 7th: The ozone layer.
- December 9th: Himiko’s sorcery was Kido.
- December 11th: The irregular plural is Lives.
Second Semester Final Exams (December 14 - December 18)
- December 14th: The number zero.
- December 15th: Maltose.
- December 16th: Venus.
- December 17th: Murasaki-no-Ue.
- December 18th: Geeses. (Yes, "Geeses").
Even in January, when the world is literally ending, you still have class.
January 8th: The "certain place" is the Underworld.
January 18th: The sorceress is Circe.
Why Getting Answers Right Actually Matters
You might think, "Why do I care about being a straight-A student in a game about summoning demons?"
Basically, it's about efficiency. Persona 3 Reload is a game of tight schedules. If you get a question right, you gain Charm without spending a single afternoon or evening activity on it. That frees up your nights to go to the Arcade or work at the Cafe, which boosts two stats at once.
Also, Mitsuru’s rewards are no joke. Talk to her in the school hallway after exam results are posted. She will give you rare items like Power Incense or Guard Incense. These permanently boost your Persona's stats. If you're playing on Hard or Merciless, those extra points are the difference between a win and a game-over screen.
Actionable Tips for Maxing Social Stats
- Prioritize the Diner: Eating at Wilduck Burger or Wakatsu Restaurant on certain days gives more "notes" than studying in your room.
- The Arcade is King: On Mondays and Thursdays, play the game at the Paulownia Mall arcade. It costs money, but it's the fastest way to max Charm.
- Don't Sleep in Class: Unless you've already maxed Academics, always stay awake. It's a free point. If you're already maxed, sure, take the nap to boost your Courage.
- Shared Computer: Buy the software from the manga cafe in the strip mall. Using these at the dorm's shared PC gives massive boosts and sometimes unique perks.
Maximize your time during the day by hanging out with Social Links that are actually at school. Save the "generic" stat-boosting for the evenings when your friends aren't available. By the time the final boss rolls around, you should be a Charismatic, Courageous Genius who also happens to be a god-tier Persona user.
Check your calendar often. Missing a single quiz isn't the end of the world, but missing a midterm reward from Mitsuru feels like leaving money on the table.