Photo/Illutration Students take standardized university entrance exams at Kwansei Gakuin University in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, on Jan. 18. (Emiko Arimoto)

A proctor overseeing a standardized university entrance exam in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, entered a restroom while a male student was using it during the exam on Jan. 18, sources said.

“It was inappropriate,” said a representative from the Osaka Metropolitan University’s admissions office. “We apologize for making the student feel uncomfortable.”

According to the university and other sources, the student used a larger multipurpose restroom after experiencing stomach pain, and the proctor accompanied him inside the actual space rather than waiting outside the door.

The student reportedly refrained from protesting, fearing it might affect his test results, and reluctantly relieved himself while the proctor remained in the room.

When questioned by the university, the proctor said that he entered the restroom to prevent cheating.

According to a source connected to the student, the incident did not directly affect his exam performance, but he said he felt “embarrassed and scared.”

According to the National Center for University Entrance Examination, guidelines require proctors to accompany students to the restroom entrance during exams to prevent cheating.