noun
admission based on special talent; non-academic admission system
Colloquial term for a university admission system that evaluates applicants on a specific skill (sports, art, etc.) rather than solely on exam scores.
彼は水泳の実績で一芸入試を利用して大学に合格した。
He passed the university entrance exam through the special talent admission system using his swimming achievements.
一芸入試は、学力試験だけでは評価できない才能を発掘するために導入された。
The special talent admission system was introduced to discover talents that cannot be evaluated by academic exams alone.
AO入試 (Admissions Office entrance exam) is a broader holistic admission system, while 一芸入試 focuses specifically on a single outstanding non-academic skill.
推薦入試 (recommendation-based admission) often considers overall character and school recommendation, whereas 一芸入試 is narrowly based on one special talent.
Compound of 一芸 (one art/skill) and 入試 (entrance exam). The term likely emerged in the context of Japanese university admissions reform to describe a pathway for students with exceptional non-academic abilities.